5 ms·

As a person who suffers from a biologically testable disability, I find it insulting and damaging to the truly handicapped to lump Autism in with provable condi

As a person who suffers from a biologically testable disability, I find it insulting and damaging to the truly handicapped to lump Autism in with provable conditions. I've had a hard time understanding why it's so socially acceptable to wave a flag when convenient and stand up for justice when there's no scientific backing beyond the justification for homeopathic remedies. Society is a complex organism and while we are making inroads - not labeling people as witches and burning them alive - stumping for a wishy-washy grab-bag of symptoms to label a true disability is a pretty hard sell. I'm not claiming you're mentally ill for having autism, but then again sometimes I wonder why people voluntarily choose to take pride in defective functions.

ultraforce 8y ago
I know in my case it's because prior to finding out about being on the spectrum and having Aspergers I just thought it was everyone else who was defective. For some people on the spectrum including me, the biggest difference was that everyone else was some kind of weirdo who knew rules without being told them. As a kid, you are told to be careful on a road and that's why you are, you are told not to have your hands on a soccer ball but you aren't told make sure to lie to people when it comes to certain conditions. In a way, it's weirder than most people figure out without being told by anyone okay don't tell people that they are fat and don't ask questions about why someone is so certain that their religion is correct. I had to be taught that but outside of that, most people who didn't spend too much time with me then think I am smarter than average and are willing to rely on me for help with some stuff. I am proud because Asperger's is related to how one's brain is wired if I was embarrassed or considered Asperger's to be defective it would take a toll on my mental health because then I would be thinking of myself of a defective thing and defective things are usually thought of as something that should be thrown out.
- callesgg 8y ago
  Isn't a major part of Aspergers the inability to see that the human mind is irrational by nature. And sometimes the inability to see that the objective world that exists is not the same objective world that we see. Due to how the brain interprets sensory information from the objective world. An example taken from your own text: The reason that you are not supposed to tell a fat person that they are fat is cause by saying you are fat you are essentially pointing to that persons irrational behavior(eating to much). The fat person does not want to think about their own overweight, it will lead to them start thinking about their own irrationality. Something that will then cause them to feel that they are a failed person, causing negative emotions. Reality can be analyzed in many dimensions.
sjg007 8y ago
Autism is a well known disability.
BadCookie 8y ago
The more that I learn, the more I realize how much medicine as a field is in its infancy. It is far safer to assume that supposed conditions are real and science just hasn't caught up yet. Anyway, it appears to be only a matter of time until there is a "provable" test for autism. See, for example: https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-017-0183-3 https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s... There are also observable (via fMRI) differences in the brains of people on the spectrum: http://time.com/3614487/fmri-autism-diagnosis/ http://time.com/3614487/fmri-autism-diagnosis/
nonamenoslogan 8y ago
This shouldn't be flagged, it is spot on. Autism is the ADD/ADHD of the 'oughts. Overly diagnosed (come on, 1:55, really?), misunderstood (is the creepy guy who stares too much and never says anything a freak or is he autistic?), and often times used like a crutch by those who both want an easy out and/or don't want to take responsibility for their actions (oh, I have mild Aspberger syndrome and your offending me). The notion of a "spectrum" is ludicrous too, how ever can we lump in someone who's a bit slow yet fully independent with someone like the above poster who's 8/10 year olds can't go potty on their own? This is a disservice to people on both ends of that "spectrum."

ultraforce 8y ago

I know in my case it's because prior to finding out about being on the spectrum and having Aspergers I just thought it was everyone else who was defective. For some people on the spectrum including me, the biggest difference was that everyone else was some kind of weirdo who knew rules without being told them. As a kid, you are told to be careful on a road and that's why you are, you are told not to have your hands on a soccer ball but you aren't told make sure to lie to people when it comes to certain conditions. In a way, it's weirder than most people figure out without being told by anyone okay don't tell people that they are fat and don't ask questions about why someone is so certain that their religion is correct. I had to be taught that but outside of that, most people who didn't spend too much time with me then think I am smarter than average and are willing to rely on me for help with some stuff. I am proud because Asperger's is related to how one's brain is wired if I was embarrassed or considered Asperger's to be defective it would take a toll on my mental health because then I would be thinking of myself of a defective thing and defective things are usually thought of as something that should be thrown out.

callesgg 8y ago
Isn't a major part of Aspergers the inability to see that the human mind is irrational by nature. And sometimes the inability to see that the objective world that exists is not the same objective world that we see. Due to how the brain interprets sensory information from the objective world. An example taken from your own text: The reason that you are not supposed to tell a fat person that they are fat is cause by saying you are fat you are essentially pointing to that persons irrational behavior(eating to much). The fat person does not want to think about their own overweight, it will lead to them start thinking about their own irrationality. Something that will then cause them to feel that they are a failed person, causing negative emotions. Reality can be analyzed in many dimensions.

sjg007 8y ago

Autism is a well known disability.

BadCookie 8y ago

The more that I learn, the more I realize how much medicine as a field is in its infancy. It is far safer to assume that supposed conditions are real and science just hasn't caught up yet. Anyway, it appears to be only a matter of time until there is a "provable" test for autism. See, for example: https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-017-0183-3 https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s... There are also observable (via fMRI) differences in the brains of people on the spectrum: http://time.com/3614487/fmri-autism-diagnosis/ http://time.com/3614487/fmri-autism-diagnosis/

nonamenoslogan 8y ago

This shouldn't be flagged, it is spot on. Autism is the ADD/ADHD of the 'oughts. Overly diagnosed (come on, 1:55, really?), misunderstood (is the creepy guy who stares too much and never says anything a freak or is he autistic?), and often times used like a crutch by those who both want an easy out and/or don't want to take responsibility for their actions (oh, I have mild Aspberger syndrome and your offending me). The notion of a "spectrum" is ludicrous too, how ever can we lump in someone who's a bit slow yet fully independent with someone like the above poster who's 8/10 year olds can't go potty on their own? This is a disservice to people on both ends of that "spectrum."