Aspies For Freedom

Autism, at it's most severe is a living nightmare for the individual child or adult, and advocating against a 'cure' is sheer ignorance and cruelty.

Amy and Gareth,
I sincerely hope that one day you will feel some shame for politicizing what is essentialy a serious debilitating condition, and indoctrinating your own belief system via propaganda and scaremongering vulnerable and troubled young adults and children on the autistic spectrum, who come to AFF for support and friendship from others like themselves.
Could either of you honestly say you have any real experience of living with profound autism?
I think you would benefit John Best's example. His relentless effort and determination to 'cure' his son's autism is commendable and is a credit to him.

Yes I wrote this. It is intended as a 'statement' of my opinion, and I am not up for any debate on this.
Say what you like, express your own opinion and feel free to respond with indignation, or anger. I really don't care. There are only two people on this forum who mean anything to me. If I offend them then I am sorry, but this is how I feel.

Thank you quickduck. This means a lot to me.

Sarajoke, and everyone else commenting on this thread. I urge you to read John Best's latest post about his son.

Haven't you got it? I don't want to be here, and the reason I have not PM'd Gareth and Amy with my opinion of them in private is because I want you all to know.

Keep it up. You're showing yourselves up to be a nasty little bunch!
It's very interesting to see how the word 'cure' brings out the venom in your words that are far more offensive than my post.
I'll leave you to enjoy your 'kill'.

I saw this thread late last night and had to give up posting on it for the chance of getting so sleep (4hrs of the 5 1/2hrs I have had in the last 4 days).

Lestat the "whore she staggered in with" is me. She is my ex and joined here as my girlfriend.

I have from time to time had big issues with many seemingly condoned if not openly supported attitudes that crop up here. I have addressed them best I can but....
Anti-NT culture, Higher evolutionary beings, Aspies being intrinsically better than non-aspies, Aspies being the "voice" of ALL people on the spectrum, Aspergian isolated communities, Lack of understanding of parents of LFA's, Feeding stereotypes, autism vs aspie debates, ...and so it goes.
In spite of this I really like this place and suppose I have come to accept as a necessary evil. I like a lot more people than I dislike here, and get far more out of this place than what really annoys me about it.

Obviously Wilkie has bigger issues these and other things has crack the shits and thrown a paddy. I condone this behaviour? No. I think it was overly reactive, provocative, a tad over the top, mean-spirited, slightly unfocused......sure all these things.

Let's look at first her belief that John is a credit to his son and secondly let's have a bit of a look at your reactions.

John is a parent of a son who has LFA and has severe disablement. Being that most of you are parents of autistic children you will be able to understand how this feels....what "No?". Wilky does. My boy is HFA and was slow to reach any developmental milestone. He used to meltdown constantly out of fear, frustration, despair and furious anger. He would bite others, self injure, hit, scratch. You would find yourself constantly trying different strategies, punishments, manipulations, rewards, anything to stop the warring, because you are tired and frightened for him. You know that passed the point of breaking his anger will turn to abject misery and he will cry and cry and cry. You will feel like the worst parent in the world you will not be able to make him appreciate it. It will break you heart. This interaction is the second or third time this evening - you feel useless. You want him to be happier and not as frightened. You don't know how to do this nothing seems to work. YOU WOULD TRY ALMOST ANYTHING. (and no not to make him normal but to relieve his fright, anger, upset, frustration and everything else that is hurting him) Yes my boy managed to adapt to hard fought and put in place strategies. He is HFA. You wonder now how hard it is for parents of LFA children.

So what else is John Best? Rude? Offensive? Provocative? Opinionated? Insulting? Biased? Nasty? Angry?
Sure! This does not make him - a Nazi, anti-autistic, a poor Father, heartless, stupid, Evil.
He has strongly held beliefs. He is striving to do what he can to help his son. He has set up a site to further push for what he believes will help his some and invested strongly in that emotionally and mentally. He takes a very unpopular stance and the constant criticism coupled with his general righteous, arrogant and offensive attitude has meant that he has not only become defensive but attacks increasingly nastily and pre-emptively. Perhaps the initial goals have been sidetracked even. Still he is there.
He is difficult to understand and even more so to like, however I have NO doubt he loves his son and is trying in his way to do the best for his son. Is that what Wilky was saying - perhaps - it was hard to follow

