Olmsted on Autism: Boys Failing Due to Short Recess, Feminism - Yeah, That's the Ticket!
New test scores show boys falling behind girls in reading, dropping out of school more often and getting fewer college degrees. It's true everywhere, across every state. "In some states, the boys are trailing girls by as much as 10 percentage points," ABC News reported HERE last night. What's going on? Well, ABC speculates, boys brains are different. Recess is shorter and boys need to move around. And feminism has created opportunities that might make girls want to try harder.
Puh-LEEZE! This is what happens when the national conversation is as warped as it is right now. The most likely, the simplest explanation for a change this big in this short a period of time is obviously some kind of environmental factor. We have a clue from autism, which affects boys 4 or 5 to 1 and is increasing dramatically. But since we can't get real about what's going on, we end up talking about recess and women's rights. If you want to watch the medical community and the media failing our kids in real time, just tune in.
As a young woman with Asperger's, I must take exception. While boys are 4x more likely to be DIAGNOSED with autism, there are aspects of girls inherent propensity for language and communication, and aspects of the ways in which girls are socialized to behave cooperatively, that may lead many of us - especially on the high functioning end of the spectrum (gifted, in my case) - to be under-diagnosed.
I spent my k-12 years labeled as a highly intelligent, ADHD, uncooperative underachiever. I managed to scrape a 3.0 GPA because I excelled at art, so my constant absenteeism and struggles with organization, attention, relationships, and emotional maturity went largely ignored.
When I got to college, where I was required to create structure for myself, I completely fell apart. Having autism means that, in our society, I don't inherently have all the tools I need to live a normal adult life. I am 99.9% sure that, if I was a boy, I would have been diagnosed with Asperger's much earlier, and might have been given the kind of practical training I needed to succeed in the adult world BEFORE I spent years (and thousands of dollars) floundering, failing, and enduring deep depression before finally getting an diagnosis and, by extension, finding a way to cope.
The "feminine" parts of me, or at least the parts that were socialized to be "feminine", give me the ability to "mask" my autism through mimicry of "normal" behavior, which is both a blessing and a curse. Most people - even close friends - would never guess that I am autistic. I'm effervescent and warm, and have many close friendships, but I struggle with intimacy and romantic relationships. I'm a whiz at foreign languages, but I have a hard time verbalizing my feelings. I can draw complex diagrams that show subtle connections, but I get lost in my own neighborhood. Most people perceive me as slightly *off*, but my friends see it as part of my charm (plenty of others think I'm a complete freak, but I've learned to wear that label with pride). What they don't know is how hard I have to work to maintain normalcy.
I want you to understand how hard it is for girls with autism. People are less forgiving of autistic weaknesses (like my inability to perceive social subtleties) in women, and more impressed by autistic strengths (like directness, and analytical thinking) in men. Feminism works directly to eliminate the gender stereotypes that cast autistic women in a negative light - and we deserve the help.
Maybe we can also look at ways our gender stereotypes are limiting to boys, too. Do they have untapped potential in the fields of language, caregiving, hospitality, or the arts? I bet they just might. If nothing else, please realize this: feminists' work is finally starting to give girls - especially the oft-ignored "exceptional" (i.e. gifted, learning disabled, minority, autistic-spectrum, etc.) girls - access to the tools they need to succeed. Boys have their own needs (heck, every individual child has their own needs), but it's not a zero-sum game. Denying girls opportunities doesn't help boys - it just teaches them that girls don't deserve the same things they do. Worse, denying girls' rights for boys' benefit teaches boys (and girls, sadly) that women's rights are a threat. And that's not helpful for anyone.
Posted by: AMC | July 11, 2010 at 01:08 AM
My favorite is the blame the teachers excuse. That's too easy and let's everyone and everything else off the hook. It is not like teachers suddenly changed. In fact, their education requirements have increased over the last few decades. Just talk to any retired teacher who returns to sub every now and then. They say they could never teach now, that kids are fundamentally different now and in ways that are not good.
Posted by: AnaB | March 21, 2010 at 09:35 AM
They can't figure out why the majority of gifted students are now on the spectrum
They can't figure out why contagious diseases like strep and candidiasis were completely unheard of in young children 30 years ago yet now more common every year
They do know - but its a combination of thinking that it won't affect "ME" and yes they think vaccines are that damn important that it is worth some fallout.
