Cure for Autism?
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I have Asperger's, which is part of the autism spectrum, and I am a part of several online communities for individuals with autism and/or families with autistic children. Recently, there have been several discussions about a possible "cure" for autism within these communities, and I wanted to see what a (relatively) normal group of people had to say on the subject. A better way to say that is, I wanted to see what a group of people that aren't autistic and don't have any autistic family members has to say about a possible "cure" for autism.
I'm not extremely knowledgeable about autism itself, having researched only Asperger's, and I am sometimes bad at explaining things, so I'll leave the research of autism itself to the reader and focus on the question - Should a cure for autism be pursued?
It may seem like a clear-cut question; you'd pursue a cure for cancer and AIDS, so why not autism? But the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of things to think about. First, is a cure really possible? Autism isn't a sickness that can be expunged. It doesn't affect just a single part of the body. It affects the person's brain and how it functions, and a cure would require something beyond brain surgery.
Science aside, would autistics even want to a cure? It is often said, and I definitely believe it to be true, that an autistic person is who they are because they have autism. Meaning, if the autism were somehow removed, the person left would not be the person that existed before. The new person would think differently, act differently, really be a different person. At times, I wish I didn't think or behave a certain way, but I never wish to be a completely different person. For me to do so would require that I hate myself, hate who I am, to the very core.
There are a lot of people that hate the very idea of searching for a cure. To some of them, it is the same as saying that all autistics are broken and need to be fixed, and to a lot of autistics, that is grievously offensive. I certainly don't feel broken.
On the other hand, it is understandable that parents of autistics would want a cure. When they see their child, so different from kids his own age, and think of the troubles he will face in the future, it can be heartbreaking. Their child may never live independently or get married. Why wouldn't they wish for something that would allow their child to change, to do those things he cannot do?
I don't want to sway opinions, so I won't say any more. I'm looking forward to some good responses. Also, I don't think I need to say this, but just in case - keep things civil and avoid statements that could be damaging to others. I'm not saying to hold back with your opinions, but don't say that all autistics are worthless people that deserve to be euthanized or something along those lines. That sort of thing doesn't leave room for discussion and is downright offensive.
I'm not extremely knowledgeable about autism itself, having researched only Asperger's, and I am sometimes bad at explaining things, so I'll leave the research of autism itself to the reader and focus on the question - Should a cure for autism be pursued?
It may seem like a clear-cut question; you'd pursue a cure for cancer and AIDS, so why not autism? But the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of things to think about. First, is a cure really possible? Autism isn't a sickness that can be expunged. It doesn't affect just a single part of the body. It affects the person's brain and how it functions, and a cure would require something beyond brain surgery.
Science aside, would autistics even want to a cure? It is often said, and I definitely believe it to be true, that an autistic person is who they are because they have autism. Meaning, if the autism were somehow removed, the person left would not be the person that existed before. The new person would think differently, act differently, really be a different person. At times, I wish I didn't think or behave a certain way, but I never wish to be a completely different person. For me to do so would require that I hate myself, hate who I am, to the very core.
There are a lot of people that hate the very idea of searching for a cure. To some of them, it is the same as saying that all autistics are broken and need to be fixed, and to a lot of autistics, that is grievously offensive. I certainly don't feel broken.
On the other hand, it is understandable that parents of autistics would want a cure. When they see their child, so different from kids his own age, and think of the troubles he will face in the future, it can be heartbreaking. Their child may never live independently or get married. Why wouldn't they wish for something that would allow their child to change, to do those things he cannot do?
I don't want to sway opinions, so I won't say any more. I'm looking forward to some good responses. Also, I don't think I need to say this, but just in case - keep things civil and avoid statements that could be damaging to others. I'm not saying to hold back with your opinions, but don't say that all autistics are worthless people that deserve to be euthanized or something along those lines. That sort of thing doesn't leave room for discussion and is downright offensive.
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K-1, I'm going to go ahead and assume you're an American; this is based on the fact that you're operating under the ideal of 'be all you can be.' As in, you're assumed the parents want unlimited options for their autistic child. Bear in mind that different cultures view everything different as you read the rest of my response, if you wouldn't mind.
Should a cure for autism be pursued?
