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It's true, miscommunication and misunderstanding, as well as stigmatization can lead to situations where autistic people are hurt or even killed. This happened

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).
        squigz 2y ago
        > the poster was simply asking a question and you replied with sarcasm. They were not simply asking a question - in that case, they could've dropped the second part, which had exactly the same implication as my sarcastic reply. Anyway... > are you not worried that such efforts will further stigmatize autistic people as in need of a cure without ever actually offering one? No, I'm not, because I don't see them as being mutually exclusive. We can do research to understand the causes of ASD and other neurodivergence - and hopefully eventually offer options for those of us who don't like to live with it - and still work toward destigmatizing it and making society less problematic for people like us. We've been doing that for decades at this point. I would also note that you're only considering outward pressure on autistic individuals - that is, you're focusing on how difficult it is for us to live in society. But that is only one part of what autism is. Even if society were perfectly accepting of us and there were no obstacles at all in it, I'd still be overstimulated by the sound of rain, or have a meltdown because I can't get away from a smell, or... There are various "internal" symptoms that no amount of destigmatization will ever get rid of. I'll also point out that, maybe the reason you don't encounter many autistic people who want to be "cured", is because people like you - who so strongly oppose such research - make us feel like traitors to our kind, and so we just shut up about it, and feel isolated even from the one community who we shouldn't feel isolated from.

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).
        squigz 2y ago
        > the poster was simply asking a question and you replied with sarcasm. They were not simply asking a question - in that case, they could've dropped the second part, which had exactly the same implication as my sarcastic reply. Anyway... > are you not worried that such efforts will further stigmatize autistic people as in need of a cure without ever actually offering one? No, I'm not, because I don't see them as being mutually exclusive. We can do research to understand the causes of ASD and other neurodivergence - and hopefully eventually offer options for those of us who don't like to live with it - and still work toward destigmatizing it and making society less problematic for people like us. We've been doing that for decades at this point. I would also note that you're only considering outward pressure on autistic individuals - that is, you're focusing on how difficult it is for us to live in society. But that is only one part of what autism is. Even if society were perfectly accepting of us and there were no obstacles at all in it, I'd still be overstimulated by the sound of rain, or have a meltdown because I can't get away from a smell, or... There are various "internal" symptoms that no amount of destigmatization will ever get rid of. I'll also point out that, maybe the reason you don't encounter many autistic people who want to be "cured", is because people like you - who so strongly oppose such research - make us feel like traitors to our kind, and so we just shut up about it, and feel isolated even from the one community who we shouldn't feel isolated from.