Re: (article) Man linked to California arsons suffers from autism, severe anxiety: documents

[Guest guest]

to combat the sadness of the last article, here is one that is amazing: " ‘ sketches his layout in pencil first and then scales it within the border, first adding in landmarks before filling out in more intricate detail,’ said Iliana Taliotis, who works with and his family. "

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1223790/Autistic-artist-draws-18ft-picture-New-York-skyline-memory.html#ixzz1iif0Dj9O

Just the kind of press that autism and mental illness needs....

Enjoy (or not),

~CJ

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Man linked to California arsons suffers from autism, severe anxiety:

documents

VANCOUVER — A man who lived in Vancouver as recently as 2010 and is

linked to a multi-million-dollar arson spree in Southern California

suffers from a host of health conditions, including autism and severe

anxiety, according to a medical doctor in the city.

Dr. Blaga Stancheva wrote in a letter dated March 23, 2010 that Harry

Burkhart has suffered from autistic spectrum disorder since he was a

young child and is " not stable mentally. "

more...

http://www.theprovince.com/news/German+arrested+arson+attacks/5939880/story.html?cid=megadrop_story#ixzz1idgw5I3Z

------------------------------------

            " We each have our own way of living in the world, together we are like a symphony.

Some are the melody, some are the rhythm, some are the harmony

It all blends together, we are like a symphony, and each part is crucial.

We all contribute to the song of life. "

                      ...Sondra

 We might not always agree; but TOGETHER we will make a difference.

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[Guest guest]

Thanks for this article CJ. I never got a chance to actually pick "The Province" up but so glad you sent this. I hope the state of California gives this man rehabilitation that he needs not just throw him in jail to hide the problem. It doesn't just go away because it's locked up.This story just goes to show how much lack of support there is for high functioning adults on the spectrum in Vancouver. If he had the proper network of support and therapeutic help Perhaps these fires never would have happened. In a strange way this kind of story can be seen as beneficial for the autism world because it shows that it is an important social issue that needs more funding and support so that dangerous repercussions can be avoided. People see it as someone else's problem and as long as it doesn't exist in their world, there's no sense of urgency or will to provide support for it. For some reason the world takes action when there is tragedy involved. You see more people donating their time/monetary funds to addiction programs because there are children being hurt or there is a tragic, media-attractive story attached to it; you see less people offering the same when individuals such as temple grandin try to encourage support or when she advocates for help and awareness. The media doesn't drool over this story because tragic stories make money. People see my hubby as nervous and awkward and they've even gone so far to say that he has "uni-bomber" traits because his aspie traits can be interpreted as mistrust, devious and it makes others uncomfortable. It made me angry because I know how big his heart is. Like the security guys that follows us around the grocery store is second nature to us. this is how quick people are to judge so I hope this man is judged fairly and I hope that his aspie traits aren't used against him, to the point that it hides the person he actually is.

Just the kind of press that autism and mental illness needs....

Enjoy (or not),

~CJ

---------

Man linked to California arsons suffers from autism, severe anxiety:

documents

VANCOUVER — A man who lived in Vancouver as recently as 2010 and is

linked to a multi-million-dollar arson spree in Southern California

suffers from a host of health conditions, including autism and severe

anxiety, according to a medical doctor in the city.

Dr. Blaga Stancheva wrote in a letter dated March 23, 2010 that Harry

Burkhart has suffered from autistic spectrum disorder since he was a

young child and is "not stable mentally."

more...

http://www.theprovince.com/news/German+arrested+arson+attacks/5939880/story.html?cid=megadrop_story#ixzz1idgw5I3Z

------------------------------------

"We each have our own way of living in the world, together we are like a symphony.

Some are the melody, some are the rhythm, some are the harmony

It all blends together, we are like a symphony, and each part is crucial.

We all contribute to the song of life."

...Sondra

We might not always agree; but TOGETHER we will make a difference.

ASPIRES is a closed, confidential, moderated list.

Responsibility for posts to ASPIRES lies entirely with the original author.

Do NOT post mail off-list without the author's permission.

When in doubt, please refer to our list rules at:

http://www.aspires-relationships.com/info_rules.htm

ASPIRES ~ Climbing the mountain TOGETHER

http://www.aspires-relationships.com

[Guest guest]

Indeed! That label of the spectrum being part of mental illness again.... That

may be a side issue to the fact that this person is a known arsonist, but it

does relate to the reporting of his condition, and the label that is imprinted

on the minds of those who read the article. Lazy journalism, again.

On another note,I work with young Asperger/Tourette people and if they draw

attention to themselves via their behaviours, or are interviewed by the police,

they are at the mercy of the individual police force as to whether they get an

advocate, or are up to par with AS/TS. Under police rules here, they can only

get support for people with a mental illness that is on their list, and nothing

else counts. AS/TS is not on that list. Its a moot point as to whether such

people are able to withstand/understand interrogation. So I wonder if

police/lawyers then cry 'mental illness' to cover the gap?

This is because, in the UK in the police have narrow guidelines on how to

approach and deal with people with conditions that are labelled under mental

health, and not a single neurological disorder is listed there, so the police

cant support spectrum people in their charge. So in the UK, there isnt scope to

go beyond the mental illness tag. If such people are arrested, they are charged

and then if any relative spectrum condition emerges, the court hears about it

under the mental health tag. Perhaps there is a whole issue here about how

police and authorities gauge mental health, how they perceive autism and the

spectrum, and how they tag someone on the spectrum.

my job we are aiming to train police forces throughout Scotland in what the

spectrum is, and that isnt to help wrongdoers to get off their crime, but to

help those whose very actions attract police attention, or those who commit a

crime but need specialist representation, which under current rules covers a

narrow field of expertise.