That would be a question that bore a different response from each individual participant. Personally, it's a clear-cut response; yeah, it should. Because even if the autistic person in question doesn't want to use said cure, they still have the option. I've always been a big believer in the difference between having it and not needing it, and needing it and not having it. I say we should pursue it, and have it available for those that would seek it; the only issue there would be forcing it upon someone who didn't want it, and that would be an obvious no-no in my book.
Would autistics want a cure?
I dunno, do all deaf people get cochlear implants? (quick hint; no, they don't.)
Do we want to eradicate autism altogether?
I'd say it's daunting, at best, and traumatic, at worst; I'm torn between thinking of how the extermination of something most people consider a defect would be a good thing, and how it might deprive society of the skills that those with autism possess. Harnessed correctly, autistic persons could have massive positive impact in terms of advancing certain fields. If they love math, and can do multiplications, square roots, trig, all in milliseconds, would it be right to deprive said field of their genius?
Who's to say it's a defect, anyhow? To boil it down, I've always seen it from the sight of setting up a character in a RPG. Instead of having points in Charisma, they got their puts smashed all into the Intelligence. It's a misalignment (by normal society's standards) of brain chemistry that allows them to focus more clearly on certain tasks.
Since I'm obviously a metaphor / example buff, here's another one; if you didn't spend much time giving a shit what Carey, Jessica, and Andrew were doing / saying / thinking about / wanting, etc, how much could you accomplish? If your brain is a hard drive, what if you deleted the social skills file, and were able to double the mathematics file?
My only background with autism didn't come around until recently; my nephew is 4, and autistic / speech delayed. I don't do a lot of research for him, but I do know that he's only starting to get basic word clusters spoken out. Oh, and he's been able to work an iPhone since he was 2 (no shit...he has three stars on every level in Angry Birds). He can understand written words, correlate as necessary, etc...but he doesn't talk.
I'm drifting off again, as I often do, so here's my parting response.
Find a cure, then keep it for only those who willingly seek it. If the right people are around, then autistic persons wouldn't view their condition as a burden, but an advantage. In such a case, the world would be a better place.
Should a cure for autism be pursued?
That would be a question that bore a different response from each individual participant. Personally, it's a clear-cut response; yeah, it should. Because even if the autistic person in question doesn't want to use said cure, they still have the option. I've always been a big believer in the difference between having it and not needing it, and needing it and not having it. I say we should pursue it, and have it available for those that would seek it; the only issue there would be forcing it upon someone who didn't want it, and that would be an obvious no-no in my book.
Would autistics want a cure?
I dunno, do all deaf people get cochlear implants? (quick hint; no, they don't.)
Do we want to eradicate autism altogether?
I'd say it's daunting, at best, and traumatic, at worst; I'm torn between thinking of how the extermination of something most people consider a defect would be a good thing, and how it might deprive society of the skills that those with autism possess. Harnessed correctly, autistic persons could have massive positive impact in terms of advancing certain fields. If they love math, and can do multiplications, square roots, trig, all in milliseconds, would it be right to deprive said field of their genius?
Who's to say it's a defect, anyhow? To boil it down, I've always seen it from the sight of setting up a character in a RPG. Instead of having points in Charisma, they got their puts smashed all into the Intelligence. It's a misalignment (by normal society's standards) of brain chemistry that allows them to focus more clearly on certain tasks.
Since I'm obviously a metaphor / example buff, here's another one; if you didn't spend much time giving a shit what Carey, Jessica, and Andrew were doing / saying / thinking about / wanting, etc, how much could you accomplish? If your brain is a hard drive, what if you deleted the social skills file, and were able to double the mathematics file?
My only background with autism didn't come around until recently; my nephew is 4, and autistic / speech delayed. I don't do a lot of research for him, but I do know that he's only starting to get basic word clusters spoken out. Oh, and he's been able to work an iPhone since he was 2 (no shit...he has three stars on every level in Angry Birds). He can understand written words, correlate as necessary, etc...but he doesn't talk.
I'm drifting off again, as I often do, so here's my parting response.
Find a cure, then keep it for only those who willingly seek it. If the right people are around, then autistic persons wouldn't view their condition as a burden, but an advantage. In such a case, the world would be a better place.
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Asperger's isn't a illness it's just being born without the natural instinct required for socialization and can be overcome by making repeated attempts to learn how to socialize and talk like everyone else.
