Women’s Rights: Two Steps Away from Salem

When I was a young girl, I was never told I couldn’t accomplish my goals due to my gender. My grandmother was a “classical feminist”, she didn’t metaphorically burn bras or seek vengeance on behalf of her gender.  She was simply a female who sought independence (i.e.- economically, educationally and socially) from the societal expectations of her generation. I had two major female roles models in life and one strong male model, all of which formulated my characteristics, morals and ethics.

Gender was never directly associated with failing, nor was my hereditary background. Feminism was not a popular cocktail word as it has become now. Women’s rights are about equality, yet equality in a society that caters to males can be difficult. In more ways that women of any age, gender or ethnicity wish to confess. It’s trivialized, after women are often characterized as “Nuts or Sluts” in the public forum. We tread lightly already, more than we sense at times.

 After all, who wants to be that crazy bitch? She must be unattractive, man-hating and hold everyone to double standards. She must want to be treated better than men!  We gave you the right to own property, a bank account, and even vote! You must be a liberal, you must be a democrat, you must be…another label we can issue you. Because after all, these women should just be grateful we permit them to work in standards to their education, be grateful.

The double standard of my own childhood is although I was never taught that as a female I couldn’t achieve the highest standards, I was taught I was female in a man’s world and therefore I was an inevitable target.

Love's Baby Soft Fragrance Ad, Circa 1975.

Target for what, you may ask?  Harassment, sexual predators, the faceless fears that is cultivated with violence against women. All forms, that are ignored as simply crazy degenerates, gang violence to random mass shootings (all disregarded as generalized violence to domestic acts of terrorism), but is it addressed as a gender related crime?  It’s common sense in our world to teach all of our children to be safe, yet when I was young I felt this immense pressure to be cautious and be invisible around strangers.

The reality, this made me all the more a target. Make yourself small, quiet and untouchable (in some way) and the offenders will avoid you. The old joke about women traveling in packs to the bathroom? We are told from a young age that if we travel in groups we are less likely to be harassed, targeted, and/or kidnapped in numbers. So when you see girls carrying off to the restrooms, it's not because of you necessarily. It's not a get away to gossip or apply another layer of makeup, it's a mechanism that is taught to females from a young age to stick together for safety.

As I grew up, I discovered the warnings were unfortunately accurate. One was a family “friend” who attempted to get me into their RV one evening with the promises of a board game and candy. Something struck me off about this guy from the beginning, the way he kept looking at me and trying to hug me too much. The large red flag of attempting to isolate me from the other adults. This man paid way too much attention to my clothing, my hair and commented too much about how “beautiful of a little girl” I was.  But thank GOD I had my defenses up and avoided a horrific situation. I did not see ten-year-old me as beautiful or anything to that nature, I was a tomboy. I was quiet, imaginative and polite. Yet I was that girl that had short hair, climbed trees and played with Hot Wheels. I had no interest in boys or sex at that age. So when this older man began showing me attention like this in such an uncomfortable way. I was paying attention to the warnings provided with my gender.

I never did see that cool board game because it never existed. I told my grandmother immediately. She was keen to listen to my concerns, and kept him at a far distance from me during this family’s short visit.  That same evening, my grandmother asked him about the board game he promised. In surprised response, the man sputtered and admitted there was no board game in the RV- he had forgotten it wasn’t in there. She glared at him while he excused himself to his parked RV outside. Meanwhile, his wife made excuses for him and changed the subject. My grandmother looked over to me with a wink. Later I would find out my grandparents requested they leave immediately.

Even more enlightening to add to this story is, much later into my teens, it was found that this family friend molested his own grandchildren and friend’s children. People know when there is a child molester in the family, there are victims and clues which are OFTEN ignored. Even in our modern society.

As my childhood progressed there were other incidents of misconduct that arose. Whether through peers or adults. In these situations, I avoided telling anyone. In the end I knew it would be my word against theirs’ and there is a fabric of victim shaming I was well aware of. I despise the phrase “shaming”, it’s more than an internet Social Justice Warrior pundit. It is a dumbed down phrase to capitalize on the insecurity it stems from. It’s an identifiable characteristic of a that “sixteen-year-old drunk” we call societal acceptance.