So when police meet with AS or TS people in their line of work, they may make

assumptions on what their condtion means and lump it all under the mental health

banner. Then the reportage follows suit....

A bit of a diversion there, but in essence, I agree its a tired argument and

shows again the lack of understanding about what the spectrum entails? And a

propensity to jump on the 'nutter' bandwagon?

Judy B, Scotland

>

> Subject: (article) Man linked to California arsons

suffers from autism, severe anxiety: documents

> To: aspires-relationships

> Date: Friday, 6 January, 2012, 4:44

>

> Just the kind of press that autism and mental illness

> needs....

>

> Enjoy (or not),

> ~CJ

>

> ---------

>

> Man linked to California arsons suffers from autism, severe

> anxiety:

> documents

>

> VANCOUVER — A man who lived in Vancouver as recently as

> 2010 and is

> linked to a multi-million-dollar arson spree in Southern

> California

> suffers from a host of health conditions, including autism

> and severe

> anxiety, according to a medical doctor in the city.

>

> Dr. Blaga Stancheva wrote in a letter dated March 23, 2010

> that Harry

> Burkhart has suffered from autistic spectrum disorder since

> he was a

> young child and is " not stable mentally. "

>

> more...

>

>

http://www.theprovince.com/news/German+arrested+arson+attacks/5939880/story.html\

?cid=megadrop_story#ixzz1idgw5I3Z

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>               " We

> each have our own way of living in the world, together we

> are like a symphony.

> Some are the melody, some are the rhythm, some are the

> harmony

> It all blends together, we are like a symphony, and each

> part is crucial.

> We all contribute to the song of life. "

>                

>        ...Sondra

>

> We might not always agree; but TOGETHER we will make a

> difference.

>

> ASPIRES is a closed, confidential, moderated list.

> Responsibility for posts to ASPIRES lies entirely with the

> original author.

>        Do NOT post mail off-list

> without the author's permission.

>             When in doubt,

> please refer to our list rules at:

>            http://www.aspires-relationships.com/info_rules.htm

>                

> ASPIRES ~ Climbing the mountain TOGETHER

>                

>   http://www.aspires-relationships.com

>

[Guest guest]

>

>  

>

> Thanks for this article CJ. I never got a chance to actually pick " The Province " up but so glad you sent this. I hope the state of California gives this man rehabilitation that he needs not just throw him in jail to hide the problem. It doesn't just go away because it's locked up.

Seriously? Cali has gutted social services. This guy will get tossed in jail with all the other mentally ill folks.

He isn't married and has no dependants, which means he is on the bottom of the food chain for any service. Sorry, single guys with " issues " fend for themselves in the US. Because this guy can tell the difference between an apple and an orange, I seriously doubt he'll get anything besides a good bye and good luck service wise.

> This story just goes to show how much lack of support there is for high functioning adults on the spectrum in Vancouver. If he had the proper network of support and therapeutic help Perhaps these fires never would have happened. 

If you think Canada has no services, come below your border. The jails are the new rehab/psychiatric hospitals. They'll medicate him into submission, and dump him when over crowding becomes an issue.

> In a strange way this kind of story can be seen as beneficial for the autism world because it shows that it is an important social issue that needs more funding and support so that dangerous repercussions can be avoided. People see it as someone else's problem and as long as it doesn't exist in their world, there's no sense of urgency or will to provide support for it.

There are BARELY services for people who bark at parking meters. If you can dress, feed, dial a phone, can read a bus schedule, you are good to go. " Society " doesn't care. Around here, group homes for disabilities are fought tooth and nail.

Temple Grandin is about the worse person to use for fund raising. She isn't " sexy " , and got were she is through her own luck and hard work. Plus she's employed. How can you spin that into a campaign? Grandin is a wonderful woman, and I admire all her work, but Joe Critter Six Pack isn't going to empty his wallet for folks with " high IQs, who are socially awkward. " Like who cares if Milton the antisocial office nerd can't relate to people and has a crappy social life? The average NT will rank that issue right below " do we eat too much broccoli as a nation. "

> People see my hubby as nervous and awkward and they've even gone so far to say that he has " uni-bomber " traits because his aspie traits can be interpreted as mistrust, devious and it makes others uncomfortable. It made me angry because I know how big his heart is. Like the security guys that follows us around the grocery store is second nature to us. this is how quick people are to judge so I hope this man is judged fairly and I hope that his aspie traits aren't used against him, to the point that it hides the person he actually is.

, my husband just was diagnosed this week as an Aspie. He is in total denial mode, but at least know I know what I am dealing with. But as for people judging, that comes with being human. At a store, the minorities get followed, teen agers, women with over sized purses, it's a pretty large list. (friend worked store security for a while). My husband gets followed because he is ultra skinny and digs his skin (stimming), leaving little bloodly pick marks on his face, arms etc. Meth Heads do the same thing, digging at themselves, for an entirely different reason, plus they steal. So, the security guard views my husband as using addict, not an Aspie. And since most doctors don't know much about Aspies, I can't expect some GED store drone to make that call, either.

I have bipolar I, and know what little help there is regarding social services for at risk adults. Reality bites.

Fire starting in Cali isn't taken lightly. If this man dodged serious jail time, he has an awesome lawyer.

Nan

Jay (AS)