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Flaser
OCD Hentai Collector
I'm sorry, but so far both of your responses has been woefully naive. Having Aspergers, or being a highly-functioning autistic, one might argue for remaining as-is... however a lot of people aren't like that! The idiot savant parallels don't hold up!
Autistics are just like everyone else. Some are clever, sometimes very much so, others are average.... and a great portion of them are mentally retarded! I've worked for 4 years in rehabilitation & accessories for the disabled. A great portion of autistics will never be able to function on their own, they're incapable of even making the most basic social or moral deduction. Often they're good natured and it breaks my heart to know how some scum may exploit them as they can't recognize malice, or in worse cases can't make even simple jumps of logic.
Yes, autism is a spectrum disorder... which means that those on the bottom of the spectrum are screwed in all kinds of ways as they have a crippling deficiency.
Also this isn't just about them, it's also about their families and the country that has to support them. Here in Europe all the budget for care of the disabled tends to come out of taxes and this care is available free of charge for all of them... and families are still struggling to make ends meet. I can't imagine what a tragedy it'd be in the US where fedicare/medicare only provides a fraction of what's available here.
If a cure's possible, it *must* be pursued and if it's impossible then prevention too... for the impact in the worst case is just so great that it's highly irresponsible not to act to mitigate it.
Also if a cure is found, it'd likely be either a gene-therapy or some tweak of the brain's biochemistry. Before you go on about, how this wouldn't be "you" anymore face the facts: such changes take place anyway! You're not the person you were yesterday, much less a couple of years ago. You age, your brain changes and you change with it too.
It won't be a magic spell that turns an autistic person into a "layman" at the drop of the hat... it's more likely that years & years of therapy and learning would be necessary, so the "software" inside the brain can catch up to the improved capabilities of the "hardware". You can't implant social & cognitive skills, you can only remove the hurdles that have so far prevented their development.
...and a mind that has already developed in different direction wouldn't loose what it already has. My gut feeling is, that highly functioning autistics & people with Aspergers are better at some things, because they only had access to those skills so they got really good at them.
Autistics are just like everyone else. Some are clever, sometimes very much so, others are average.... and a great portion of them are mentally retarded! I've worked for 4 years in rehabilitation & accessories for the disabled. A great portion of autistics will never be able to function on their own, they're incapable of even making the most basic social or moral deduction. Often they're good natured and it breaks my heart to know how some scum may exploit them as they can't recognize malice, or in worse cases can't make even simple jumps of logic.
Yes, autism is a spectrum disorder... which means that those on the bottom of the spectrum are screwed in all kinds of ways as they have a crippling deficiency.
Also this isn't just about them, it's also about their families and the country that has to support them. Here in Europe all the budget for care of the disabled tends to come out of taxes and this care is available free of charge for all of them... and families are still struggling to make ends meet. I can't imagine what a tragedy it'd be in the US where fedicare/medicare only provides a fraction of what's available here.
If a cure's possible, it *must* be pursued and if it's impossible then prevention too... for the impact in the worst case is just so great that it's highly irresponsible not to act to mitigate it.
Also if a cure is found, it'd likely be either a gene-therapy or some tweak of the brain's biochemistry. Before you go on about, how this wouldn't be "you" anymore face the facts: such changes take place anyway! You're not the person you were yesterday, much less a couple of years ago. You age, your brain changes and you change with it too.
It won't be a magic spell that turns an autistic person into a "layman" at the drop of the hat... it's more likely that years & years of therapy and learning would be necessary, so the "software" inside the brain can catch up to the improved capabilities of the "hardware". You can't implant social & cognitive skills, you can only remove the hurdles that have so far prevented their development.
...and a mind that has already developed in different direction wouldn't loose what it already has. My gut feeling is, that highly functioning autistics & people with Aspergers are better at some things, because they only had access to those skills so they got really good at them.
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Flaser wrote...
I'm sorry, but so far both of your responses has been woefully naive. Having Aspergers, or being a highly-functioning autistic, one might argue for remaining as-is... however a lot of people aren't like that! The idiot savant parallels don't hold up!Autistics are just like everyone else. Some are clever, sometimes very much so, others are average.... and a great portion of them are mentally retarded! I've worked for 4 years in rehabilitation & accessories for the disabled. A great portion of autistics will never be able to function on their own, they're incapable of even making the most basic social or moral deduction. Often they're good natured and it breaks my heart to know how some scum may exploit them as they can't recognize malice, or in worse cases can't make even simple jumps of logic.