I realized the empowerment of saying no and standing my ground, I didn’t need a space to do it. I made that space. Maybe I asked for it, putting myself there. I hardly believe a ten-year-old understood what a sexual predator’s objective was until it is blatantly obvious. What was I wearing someone may ask? I was a tomboy, you tell me. Here is the secret to the assholes who say women ask for it. Just having a pair of tits and a vagina is enough of an invitation for horrible things to befall you. Especially when your culture’s consciousness is that of unaccountability laced with embraced ignorance, it’s easy to blame. Clothing is HARDLY the reason for rape, ask the nation about its drunken state of entitlement and stop asking me about what I was wearing.

Just as notable: All females should know that we are under the reign of a drunken sixteen-year-old culture, that will blame everyone except itself. Therefore we have to take our own advocacy and that of our children into our own hands. Be responsible but be honest. Don't blame every man on the planet for entitlement, build bridges. Equality is more than social media, blogs and the entertainment industry wooing us with female leads in their feminist shit. Think outside the box, not within the parameters provided. Don't be an asshole, use common sense. We have enough assholes to fill Donald Trump's ego. 

Finally, into young adulthood, I was met with the reality. Gender was an underlining issue in workplaces, educational institutions, churches and life generally. I never had another rape scenario, yet I saw the harassment. Commentary that was passing, but exceptionally derogatory. The commentary was insulting at times in a workplace environment, these came from coworkers (not friends) or upper management- these were males in that context. Not women, although they too are just as unnecessarily vicious at times. Keep in mind I was single, a parent at the time. Now I am married, the comments have barely dwindled.

“You would look better in shorter skirts than those longer ones.” (Married with children, coworker)

“Smoking is really unattractive in women.” (Medical advice from the happy hour crowd)

“It’s easier to get laid as a woman, isn’t it?”  (Single, coworker)

“Wow, you are in a mood. Must be that time of the month, am I right?” (Single, coworker)

“Why are you single? Is it the whole you having a kid thing?” (Married with children, coworker)

“You know; this job isn’t cut out for single mothers. Maybe you should lower your standards.” (Management)

“______ is more of a team player. She knows how to network.” (Co-worker who sleeps around in the work place is promoted, Management.)

“Truthfully, most women are just meant to stay at this level. Otherwise it would be nothing but drama in the corporate offices. Better as a secretary.”  (Management)

“Why can’t you stay late? It’s not like you have a boyfriend to please.” (Management)

Yes, there were often the “smile more” comments. I really don’t want to quote those, because I’ve read it enough already. As if that is the worst of it.

Needless to say I was pretty surprised at the comments, but at the same time I rolled my eyes and responded with a corresponding zinger. None of which meant much due to the harassment source to begin with. I have always said things very directly. (So that there would be no mistaken approvals, God forbid.) Despite any deplorable comments, I would always smirk and respond accordingly. Except I did it with arsenic in my words and a tempered smile. You may not taste it right now, but give it time. There would be some hateful responses and even threats to my job at times, depending on the situation. I was supposed to smile, nod and keep going. Pretending that gender prejudice was of the past where it’s acknowledged more compellingly by our country as ancient practice.

The Invisible War: New Film Exposes Rape, Sexual Assault Epidemic in U.S. Military

I heard the recent news of how the U.S. Marines are permitting more women into combat roles, even going as far to make boot camp ranks/titles gender neutral. Although there are individuals arguing that this is plausibly a bad idea, they are marching forward in the sake of gender equality (arguably cosmetic in appearance). I wish I could support this decision at 100% face value as success, but I am just not there yet. The mere fact that sexual assaults and/or harassment had been historically covered up by the U.S. Military, should be a huge red flag that this isn’t a logical move. Promises are disposal, just as the statistics reflect below from 2014. (I am still waiting on 2015 statistics)

·         “160,500 service members (1 in 4 women, 1 in 14 men) faced severe and persistent sexual harassment or gender discrimination in 2014. For most, the harassment persisted for at least several months.”

·         “90% of assaults were in a military setting, mostly by a higher-ranking service member who knew the victim.”

·         “62% of women who reported a sexual assault faced retaliation. The majority of these women faced reprisal from superiors and commanders.”

·         “Harassment was often mishandled by the chain of command: 44% of victims were encouraged to drop the issue and 41% said the person to whom they reported took no action.”

·         “1,027,810 outpatient visits took place at the VA for Military Sexual Trauma (MST)-related care in 2013.”

·         “1 in 4 women and 1 in 100 men veterans who used the VA in 2013 screened positive for MST.”

