tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post7280658700462356912..comments2024-03-28T09:19:51.567-04:00Comments on Look Me In The Eye: Some medical advocacy groups fight FOR the cure. We autistics are unique - we fight ABOUT it.John Robisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07407165016025447113noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-10276272731037431722009-10-24T12:11:47.194-04:002009-10-24T12:11:47.194-04:00Thank you for your blog. I have never found a reso...Thank you for your blog. I have never found a resource that I thought would be helpful before now. Your honesty is appreciated. As a classroom teacher, mother and an ABA therapist in training,I am struggling with finding a way to help. My son has amazing strengths and areas that need some help like all people. I am finding that finding my balance is essential before helping him. I am hoping to find like minded persons to share with and it seems that this blog has quite a few. Thank you for writing. I am reading!Patricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09640312991836068403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-63146971450102271552009-10-21T11:57:42.860-04:002009-10-21T11:57:42.860-04:00There's a bit of a false dichotomy and hasty g...There's a bit of a false dichotomy and hasty generalization at work in your post, in the part where you claim that 'high functioning' individuals have one attitude toward autism and 'highly impaired' individuals have another.<br /><br />At least on the lists and forums I participate in, I've found the attitudes to be quite varied. I've seen 'high functioning' autistics who are pro- and anti-cure, and 'highly impaired' individuals who are pro- and anti-cure. It's not even remotely as monolithic as you seem to think.<br /><br />I actually dislike the terms 'high-functioning' and 'highly-impaired', incidentally, for a number of reasons. Among them is that, although I'm diagnosed on the HF end of the spectrum, I tend to find I empathize far more with the sort of people you refer to as 'highly impaired' than I do with many neurotypicals.codeman38https://www.blogger.com/profile/09005307767833296869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-17771063297595268262009-10-18T09:19:48.593-04:002009-10-18T09:19:48.593-04:00Interesting post; I am not intimately familiar wit...Interesting post; I am not intimately familiar with the autism advocacy community, but I do notice that in general, "projecting" you own experiences as the same experience as others is an all too common problem. I agree with Gavin Bollard in that we need to rethink how we use the term "autistic". On the other hand, those who head these advocacy groups need to realize that their experience is not all encompassing. So instead of really helping anyone with any form of autism, these groups become a platform to launch some pretty self-serving publicity. It is selfish and sad. But I see no immediate fix. (Well unless Oprah wants to get involved.)Miss S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10887805742474651903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-55412974964919673232009-10-17T01:12:24.874-04:002009-10-17T01:12:24.874-04:00my name is Niall. i am a 27 year old currently liv...my name is Niall. i am a 27 year old currently living at home and have Asperger's. i spend most of my time at my computer but i also recently started working out. ive lost all my friends and have never learned to drive. i pretty much do the same thing every day because i thought school was an option which never worked. from what i understand JE Robison is the only "successful" Aspie out there. ive tried to have relationships with girls i met at school and church but as always it didnt work out. what im wondering though is whether or not i can be successful.Niall_Moffathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12783064040100483260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-10736976950501121952009-10-14T11:23:08.490-04:002009-10-14T11:23:08.490-04:00I wish I had time to write more, but for now this ...I wish I had time to write more, but for now this will have to suffice ... AMEN, my friend. AMENjesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741476791827870513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-41888372050272215002009-10-13T20:19:50.710-04:002009-10-13T20:19:50.710-04:00Bravo.