Posted by: Steve | March 19, 2010 at 09:52 PM
The Dallas News just published an article that stated girls were about 10% more likely than girls to go to college.
Geez...1 in 70 boys have autism and 1 in 10 have a learning disabilities..
But we will still blame the lack of recess!
Yep, I am homeschooling as well. I don't believe the "one size fits all" approach to education works. Nor do I trust educators with my ASD son. I want to give my son the best chance at life, and I know homeschooling will do this.
Plus I can add more recess to his school day to prevent him from failing..LOL
Posted by: Judith | March 19, 2010 at 04:47 PM
thanks for the info taxi mom5!
Posted by: jen | March 19, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Who ever came up with this ridiculous idea, has obviously had their head buried in the sand for the past three decades.
It is ridiculous to imply that the lack of recess is somehow a conspiracy to feminize boys. And then to say that feminism plays a role in the reason boys are falling behind academically.
Feminism, for their information, has nothing to do with wanting to turn boys into girls, or girls into boys. I love power tools, construction, and shopping sprees at Home Depot. However, that does not mean I am trying to become a man. It is simply a reflection of my personal interest. It is possible that the issue arises from teachers being forced to teach to standardized test,coupled with less physical activity; and hey, here's a thought, maybe it's all the chemicals and junk food being shoved in their faces, and all the disturbing television shows they are allowed to watch.
Get out of the Dark Ages. Gender has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence.
Both my teenage sons are brilliant students,and the children of a Christian feminist mother (yes, we do exist).
Posted by: Melissa Linger | March 19, 2010 at 12:46 AM
We shouldn't dismiss the notion that boys are, indeed, different. But they can't pin it all in "boys are different" because environment obviously plays a larger factor. But it's because boys are different is why more boys are affected by autism.
I think the issue here again is the "one-size fits all" approach to everything. From vaccines to, now, education. If a student can't parrot what they've learned, they don't know it. Yeah, sure, because that really proves they understand it. And, of course, who can forget the school's obsession with labeling and social promotion. Also, at your doctor's office, if your symptoms don't appear in their books, well, you can't possibly have anything ailing you. "There's no way all those vaccines affected him in any way," I was told and I believed it. It took having another child with autism that I finally stopped following the herd. Thank God!
I have four boys, two in the spectrum, and started homeschooling one of them.
Here's to all you free-thinkers!
Posted by: ML Garcia | March 18, 2010 at 11:22 PM
@jen
5 years ago, Merck posted proudly on their website that "1 MMR shot confers lifetime immunity."
So I emailed them and asked why 2 were required if 1 provided lifetime immunity?
I did some digging (also on their website), and found that the second jab was required because 5% did not develop sufficient number of antibodies.
There was no research ANYWHERE indicating that the second jab conferred immunity on that 5%.
They never answered me, but removed all pertinent information from their website.
We checked my son's titers at age 9, and found that he had 4 times the number of antibodies necessary to be considered immune.
I
Posted by: Taximom5 | March 18, 2010 at 11:01 PM
1 in 38 boys born between 1992 and 2000 are utilizing educational services under the autism category in Minnesota. It is 1 in 61 if you include girls.
We must be the hotbed of feminst activities.
Mayo Clinic will have the new study showing that males are behind because females think with their brains and boys think with their testosterone. On second thought, they might probably want to leave testosterone out of it...........
Posted by: Tim Kasemodel | March 18, 2010 at 07:05 PM
How times change! You might be interested in this article, which is the first citation in the second link below:
How Schools Shortchange Girls (Washington, D.C.: American Association of University Women, 1992). http://www.aauw.org/research/girls_education/hssg.cfm.
http://www.educationsector.org/research/research_show.htm?doc_id=378705
Posted by: puzzled | March 18, 2010 at 07:00 PM
Public School teacher here-
It will always be "something" : divorce, working moms, no home-cooked Sunday dinner, blah-blah or this crap, recess and feminism. The ignorance by researchers and the media...and the schools...is frustrating and alarming.
The question that no one asks is "WHY!"