Statistics Retrieved from:  "Facts On United States Military Sexual Violence." Protect Our Defenders. 2015. Accessed January 26, 2016. http://protectourdefenders.com/downloads/Military_Sexual_Violence_Fact_Sheet_Final_150710.pdf.

Although this is a rough example of how gender is cosmetically approached it is not addressing the source of this underlining illusion. It’s that “drunken sixteen-year old mentality” that rages on the media, internet and cultural consciousness. As more men become fathers, I ask that you consider your own daughter’s well being. How is this world going to treat her? Will she ever be equal to a male counterpart? Answer to this is: she will be treated according to the directive of society.

"Target is in damage-control mode after receiving a series of complaints on social media about a "Trophy Wife" T-shirt that users are calling demeaning and sexist. (Target)" Washington Post, 2015.

How about work, will she work in a safe and reputable atmosphere, where her work ethic and merits flourish? If she is attractive she may get more interviews, if she is unattractive she may be overlooked often. Her appearance will judge the quality of her treatment, for better or for worse. Will she be able to work and care for her family without feeling like a failure? Can she balance her priorities to please her family, her employer and herself? Only time will tell, only economic changes will tell us…in the meantime there are challenges ahead.

Will she be subjected to harassment, assault or worse?

Survey says:

“91% of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9% are male.”

“One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old.”

“Rape is the most under-reported crime; 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police. Only 12% of child sexual abuse is reported to the authorities.”

Statistics Retrieved from: "Statistics About Sexual Violence." National Sexual Violence Resource Center. 2015. Accessed January 27, 2016. http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications_nsvrc_factsheet_media-packet_statistics-about-sexual-violence_0.pdf.

It’s frightening to think of your daughter, sister, mother or friend being a victim. A silent victim which is objectified under the magnifying glass of social media, armchair detectives and spurious media stooges. The drunken society where we humiliate so many for speaking up, for asking for help or for seeking justice. Are there those women who have cried wolf before and misled our culture? I have no personal doubts of this. Absolutely true, as I have aforementioned in other articles... narcissism is the raging plague within our culture. Hell, this article is narcissistic to some degree as well. But that is another article, another time. I digress.

If we read the majority of remarks from media: some women are just crazy bitches, slutty whores and uneducated cunts. Cunt is such an ugly word, isn’t it? But bitch, whore, slut, princess, fat, skinny, ugly, useless, easy, loose- are just fine. It’s like the Wal-Mart of quality, bring your carts- everything is on sale. These words will be spouted the first time your daughter refuses the attentions of an overzealous boy, these words will be thrown into her face when she stands her ground and these same words are strewn across social media pages in an attempt to shut down men just as much as women. 

Bridget Bishop hanged as a witch at Salem in 1692. Briggs. Co. / George Eastman House / Getty Images

I am reminded of the hanging trees of Salem during the witch trials of 1692-1693. Modern women are still but a few steps from these metaphorical hanging trees, they never really escaped us. The Salem Witch trials ended only to a point, in longevity it continues. Under the surface where people disregard its’ existence. Yes, women can’t be flogged, stoned to death (in the U.S.) or even hung, nor can they be legally assaulted. But we can be tortured by attacking us in reputation, bullying – it is the new witch hunting.

She asked for it, she just wanted money, she put herself in that position, she shouldn’t had been alone.

What was she wearing when they raped her?

 I wonder if they asked that  question to the U.S. military members of sexual assault? Would it matter more or less?

Fabricated Echolalia: An Autism Perspective

{illustrative} Clip Art

The story of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be disorientating and strenuous in a society where the rapid rates of diagnosis have sky rocketed in the last ten years alone. Currently the U.S. Centers for Disease Control “…estimates that about 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”[1] (Please consider these are based on studies conducted in 2010) This neurological disorder is unbiased to “…racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, but is almost five times more common among boys than among girls”[2]

For the reader unfamiliar with ASD, here is a more unique breakdown of Autism. “…autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is driven by ‘Autism Plus’. Autism Plus refers to autism with comorbidities (including intellectual developmental disorder, language disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and this is what is now being diagnosed by clinicians as ASD.”[3]

The key here is of these comorbidities, or the additional disorders.. Where these disabilities can be diagnosed separately without autism necessarily being the driving factor. As an example, Attention Deficit Disorder can diagnosed without a child being autistic. “Autism affects more male than female individuals, and comorbidity is common (>70% have concurrent conditions).”[4]

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As a parent of an ASD child, I have heard the validated argument that Autism Spectrum Disorder is simply overly diagnosed. However, I would argue that even if autism is being overly diagnosed, the underlining conditions (such as a language disorder, intellectual developmental disorder, etc.) are more of the concern.

