My husband just called me. He is at work flipping through a magazine and he sees:
Some moments in time you simply don't forget. For the parents of Richie Clolery, it was when their son - born with Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder - cooked his own meal at the group home provided by YAI. Richie's self-esteem has boomed. He holds a job at a supermarket and has his own bank account. For over 50 years, YAI has provided a place of hope for people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities. YAI. Building brighter futures.
https://secure2.convio.net/yai/site/SPag...nding_page
I am not sure what to say other than that I believe this is a misrepresentation of an "average" Aspie. Maybe I am wrong here...
http://www.yai.org/
No clue in those links to what the letters YAI stand for. Do you know?
I cannot seem to find what YAI stands for.
NIPD is National Institute for People with Disabilities.
I cannot seem to find what YAI stands for.
NIPD is National Institute for People with Disabilities.
Found it - Young Adult Institute
Ding! Tell Korrigan what she has won!
I am not sure what to say other than that I believe this is a misrepresentation of an "average" Aspie. Maybe I am wrong here...
Honestly, I was offended, but thought maybe I was misreading or misunderstanding it.
Well, the spectrum idea is that we should not be so attached to "labels", right? And this particular person, that is where he was/is in his life, so I am not judging him. Not at all. I just think this was a misrepresentation, unless right next to Richie's story you offered one about an Aspie that has maybe, run a large corporation, or something along those lines.
Am I wrong here? I could use some thoughts on this!
NEWSFLASH FROM REALITY: NOT EVERYBODY IS JUST LIKE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Um, were you yelling at me? 
My concern is that I am not sure this is an accurate representation of a most (notice I said most, not all) Aspies. But that is why I am asking! I am not able to watch the video at the moment.
I DO wish Richie the best of luck. But I am not sure that he is the best person to throw up as the "poster child" of Aspies.
Well, and I think that part of the site's (AFF) goals is to increase support services and to (paraphrasing here) remove the needed "LFA" label to get the services.
So I was not sure how to feel. Maybe, for their purposes, saying that they provide assistance, Richie was the perfect poster child.
I think the main reason for getting rid of the intra-spectrum labels is to encourage people to describe abilities as is. For example, Richie obviously had difficulty with life-coping skills, and with holding down a job - saying so isn't an issue.
If there were any claims all aspies had these problems, that would be an issue - but they're just talking about one example, so no problem.
Thank you EZ and others for your posts. My husband was not thrilled at the ad, and I took a tone of concern on his behalf. Thank you for the clarification. I will watch the video and such now that I am home for the evening and discuss it with my better half in more detail.
Why do we have to show an Aspie doing something amazing?
I can understand why you would think this particular example is a misrepresentation, but I think the better idea is to provide an example of someone with AS with average skills, doing average things, like an average human being. Some of us with AS do not have superpowers, you know?
You are correct in your statement. I meant, basically, that someone who was on the other end of the "job and life skills ability set" would be a good offset to Richie.
It would be fine and dandy as well to show average! But I think I undertand why it was shown that way now too.
I agree with Batman that an "average" aspie could have been shown. What I was initially saying was that I did not believe that "Richie" was an average Aspie - and that the ad bothered my husband. I said before that if you are going to show someone on the "low end" of the life skills/job skills spectrum, you should show someone on the high end as well, to balance it out. Honestly, if they could have shown all 3, and then shown how each and every one of them had benefitted from their services. I do understand WHY they showed Richie, however. Does that make sense?
Oh no - not again- (I'll do it so no one else has to - I am sure you aren't meaning to sound condescending - the average computer user ma tbe able to do better than that kid - but... Are you saying an average aspie is better than an average NT ? The average person - regardless of nuerotype doesn't even own a computer and a supermarket job is not embarrassing, (or a slight) it is reality. I am confused. So now every bit of media has to show the sterotypical (not my term Lower functioning autie, then whatver you think middle of the road is and then a really high intelligenct aspie?
You say does that make sense ? It doesn't do me.
What? I have no idea what you are talking about.
Well, GuessWho can be kind of hard to follow, but he has a lot of good things to say. Here's a translation. (Not meant to be offensive, GuessWho. Just making Korrigan aware of what you wanted to get across, as obviously she didn't - literally - piece it together).
Ah ha! I totally get what you thought which I did not understand before!
I was saying that I was offended at the original article, not at GuessWho's comment. It may have sounded like I was offended at GuessWho's comments. Not the case.
But thank you, OLI for clearing it up. I always try to be clear, but I obviously failed there.
NEWSFLASH FROM REALITY: NOT EVERYBODY IS JUST LIKE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unless you personally know Richie, who the hell are you to pass judgement on his potential ability? It may well be that what he's achieved is the absolute best he can do - there is no such thing as a typical Aspie, we're all so different with skill sets scattered to the four winds. That's why they call it a "spectrum". So not everybody can do what you do - some can do more, some can do less. That doesn't just go for Aspies, but the whole human race.
As long as he's happy I wish him the very best of luck.
I think we should all be happy for him , in that he has got a start , you know got his feet on the ground..I cant see putting down the group thats helping him.....
Richie is not on the low end of the life skills/job skills spectrum if he's doing his best. And as atypical explained, he's average, anyway, not on the "low end."
The advertisement that my husband read, in the magazine, was celebrating how he was able to BOIL WATER. That is on the low end of the life skills spectrum.
In fact, the ad in front of me says "Man Walks On Moon. The Berlin Wall Collapses. Richie Boils Water For the First Time."
So I disagree about him being average. I do not think that the "Average Aspie" lives in a group home and that an accomplishment for them that is equal to walking on the moon is boiling water. My husband found that very insulting and I agree.
Can't resist...
:
All those women I've heard about their husband:
He can boil an egg, that's all.
Are those men low-functioning?????
If I asked my husband he would say that if they accomplished it, it would not quite equate the fall of the Berlin Wall. But then again, he is a man. (JOKE!)