Aspies For Freedom

Probably we had already talked about this before at one point but did any of us faced abused/criticism for how we view Aspergers/Autism? Maybe from Autism Speaks or Cure Autism Now?

Sometimes from other Aspies, yeah. I see Aspergers as being kinda cool, but its a personality thing. Before I came to AFF or met other Aspies, I thought we were all - well, like me. I honestly thought when I met other Aspies, it'd be all great and fabulous...

I've met some awful Aspies; really horrible people. And I don't mean scarred people - I mean generally nasty people. People who, bluntly, make me ashamed to be linked to them with Aspergers.

Personally I think Aspies make fantastic friends, relatives, co-workers and partners. The good Aspies I have in my life, I totally value and appreciate - I'll always get an honest response from them, and I also know they'll always have my back if I need it. In that way, Aspergers is a lifesaver; its helped me to meet people who provide a security in my life that I never had growing up. Security I craved in relationships instead - any relationship.

Perhaps Aspergers brings out traits of loyalty and dedication in others that a lot of the world doesn't have. I also don't think its possible to be around an Aspie and not have some traits rub off - people close to me have said they appreciate honesty ten times more now, and are a lot more straightforward. They appreciate loyalty so much more, and it is like having a rock in their life... someone thats always going to be there regardless of the weather.

So most of the abuse came from self-hating Aspies?

For me? Yeah. Ignorance from some NTs, but that was about it. Nothing I couldn't handle.

Some people I've met want to see their Aspergers as a problem. I see it as a positive thing - its not always a popular stance.

Personally I don't see autism as a 'thing' to be made a problem or valued at all. ;p

More like - just who we are.

The other day I reacted to some parents on a norwegian forum when they said stuff like "I never thought he could have AS, as he was always such a good boy", "I'm awaiting answers after evaluation for diagnosis, I think everything is ok - or is this just me wish-thinking?" and "It's so sad when you have a second son to be evaluated".

The response to me from the forum wasn't particularly pleasant, but I believe I could have approached the matter better and I think I made some inappropriate remarks.

I think I only should have written "The sky wont fall if he has Asperger's" as I did in the first place and not made more fuss about it.

I've copped a fair bit of flak for saying I'd take a cure if there was one... and now I've reminded people that's how I feel, I fully expect to cop a lot more.

But, just because I would take a cure doesn't mean I won't fight for your right to NOT take it if you don't want it.  It's not the cure I have a problem with, it's the lack of choice.

I don't think thats worth you taking flak Ethel. Its your body, and its your life - you're entitled to do what makes you happy.

I thought I'd get a lot more flak for saying I want Ritalin.

Whether autistic people want some kind of cure themselves aint much of a debate for me, think I'll go along with Plank and say that it isn't an issue as there's no cure yet, but I think developing something that will make the autism go away should have less priority than helping autistic people today.

Even less priority than it has today anyway.

The cure issue is certainly a strawman, but it's very real to some parents who have LFA's that don't seem to improve even with early intervention and all the best conventional approaches.  The way I see it, (and I'll be posting evidence to back up my hypothesis and laying out the issue in another thread), is that at the LFA end of the spectrum there was many people who are lumped on the spectrum who's autism is not genetic in origin.  Compassionate doctors are more likely to diagnose autism instead of vaccine damaged, for purely socio-economic reasons.  I see no reason why, if this group of Vaccine Damages Autistics (who in all probability were likely NT to start with) can be identified (perhaps through the parents) and gene or other treatments can help them, that we should cause a fuss when thier parents ask for a cure to be developed.  To me, that's strictly an NT issue.