Specifically because these underlining conditions are the reason for the parental red flags resulting in a doctor's appointment. (i.e. Timmy cannot verbalize pain, he only points occasionally to objects. Or Annie won't make eye contact or play with other children.) The timing of these observations (red flags) also have an impact.

From older readings, It became clear that both autism and autism spectrum disorder are blanket terms but are the same. Varying in the past ONLY by when the child was officially diagnosed. As an example, a child over the age of 3 was termed ASD. While a child diagnosed before the age of 3 was termed autistic. (Old school medically journal observations here) But in all seriousness, ASD and Autism are the same with only varied conditions.

Also to address a recent change to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition-2012), which directly effects the Asperger classification. In 2012, the DSM was updated compiling autism and  Asperger disorder together under the identifying label of "Autism Spectrum Disorder". This is both a generalization and a removal of sensitivity to the disorders. (In my humble, non-PhD opinion) "Merging Asperger disorder (and PDD-NOS) into autism spectrum disorder results in loss of identity and ignores uniqueness of Asperger dx." Arguably I should suggest this is also why the diagnosis of autism has significantly risen with this change in diagnostic language, but again without a complete picture of these findings it is merely an educated guess.

But for now, allow me to set aside these statistics and medical entries to the the meat of the topic.

{illustrative} yale news, © 2015, Yale University

As the reader, I am sure you know of someone who loves attention. Negative or positive, it is still attention. There is an addiction to “showboating”. Well, when a child is diagnosed with ASD (or any disability) there is a supportive flood of friends, family, strangers, therapists, administrators and/or organizations who are made available to you. You can post “Autism Awareness” images all over social media, tweet motivational quotes with hash-tags (i.e.- #ourchildrenareprecious #yourchild'snamehere), gain sympathy/empathy in many avenues merely by the comment that your child is autistic. Without argument, I avoid posting much of this at all. Not because I am ashamed of my special needs child, but because I am too damn overwhelmed with helping my child to spend my free time blasting bullshit all over social media.

Being the parent of an autistic child it can be both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is how much I adore my son and that deep seeded ambition I have as a mother to pillage the enemy without remorse. (It's a good time.) The curse, well we will address that shortly. I am closely active in my son’s school and therapies. However, there is always a part of me that feels inadequate and incapable. (But this could be applied to any interactive parent, right?)

I love our supporters, but I can still feel isolated at times. I am constantly hearing comments such as, “Well, he looks so normal.”, “But he is so cute!” It takes everything within me not to scream “DID YOU EXPECT HORNS AND A TAIL?”

At other times, I hear comments about his erratic behavior or anti-social traits. My son lacks social qualms such as saying goodbye to a friend or recognizing when he hurts someone's feelings. My son has few close friends, with a detachment policy that causes hurt feelings unintentionally. I have dried more than a few tears and put out more than a few social fires. My brain sighs with relief when I can help curb the rougher days. At night, I find myself writing and avoiding the social media circuit of opinions.  The truth is: our family lives this every day.

For context, I also wanted to provide my experience of what it was like to hear the words “Your son has Autism Spectrum Disorder” and the events thereafter that changed my family's perspective on this disorder.

Before my son was diagnosed, several proceeding events took place that horrified me and kept me up at night. The first incident was my son wandered from our home during the day, while I was using the bathroom. My son (age 4 at the time) and daughter (age 3 at the time) were playing in the living room, safe enough. The doors were locked and they were heavily engaged in playtime. So I went to the bathroom, as I usually do. When I came back into the living room, he was missing. I searched the house casually at first, assuming my son was hiding in play mode. But inevitably it turned into frantic fear. No response from my son. I checked the door, it was locked. I still went outside and began calling for him, 15 minutes of bare-footed walking around our property in borderline hysteria.

Thoughts flew through my head, I am terrible mother, I’m so stupid. This is all my fault, what do I tell C.S.I.?

Finally after calling my husband at work, employing the help of my landlord- we spotted my nearly naked son frolicking in the nearby arroyo. My son was within ear shot of me, he simply did not respond to his name. He was completely unaware of self-preservation (see the photos of an arroyo) and uncertain as to why I was upset. There was a clear detachment in his demeanor.

