Asperger's Syndrome

[Tim May]

On Wednesday, May 7, 2003, at 06:42  AM, Harmon Seaver wrote:

>    Could be more sinister than that, an attempt to stigmatize thinkers 
> as
> weird. Especially when you look at the phenomenon of the rise of ADD. 
> When I was
> growing up, there was no such thing as ADD, and,indeed, I don't 
> remember having
> kids in my school who exhibited those symtoms. There were dumb kids, 
> of course,
> and daydreamers, but I don't recall the weirdly restless, buzzy kids 
> you see so
> many of now.

Same here. We pretty much stayed in our seats. None of the spontaneous 
wandering around the room I have seen in video footage of today's kids. 
Sure, some kids were more active than others, but nothing like what I 
hear about and see today.


>
>    So what caused ADD -- something in the water, like flouride?

But they were polluting our essence back in the 1950s, when water 
fluoridation and fluoride toothpaste became common.


> Or some food
> additive, or some form of pollution? We know that there are a number of
> chemicals in the environment today that mimic various hormones which 
> then cause
> imbalances in animals, or, for instance, aluminum suspected in 
> alzhimers.

Aluminum frying pans? Teflon?

Or, more likely: endless gallons of sugar water. When I was a kid, a 
6-ounce bottle of Coca Cola was a special treat. (Though I recall we 
drank a fair amount of Kool-Aid. And Fizzies, before they were banned.) 
Today's kids tank up on Big Gulps and Supersize It! 32-ounce portions. 
Even soda vending machines in the schools, and soft drinks served with 
lunch.

Likewise, a lot more fast food today. Where once it was a treat to go 
to a burger place, now they dot the landscape and many kids eat at them 
nearly every day.

And lack of discipline is probably a big factor. If teachers simply 
told the kids to sit down and stop fidgeting, as they did with us, 
maybe there would be fewer of these alleged ADHD cases.

But the single most likely reason for the rise in alleged ADHD cases is 
the pharmaceutical industry. And job security for the "psychiatric 
staff" at K12 schools. Where once there was a nurse bandaging cuts and 
scrapes, now there's a staff of psychobabblers and sexuality counselors.


--Tim May
""Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who 
approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but 
downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined." 
--Patrick Henry