Yes, autism is a spectrum disorder... which means that those on the bottom of the spectrum are screwed in all kinds of ways as they have a crippling deficiency.
Also this isn't just about them, it's also about their families and the country that has to support them. Here in Europe all the budget for care of the disabled tends to come out of taxes and this care is available free of charge for all of them... and families are still struggling to make ends meet. I can't imagine what a tragedy it'd be in the US where fedicare/medicare only provides a fraction of what's available here.
If a cure's possible, it *must* be pursued and if it's impossible then prevention too... for the impact in the worst case is just so great that it's highly irresponsible not to act to mitigate it.
Also if a cure is found, it'd likely be either a gene-therapy or some tweak of the brain's biochemistry. Before you go on about, how this wouldn't be "you" anymore face the facts: such changes take place anyway! You're not the person you were yesterday, much less a couple of years ago. You age, your brain changes and you change with it too.
It won't be a magic spell that turns an autistic person into a "layman" at the drop of the hat... it's more likely that years & years of therapy and learning would be necessary, so the "software" inside the brain can catch up to the improved capabilities of the "hardware". You can't implant social & cognitive skills, you can only remove the hurdles that have so far prevented their development.
...and a mind that has already developed in different direction wouldn't loose what it already has. My gut feeling is, that highly functioning autistics & people with Aspergers are better at some things, because they only had access to those skills so they got really good at them.
I am actually intimately familiar with Aspergers/high functioning autism and when your on that end of the spectrum you can overcome social awkwardness/lack of social skills and gain good logic with a bit of practice.
That being said the lower end of the spectrum is not so lucky and the way I put my first comment is just how it is from my point of view more of a metaphor than anything.
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There is a book called Impossible Cure. It's about a woman that cured her son's autism with homeopathy. I believe that homeopathy is a load of crap, but the author was a NASA researcher which means that she had scientific training. It's worth checking out, but take it with a large grain of sand.
If there was a cure, it comes down to choice. Some are happy with the way they are, while others are not.
As for change there are people in different camps as well. I'm always changing and growing consciously to get what I want in life. Every time I get together with friends of the past, they comment on how much I've changed, that I'm like a different person. While some of my friends are completely against the idea. Great guys that have zero success with women. Won't take any advice on how to get success. The same even applies for lifestyle choices when it comes to their health. Eating better will make them lose the weight and get awesome skin. But this is even too much. Whatever the circumstances, the choice should be available to everyone.
If there was a cure, it comes down to choice. Some are happy with the way they are, while others are not.
As for change there are people in different camps as well. I'm always changing and growing consciously to get what I want in life. Every time I get together with friends of the past, they comment on how much I've changed, that I'm like a different person. While some of my friends are completely against the idea. Great guys that have zero success with women. Won't take any advice on how to get success. The same even applies for lifestyle choices when it comes to their health. Eating better will make them lose the weight and get awesome skin. But this is even too much. Whatever the circumstances, the choice should be available to everyone.
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Some people with Aspergers have changed while they aged and people can't tell them apart from normal people.
In other words: they grow out of it.
In other words: they grow out of it.
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animefreak_usa
Child of Samael
Autism is brain/ personalty disorder which your brain is naturally like that. Your brain is wired to think in that way and a cure would just be a chemical reaction which isn't a cured.. You can't fix birth defects of this magnitude. It be like fixing mental retardation or a missing arm, you can only managed or help. I guess a mood stablizer or some psychoactive med could help in the Asperger's spectrum, but the full non functioning autism.. or idiot savant most likely can be cured fix and managed.
Depends on what European state your in or what state you live here in the US. Medicare is for the old people and there is no national insurance. depends on that state you live here, but my cousin get a nice check, insurance from the state and help in school and he only slightly autistic. My other cousin gets the same for his CP(Cerebral palsy). Now my friend in Maryland can't even get the state insurance which is subsidized for all children because she makes 100$ more then the cut off and relies on her army pay plus the really crappy national guard clinic for her son (not autism he has MS). Shit the army does even pay for my insulin since im still in, but of course i only need it once in a while.