I cried, my guilt was endless and the burden of this guilt translated into isolation. I am horrible parent, how could I not known he snuck outside? How did he get out there?

From this day on, our home was Fort Knox. And to this day, it continues to be.

Within a month we met with his primary care physician, who referred us to a behaviorist for mental health screening. The suspicion was autism. The behaviorist then referred us to a specialized psychologist for more intensive screening, she felt he had some classic symptoms.

The months that followed he began his first year in elementary school, we immediately met with his Kindergarten teacher. We asked that he be screened for IEP (Individual Educational Plan) intervention. Our concerns at this point were his language delay (he could barely construct sentences), his behavior (wandering, detachment to his name, relationships with other children, meltdowns, etc.) and the general concern that something was wrong.

As we waited for the appointment with his psychologist (screening for autism), two months passed into October. The school was familiar with my son’s issues and had advised their attending teachers and additional staff that he is to be kept an eye on. Well, unfortunately on this particular day things went terribly wrong.

"7 Tracking Devices to Find a Lost Child with Autism" {illustrative} friendship circle, 2014

After the dismissal of lunch recess, my son was told by assistant teachers to follow the students back into the classroom. Being of the mindset of a wanderer, he followed the other children only half way. It is assumed he exited out a side door of the school, where he walked from the elementary school to the two lane highway tucked not too far from the property. My son began to walk, oblivious to his safety, along the semi-busy highway.

I will testify that God was there for my son in this instance, because two hikers walking along this rural highway spotted my son trekking along the roadside. They escorted him back to the school, unaware my son has no concept of self-preservation. Staff searching in the parking lot spotted the two hikers bringing my son back to the school.

The time I was told he was “missing” was 15 minutes, I will argue that he was missing 25 minutes based on the distance trekked and his age at the time of the incident. Needless to say as his parents, we were both absolutely horrified but we were reassured it would be handled properly and seriously by the school.

ABA Therapy {illustrative} Autism Speaks, 2015.

By the end of the year, on the day of my birthday, we finally received the official diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder for our son. Truth be told, I mourned. I mourned because I couldn't keep him safe from this disorder. My son stood before me, kind hearted and animated. A young mind so innocent, yet so complex.

We protect our children from danger at all times, but with this experience I couldn't take away the anxiety and fears he felt. There was no magic pill or remedy. This is a neurological disorder and I began to recall the horrors of my grandfather's trials with Alzheimer's disease. The wandering  so similar to my son's and sadness he underwent well into his final years of life. Both being so different yet so similar in it's behaviors. I mourned, in a isolation I cannot verbalize as a mother.

The quest for therapy began shortly after the official diagnosis, with waiting lists as far out as two to five years (depending on the resource). Applied Behavior Analysis (or ABA) was not provided to children over the age of 5. (And as of 2015, is still not available in our state) My son unfortunately was not eligible because his birthday was too close to start this therapy. As a reference to the reader, “ABA is the only FDA approved treatment for autism.  ABA encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative behaviors. In addition, ABA teaches new skills and applies those skills to new situations.”

As an additional narrative to ABA, although there has been a push to allow ABA for children over the age of 5 with the proper funding (because Autism doesn't go away at 5 years old) many states have elected not to support these necessary programs. Thus cutting mental, behavioral health programs exceedingly. The message this sends to those with disabilities reliant on these services is black and white: you do not matter. Or better yet, when it comes to our children and mental health:

No child left behind only applies to the neurotypical child.

It would be a year later before we would acquire a formal university panel review for our son,  he would be again diagnosed as a classic autistic, severe. With a language disorder as an added bonus to our combo meal. The necessity of acquiring this full panel assessment for our son was to secure services and resources in any state we moved to. Because a university diagnosis holds more water than a private psychologist or specialist.

 Appending these assessments and necessary therapies, we also had our son screened (by referral) a neurologist. Our son had developed a common issue with headaches from as early as four years old, however they grew in intensity after the age of five. Commonly these headaches escalated into full blow migraines (dark room, no noise, painful kinds). A little understood fact here is that epilepsy and Landau-Kleffner Syndrome may be a concern for some children with autism. Just as the fore-mentioned comorbidities. these illnesses can be identified with or without the presence of autism.

Treating Anxiety and Obsessions: Nothing to Fear but Fear itself? {illustrative} autism center of pittsburgh, 2015.

