Btw, at the moment my autism is part of some disability. e.g. I can't do any forms right now. It's way too stressful. And there are some more things. But the question remains then if it is me that is handicapped, the forms that are handicapping me, or something in between.
And I do tend to notice too late when I'm doing too much. Is that because of me? Yes, but its also part of society that's way too fast for me.
Because 'disability' is so complicated it's very hard to get help. I've asked for more than a year for help with administration and forms. Only now they are starting to understand that I mean it that I can't cope with it. They can not understand, because some other things (thinking, calculating, etc.) I can do very well. How can it be that I can't fill in a tax form????
I've read on several places that with neurotypical people you get 'straight' functional profiles 'straight' intelligence profiles. If they score good on one thing they're likely to score good on something else too.
With autistic people that's very often not the case. They can excell in one thing and be lousy in someting different, even if it needs similar skills.
That's why getting help can be soooo difficult. They either want to help you out with everything, or not help you at all.
Thinking on this, but still working on it, and may come up with more and/or clarification later.
To me, Autism is not a disability, but I see some of the related things as disabling. I think that labeling Autism as a disability has many negatives. However, I see that my husband has had some issues in his life that have been disabling. He has not had the ability to function in the small box which society hands us all when we are born. Since it is not by any means a choice, and society has yet to refuse to bend to fit his needs, I think that is what makes some things disabling.
I think that more than anything else, in my little view of the neurodiversity movement, the important thing is to keep in mind that we all need acceptance to be who we are. Not to have to fit into those little boxes.
I think that if society allowed people to just BE WHO THEY ARE we would have a better world. If part of that being who they are means that people need some assistance with things, well then I bet there would be someone else who would be really good at the thing they lack, and maybe lack something else, and maybe, if we all gave a crap about other people, we could support each other.
What am I thinking, some kind of nice people Utopia. SHUT UP KORRIGAN!
Would say most autistic people have some traits that could be associated with autism that are disabling - like sensory issues, but then I would call just that thing a disability, not autism itself.
Being american is a disability in the UK because obesity-related difficulties are associated with being american.
Please allow me to stuff one more "Super Sized" Burger and Fries with an Extra Large Soda down my throat and think about that....
Would say most autistic people have some traits that could be associated with autism that are disabling - like sensory issues, but then I would call just that thing a disability, not autism itself.
Being american is a disability in the UK because obesity-related difficulties are associated with being american.
Another analogy I wrote down recently in another thread.
A few weeks ago I saw a documentary about a blind boy who was so good in echo-location that he was able to skate and ride a bicycle. He could not 'see' where his blindness was problematic. Untill someone else made him realise that he could not notice pitfalls. And it is true that this boy won't notice pits and deep crevices. In that area his blindness is a 'handicap'. But because of his echo-location skills he will probably never walk into a glass door. There the visual ppl are sometimes 'handicapped'.
In some ways autism itself can be a problem. But so can being neurotypical be a problem in other areas.
I agree that autism isn't a disease of course, and
Ivar T. said : "Does "not a disorder" mean "not a disability"? " you said correct you if you're wrong...
disorder means something different than disability...even if slightly(hence the different words
-sorry I love language) (incapable as I am of writing in more than one language, this one)
the word disorder supposes a negative, sometimes defined as : "out of order", or, confusion, or ailment of mind or body- like the body/mind was originally in one condition but now is ailing, meant to be a way different than it is, or that a mind was once seeing clearly but now is in confusion, or worked fine and now doesn't.
That definition I dare say, would not be agreed upon as applying to autistics - they are just differently built and may think differently, that doesn't make them "out of order" or disordered...
disability means: an incapacity... now some will agree that there are things that they are not naturally capable of - even if they wanted to, a natural inability as opposed to one that is innate. This is waht defines the legal word disability.
I don't need to tell anyone what is and what is not a disability, that is a unique experience...
I hope I was able to make the distinction for you as you seemed to ask regarding "disorder"
In our home we don't use the term 'ontwikkelingsstoornis' (developmentdisorder) but 'ontwikkelingsvariant' (developmentvariation).
cool language, what langauge is it? Like the term.
'ontwikkelingsvariant' (developmentvariation).
I am a non-aspie (I think) but I think we all develop differntly - or uniquely. I am not normal! perish the thought!
Variation keeps the world interesting.
Bet it is dutch.
Ja, het is nederlands. (Yes, it's dutch)
I see that the article doesn't directly state that neurodiversity is about not thinking of autism as a disorder, but the article seem to fail to mention that there are alot of different people, including parents of non-verbal children, who subscribe to the neurodiversity movement while still thinking of autism as a disability, if maybe not solely a disability.
I would say that autism includes both abilities and disabilities. I think that it is an oversimplification to say that it is just a disability.
That idea about curing autism equals destroying the original personality is something I find to be the weakest link when it comes to the neurodiversity idea - purely a philosophical idea. I think that the real feelings behind this idea could be presented in a more feet on the ground way though.
I'm not sure if there is any better way to explain that. It makes sense to me to say "trying to "cure" autism (or change any neurotype into another, for that matter) is unethical because it would be destructive" (at least, assuming that the only "cure" would be surgery, which seems likely to me).
I would argue that autism is not a disorder, disorder meaning "out of order", as if there is a thing called autism that is changing a person from ordered to disordered, and removing autism would make them in a more natural state. There are a number of us who are disabled, though, which is why it's important that autistic people, even those who aren't disabled, do not try to distance autism from disability as if it's a bad thing that should go away. Because all that does is create divisions, and ignores a whole lot of excellent things that disabled autistic people have to say.
I agree.
Neurodiversity for me is having regular people be more aware. Awareness of the need for individuality and that each person is unique i slacking. MAny of the ills and unhappiness in society can be traced to unreal expecatations on large groups of people to act in concert. Sameness brings suffering to many a soul. Having a respect for neurodiversity and believing and accepting that each person has something to offer just by being who they are can bring more happiness into the world. A happy people are an innovative people and the more people that are thinking or working or interacting differently the better the world will be in the long run.
Group think is shortsighted and leads to failure
Diversity is big picture success
Ivar T - It is spooky how identical you look to how I still think of my brother - (He is 39 now) but for many, many years - he looked just like you!
From my perspective, the difference between NT people and people within the Autism-spectrum is has to do with how and to what degree a person is pre-wired. NT people seem to have a lot of pre-wiring that is lacking for people within the Autism-spectrum. The consequence of this is that within the Autism-spectrum lack many of the skills and instinct that NT have from an early age on, but they are able to learn these skills and overcome their lack of pre-wiring if they're sufficiently intelligent. In some cases and in some areas they can even overcome the skills of most NTs, because pre-wiring also means conventional thought and conventional thought isn't always the most efficient.
I also have that idea of autism, and would also say that because autistic people lack the pre-wiring and/or instincts they are much more intellectually challanged throughout life, hence often become more intelligent in several areas.
You can't become more intelligent, but you can become more skilled. Intelligence is something you're born with.