I could never understand the problem with free or low cost health insurances for children at least. I make enough to insured my kids and it's only 15 buck a visit.
also all people have a form of personally disorder or a good portion of people have characteristics of Asperger's.
Here in Europe all the budget for care of the disabled tends to come out of taxes and this care is available free of charge for all of them... and families are still struggling to make ends meet. I can't imagine what a tragedy it'd be in the US where fedicare/medicare only provides a fraction of what's available here.
Depends on what European state your in or what state you live here in the US. Medicare is for the old people and there is no national insurance. depends on that state you live here, but my cousin get a nice check, insurance from the state and help in school and he only slightly autistic. My other cousin gets the same for his CP(Cerebral palsy). Now my friend in Maryland can't even get the state insurance which is subsidized for all children because she makes 100$ more then the cut off and relies on her army pay plus the really crappy national guard clinic for her son (not autism he has MS). Shit the army does even pay for my insulin since im still in, but of course i only need it once in a while.
I could never understand the problem with free or low cost health insurances for children at least. I make enough to insured my kids and it's only 15 buck a visit.
also all people have a form of personally disorder or a good portion of people have characteristics of Asperger's.
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Even if there is a cure to be found, and even if it is made, there will always be people who will literally force others to take the cure, whether they want to or not. I'm and Aspergian (Aspergers), and I know this. Whenever something like this is found, everything starts out great, but after time, the wrong people get hands on it, and will find people who are too weak, or too.... let's say dim to fight for who they are. Then those wrong people will either force or "persuade" others to get the weak or dim person on this so called cure. I have stated my opinion, and I withdraw.
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Takerial
Lovable Teddy Bear
In all likelihood we are years away from being able to cure people with extremely bad cases of autism. But I would not be surprised that there would be a set of treatments, medication, and therapy that can cure less severe cases of ASD.
Of course when most people use the word cure, it's hard to say if it's actually a cure, or just controlling it to the point that a person can live a normal life. If that's the case then there is already some grounds for that.
An actual all out cure would require people to actually know what causes autism, which is still sketchy knowledge at best.
The best we could hope for at this time would be prevention, especially in cases with severe autism. If we can identify it early (say even to the point of development in the womb) and create a form of treatment that will reduce the symptoms.
Not to say a cure shouldn't be pursued, but it won't happen overnight.
Won't stop people from getting excited about baby steps expecting them to be giant leaps.
Of course when most people use the word cure, it's hard to say if it's actually a cure, or just controlling it to the point that a person can live a normal life. If that's the case then there is already some grounds for that.
An actual all out cure would require people to actually know what causes autism, which is still sketchy knowledge at best.
The best we could hope for at this time would be prevention, especially in cases with severe autism. If we can identify it early (say even to the point of development in the womb) and create a form of treatment that will reduce the symptoms.
Not to say a cure shouldn't be pursued, but it won't happen overnight.
Won't stop people from getting excited about baby steps expecting them to be giant leaps.
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There was a kid with Aspergers at my high school. He wasn't great socially but nevertheless was pretty popular and had a group of close friends. He goes to MIT now. I can't speak for him but I would guess he is doing fine with Autism.
So basically I think it depends on the case, how much the autism disrupts their lives.
So basically I think it depends on the case, how much the autism disrupts their lives.
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I don't want to influence the discussion, but I felt it was important to reply to this:
So basically I think it depends on the case, how much the autism disrupts their lives.
Like I said in the opening, autism is a spectrum disorder, and Asperger's itself is only a part of the spectrum, which itself can vary greatly in range. So, while two people with Asperger's may both be high-functioning and able to live independently, one may have a much easier time with things than the other.
That said, having Asperger's doesn't mean that a person is "normal" or "close to normal." It also doesn't mean that a person is far from normal or incredibly different. I'm not sure how to say this, so please excuse any confusion this causes: having Asperger's means that you are different in some ways, and it never goes away. It can cause a lot of problems for a person, both internal (stuff inside them, like emotional problems) and external (for example, conflicts with other people).
I cannot say anything about the person at your high school, but personally, I have a lot of problems that I never let others see. I'm horrible at dealing with stress, for example, and it is easy for me to get stressed out, but I never take it out on other people, and I never let people see me crumble. I do it in the privacy of my room and in a way that no one but me will know. That can be true of people without Asperger's, but my point is that though a person may seem "normal," there can be unseen things that can quickly shatter that perception. Most of my friends wouldn't think that I'm autistic, but if they saw what I'm like when I'll alone, they would easily change their minds.
