Here is what quasi-crazy talk show host Michael Savage says about autism (via Cassy Fiano):

I remember when my intelligent three year old son started melting down. It was after three years of never crying. He would scrape his knees, be bleeding profusely and not feel it or not express how he felt. I was never sure. He didn't cry when he was hungry. He didn't ask to get out of his crib. He swayed. He got "lost" in music, specifically Sarah Brightman who he seemed to love. He was sweet and docile and satisfied to be entertained by sunlight sparkling on the carpet.

And then the fits came. His "fits" seemed like utter frustration and exhaustion. I later realized he was trying to learn to talk and simply could not say the words. Now, if Michael Savage, who has the biggest New York mouth on talk radio, was forced to be mute, he would be throwing a fit inside of five minutes. Hell, what's his excuse now? He has all his abilities.

My son's "symptoms" are myriad at age 11. It's not readily apparent to look at him, but a teacher in a classroom figures it out within minutes.

To say that autism is overdiagnosed or just the trendy diagnosis like asthma for tax reasons is insanity. First, many parents resist the diagnosis because they don't want the label. I can understand why. Once the child gets the diagnosis, the schools are off the hook about making sure the child receives an education. Second, Autism is not ADD. The ADD kids would, to a kid I've met, benefit from a couple things: more structure, more discipline, better diet, more physical activity and less TV and videogames. ADD will evaporate in these circumstances. ADD is a tenuous diagnosis, I'll grant him that. American kids are overmedicated. That's a given. Still, all these behavioral changes can be made for any child, including an autistic child, but for the autistic child, it won't be enough. I know. I've tried.

A severely autistic child will "self-stim" non-stop. That means he'll spin, or spin things, flick fingers, rock, bang his head, moan, all sorts of things to express excitement, frustration or just to feel better. Try it some time: if you're feeling stressed, stand up, sway back and forth with your eyes closed. Better yet, sit in a rocking chair. The repetitive rocking motion is calming. But why is an autistic kid always stressed or overwhelmed with emotion in general and needs to be calmed? That's the million dollar question.

Michael Savage demonstrates his ignorance on this issue. So, he's not backing down. He's not apologizing. Oh well. I don't really give a flip what Michael Savage thinks, except to the extent that he is, for some reason, lumped in with the conservative movement. I'll admit it. I listen to the guy sometimes and I take him for what he is: an entertainer in the Howard Stern mode of shock jock. I imagine his outrage at the Fairness Doctrine and being "muzzled". Oh, he'd throw a fit alright, but he can't seem to get a child who knows what's happening but who cannot adequately express himself or comprehend emotions or lacks the coordination to ride a bike.

Michael Savage is a blowhard, narcissistic, manic-depressive if I had to diagnose. And on autism, he is wrong.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com