Miss America Contestant - Growing Up with Autism

[Mom49of4]

"I was called a 'retard' and [was told] that I wasn't worth the breath I was breathing," she said. "It was really hurtful stuff."

In high school, though, the bullying subsided. Wineman was able to make genuine friends and accept that fact that she has autism, something she said she previously pushed out of her mind. Eventually, Wineman made the decision to make a go at pageant life.

"At one point I was living from one meltdown to the other and I was afraid it was going to happen again, but it hasn't," she said. "If I wasn't ready for this I wouldn't be here right now."

You go girl - I wish you the best!

[ms maggie]

You go girl - I wish you the best!

Mom I know you have a child with autism, I admire the stamina that requires. I'm curious, why do you think thus seems so much more common today?

[Mom49of4]

I wished I knew. I do believe my son's autism is the result of the MMR. Before the shot he was speaking and then stopped. He resumed talking years later.

[songfourone]

In 1998, Wakefield was the lead author of a paper in the Lancet medical
journal that suggested a link between the measles virus and inflammatory bowel disease. The paper also suggested the virus played a role in the development of autism. Wakefield later said that his research led him to believe that, instead of the MMR triple vaccine, children should be given a series of single vaccines. His statements led to alarm around the world, a drop in the rate of MMR vaccination and, in the UK, a rise in cases of measles cases.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...quackery-award
In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, a British gastroenterologist, described a new autism phenotype called the regressive autism-enterocolitis syndrome triggered by environmental factors such as measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination. The speculative vaccination-autism connection decreased parental confidence in public health vaccination programs and created a public health crisis in England and questions about vaccine safety in North America. After 10 years of controversy and investigation, Dr. Wakefield was found guilty of ethical, medical, and scientific misconduct in the publication of the autism paper. Additional studies showed that the data presented were fraudulent. The alleged autism-vaccine connection is, perhaps, the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21917556

[Mom49of4]

I stand by my earlier post regarding my son.

[songfourone]

I stand by my earlier post regarding my son.

I was not questioning your observations with your son. To not post scientific studies that dispels that medical hoax could possibly influence another parent into making a poor judgement about her child and vaccination.

[Grindelwald]

It's sad the NRA wants to lock these people up.

[Mom49of4]

It's sad the NRA wants to lock these people up.

When did the NRA say that?

[Mom49of4]

Miss New York, 23, beat out Miss South Carolina Ali Rogers, who placed second, and Miss Oklahoma Alicia Clifton, who finished third. Miss Wyoming Lexie Madden and Miss Iowa Mariah Cary rounded out the top five.

Miss Montana Alexis Wineman, who has autism, was one of 16 semifinalists.

http://www.people.com/people/article...664314,00.html

[gonzoliberal]

I shudder to think of my autistic son standing on a stage in front of thousands of people.
He has a hard enough time answering a knock on the door, or dealing with the checkout line at the grocery store.

This story is a testament to the differences present on the autistic spectrum.
Also, to the strength and determination of Ms. Wineman.

Autistic disorders have been so poorly diagnosed over the years, one never knows who among us have them.

[Kenect2]

"I was called a 'retard' and [was told] that I wasn't worth the breath I was breathing," she said. "It was really hurtful stuff."

In high school, though, the bullying subsided. Wineman was able to make genuine friends and accept that fact that she has autism, something she said she previously pushed out of her mind. Eventually, Wineman made the decision to make a go at pageant life.

"At one point I was living from one meltdown to the other and I was afraid it was going to happen again, but it hasn't," she said. "If I wasn't ready for this I wouldn't be here right now."

You go girl - I wish you the best!

It's always inspiring when kids with biological challenges are able to overcome hatred and discrimination from ignorant bigots.

Ms. Wineman's story reminds me of another kid who faced a similarly difficult challenge.

Beauty queen Jackie Green was subject to the same kind of bullying and misunderstanding due to her medical condition. She made it to 18th place in the Miss England contest last year, but she hopes to try again in 2013.

"Aged eight, Jackie sent an email to everyone at her primary school saying she was a girl trapped inside a boy’s body. After that, she started going to school dressed as a girl.

Susan recalls: ‘Jackie was so much better after that, more content than I’d seen her in years.

'Of course I knew not everyone would respond well and one mother used to sit outside the school in her car shouting “Freak” and “Tranny” at her. I had to call the police to get her to stop.

‘Despite that, her last year of primary school was brilliant. Unfortunately, when she went to secondary school everything fell to pieces and I spent the next two-and-a-half years on suicide watch.’"

Pausing puberty aged 12 saved my life: Transgender beauty queen praises her amazing family ahead of BBC documentary on her mission to become Miss England

Jackie Green: Transsexual Teen, Beauty Queen

[Bmoreteacher]

I shudder to think of my autistic son standing on a stage in front of thousands of people.
He has a hard enough time answering a knock on the door, or dealing with the checkout line at the grocery store.

This story is a testament to the differences present on the autistic spectrum.
Also, to the strength and determination of Ms. Wineman.

Autistic disorders have been so poorly diagnosed over the years, one never knows who among us have them.

I have to believe that sometime down the road, we'll start seeing the autism spectrum more fully diagnosed. Its difficult to see a person such as this pageant girl and compare them to a 10 year old I worked with who was non-verbal and had toileting issues, then say that they are both autistic. It just seems like we're missing something, but lump them into this HUUUUUGE category because they share a similar set of behaviors.

[Kenect2]

Aren't they revising the autism spectrum for the DSM 5?

[kudzu]

You go girl - I wish you the best!

This particular chick seems like an AINO.

Autistic In Name Only.

Clearly articulate. And successful.

Unlike the millions who suffer from the condition who will never lead anything remotely resembling a normal life.