Okay, whom can I kill?

I get this email re CNN showing "Autism is a World." It's running on May 23, per the email, and featured an entire study guide section for educatiors, including questions for discussion. And it's great that this is what CNN is showing, b/c someone who "recovered" and is now a college student with a "top IQ" after doing Facilitated Communication is such a helpful, representative model of what happens with autism.

The study guide is aimed at 9-12th graders and includes some of the following suggested activities:

Suggested Activities

1. What are Autism Spectrum Disorders?

Inform students that, though the field of autism research is
continuing to evolve, much has been learned about the disorder since
the mid-1940s, when Dr. Leo Kanner published his first paper
identifying autistic children, and Dr. Hans Asperger described a
milder form of autism that became known as Asperger syndrome. Autism
is considered a "spectrum disorder" because the number and intensity
of symptoms can greatly vary among those with autism. Autism spectrum
disorders (ASD), which are also known as "pervasive developmental
disorders," can often be detected by the age of three. ASD is an
umbrella term that includes the following diagnoses:

Autism;
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder;
Rett's Disorder (also known as Rett's Syndrome);
Asperger's Syndrome (also known as Asperger's Disorder);
Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (atypical
autism).
Divide your students into five groups and assign each group a
different ASD from the list above. Instruct each group to conduct
research to learn about the symptoms, characteristics and
differentiated diagnoses associated with its assigned disorder. Then,
have groups prepare presentations of their findings that include a
brief mock case study to illustrate how the disorders might manifest
in a child.

After the presentations, challenge students to identify the common
traits associated with all autistic disorders. (All people with ASD
have impaired communication, problems with social relationships and
like to engage in repetitive motions.) Ask students:

Why do you think that it's important for a person with autism to
receive an accurate diagnosis?
What forms or features of autism do you think are the most
challenging to accurately diagnose? Why?
What are "splinter skills"? What is "mental retardation"? How does
mental retardation differ from autism? Do all people with autism have
mental retardation? Give an example to support your view.
Following the discussion, refer students back to Autism is a World to
make a list of the symptoms and behaviors that Sue Rubin displayed
during the program. Then ask students: Based on what you know about
Ms. Rubin, where would you say that her disability falls within the
spectrum of autistic disorders?

Okay, don't have a huge problem with the first part--it's better information than most parents get when their children are first diagnosed--but I'm loving the second question. Be a diagnostician after watching one movie! And also? Not all people with autism like to engage in repetitive motions. Stupid dumbass fuckers who can't ask a specialist to fact-check, with all their resources (though who knows, maybe this is an urban legend and it's not what CNN is putting out there. One hopes. Is there an AutismSnopes I can check?).

2. Treating Autism

Point out to students that, although autistic symptoms in children
may lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. There are various
types of therapies available for treating autism, including behavior
modification, sensory integration, medications and dietary
interventions. However, because the nature and severity of autistic
symptoms and behaviors can vary, no one approach works for every
person. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, most
professionals agree that early intervention is important and that
most individuals with ASD respond well to highly structured,
specialized programs.

After you have shared this information, pair students and assign each
pair one of the following ASD treatment approaches:

Behavioral and Communication Approaches

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA);
Discrete Trial Training;
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS);
Floor Time;
Social Stories;
Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped
Children (TEACCH);
Sensory Integration;
Facilitated Communication.
Biomedical Treatments

(CNN does not endorse any specific medication. The information
provided here is meant as an overview of the types of medications
sometimes prescribed.)

Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, such as clomipramine (Anafranil),
fluvoxamine (Luvox) and fluoxetine (Prozac);
Anti-psychotics, including clozapine (Clozaril), risperidone
(Risperdal), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and quetiapine (Seroquel);
Stimulants, such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexedine.
Instruct each pair to investigate the philosophy, protocols and
benefits and drawbacks associated with its treatment method. Have
pairs deliver presentations of their findings. (If possible, have the
students who are presenting behavior modification approaches
demonstrate the techniques, and have the students who are speaking
about medications and dietary interventions include graphics that
depict how the treatments are thought to affect the different parts
of the human body.) Following the presentations, pose the following
questions for class discussion:

What might be the treatments of choice for mild, moderate and severe
autism?
How might these different treatment approaches be used in consort
with one another?
What questions should parents consider to determine the best
treatment option(s) for their autistic child?

Excellent! By all means, ask teenagers what would be the best therapeutic model! Is there an educator's guide that answers this question for the teachers, too? It's that tone: that ambisexual yet vaguely male voice that you can hear asking these questions, prodding, leading, toward the Right Answer. I can hardly wait to see CNN's Holocaust Study Activities guide, or its discussion questions on the Terri Schiavo case. Fools rush in....

Okay, I'm going to go upstairs, have some chocolate, and try to forget this.