Interestingly, "Studies suggest that 15 to 30 percent of individuals with autism also have epilepsy" So, understandably, we are still concerned. Because there is no promise that your ASD child won't develop epilepsy, it's a 50/50 situation. What you are reading in journals and studies are literally what the doctors know at this point in time. All you can do is continually follow up with your neurologist yearly for screenings, this is nerve wracking when your child suffers with chronic headaches.

Our son was moved forward into first grade on the context of "staying with his friends", despite his lack of readiness. The university who screened our son the following school year was disgusted at this logic. But as fore-mentioned, no child left behind only applies to the neurotypical child and even under that context fails poorly.

“When a school cares more about it’s rating than it’s students, all I can say is welcome to the United States public school system.”

We have experienced the hardships of getting therapies, battles with the public school district, compulsory schedules, meltdowns, social isolation and parental guilt. The question of “If there was a cure for autism, would you take it?” is answered with a honest yes. Not because of the hardships for us, but the hardships our son copes with. He has meltdowns where he begins to pace and inevitably it becomes fight or flight. He has difficulty with change, car rides, going out in public for extended periods of time. He lives in a state of fear more often than not in these situations. I refuse to argue with the activists who feel that neurodiversity should be accepted. I agree, but I also support finding a cure for this disorder.

I am not disowning my son or shaming him for his condition. My child suffers, he is not yet aware he is autistic. Just as I have dealt with my own difficulties (Dyscalculia and ADD), I know he will too. I remember how embarrassed I felt for years for my lack of ability in the simplest of mathematics, in the inability to read numbers (even now it lingers).  I was teased by classmates, bullied by teachers (You're just lazy!) and occasionally a counselor (You will probably not make it to college. Try a trade instead.) So as an adult, I had to learn how to function in a mathematical based world. It's still crappy day to day, but I am graduating college this year. Thank you, public school system.

 The resilience my son will develop from his obstacles will then sprout the tools necessary for his success. With loving support from his family, these hardships will be complimentary to his character and development. My son is not a special little snowflake, he is a little boy trying to adapt. He has had times of bullying, loss of friends, confusion and sadness. I only hope that children not yet born will have every opportunity that non-neurotypical children do not necessarily have yet. I still support finding the cause and ultimately the cure for neurological disorders. In Layman's terms, it's called common sense.

covert narcissism {illustrative}  wisegeek.org

 Since my introduction into the world of autism, I have become familiar with an underlining trend within the autism community. Keeping into consideration I saw it well before I even knocked on the front door. This trend is that of the “self-diagnosed” autistic. I will only focus on the children’s portion of this issue and the “diagnosing” parents. I also reinforce that these children have no formal, clinical diagnosis but instead have the opinion of the care giver as to their parental imposed "disorder". 

I could relate that this phenomenon is caused by a societal obsession with attention  and forms of narcissism. However, I will argue, that often this is more related to Munchausen by proxy syndrome (MBPS) when it is applied to the creation of false diagnoses and illusionary illnesses.

Or even plausibly, parents who live vicariously through their children’s lives to compensate for their own short-comings. Whatever the reason, I find it disturbing and disgusting in its lack of moral or ethical values. To a point, I want to slap a copy of Mommy Dearest across their faces.

This has become a societal trend, one I cannot ignore and has led me to have a deep disdain for the contributors of these dysfunctions. In part two of this series, I will provide an informed and educational perspective to this shameless cycle of “narcissistic-parenting”. I will not discuss people such as Jenny McCarthy because she is not relevant. Hollywood should stay in their little world and fuck themselves. We already have enough problems ongoing in the communities of autism without the pablum. The more clear the unveiled malpractice of these parents, the more insightful it is to the audience here. Please join me in part two of this editorial as we pursue the dirty laundry often concealed.

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[1] "Facts About ASD." Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Centers for Disease Control. February 24, 2015. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html.

[2] "Facts About ASD." Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Centers for Disease Control. February 24, 2015. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html.

[3] Gillberg, Christopher, and Elisabeth Fernell. "Autism Plus Versus Autism Pure." Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 44, no. 11 (2014): 3274-276. Accessed April 28, 2015.

[4] Lai, Meng-Chuan, Michael V. Lombardo, and Simon Baron-Cohen. "Autism." The Lancet 383, no. 9920 (Mar 08, 2014): 896-910, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1508931440?accountid=12085.