In other words, you are definitely right in that cases can differ greatly from one another, but one should not underestimate the troubles an autistic faces, no matter how "normal" he/she may seem.
Mixtape. wrote...
There was a kid with Aspergers at my high school. He wasn't great socially but nevertheless was pretty popular and had a group of close friends. He goes to MIT now. I can't speak for him but I would guess he is doing fine with Autism.So basically I think it depends on the case, how much the autism disrupts their lives.
Like I said in the opening, autism is a spectrum disorder, and Asperger's itself is only a part of the spectrum, which itself can vary greatly in range. So, while two people with Asperger's may both be high-functioning and able to live independently, one may have a much easier time with things than the other.
That said, having Asperger's doesn't mean that a person is "normal" or "close to normal." It also doesn't mean that a person is far from normal or incredibly different. I'm not sure how to say this, so please excuse any confusion this causes: having Asperger's means that you are different in some ways, and it never goes away. It can cause a lot of problems for a person, both internal (stuff inside them, like emotional problems) and external (for example, conflicts with other people).
I cannot say anything about the person at your high school, but personally, I have a lot of problems that I never let others see. I'm horrible at dealing with stress, for example, and it is easy for me to get stressed out, but I never take it out on other people, and I never let people see me crumble. I do it in the privacy of my room and in a way that no one but me will know. That can be true of people without Asperger's, but my point is that though a person may seem "normal," there can be unseen things that can quickly shatter that perception. Most of my friends wouldn't think that I'm autistic, but if they saw what I'm like when I'll alone, they would easily change their minds.
In other words, you are definitely right in that cases can differ greatly from one another, but one should not underestimate the troubles an autistic faces, no matter how "normal" he/she may seem.
1
K-1, I have no experience with Asperger's or autism in general, so take the following lightly. I mean no disrespect, and I can agree with most all of the point-of-views presented by people so far. I wil be be brutally honest here, common knowledge on the affect of autism on an individual tend's to be non existant. People are aware of its existance but, most give no thought to the actual depth of the disorder. This lack of awareness effects overall interest in the pursuit of possible treatments and, most of all; funding.
It is my belief that a cure should be found if possible, with individuals treated on a case by case basis pending personal desire and how greatly their autism affects the quality of life for said individual.
I'm not so shallow as to pity you or apologize for the cards the genetic crapshoot dealt you, but I can at least sympathize with any pride you have.
Life's pretty damn short, and time only seems to flow faster as you age, so don't let the petty shit stress you out.
It is my belief that a cure should be found if possible, with individuals treated on a case by case basis pending personal desire and how greatly their autism affects the quality of life for said individual.
I'm not so shallow as to pity you or apologize for the cards the genetic crapshoot dealt you, but I can at least sympathize with any pride you have.
Life's pretty damn short, and time only seems to flow faster as you age, so don't let the petty shit stress you out.
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Andoru-Kun wrote...
K-1, I have no experience with Asperger's or autism in general, so take the following lightly. I mean no disrespect, and I can agree with most all of the point-of-views presented by people so far. I wil be be brutally honest here, common knowledge on the affect of autism on an individual tend's to be non existant. People are aware of its existance but, most give no thought to the actual depth of the disorder. This lack of awareness effects overall interest in the pursuit of possible treatments and, most of all; funding. It is my belief that a cure should be found if possible, with individuals treated on a case by case basis pending personal desire and how greatly their autism affects the quality of life for said individual.
I'm not so shallow as to pity you or apologize for the cards the genetic crapshoot dealt you, but I can at least sympathize with any pride you have.
Life's pretty damn short, and time only seems to flow faster as you age, so don't let the petty shit stress you out.
Thank you. It is rare to find someone with such sentiments, even when the subject of autism isn't involved.
Since it seems natural, I will explain one thing - most of the people that want a cure for autism are family members of autistics. This can be viewed as either good or bad. Good as in they care for their loved one(s); bad as in they have an agenda.
