Aspies For Freedom

There's alot of negative talk about the stereotypes of autism, sometimes that they are overly negative and sometimes overly positive, and no stereotype seem to fit all autistics. What would the solution be? Attack all the stereotypes?

Something tells me that we should rather focus on telling people that there are many differnet autistics and actually present more stereotypes that people are maybe less likely to already have associated with autism.

I've seen the nerd stereotype being attacked lately, personally I think that stereotype is a great and mostly neutral description of many people with spectrum conditions. Still it doesn't fit every autistic, which means that some apparently want to attack it.

Another one could be that we're all goths or EMO's, which doesn't fit me but I know there's alot of people with spectrum conditions who are drawn into various sub-cultures.

The savant stereotype probably doesn't fit many, but still a few, and then again there are probably a wide variety of autistic savants aswell.

I guess it is difficult to make a stereotype out of a not-communicating very aggressive autistic that isn't too negative for us others, but apparently such autistics and their parents could have use of help, which might need some pity propoganda from charities. That does ofcourse not mean that money spent on research for a cure is the best way to help these families. What I'm saying is that some autism families might have benefit from negative autism stereotypes, while those stereotypes apparently cause pain in the **** for others facing people with the idea that we're "good people deep down behind a prison of autism" and tell about miracle remedies that supposedly would make our autism go away.

I think the public needs a more varied idea about autistic people.

what they need is more constitant names. every tine i turn 'round there some new doctor with a new name for old news. autism is what? they keep reinventioning.and with that comes the stereo types glore.

http://www.dubaiautismcenter.ae/

This site is interesting. I believe it has a balanced way of presenting the problems many autistics meet, and I wouldn't call the video pity-propoganda compared to that black and white movie of CAN where the host says "autism is something that steal babies in the middle of the night".

I don't know much of how they work in practice though.

From the age of 6 to the age of 16 I probably fitted the description of Über-geek and from the age of 16 to 19 I indulged myself in goth, punk and heavy metal subculture (mostly goth). So I definitely fitted the first two stereotypes at least a part of my life. The "savant" stereotype might also apply, since I have a performance IQ of 137. Another stereotype that applies to me, is the affinity with maths and IT.

Yet, in spite of my fitting all these stereotypes I was not diagnosed with Asperger's because I scored average to high on pretty much every test and because my life is not ruined. Somehow, it was the stereotype of the dysfunctional person incapable of doing even the simplest tasks simultaneously that psychologist had about Asperger's..... just the one stereotype I do not fit.

Hopefully, you're now able to realize you're not a "better" Aspie than those of us who fit almost NONE of the stereotypes that you have...?

THIS is the one we need to fight:

Everything else; emo, geek, nerd, goth, punk, square-dancer, whatever, is just tinsel.  THIS is the damaging one.

Autistic square-dancers of the world, unite!

I couldn't resist... *grins*

Some Aspies seem to think that if others do not share their gifts for Math, IT, or whatever, they're possibly non-Aspie, or not representative of Aspies, something like that.  I've seen traces of this attitude on AFF and elsewhere, so it's not all in my head...

Sometimes being not typical is hard too.  Along the lines that another poster keeps saying - better than my attempt here- - the separation between autism and aspergers -or HFA< LFA,  sometimes just because someone is doing rather well at the moment - others -be it doctors - or other autists/aspies can make that person feel excluded even from a group they should feel embraced and supported by.  Understanding and accomodation for differences in so called abilities and difficulties amongst AFF supporters is lacking in some cases - being accused of thinking they are better than someone else, (or being too confident) can have the same effect, I would think - as being accused of having more weaknesses/complaining. Comparing/pigeonholing/stereotyping what is typical or what should be typical is the same thing the supposed mainstream people are accused and sometimes guilty of.

I don't think your right that their helped with negative stereotypes, two major reason I don't think it helps at all negative stereotypes take away blame and put it somewhere else, bluntly put it to some level blame should be rather put on individuals then on culture diagnosis or what ever.
and on a deeper note stereotyped of an individual are different then of a group of people, even if their just as false.

Sorry, but the way you worded this confuses me, can you perhaps put the gist of what you were saying here, in simpler terms for me?

I have trouble with abstract thinking, I like to have things broken down into black-and-white terms if possible.  I have a lot of trouble with the gray area.  If I may be honest, atypical, you seem to write quite a few of your posts in this "gray area" that I have trouble with.

How do you manage to lead an almost normal life when others--with the same condition you have (AS)--simply don't have that option?

Do you think you're "too good" to have Asperger's, or something?

thanks for letting me know - if you all let me be, without saying I won't realize it. (I have been frankly amazed that anyone could understand me on here)

The point is exactly what you Batman, said
" Batman55 Wrote:
Hopefully, you're now able to realize you're not a "better" Aspie than those of us who fit almost NONE of the stereotypes that you have...?
and
illusion667 is saying"
"I don't like to think in terms of "being better than". Everyone has their own gifts and their own weaknesses. Also, I don't see why I'm supposed to be better if I fit more stereotypes than others. "

is you are both on the same coin - but flip sides.  Each side doesn't think they are any "better".

What is "better" having more of the stereotypes and being pciked on for it, or having less of the sterotypes and who came up with the silly sterotypes anyway?  Neither one is a choice. It is not the person who chose their set of circumstances it is the outside forces always having to classify - including those of AFF - like you say Batman, you aren't imagining it.
The only line I wrote from that big mess of a post earlier worth repeating is:  "Comparing/pigeonholing/stereotyping what is typical or what should be typical is the same thing the supposed mainstream people are accused and sometimes guilty of."

So I hope AFFers will try not to be guilty of sterotyping either.

I agree that this shouldn't be a stereotype of all autistics.  On the other hand, if you claim that there are no autistics like this, that becomes a new stereotype that's just as harmful.  For example, me.  I don't have to list my "gifts" and "talents" here, I think you're well aware of them, Batman, and for the other readers, let's just say I have them.  But I may never be able to hold down a job.  I may not even manage to graduate college.  I might not even be able to use my talents to do freelance work.  If I live alone, I might starve to death.  I'm not being melodramtic; these are real possibilities for me, and if I'm denied help with my issues (which are AS-related, btw) it becomes more likely that that's what my future will look like.
What we need isn't more stereotypes- not negative stereotypes and not positive ones, either.  Stereotypes obscure reality.  What we need to get across is that EVERY SINGLE AUTISTIC is different.  Instead of hearing that someone is autistic and thinking "Oh, that means they must have x trait and y problem", we need to get people to think, "Oh, well then, I'd better find out more about what they're like so I can understand them better".  The emphasis needs to be on these points:
1.  We're all different.  Don't assume that because you know one autistic, you know what we're all like.
2.  Ask questions.  Chances are, we'll be grateful for your interest and you'll learn something interesting.
3.  Don't be shy.  If we want you to go away, we'll flat out say so.  Just because we look aloof doesn't mean we aren't looking for new friends.
4.  Keep an open mind.  If we act rude to you, don't assume it's because we're mean.  There may be another reason.

As an NT coming to the forum to learn, I think that the stereotype of the NT people coming on to the site could use a little refining as well.  Not all NT people are here to be mean, harsh, or judgmental.  I personally am here as I have had a wonderful marriage with an Aspie man for a lot of years, and I thought, "hey, I want to learn more about this, and what a great place to learn."  PLUS, I also thought that I really love my Aspie man, and a lot of the cool things I like about him are his more "Aspie" traits, so why not meet some more peeps that identify as part of that same group.

Does that make sense?  I did not have too long to carefully edit this post, I am busy, but wanted to throw in my two cents.