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You don’t even have to go to the extreme end. Ask people with milder presentations, and they’ll be able to tell you about all sorts of confusing interactions an

You don’t even have to go to the extreme end. Ask people with milder presentations, and they’ll be able to tell you about all sorts of confusing interactions and frustrating situations they’ve experienced that wouldn’t have happened if they were neurotypical. Hard to say that doesn’t impact their quality of life.

pseudalopex 2y ago
Those experiences wouldn't have happened if the autistic people were medicated to neurotypical or neurotypical people were more accepting of autistic people. And many autistic people would reject being medicated to neurotypical despite those experiences.
ModernMech 2y ago
It's true, miscommunication and misunderstanding, as well as stigmatization can lead to situations where autistic people are hurt or even killed. This happened recently with Ryan Gainer, who was killed by police after he charged at them with a gardening tool during an autistic meltdown. But as you said, we should ask people with milder presentations, and listen. While they may impact quality of life, I don't see any autistic people here or in my communities calling for a "cure" to deal with such problems. We made a big deal of Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, which was April. There is no autism prevention movement, unless you count Autism Speaks, which is considered a hate group within the autistic community.
- squigz 2y ago
  > I don't see any autistic people here or in my communities calling for a "cure" to deal with such problems. Then you should step a bit outside of your bubble. It's very common in the autistic community - and the neurodivergent community at large.
  - wizzwizz4 2y ago
    Which "autistic community" are you talking about? Do you mean "parents of" Facebook groups?
    - squigz 2y ago
      Obviously I'm a spokesman for Autism Speaks.
      - ModernMech 2y ago
        I agree, I'm always happy to step out my bubble. That's why I'm here on HN -- this is not a safe place for autistic people. That said, it was not obvious to me you are a spokesperson for Autism Speaks.
        selimthegrim 2y ago
        I believe their tongue is firmly planted in their cheek.
        yareal 2y ago
        Pretty sure the person you are responding to is just being an asshole, inadvertently demonstrating your point that this isn't a safe place for autistic people.
        squigz 2y ago
        I was only responding in kind. And I'm autistic myself, so. Honestly, the only hostility toward austitic people I see around here is the person invalidating and ignoring the opinions of others within the autistic community.
        ModernMech 2y ago
        I’m not invalidating opinions from autistic people tho, I said many times autistic voices should be centered. When I typed what I had said before about not seeing any different opinions here from autistic people it was not because I was ignoring your opinion but because I had not seen it. Your opinion is valid. However I don’t honk you were only responding in kind in your last reply — the poster was simply asking a question and you replied with sarcasm. My question and concern for you is: are you not worried that such efforts will further stigmatize autistic people as in need of a cure without ever actually offering one? For me the worst of both worlds is one in which people earnestly work for a “cure” to a problem that can’t be solved through medicine, all while making the societal problem intractable (as everyone is pushing for that miracle cure).
mewpmewp2 2y ago
> You don’t even have to go to the extreme end. Ask people with milder presentations, and they’ll be able to tell you about all sorts of confusing interactions and frustrating situations they’ve experienced that wouldn’t have happened if they were neurotypical. Hard to say that doesn’t impact their quality of life. Sure, I had rough childhood, but looking back, I wouldn't want to be someone else. The way my brain focuses and optimises for certain ideas actually benefits society if the environment is correct. There's only limited amount of processing power anyone can have. I just have less points for social and more for other areas that others don't have. Yet society expects us to normalize or consider it a disease. I'm now very successful and extremely proud where I have reached in life. In my childhood I used to question why people didn't like me, if I had myself from now to guide myself, and create an environment for myself, I'm sure I would have had 100% happy childhood. And I know what and how to do if I ever had someone like myself as a kid, and it's not a disease. The reason my childhood was terrible was EXACTLY because of expectation that everyone should behave like X, and that was just not me. So everyone tells me I have disease that needs to be fixed. It's disgusting. I didn't finish high school because of all the issues I had, and spent years in depression, but as I happened to finally land in an environment that appreciated my differing thinking I was able to do exactly what my brain is suited for and make 8x+ average income in my area. I had passion as a kid, interest in weird things, but school and the social environment killed every little bit of it.
- WA 2y ago
  > I had passion as a kid, interest in weird things, but school and the social environment killed every little bit of it. As a parent of an autistic kid: How would you cultivate that? Our son is autistic, he is 8 years old. He started to hate school. All he cares for is Minecraft and Magic: The Gathering. It's a bit sad to see that he seemingly drowns his curiosity by immersing himself mentally only in these two topics. I wonder if there's a way to guide him to develop interest in other topics. Any recommendations?
  - imtringued 2y ago
    Make him play a Minecraft mod pack like Nomifactory or Gregtech horizons and an economic simulation game like prosperous universe. Use that as a stepping stone to increase his interest in architecture, computer science, mechanical engineering, chemistry or aerospace. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jYSfDcbY0w0&pp=ygULbm9taWZhY3Rvcnk%3D https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jYSfDcbY0w0&pp=ygULbm9taWZhY3R...
yareal 2y ago
Why is that the autistic person's problem? I'm autistic, I broadly agree that eliminating autism is a negative for individuals and for society. Maybe the difficulties are things we should address as a society, rather than seeking to eliminate a class of people.

pseudalopex 2y ago

Those experiences wouldn't have happened if the autistic people were medicated to neurotypical or neurotypical people were more accepting of autistic people. And many autistic people would reject being medicated to neurotypical despite those experiences.

