Pathological demand avoidance.

there was at least one example where there was a father figure present and the experts gave a positive autism diagnosis. Are you saying that man was a poor parent?

Yes

I'm confused. Are you saying a lack of male influence causes autism?

No

Yes

No

Are you saying a lack of male influence causes autism?

I am sure that there is a biological fault in the brain that causes autism; but a lack of discipline and a lack of consistency can also cause a child never to learn that they should do what a parent/authority figure asks.

The methods that we as parents now use, is very different from 40+ years ago, so children are going to behave very differently.

On the one hand we have strict rules to follow, on the other children never suffer for their actions. They mis-behave and they get grounded, they love it, because they just go on their Xbox, DX, playstation, candycrush. So their social skills are very poor.

How does a child learn social skills when they are playing games 24/7 ??

---------- Post added 09-06-2015 at 21:15 ----------

I strongly objected when my daughter got a mobile, 10 years ago, at the age of 5.

But these days, they play online games from a very young age.

I am sure that there is a biological fault in the brain that causes autism; but a lack of discipline and a lack of consistency can also cause a child never to learn that they should do what a parent/authority figure asks.

The methods that we as parents now use, is very different from 40+ years ago, so children are going to behave very differently.

On the one hand we have strict rules to follow, on the other children never suffer for their actions. They mis-behave and they get grounded, they love it, because they just go on their Xbox, DX, playstation, candycrush. So their social skills are very poor.

 

How does a child learn social skills when they are playing games 24/7 ??

 

---------- Post added 09-06-2015 at 21:15 ----------

 

I strongly objected when my daughter got a mobile, 10 years ago, at the age of 5.

 

But these days, they play online games from a very young age.

I'm a parent of an autistic 11 year old as well so I have some experience with this subject. He doesn't have a mobile!

You seem to be generalising a bit. I think its a bit unfair to say todays kids don't suffer for their actions and are playing games constantly. I know parents who encourage their kids to play sports and who punish their kids for wrongdoing. You can't realistically impose the standards of the 70's onto today just as you wouldn't impose the standards of the 30's onto the 70's. The complaint that kids aren't as well behaved as previous generations is as old as kids.

having being diagnosed ADHD and Autistic myself at a young age (aged 5, i'm now 32) and knowing myself what it's like, I can tell you that it's not a learned behavior, especially if signs happen BEFORE nursery or school (where would they learn it from?)

It's difficult to explain, because it's not a conscious action or decision, something just switches in your brain that causes you to react... might not be the same reaction or cause in everyone, and the resulting 'mood' may not be the same in everyone...

Yes, there may be some people out there who have 'learned' autistic behavior, but when diagnosing, they watch for the subtle sub-conscious signs that the person wouldn't have control over, and wouldn't be learned things...

I left school with no GCSE's, no formal qualifications, have been in and out of jobs, I struggle to keep them for varying reasons, and when ever I try and explain to people, they look at me like i'm lazy and just don't want to work...

The thing is, I do, I have done retail, call center, cleaning and others, but I can't seem to stay in anything, they just don't suit me... (and they are not me quitting (done it once) and not fired either - just mutual agreements)

I'm going to stop here before I go off on a tangent trying to explain more and then just get totally lost and end up making no sense at all...

 

You seem to be generalising a bit.

Very much so; I recall watching prof Winstons 'Child of our time' and a young lad was playing games 24/7, and he very much lacked social skills, I believe he went on the be a special needs child. That is what the TV show did, watched children from a young age, and then every year as they grew up.

He did do a program about the effect of 24/7 games on children, but I cannot find it online. That is State of Play, Child of our Time, Series 5 Episode 2 of 4, I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjpCDvSQTWM

---------- Post added 09-06-2015 at 22:10 ----------

Just watching this now,

I lost a bit of respect for Winston a few years ago, because of certain 'question phrasing' issues.

What I mean by that is that there was a particular 'scenario' set up for the children, which each was confronted with.

I soon realised that there was a certain 'answer' required to prove the hypothesis proposed, and the children were asked the question (can't recall what it was) in a certain way. The result being that of course they answered it 'as required'.

The tone and phrasing prompted the answer. If I'd asked the same question, in the 'opposite' tone with different words, I'd have got the opposite answer...

I lost a bit of respect for Winston a few years ago, because of certain 'question phrasing' issues.

 

Some TV programs are much too simple, just entertainment.