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | March 18, 2010 at 05:27 PM
SO, what you're saying, is that if girls seem smart, it must be because boys are disabled? Because normal boys are so smart?
Posted by: dszy | March 18, 2010 at 05:23 PM
Ha ha (groan of pain). How long before some genius social analyst decides that the fact that girls are doing better is "discouraging" boys?
Simon Baron-Cohen is all over this one, since he also thinks feminism caused the epidemic from a slightly different take (something like--when geekettes were allowed into institutions of higher learning at last, they met and mated with geeks and produced a race of super geeks).
Never mind the vomiting, poop-smearing, mercury toxic, fatal-seizure ridden, low functioning, unemployable, burden-on-taxpayer type of autism that everyone else-- including the public-- is aware of. Never mind the fallout of generations of boys who, contrary to being super geek in any sense, are dropping out of school, are dumber than previous generations and have half the sperm counts of their fathers. As long as SBC ignores all that, he thinks this isn't a bad thing at all.
These sheltered, ignorant researchers may "credit" women's rights for the scourge-- while others will simply blame them. And that's what moms need, right? Bring on the blame-- we need more.
Posted by: Gatogorra | March 18, 2010 at 04:05 PM
l - I agree with you 100% on taking back our rights as parents.
Never in my life did I think I would homeschool (thought that was something for wackos) - well guess what, not only do we homeschool but my children are absolutely thriving at 15 & 12.
We avoid the pediatrician like the plague, my kids eat better than any other kids I know, and my severely allergic tween can run two miles in under 16 minutes (when he could barely walk a mile before).
My boys have their health (primary goal of mine), their dignity, peace of mind, lots of friends, and last-but-not-least a far superior education than what they were receiving in private school.
Hats off to you my fellow homeschooling parent . . . congrats.
Posted by: Parent | March 18, 2010 at 01:50 PM
definitely the boys seem to be suffering more from neurological assaults. I remember the day when there were hardly any girls in math class in grade 13. Seriously, not that many at all.
Having said that, the math here in Alberta is so difficult (they instituted a "pure math" curriculum) that they actually are striking it and reducing content. Too many kids were being required to have had the "pure math" (nursing students etc.-hell even U. of A. wouldn't accept the "applied math" towards a bachelor of arts entrance even though it is not the "remedial math.") Universities must be trying to limit who attends?
Wow, the nursey I just talked to (I'm wondering about getting just a "mumps" vaccine for my son since he only had one MMR) actually said "he could have 5 or 6 MMR vaccines and it wouldn't do anything more to him." Fuck. Is she kidding? How cavalier is that? I think I'll get titers done and go from there.
Posted by: jen | March 18, 2010 at 12:51 PM
Interesting that a comment would point to "the explosion of gadget toys and video games that boys latch onto" as a distraction from learning and physical play. Those screen flashing images are boosting the production of dopamine in those boys. It is a well accepted physiological explanation for reward seeking behavior. It is why mirrored balls are used in nightclubs, flashing lights in casinos. The brain responds with increased dopamine production when the nervous system, through the eyes, is stimulated by flashing light/dark images. Maybe, for those boys who have low dopamine production, they are the ones most addicted to video games. Their ability to sit still and focus during these games is not due so much to interest in the subject matter.
My daughter used to rewind/play videos in a strange way (and would get quite obsessive about it) and I couldn't figure out what she was "seeing" in that action. It wasn't until I also saw in her a pattern of increased seizure activity during this behavior that I "hit the books/internet" and found out that flashing lights raise dopamine, and if raised too high can increase seizure activity. How many of our children who spin objects or flick their fingers in front of their eyes, creating a subtle flashing effect, have figured out a way to increase their dopamine. Why are so many boys today lacking adequate dopamine. What environmental exposure could be inducing a toxic effect on their biochemistry and/or inducing a clinical deficiency of nutrients essential to proper metabolic function. Seek and you shall find.
Posted by: Donna Kincanon | March 18, 2010 at 12:44 PM
We are only as good as our biochemical composition.
Posted by: nhokkanen | March 18, 2010 at 12:19 PM
I don't know.
I and my mother both have been in the school teaching bussiness a long time.
Boys were always less mature than girls untill about highschool.
