Paul Isaacs' Blog

Autism from the inside

Placental Abruption – Part of My Autism Profile

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Placental Abruption

This is a personal account of these issues, my development and my autism profile.

My mother and I were both in distress during her pregnancy – I was born premature and was born via a cesarean section and my Mother suffered heavy bleeding as a result of what is called placental abruption.

“Placental abruption happens when there is bleeding behind the placenta, between the placenta and the wall of the uterus (womb). This may be just a small amount of bleeding. But if you have a large amount of bleeding, the placenta may partially or completely separate from the lining of your uterus before your baby is born.”

Left Hemisphere Brain Injury & Oxygen Deprivation (Hypoxia)

“25% of babies who experience hypoxic/anoxic injuries at the time of labor will have permanent neurological problems.”

© 2014 Birth Injury Justice.org by Becker Law Firm, L.P.A. All rights reserved.
Aspects Of My Birth

My Autism profile consists of many speech, language, perceptual and developmental delays which includes

  • Speech Delay (non-verbal 5 year approx with speech regression)
  • Motor Coordination Delays (crawled with one arm and didn’t start walking until 18 months old)
  • Language Delay (gained functional speech between the ages 7/8 years is that of a 3 year old developmentally)
  • Learning Difficulties (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia)
  • “Mild” Learning Disability
  • Visual Agnosias (simultagnosia, semantic agnosia, prosopagnosia, visual-verbal agnosia)
  • Auditory Agnosias (pure auditory agnosia, verbal auditory agnosia, receptive and expressive aphasia)
  • Body Agnosias (finger agnosia and visual-spatial dysgnosia)
  • Hemispatial Neglect (related to brain injury, left-handedness, left-right confusion related to Gerstmann Syndrome)

Genetics

They also come into play because there are such things as genetic based agnosias, processing issues and learning difficulties which can be passed down from generation to generation (although the fashion in which this is done is highly variable) the cross over with other profiles seems to be there and commonalities are present in some of the conditions such as.

This However Doesn’t Affect My Character or Personhood

Every person is on a journey of self discovery and revelation this doesn’t make me feel sad nor isolated in any way quite the opposite I’m still “Paul” and all that entails these aspects of discovery are the trajectory of my development, my learning, my language, my visual processing etc. They are a part of me but don’t ultimately define – I’m still creative, eager to learn, eager to live and with the set of cards I have been dealt I will use them ultimately to the best of my abilities. Hope springs eternal. 🙂

Special Thanks to Donna Williams & Dr Manuel Casanova

Paul Isaacs 2014

Author: Paul Isaacs

Paul was branded as a “naughty & difficult child” at school. He was classically autistic and non-verbal due to speech articulation difficulties. He had complex sensory issues and appeared both deaf and blind. He gained functional speech around the age of 7 or 8 years old. He went through the mainstream school system with no additional help or recognition of his autism. Consequently, he did not achieve his academic or his social potential and had very low self-esteem. At age 11, Paul was referred to the children’s mental health service with childhood depression where he was regarded as “developmentally underage” and having speech problems. As an adult, Paul had a string of unsuccessful jobs, and his mental health suffered. He developed both Borderline and Schizotypal Personality Disorders in early 2007. He was referred to mental health services and misdiagnosed with “Asperger traits with a complex personality”, which did not satisfy Paul or his family. A local autism organisation put Paul in touch with an experienced psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with Autism at 24 years old. In 2012 Paul was also diagnosed with Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome by an Irlen Consultant who confirmed that he also had face, object and meaning blindness – conditions which Paul describes eloquently in his speeches and training sessions. He also has dyslexia, dyscalculia and also a dissociative disorder. Having started working as an local autism organisation as a public speaker in 2010, Paul joined their mission to promote autism awareness. His hope is that others will not have to suffer as he did. Now also a core member of our Training Team, Paul continues to enhance true understanding of autism at every opportunity. Paul has released and published 5 books on the subject of autism published by Chipmunka publishing and has contributed to other books too. Having overcome many challenges to achieve the success that he now enjoys, Paul’s message is that Autism is a complex mix of ability and disability. He firmly believes that every Autistic person should have the opportunity to reach their potential and be regarded as a valued member of society. Apart from autism related blogs Paul also write about movies, fashion, art and anything that is of interest. As of August 2015 Paul now works as a freelance speaker, training and consultant in and around the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire area. If you are interested please contact him via email at staypuft12@yahoo.co.uk

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