I came to say something along these lines. I'm a severe traumatic brain injury patient, and as you might imagine, there have been a huge number of deficits. The

I came to say something along these lines. I'm a severe traumatic brain injury patient, and as you might imagine, there have been a huge number of deficits. These ranged from (at first) linear and concrete thinking to (prolonged) poor planning and lack of social tact. While brain injuries lie in a special place where you can change who you are, there is nothing wrong with living with a deficit. You go about life in a sane and rational way and deal with these deficits like anyone else. That was the big aha moment for me. At first, I felt like there was something wrong with me and it had to be cured. Then one day I literally thought "I'm dealing with these issues like anyone would." That changed my view on the world; there was nothing wrong with me, just stuff I lived with. "Beating" autism rings of the undertones of curing something wrong with you. While it's not desirable (at least for me. I haven't been exposed to the positives), there's nothing wrong with it. I have a friend who is deaf; she had a bible-toting lady come up to her and say "God can cure you!" But she didn't even want to be cured. She's proud and grateful for her deafness.