I taught 7-12 grades.
Boys in high school would as we say, grow up some and start doing better.
My husband, his roommate, and my best friend's brothers were really slow to write a good sentence in college. And then one day - about age 25 these morons that I had to help to get through college by doing their term papers are now making suggestions to me - to me? -- on how to write all kinds of things??????
But what I have noticed in high school is a lot of really quite, handsome, well mannered young men from very good middle class families are in special ed! I never would of ever guest they were in such need by just looking at them. Now those young men I am really shocked about, and I can not get over the fact that high school now have separate behavioral classrooms. This is new since the last 15 years. Anyone know about behavioral classrooms in the 70's or early 80's? Am I wrong on this and just did not notice?
Posted by: Benedetta | March 18, 2010 at 11:55 AM
Our economy is going to be seriously compromised. Not only from having to take care of autistic adults, but also from so many people with lower academic abilities, like the boys who can't do math.
Posted by: Kristina | March 18, 2010 at 11:47 AM
This has to be the dumbest thing I have EVER HEARD!!! First of all, I do believe there are more girls on the Spectrum than are being diagnosed for various reasons. I myself was not correctly diagnosed till 18 even though the signs were blatently obvious!!
However, the boys numbers are still higher in the autism rate. Not only do they have to deal with the damage of vaccines, they also come in contact with a barrage of toxins day in and day out in the modern public schools that in years past were never there!
Think about all the chemicals that go into your child's school supplies alone, and how dangerous it is to absorb those chemicals through the skin. If you are already damaged, this is just adding more fame to the fire!
Not to mention the school lunches! With being enclosed with that many kids with all those toxins all day long with only very short recesess will cause more damage. It is no wonder to me the boys are doropping behind.
They are for the same reason I did, to much is to damn much! Only difference was, my aunt scared the school system into getting me the proper supports or else while these poor little boys suffer.
Boys are not lazy, they are being made ill! Until that is addressed, the numbers will continue to drop at school! Quit make excuses and adress the real problem people! Remember, we are your future. How about equipping us to be able to handle that?!
Just a thought.
Posted by: Darian (nickname) | March 18, 2010 at 11:44 AM
We need to take back our sons and rights as parents. We have slowly given them over to teachers, administrators and doctors who convince us that they know best! BS!!! Just think what would happen if we all kept our boys home for a week in protest. I saw the writing on the wall in regard to the changes in the schools since I have one girl(26) and a boy(10). I NEVER imagined myself being a home schooler, but guess what...I have a happy, now healthy and very smart son with loads of confidence and and lots of interests.
Posted by: l | March 18, 2010 at 11:40 AM
A bit off topic but,
As the govt may have a few (hundred million) H1N1 shots left over this year...
Is the "Vaccine Injury Fund tax" collected on each shot manufactured, or does the shot have to be injected ?
I assume Pharma was paid in full to produce the vaccines, do they keep the part of the unused shots that could go into the fund ?
Posted by: cmo | March 18, 2010 at 11:32 AM
We are seeing the first generation of girls in college whose mom's also had an opportunity to go to the best schools. That's real change that has nothing to do with the environment. What's not clear from reading this is whether boys are learning at a slower rate, or if girls are now building on the early reading gains that they used to have instead of letting the boys catch up.
That said, recess and gym have been cut in recent years, and I tend to agree that those trends do not favor boys.
It could also be that the literature available has less relevance and is less engaging for today's boys, especially in relation to the explosion of gadget toys and video games that boys latch onto (which also keeps them from getting outside).
Posted by: seek | March 18, 2010 at 10:32 AM
I do believe boys are struggling but not due to a lack of sufficient recess time and feminism. Besides the neuro damage they've incurred from vaccines, et al, the first thing the school will strongly recommend is to medicate for ADD. While meds I'm sure help some, they are recommended for all and they don't help everyone. Of course, at that point I don't think the school is thinking about help but rather about managing classroom behavior and hoping to keep those test scores high enough!
Posted by: Shelly | March 18, 2010 at 09:52 AM
Ok, feminism causing autism is more stupid than pet shampoos, "maternal insensitivity" and old Moms put together.