Part of the backlash against a proposed cure comes from such family members saying that they want a cure. To a person with autism, having a parent or sibling say that they wish the person was, basically, a completely different person can be extremely damaging, and even if one never hears that from their own family, hearing it from the family of a person with whom they can relate can still be damaging.
I'll try to put this more simply: I don't think autistics against a cure get offended when a person without autism and no family members with autism (a person with just common knowledge of autism, as you put it) says that a cure should be sought. Instead, they get offended when a person that is close to autism says that there needs to be a cure. It can be hard to balance the idea of accepting a person yet wanting to change them, and because a lot of autistics suffer from feeling like outcasts and like they don't belong, hearing a person say that they should be changed can make them defensive. It can be very hard for an autistic to have good self-esteem in this world because of how they stand out, and it can be extremely hard if they are told that they don't belong as they are, that they need to be fixed. I believe that is why many adults with autism are against the idea of a cure, or at least part of it.
I've tried not to interject my personal feelings on the subject and simply relay information that may be useful, but it should be noted that most of what I have said are opinions, gleamed from what I have seen and heard. I am far from an expert on the subject of autism or how people feel about autism.
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Flaser
OCD Hentai Collector
Ayban wrote...
I really don't know how to make this long but well, curing is always been a good thing i guess.Even if there's nothing to cure? Try homosexuality... or being left handed.
Just because I think a cure would immensely improve the life of those on the low end of the autism spectrum and people around them, doesn't mean it should be mandatory for all spectrum "residents".
We've been there, done what... I'd rather not relive the dark ages of medicine.
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Flaser wrote...
Ayban wrote...
I really don't know how to make this long but well, curing is always been a good thing i guess.Even if there's nothing to cure? Try homosexuality... or being left handed.
Just because I think a cure would immensely improve the life of those on the low end of the autism spectrum and people around them, doesn't mean it should be mandatory for all spectrum "residents".
We've been there, done what... I'd rather not relive the dark ages of medicine.
+ there are side effects. After reading the opening post the first thing I thought "I wonder what kind of side effects that kind of medicine have". Depending on the side effects of the medicine, its better to be not cured than be cured and get a bunch of nasty side effects.
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Create a cure, then administer it for those who wanted it themselves - always present an option because it is everyone's right to have options in life and no exceptions.
they're a human being just like us - different but still way better than a psychopathic killer who doesn't had autism.
they're a human being just like us - different but still way better than a psychopathic killer who doesn't had autism.
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well think about what some go on to do, some of our great minds who were said to be strange, yes most people with AS won't amount to more then anyone else (or vice versa) but the world does need some strange people to keep a balance
I don't like having AS, but don't want a forced cure, because then were does it end, would it become mandatory, and how far would the mind altering go?
I don't like having AS, but don't want a forced cure, because then were does it end, would it become mandatory, and how far would the mind altering go?
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I've never thought of it as being a problem of some thing that needs to be cure except for severe Autism but is it some thing they can cure or vaccinate against.
I think for minor Autism social interaction is probably the best medicine.
I've always wondered if I have and/or had aspergers because I do have some problems socially but I think it's partly a thing of fear because when ever I try to get support I'm turned down because I am quite good at communicating but it's mostly to do with the facts I'm talking to a person who is there to help like a doctor or a support worker so I feel I can be as open as I want but in every thing else I can't help but be withdrawn even when I don't want to be. When I was younger I was pretty much retarded and was socially awkward but at some point I kind of snapped and became aware and was able to perform normally if not occasionally better, but with out social interaction I would slip back to my old self and would find it hard to reenter. Some one at one point wanted me to be tested at one point for autism but my school and my doctor were against the idea because they didn't want me to be labeled.
I think for minor Autism social interaction is probably the best medicine.
I've always wondered if I have and/or had aspergers because I do have some problems socially but I think it's partly a thing of fear because when ever I try to get support I'm turned down because I am quite good at communicating but it's mostly to do with the facts I'm talking to a person who is there to help like a doctor or a support worker so I feel I can be as open as I want but in every thing else I can't help but be withdrawn even when I don't want to be. When I was younger I was pretty much retarded and was socially awkward but at some point I kind of snapped and became aware and was able to perform normally if not occasionally better, but with out social interaction I would slip back to my old self and would find it hard to reenter. Some one at one point wanted me to be tested at one point for autism but my school and my doctor were against the idea because they didn't want me to be labeled.