So Wilky came here under false pretenses? No. She came here on invitation of a boyfriend.
She has betrayed you all? No. Melodrama aside she has been herself. (No she is not perfect but as QuickDuck has said she can be a really nice and decent person)
She has hidden her desire to restrict herself to conventional or AFF approved ideas of acceptable treatment? Sure. Why? I think Blind Freddie could see why.
Wilky wanting mass genocide or to exterminate autism? Way to over-react. It is the problem with topics like this. If the experience of my own child with autism (and yes we found other ways to help him work through some of the difficulties he was having in life) is anything to base on then what I wanted and what people like John and Wilky want are an answer or a hope that they can provide to children they love to have them happy and able to cope with life. I really don't think John would give a shit what Sam had to do or have if it got Sam to a place where life was manageable. We can sit on high and look down on them but we are not there and don't know what it is like (and will be like, today, tomorrow and years from now - we don't need to - it does not affect us).
Hating autism = Hate the affect autism has on their loved ones.
Cure = Cure from the debilitation and hurt autism is causing.
Neither of these things in themselves is bad. Of course exaggerate, redefine and second guess and they can be anything negative you want them to be.
I think John would give anything for Sam to be able to gain and develop to where my boy has come. It is not "cured" but it is improvements to my son's life that he can not see in the one he loves.

So I say think about it. Look at things a little differently. Am I a believer in CAN or Generation Rescue or Hating Autism? No. Do I believe in alternative cures? Not really - agnostic style cynicism. I refuse to be a bigot or wantonly judging the heart of a parent sticking by their child. Misguided, incorrect, uninformed - we can all be these things.
Those of you who have posted have a look a what you have written in this thread and see - in light of the post - whether any of those negative John Best traits can be accounted for in your own replies.

Anyhow I am going to try to get some more sleep.
Remember this too. I am not with Wilky. I am not even in contact with her, but for all she is, she is still someone that has a place in my heart and I have shared some good moments with and if you dump on her you dump on me and that is not appreciated

Yes Ian. For the reasons contained in my post

The problem is....what exactly?

Then EZ you have your reasons and you feel it was an appropriate and justified response. Who am I to tell you differently?

Let? Do you believe any parent would let that happen. Do you believe that we know every interaction, thought or feeling John has towards his child. Timelord I know has him all "worked" out and has hypothesised to ridiculous lengths to know all about John Best and his likes/dislikes/intentions. Truth is we don't know.
My boy used to be constipated and toilet training was a nightmare. He used to be in pain and discomfort. He used to fear the toilet. Was I a bad parent? Timelord would probably think so but how many kids has he got?
Do not take Timelord's articles at face value. We don't really know him at all.

Remember too that people often have differences of opinions on things and reasons and experiences to back their judgement. Pro-cure and autism rights are polar opposites. There are fanatics on both sides of people "along the spectrum" of opinion.

Yes it is Pakrat and it annoys me too.

Yes Flardox, Timelord does see this as one one big unending melodrama. This stuff really is important to him. No doubt you will do what you do and form whatever beliefs you believe in. I think regardless of what Timelord says or does to pass himself of as rational, normal or human you are starting to get an idea of what he is really about. I wish I had have had this conversation with Joker a lot earlier than what I did. It would have saved him a lot of unnecessary hurt.

Very well said! For someone with "profound autism". Or is it AS? Anyway never mind, it's all the same isn't it?

Did someone call you "filthy and diseased"?
Tell me who it was and i'll knock their bloody block off!  

If it's time to break the cycle, then why have you just brought the subject of Fore Sam back up again?
And who is performing "stupid stunts" by talking about Chris, depression and cats?

And why should you have any objection to this thread carrying on as a more positive discussion without "promoting John Bests blog"?

Nice try, but not a very subtle attempt at "rehashing Wilkys tantrum" with this post of yours.

I agree. The thread/discussion had moved on, and I can't understand why EvilZakkie felt the need to bring the subject back up, other than my own speculation that this is what he wanted.

Shamshir is as mad as a bag of cats. It is the aspie warrior - 300 aspies crap regurgitated for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time?