Aspies For Freedom

I'm not so sure if it make you a "full blown NT".

Maybe an NT, just something completily different from other NTs.

Yeah, sure, what the heck?  It might be fun for a month or two.

[disclaimer]I realize that many aspies don't have issues with the points I'm about to make below--this is my very own personal list, based on where I've felt alien relative to what seems like the norm.[/disclaimer]

What might it be like to be NT for a month?  It'd be cool if:
1.  I wasn't allergic to "cute."  Maybe I'd like knick-knacks, stuffed animals, kittens, puppies, babies, and other cute entitites.
2.  I discovered the joy of sex--really enjoying physical contact and arousal.  And felt that spiritual connection with another person that people say a sexual relationship can convey.  
3.  I was more empathic--intuitively understanding the feelings of others, and how they pattern match non-verbal expression to intention and attitude.
4.  I was more graceful and physically coordinated.  Maybe I could read my handwriting, not walk into things, not move so jerkily.

I would totally refuse it, I'm disappointed that so far people have been voting yes. Remember that alcohol (a known neurotoxin, this is why it causes such bad drunken behaviour) can temporarily "cure" autism too.

Well, Gareth, these are issues I've struggled with in my life.  And I feel as if they are connected with autism IN ME.  They are areas in which I either felt, or was made to feel, deficient.  So yeah, I would be curious to know how my world would be experienced if my make-up were different relative to what I listed above.  I am in awe of all of you here who are able to successfully navigate the terrain of intimate relationships.

This being said, I am grateful for the life that I have, and the gifts I possess, many of which are connected with autism.  So No, I dont' want to be NT permanently, and if this hypothetical pill gave a permanent transformation I wouldn't take it---I took the question as being related to curiosity and experimentation.

What disturbed you?

Okay, Gareth, thanks for explaining.

How does one draw a distinction between a co-morbid and the neurological gestalt that is called autism?  Sure, some of the things on my list, e.g., motor awkwardness, or the sensory issues that might render me incapable of enjoying sex, could be considered co-morbids--but why?

Distinguising between what's unique about a given personality due to genetics and upbringing and other environmental influences superimposed upon a syndrome of traits associated with autism combined with various co-morbids isn't a trivial enterprise.

Okay--what is the core of autism?  As I understand it, it's the so-called triad of impairments (ala DSM-IV) related to social interaction, communication and imagination.  (Granted, there's imprecision about how these impairments are defined and measured, and whether or not the "impairments" conferred by autism are really impairments, because they can be significantly contextual.  And I really like the ways the people such as Tony Atwood have reinterpreted the "negatives" of AS by pointing out parallel "positives".)  But people get an autism or AS diagnosis, or they self-diagnose, out of a sense that something is "wrong" with how development is progressing or has progressed.  There's a perception of difference that is grounded in reality--otherwise the distinction between autism and NT would make no sense.

But what would it mean to "treat" the negatives of the autism syndrome itself?  The way I see it is that the negatives and positives are inextricably connected.  A challenge to personal growth in part has to do with understanding how the negatives actually work, what price they exact, and how to proceed ahead with a best-lived life anyways.

I'd buy that for a dollar.

I think that I'd have spared myself a fair bit of self-castigating grief if I'd known about AS earlier in my life, and every once in a while I marvel at my good fortune in having been able to land into/engineer an environment that works well for me.  I do an amazing amount of avoidance of bad stimuli  (e.g. don't drive, don't watch TV).  So I'm all for strategies that mitigate the effects of the negative aspects of autism--but the need for these strategies are part of the life, I believe.

And NTs don't have problem-free lives.  To me the "pill" question could be interpreted as:  So what would it be like to swap one set of problems and opportunities for a different set of problems and opportunities?  I see it as an interesting thought-experiment. To the extent that we can emphasize the opportunities and the joys associated with who we are--that will help obviate the gotta cure mentality.

I will take the pill if:

It stops me worrying about trivial matters.

It stops me worrying about the ramifications of my actions.

It stops me walking like a tard in this one pair of shoes I own. ;p

I wouldn't touch the stuff, not a chance.

If I was curious enough, and I am not, the only way I would use it, would be if I synthed it myself, so as not to put money in the hands of scum.

And what is THAT meant to mean pika? hehe

My arse! you are about as innocent as I am

Ok, maybe not quite that bitter and twisted, but I'l bet your getting there

Haha, I just noticed that your post count is 666, meow! I'm wrecked, don't mind me

Aye, i'm the same.

I haven't quite got the god complex yet.

Callista asked a similar question in the "Let's get to know eachother" thread. It was something like "would you want to try to be NT for a day?"

I answered no, because some things are good to not know.

I'd rather try booze as Gareth said.