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An estimated 1 in 150 American children has some form of autism. There's no known cure. I'm a little insulted that people still consider it a disease. It's li
by jsonscripter 17y ago
An estimated 1 in 150 American children has some form of autism. There's no known cure.
I'm a little insulted that people still consider it a disease. It's like saying people that don't like a particular food have a disease because most people like the food. It's quite simply not the case.
- pavel_lishin 17y agoMy friends loathe the taste of onions. I consider them to be diseased.
- roc 17y agoMy brother's girlfriend is highly allergic to onions. I consider her to be cursed.
- callahad 17y agoI don't think it's that simple. Take, for instance, this gentleman [1] on YouTube with Aspergers and Tourettes lapsing into a state similar to low-functioning autism. Take note of his own description of his state: "I lose the ability to control my body, I cannot express my desires, and I can't walk without falling." That's not at all akin to a culinary preference. [1]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt1tLnwVpG4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt1tLnwVpG4
- jsonscripter 17y agoI was referring to high-functioning autism. Similarly, if one dislikes a particular food, they do not have a disease. If one dislikes all foods and refuses to eat, they have a disease.
- Zaak 17y agoWould you consider a person who cannot hear to have a disease? In other words, do you dislike the use of the word "disease" to describe that something is missing compared to the "standard human", or do you disagree that there's anything bad about being deaf or autistic?
- kragen 17y agoThere are definitely bad things about being autistic, but there are good things as well (especially if you're HFA). I think it's like being white: it's bad because it increases your risk of sunburn and skin cancer, but it's good because it decreases your risk of vitamin D deficiency.
- itgoon 17y agoDisliking a food or two doesn't detract from a person's very necessary social interaction. If a person disliked the flavor of all foods except one or two, would that be a disease? Given the serious negative impact this difference can have on a person's life, yes, it should be considered a disease. IMO, the best analogy is closer to psoriasis. It's believed to be at least partly genetic, a lot of people have it, but only a few are totally debilitated. Since for the majority of sufferers, it only amounts to a little extra lotion in the morning, should it be considered a disease or a difference? I'm sure the people with mild cases would like even that to be gone.