I've never understood "cure" ...Bravo.<br />I've never understood "cure" or "ridding" autism.<br /><br />Now, what I do understand is informing people to gain acceptance of a way of being. <br /><br />And what I also understand is to help Aspergians cope with the world at large.<br /><br />I also advocate for a strong system of support that includes a wide range of services that address the emotional, physical, social and financial issues that both the Aspergian and their parents or spouses experience.<br /><br />But it has always seemed to me that "cure" or "rid" were very easy (and perhaps a cop out) way of taking a short cut to a deeper, meaningful and accepting understanding. <br /><br />So, if we're talking about "healing," I think we're speaking first and foremost about a spiritual and emotional healing. Which includes a lot of related issues like acceptance, love, and encouragement over the long haul. But in order for this to happen, both sides need to listen. Because in truth, the neurotypical who enters into the picture either as a parent or spouse is quickly consumed by a lot of contrasting messages. So yup, it's a big big picture that needs to be sketched.Kananihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17820639940574390611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-50148354201460967222009-10-13T10:48:19.614-04:002009-10-13T10:48:19.614-04:00i have felt this way about the advocacy groups eve...i have felt this way about the advocacy groups ever since my son's initial pdd-nos dx when he was 2.9yo. <br /><br />i think some of the problem with disagreements within the autism community is due to one major symptom: rigidity. tough to convince someone with autism that other colors in the sky are possible when they are certain the sky is blue.cath chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121005007284461511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-38843506812916624152009-10-13T00:55:15.058-04:002009-10-13T00:55:15.058-04:00I really feel that the word "Autism" is ...I really feel that the word "Autism" is broken. It's been used incorrectly and out of context to refer to so many different things that it now has lost its meaning.<br /><br />For the most part, <i>aspergers</i> is a good word for the HFA/Aspergers series of traits.<br /><br />We probably need a bunch of other words to describe different groups (and impacts) of traits elsewhere on the spectrum.<br /><br />In your leg example, it's akin to saying "my leg is sore" for... <br /><br />1. An itchy leg<br />2. A cut or graze on the leg<br />3. A broken leg<br />4. A completely missing (shark-eaten) leg.<br /><br />One definition really can't cover it all.Gavin Bollardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13833941398375568706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-68823254579351935332009-10-12T23:43:07.076-04:002009-10-12T23:43:07.076-04:00"We should all be able to agree that the abil..."We should all be able to agree that the ability to talk is a good human trait. So is the ability to eat whatever you want, without getting sick. Therefore, we should be able to agree that therapies that allow autistic people who couldn’t do those things in the past to do them in the future are good."<br /><br />Sounds like a mission statement for a new advocacy group, John. I'll join!mama edgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16434016248126809607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-13129313440151683332009-10-12T23:19:44.497-04:002009-10-12T23:19:44.497-04:00I'm so glad you posted this. I totally agree....I'm so glad you posted this. I totally agree. Well said.ThatsBaloneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07518203980804301410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-45764163682064560252009-10-12T23:02:57.219-04:002009-10-12T23:02:57.219-04:00I feel similarly about the Human Rights Campaign. ...I feel similarly about the Human Rights Campaign. I'm not gung-ho about them, but hey, go for it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-3673019864412851082009-10-12T18:55:35.718-04:002009-10-12T18:55:35.718-04:00Right on! I don't mind being able to focus int...Right on! I don't mind being able to focus intensely on something for hours at a time, but I would love to be able to hear well enough in a restaurant to hold a conversation, like normal people. If we could stop saying "cure autism" and instead say "find effective treatments for central auditory processing disorder and other autism-linked neurological disorders" -- there's a cause I could support :) I suspect people stick with "cure autism" because it doesn't take so long to type.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-51399435572583808812009-10-12T18:37:34.839-04:002009-10-12T18:37:34.839-04:00This has been one of the best blogs that I have se...This has been one of the best blogs that I have seen in a long time regarding this issue. I've had responses ranging from "Oh, you have Aspergers? Well, you're high functioning, you wouldn't understand what real autism is" to "What's Aspergers?" The sad thing about that second remark is that it came from my Pastor who also has a degree in Psychology. It's only been through blogs like yours John and friends that I have met; who either have Aspergers or have family member who have it, that I have been able to communicate what I go through or have gone through.<br />As for 'curing' Autism, forget it. Lets concentrate on the individual issues that come with each stage of Autism, and make it easier for the individual or his/her family members to live with it. The more communication between the groups, the better.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05691895382486312215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751271189667675662.post-49981739994127639992009-10-12T15:17:27.519-04:002009-10-12T15:17:27.519-04:00From my experience people who are high functioning...From my experience people who are high functioning have no problem acknowledging that there are people on the spectrum have real problems and require help. The problem is that there are people, like Hating Autism for example, who either deny that people who are high functioning are actually on the autism spectrum or claim that we really are sick; so sick in fact that we do not realize that we are sick and must therefore be handed over to the care of neurotypicals who will try to cure us. <br />If we are going to change the conversation to curing specific problems relating to people on the spectrum than we need to put an end to this language of “curing autism” and acknowledge that autism in of itself is a problem.Izgadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03869626126435460209noreply@blogger.com