Is Tobias autistic?

[SarahConnor2]

It just seems parents need to actually re-learn the art of disciplining their kids and raising them properly, instead of sitting them in front of a TV and then using psychiatry excuses to make themselves feel better, once their child starts misbehaving.  Because, you know, it couldn't possibly be bad parenting, the kid's obviously just insane.

Damn quick-fix lazy society.

It's the same with the "obesity epidemic".  Right.  "One in four Americans/Australians/Brits is morbidly obese!" - Dumb.  One in four?  Yeah, researcher-man, you're an idiot.  Take a walk down the street sometime.  Pass 30 or so people.  I guarantee 8 of them aren't Fat Albert.

Yeah, it's called the Blame Syndrome....

As for ADHD, I do believe it exists, but I don't think we should turn to methamphetamines for help in controlling it. I think the kids or whoever's taking it could get addicted, and COME ON. It's meth in pill form. How could that possibly be good for you?
My step sister actually has the worst case of ADHD I've ever known. She's the most rude, disrespectful, interruptive, annoying, agitating, and the craziest person (not just child) I've ever encountered. I know it's not just ADHD though. She seems to have acquired Tourettes...I know, it doesn't seem possible. Reminds me of that South Park episode where Cartman "acquires" it. It seems to have happened last November. She's been coughing for no reason...just short, little coughs that couldn't clear your throat in a million years. And she has this thing where she'll say Yay or just joyfully shriek for some reason. She'll also laugh when nothing's funny. I don't think that last one is Tourettes, just insecurity, since she wants someone to laugh with her or something. Oh well. I don't know what her problem (s) is. At least now she's off her meth pills and her mom's trying a different, natural method. Haha, get it? METHod. Ya, I'm not good with jokes. And believe me, my stepmom's not a  bad mother. She's just got one f*cked up kid.

[AniDragon]

She's been coughing for no reason...just short, little coughs that couldn't clear your throat in a million years.

Actually, I think I might know what that is. I have something like that, too. It's called post-nasal drip. Basically, the nasal cavity is tilted a bit too much towards the throat, and all the stuff in it, well, drips. For lack of a better word. It gets into your throat enough to be irritating and make you cough, but not enough to actually be dangerous.

[/fountain of useless information]

[SarahConnor2]

She's been coughing for no reason...just short, little coughs that couldn't clear your throat in a million years.

Actually, I think I might know what that is. I have something like that, too. It's called post-nasal drip. Basically, the nasal cavity is tilted a bit too much towards the throat, and all the stuff in it, well, drips. For lack of a better word. It gets into your throat enough to be irritating and make you cough, but not enough to actually be dangerous.

[/fountain of useless information]

Does it have any effects on your nose? When she gets into this coughing phase (it lasts for about 5 days to a week), it doesn't effect anything else.
Have you always had this condition?

[AniDragon]

I've always had it, yeah, and it doesn't have any other effect other than stuff dripping into your throat.

It's a bit sporatic on how often it happens. *shrugs* Tends to happen more if I've been laughing a lot.

My parents thought it was a nervous tick for a really long time, until my mum met someone who's daughter had the same thing.

[Darth Revan]

Meh, I mean I was never really smacked as a kid.  Probably once or twice, I mean I was aware that they probably would if I did something really crazy. 

It's just about balance, man.  Beating kids and having them live in fear isn't right either.  But the soft new-age approach is absolute impractical tosh preached by limp-wristed cocooned medical types with the real-world experience and wisdom of a snowpea.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying beat every kid that acts out. I'm saying that some kids require the threat of violence. I agree that balance is the best, but every person is different. Some children need more force, some don't, but you do have to keep force as a last resort.

I have a friend with mild ADHD, he's constantly clearing his throat, he must have that as well.

[voodooqueen126]

I have the dopey kind of ADD that females get... I was given ritalin as a child but because my father listened to people like Tom Cruise (fortunately not tom cruise himself) he took me off ritalin. Later after struggling horribly through high school, getting the lowest UAI in my year and being fired from a few jobs. My sister persuaded me to see a psychiatrist, he perscribed me ritalin, it really works, it really works I am now able to get high distinctions in my bridging course in order to get into university as a mature aged student. I resisted the whole ADD thing for a long time because all the boys at school who were mean, nasty, stupid, illiterate and ugly behaved badly I would say "alex is an awful mean stupid boy" and someone else would say "it"s not his fault he has ADD" now i know that those boys don't have ADD they are just sociopaths. A lot of nasty stupid people are labelled ADD because nobody wants to tell their bogan parents that their child is a sociopath.

