Aspies For Freedom

There are too many studies appearing now, on the forum, and requests to me in PM, to allow them to continue.

There are many, many thousands of students in the world, and quite a number at some point study autism. The ones who post on forums are eager to talk to people and see their own study as very important.
We also get the same in the chat room at times.

These people may mean well essentially, but there is a great deal of information on the site and on the autism wiki without them needing to post about it.

These are not studies that affect medical or government ideas, it is students doing their homework, writing essays etc.

They often also want to quote what people have said in the private forums, and can say patronising things like "I want to write as essay to give a voice to you autistics" We already have a voice, they need our help, and they want to get good marks.

These same people disappear quickly when their studies are finished and there is nothing to show that they intend to help our cause any, or give even one dollar as a donation.

This isn't Asperger's Syndrome where the person is pretty much normal, this is very severe!

We've been having a somewhat fractious debate recently about who may or may not be welcome round here...

...let's have another one, about the meaning of 'normal'...

Pardon me for coming along all of a sudden without much of an introduction; I was simply wondering. I am working on a project for school about the Autistic Spectrum, but this particular question is regarding Classical Autism. Now, I understand that there is a movement to seek a cure for Autism (Which I personally don't see happening anytime soon, much like Bipolar Disorder or Down's Syndrome can't be cured. It's un-un-doable.), but while researching Autism on sites like this one, it mentioned that there are some not-so-ideal things about Autism , such as;

Add to that the immense difficulty of social interaction, and humans are by nature social creatures, the delayed learning, some of which can be so severe the child cannot walk (Okay, that's anectodal evidence, but still.), what is so bad about at least trying to treat Autism? This isn't Asperger's Syndrome where the person is pretty much normal, this is very severe!

Do not feed the troll.

Children with autism appear to have a higher than normal risk for certain co-existing conditions

We've been having a somewhat fractious debate recently about who may or may not be welcome round here...

...let's have another one, about the meaning of 'normal'...

Most of us aren't against treating things like epilepsy or cancer.  That said, there is a large selection bias here in that there has been very little research conducted on co-morbid conditions that are more common to neurotypicals than to autistics. This goes for a lot of other aspects too--there's a lot of money in figuring out "what's wrong with autistic people", and much less for doing basic research.



Anyway, why are a lot of us opposed to a cure? Personally, I see two issues. The first is the very real possibility of coercion and/or propoganda(from doctors to parents and parents to children). The second is that IMO the world needs a certain porportion of autistic people, especcially in fields that reguire high systemizing abilities, such as computer programming. By eliminating these traits, we could be hurting ourselves as a society.

well said

I completely agree!

[quote=jedimom777]
On this subject, I am very curious about the happiness quotient.  I have spoken to a few AS people who have said happiness is really not that important.  Or that they just don't experience it the same as NTs.  My question was going to be "are you Happy?"  but I suppose I must consider whether happiness is even something that is valued in AS community, or is it just a transient thing easily conflated with pleasure?  This is a real question... because not only is happiness a real thing for me, it is where I spend most of my time  in JOY.  I REALLY am looking for an answer, not to hurt or offend anyone.  I am just really interested in the possibility of what types of affect might be valued more or differently than happiness.

*******
Jedimom deep thought - cool question - interesting.  Many NT's (so I've experienced/heard/read) do not know how to answer the question "are you happy" after they have been asked it or started to think about it, it seems to lead to unhappiness - because possibly for them - that question may lead them to "comparing" themselves to others and also the "follower" instinct some have that leads them to be more easily convinced by commercials/media or other pressures from peers to aspire to what others call happiness or to equating what material things one has to how happy they must be etc.,
Are aspies less prone to wondering about happiness in the abstract? Are they less prone to caring about what others think ?
about what others have...material wise? Does this make them more prone to "actual" happiness.  Is happiness another word for contentment? I have not thought, 'am I happy" it seems like a waste of a question for me. When I was aware of the topic in some circles and the difficulty in answering it, I thought wow, how self-absorbed - happiness is transient.... Am I content - yup - and if I weren't would that be a big deal?  Maybe contentment leads to having no ambition (ooh I'm telling on myself - I have no ambition tis true) My son left alone, may well not have any ambition, but to be and let be- should he be let be and had he been left alone, would he have every "felt" or been aware of unhappiness?

my son said to me a couple of week ago,something like " mom, please give my life meaning" and he said it cuz he wasn't happy and he remembers not that long ago he was.  HE does aspire to happiness (again) if only because he enjoyed how he felt and he compares it to his own memory and knows he doesn't feel happy now.  He compares happiness against himself though, (thankfully) as he is rather egocentric at age 11, (either due to his age or aspieness)

happiness is great - unhappiness is not necesarily bad...
contentment is good - discontentment is the state of being aggrieved - and kepy too long is not good, it must be changed lest you wallow - I feel a poem or stanza coming on...
"A perverse and fretful disposition makes any state of life unhappy"  
                - Cicero
I had to look this one up for the wording : " Our discontent is from comparison: were better states unseen, each man would like his own. - John Norris"

Would my aspie son be better off not being exposed to this world of comparison where many are in various states of unhappiness? Obliviousness is bliss, no?

Most of us aren't against treating things like epilepsy or cancer.  That said, there is a large selection bias here in that there has been very little research conducted on co-morbid conditions that are more common to neurotypicals than to autistics. This goes for a lot of other aspects too--there's a lot of money in figuring out "what's wrong with autistic people", and much less for doing basic research.



Anyway, why are a lot of us opposed to a cure? Personally, I see two issues. The first is the very real possibility of coercion and/or propoganda(from doctors to parents and parents to children). The second is that IMO the world needs a certain porportion of autistic people, especcially in fields that reguire high systemizing abilities, such as computer programming. By eliminating these traits, we could be hurting ourselves as a society.

No I meant your question was deep and interesting... I hope someone comes and answers it...