As a student of womens' studies throughout college and grad school I seriously question the idea that treating boys and girls as equals is the cause severe cognitive impairment currently affecting 2-5% of the male population.
Our male children are being assaulted by toxic environmental triggers that testosterone cannot process or protect them from. Treating their sick bodies and damaged brains behaviorally isn't working.
Posted by: Katie Wright | March 18, 2010 at 09:45 AM
Actually Chrissie boys used to blow girls away in math and science. That was a well known fact once upon a time. What happened? This new study says boys are now just what can be perceived as "holding their own" with girls in math. We have dumbed down if not completely disabled a percentage of our boys (like my son).
My NT daughter, a freshman mentioned this morning that this study was brought up in one of her classes yesterday. The "explanation" by her teacher on the reading part was that girls just like reading for enjoyment and most are more than likely to complete their assignments with vigor and on time. They just kind of get into school work more etc..
So the new normal seems to be is boys are just dumber and lazier than girls and we shouldn't really be too worried about it. Just like we shouldn't be worried about all the autism, ADHD, specific learning problems, Central auditory processing disorders, allergies, cancers, diabetes, asthma etc... The medical community is just better at diagnosing what ails our kids and they certainly have products or pills to sell that will help (or maybe not). BTW, selling of ADHD medication seems to be a problem in the local HS. Kids who sell their meds. Actually, one kid sold a few of his Mom's anti-depressants in the lunch room a few months ago. My daughter going to HS has been a real eye-opener. And I live in one of the top two communities in my area. Our kids are pretty messed up. But that's another story- I guess.
I fear for the future of this country- most of our boys- some day men- are seriously disadvantaged. And we have done this to them- well our government has along with corporate greed.
Posted by: Andrea | March 18, 2010 at 09:00 AM
Our schools & low test scores, and most people want to blame teachers. Knowing that according to the CDC 1 in 6 children have a
neurological disorder. Children with neurological disorders can be hard to
teach. Maybe the main focus should be why is 1 in 6 have a neurological disorder. We give children mercury in there vaccines something known to cause neurological disorders then we scratch our heads and wonder why so many children have
neurological disorders. Maybe the problem is not our teachers. Just a
thought. :-)
Posted by: Jeff Ransom | March 18, 2010 at 08:54 AM
The school my grandchildren attend has been experimenting with separation of boys and girls in the 4th and 5th grades for the last few years. They seem to be under the impression that this is what will help children learn better. Who knows, it may even make a small difference, but they never factor in the environmental triggers that affect boys more than girls in a negative way.
Joshua misses the girls.
Maurine
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | March 18, 2010 at 08:39 AM
AAAAAaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgh! A scream of alarm and frustration about this type of media coverage in addition to this type of research from a mother of three boys with autism. In North Carolina, the prevalence of autism in boys is closer to 2%.
Posted by: Alison Davis | March 18, 2010 at 08:39 AM
Yes, girls used to be the ones who were "bad" at math. How old would the first kids be who received thimerosal at birth? Let's see, wasn't it 1991 or so? Eighteen.
Posted by: MinorityView | March 18, 2010 at 08:31 AM
I have an NT son who is currently in high school. He is an honors student, well-behaved, happy teenager. Except when it comes to math. At 16 he is taking college-level history classes, while he is barely passing math. Peer tutors, teacher tutors, extra help, etc do not seem to make a difference. His guidance counselor (maybe 26 years old and sweet but clueless) told me last week that this is the norm. "All boys have a problem in math, it's just easier for girls". Really? I don't remember that being the norm when I was in high school. Boys could do math then.
Posted by: chrissie | March 18, 2010 at 08:09 AM
I've been guilty of thinking the same things myself (lack of recess causes problems with boys particularly). I've also come to believe that traditional school is a better "fit" for girls (though there are certainly exceptions to that rule). Girls are celebrated for their accomplishments while boys are made to feel like stupid thugs.
On the other hand, I see more and more compromised children everywhere I go. It can't ALL be related to recess and feminism.
I received a flyer from my pediatrician yesterday, announcing an office move and a NEW SPECIALTY: ADHD and learning disabilities! What does that say about our society when my VERY mainstream ped is advertising for this?
We live in a scary time.
Posted by: Parent | March 18, 2010 at 07:53 AM