ModernMech 2y ago

It's true, miscommunication and misunderstanding, as well as stigmatization can lead to situations where autistic people are hurt or even killed. This happened recently with Ryan Gainer, who was killed by police after he charged at them with a gardening tool during an autistic meltdown. But as you said, we should ask people with milder presentations, and listen. While they may impact quality of life, I don't see any autistic people here or in my communities calling for a "cure" to deal with such problems. We made a big deal of Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, which was April. There is no autism prevention movement, unless you count Autism Speaks, which is considered a hate group within the autistic community.

squigz 2y ago
> I don't see any autistic people here or in my communities calling for a "cure" to deal with such problems. Then you should step a bit outside of your bubble. It's very common in the autistic community - and the neurodivergent community at large.
- wizzwizz4 2y ago
  Which "autistic community" are you talking about? Do you mean "parents of" Facebook groups?
  - squigz 2y ago
    Obviously I'm a spokesman for Autism Speaks.
    - ModernMech 2y ago
      I agree, I'm always happy to step out my bubble. That's why I'm here on HN -- this is not a safe place for autistic people. That said, it was not obvious to me you are a spokesperson for Autism Speaks.
      - selimthegrim 2y ago
        I believe their tongue is firmly planted in their cheek.
      - yareal 2y ago
        Pretty sure the person you are responding to is just being an asshole, inadvertently demonstrating your point that this isn't a safe place for autistic people.
        squigz 2y ago
        I was only responding in kind. And I'm autistic myself, so. Honestly, the only hostility toward austitic people I see around here is the person invalidating and ignoring the opinions of others within the autistic community.
        ModernMech 2y ago
        I’m not invalidating opinions from autistic people tho, I said many times autistic voices should be centered. When I typed what I had said before about not seeing any different opinions here from autistic people it was not because I was ignoring your opinion but because I had not seen it. Your opinion is valid. However I don’t honk you were only responding in kind in your last reply — the poster was simply asking a question and you replied with sarcasm. My question and concern for you is: are you not worried that such efforts will further stigmatize autistic people as in need of a cure without ever actually offering one? For me the worst of both worlds is one in which people earnestly work for a “cure” to a problem that can’t be solved through medicine, all while making the societal problem intractable (as everyone is pushing for that miracle cure).

mewpmewp2 2y ago

> You don’t even have to go to the extreme end. Ask people with milder presentations, and they’ll be able to tell you about all sorts of confusing interactions and frustrating situations they’ve experienced that wouldn’t have happened if they were neurotypical. Hard to say that doesn’t impact their quality of life. Sure, I had rough childhood, but looking back, I wouldn't want to be someone else. The way my brain focuses and optimises for certain ideas actually benefits society if the environment is correct. There's only limited amount of processing power anyone can have. I just have less points for social and more for other areas that others don't have. Yet society expects us to normalize or consider it a disease. I'm now very successful and extremely proud where I have reached in life. In my childhood I used to question why people didn't like me, if I had myself from now to guide myself, and create an environment for myself, I'm sure I would have had 100% happy childhood. And I know what and how to do if I ever had someone like myself as a kid, and it's not a disease. The reason my childhood was terrible was EXACTLY because of expectation that everyone should behave like X, and that was just not me. So everyone tells me I have disease that needs to be fixed. It's disgusting. I didn't finish high school because of all the issues I had, and spent years in depression, but as I happened to finally land in an environment that appreciated my differing thinking I was able to do exactly what my brain is suited for and make 8x+ average income in my area. I had passion as a kid, interest in weird things, but school and the social environment killed every little bit of it.

WA 2y ago
> I had passion as a kid, interest in weird things, but school and the social environment killed every little bit of it. As a parent of an autistic kid: How would you cultivate that? Our son is autistic, he is 8 years old. He started to hate school. All he cares for is Minecraft and Magic: The Gathering. It's a bit sad to see that he seemingly drowns his curiosity by immersing himself mentally only in these two topics. I wonder if there's a way to guide him to develop interest in other topics. Any recommendations?
- imtringued 2y ago
  Make him play a Minecraft mod pack like Nomifactory or Gregtech horizons and an economic simulation game like prosperous universe. Use that as a stepping stone to increase his interest in architecture, computer science, mechanical engineering, chemistry or aerospace. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jYSfDcbY0w0&pp=ygULbm9taWZhY3Rvcnk%3D https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jYSfDcbY0w0&pp=ygULbm9taWZhY3R...

yareal 2y ago

Why is that the autistic person's problem? I'm autistic, I broadly agree that eliminating autism is a negative for individuals and for society. Maybe the difficulties are things we should address as a society, rather than seeking to eliminate a class of people.