[animefanboy]

Actually, Tobias may have Asperger's Syndrome. I myself was diagnosed with it, and I see a lot of similarities between us, which most likely explains why I always liked his character the most. The bullying could also be a factor, like him I used to be bullied too, then I started standing up for myself. But this is an interesting theory.

[wolfev]

well Tobias doesn't show personal space issues or obsessive behavior.

[animefanboy]

True, but not every case is the same, but your point does make sense.

[wolfev]

Also in answer to the Meth question: Meth on the streets is neither regulated nor prescribed. Its the dose that makes the poison remember. When prescribed for someone with the right condition and in the right amount, it can have beneficial effects. This is true of any drug. Its abuse that causes problems.

I feel that this whole topic has devolved a bit into an argument about the over diagnosis of children with mental conditions... on the Animorphs forum. Tell me, is anyone here actually a doctor?

Back to Tobias. I just don't think we can concluded he has Autism from what is seen in the books. Maybe if there is a new series this can be delved into further, but there really is not enough evidence. All we can say is that Tobias was kinda nerdy and awkward as a human.

[voodooqueen126]

I was bullied like hell, but I am not autistic/aspergers. Having said that, Tobias was not my favourite character, so perhaps animefanboy you are more able to empathise with him.

[Darth Revan]

I was bullied as well when I was a kid. I related the most with Tobias. And I don't have any medical conditions.

Just 'cause you're an introverted social outcast, doesn't mean there's something medically wrong with you.

[animefanboy]

I never said their was. I was just saying he had shown some things that would suggest he may have it. I don't think it was anything like that, I should have been more slow to label.

[Darth Revan]

That wasn't directed towards you, man. It was mostly directed at this whole thread.

The fact that this argument has gone on and on is kind of annoying.

Look, Animorphs is KA's universe. They're her characters. We can't say a character has an illness if KA didn't state it.

Personally I wish this thread would get locked.

[Kit Cloudkicker]

*hopes this thread is locked after this post*

Autism is a neurobiological disorder that is first manifested in children under the age of three. It is a life-long disability that is often characterized by repetitive movements, perseveration, communication impairments and lack of social skills. I'm going to assume that you're referring to either high functioning autism or Asperger's disorder when you ask this question in regards to Tobias. That being assumed, the primary deficits or characteristic of Aspergers are a lack of appropriate social communication due to to an inability to understand social language, thinking and various other aspects of social communication. At times, EVERYONE exhibits one or more of these characteristics. However, that does not make us autistic. Tobias is socially awkward and is lacking friends, but if you look at the environment in which he was raised i think that these problems are self-explanatory.


That being said, as a professional qualified to give an educational diagnoses of autism, I would definitely agree that "no, Tobias does not have autism." *steps off of soapbox*

Yup. Quoting myself.



Also, going to add this. Who here has heard of feral children? Those are children who are raised outside of human society. Some are kids who are locked up in a cage in a basement, others are ones who have been raised in nature for one reason or another, away from people. These children do not learn typical human behaviors, becuase they are kept apart from humans showing these behaviors. If anything, I would compare how Tobias is acting to how a Feral child acts when exposed to human society.

In reality, feral children lack the basic social skills which are normally learned in the process of enculturation. For example, they may be unable to learn to use a toilet, have trouble learning to walk upright and display a complete lack of interest in the human activity around them. They often seem mentally impaired and have almost insurmountable trouble learning a human language. The impaired ability to learn language after having been isolated for so many years is often attributed to the existence of a critical period for language learning, and taken as evidence in favor of the Critical Period Hypothesis.[citation needed]

His lack of skills/inappropriate skills are not from a neuro-biological disorder, but self-admittedly from a separation from human culture. So, perhaps he is some sort of reverse feral child.



In short: If people are going to insist on labeling Tobias, I'm going to insist we label him as being feral.