Interesting Insights Into Dog Behaviour - Page 2

Institutionalized unfortunately Mystere.  My husband's younger brother by 3 years was brain damaged during delivery and the doctors talked his parents into institutionalizing him.  It took 10 years before they finally gave in.  He has not spoken since, was surgically hamstrung (he used to run away from the facility), wheelchair bound now, and spent a few years gorked out on thorazine.  He used to interact with my husband as a child but now rarely makes eye contact and has outbursts of violent anger (he was heavily medicated to keep him under control since he would get violently angry and my husband believed at the time, he was abused at the pediatric facility, no one believed him until years later it was closed down for criminal abuse of children).  I realize this is injury not autism but the treatment was the same.  Temple was very fortunate to have the wonderful family she did.  The wide range of autism treatment going on today with children is wild.  From very rigid to more free flowing and in my mind, humane.

Not to highjack the thread, but there is a history in this country of simply "dismissing" anyone who is the least bit different as "defective." I attended a prep school with a very brilliant kid (the school was for gifted children) whose parents had immigrated from Russia. They spoke Russian at home, because the parents spoke very little English. When Alex started school, with English he'd learned from TV, he was immediate identified as "challenged," because he only spoke "gibberish." He was sent to the "special school" for those with mental disabilities. Alex was old enough for the 3rd geade by the time his parents learned enough English such that they comprehended what type of school their son had been assigned to for 4 years. By then, Alex also had more Englisg from TV and other kids with whom he attended the "special school." Someone finally realized that it was a LANGUAGE issue and the "gibberish" was Russian. Alex was simply thrown back into the "mainstream." He was brilliant enough to catch up to the rest of us by 6th grade, and he was able to pass the entrance tests for the prep school. ¶ This was a simple matter of language. I dread to think what may be happening to kids every day who may even now be instituionalized for some "difference," because it is easier to warehouse them. Is it any wonder, then, that dogs are so often treated the same way?

I've heard of deaf children being labelled as 'retarded' and put in classes for slow learners. I think they did this to Sue Thomas, the deaf woman who later worked for the FBI, even though they KNEW she was deaf!

I do not have HBO, anyone out there tape this? I would love a copy so I may watch it.

I will get the book, and see if I can find it on PPV. thank you.