Aspies For Freedom

This is something that I've written, a kind of response to the Schafer report, but really because I wanted to express something, it will also be a press release-

There is a great debate currently on the issue of finding a cure for autism. Parents seek it as an answer to their childs autism, yet there is a movement of adults with autism that puzzle some, as they say that they do not want a cure to be found.

Autism is a spectrum condition, some people are non-verbal, some use other forms of communication such as sign language, some are able to speak, but find social comminucation very difficult. It affects each person with autism in a unique way. It is not a mental illness, but a neurological variant from the norm.

Some people question the attitude of adults with autism who state that they do not want a cure. There are many personal reasons that an individual may have for refusing to support a cure, but if we look at this in comparison to other conditions, and try to reach a logical conclusion about what a cure may be, I think there is strong evidence for those on the spectrum to be concerned.

Cure Autism Now state on their website that they are looking for a cure or prevention for autism. Prevention would most likely be pre-natal testing and abortion, as it is known that autism is predominantly genetically inherited.
(Ref: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2...120904.php)
As autism is part of the actual brain structure, a cure, or treatment that was tantamount to a cure, would most likely be in the form of a medication. This would be similar to the type of treatments that are used for depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar, I surmise this because these are treatments that act on the chemical reactions in the brain, such as inhibiting serotonin uptake, in order to affect behaviour.
While autism is not a mental illness, it is considered by many to be in that category, and to require treatment.

If we picture a scenario in five years time, a medication has been developed that will be used to cure autism, and that it acts on specific chemicals in the brain. It increases desire for communication, it takes away obsesssive interests, it extends the use of imagniation in play and work, and it takes away any need for strict routine following.
People marvel at it, and parents want their kids to take it.
Then we come to administering it, and adults on the spectrum are asked to try it, anyone on the spectrum going to their doctor would be told to try it, "you want to be helped dont you?"

Those that try it find that their interests that fascinated and excited them are no longer fascinating. The appeal is gone and enjoyment of it is dulled. They have the desire to talk more to people, but nothing of interest to discuss now that their interest is gone. They find that they dont need a routine as much, and plod on with life like an average person. Imaginative ideas may come to mind for them, but their inner reality and whole way of thinking that was unique is gone. Their thoughts now seem in black and white, instead of colour. They are now normal thinkers and this is strange and foreign to them.

Some people refuse the medication altogether, wanting to retain their personality and way of life, and some people start taking it, then stop. There could be side effects that are imparing, such as with many drug treatments.
Comparing this scenario with similar treatments available now for instance with schizophrenia, its possible to make a comparison to what may happen.

These are comments from people with schizophrenia-

"I have been recently diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and am currently being treated by mainstream therapies. I am forced to take medication, but object to taking any mind-altering substances."

"I have been diagnosed as schizophrenic by psychiatrists. I have been out of hospital and have not taken any medication for 2 years. The psychiatrist is now trying to force me to take medication."

This is an extract from an article called "Forced medication is inhumane"

"Should the mentally ill be allowed to refuse to take their medication?
States have always had legal methods for committing disturbed people to psychiatric facilities and a process for forced drug treatment in that environment. By passing involuntary commitment legislation, states are asserting the right to demand that people living in the community take ''antipsychotic'' drugs, which represents a profound expansion of state control over the mentally ill."
http://www.stopshrinks.org/articles/globe6-9-02.html

Extract from another article-

"Ten years ago, after a series of "psychotic" episodes, I was diagnosed as "manic-depressive" and told that I would have to be on Lithium for the rest of my life"..... "As a patient, I was battered by psychiatric aids, locked in empty rooms, given shock "therapy," and treated to a host of other major and minor assaults. Against my will, I was forced to take drugs that caused many unpleasant side-effects including parkinsonism, photo-sensitivity and excessive thirst."
http://www.schizophrenia.org/manicdepression.html


I am comparing the experiences of those with mental illness and who are forced medications, to show that we need to be cautious with the idea of a cure for autism. Why would those with autism be treated differently and be given a choice of whether to be treated? The fact that society is deciding that a cure is needed at all, is stating that a cure should be given.

I have asperger's, which is a form of autism, it does affect my everyday life, but I am against the notion of a cure. I dont want to change my whole personality, thought processes, ideas, interests, and culture, just because I am different from the norm. I do believe that people should be helped with areas in which they want help, such as speech therapy, but that is radically different from attempting to chemically alter ones brain, and different from wiping autism out of the gene pool.
When people say to me "Ok, you dont want a cure, but let other people have the chance, what difference does it make to you". It will make a difference to ALL of us. Nothing happens in isolation. Why wont people with autism be pressurized to take a cure?

People need to be aware of the reality of having a cure, millions of dollars are being spent to achieve it, it is not in the realms of fantasy anymore. And the consequences will be very real too.

This is a very scary scenario, Amy!  Considering how many children have been forced to take dangerous medications just to make them more docile in school, it's frightening to imagine what would happen if an actual treatment for autism existed.  Brrrrr.  You are absolutely right that all the apathetic autistics out there need to read an article like this and to become aware of what could easily happen to them.

I have one constructive comment on your article, and this is an important issue for me: I would very much appreciate it if you would delete the suggestion that autistics lack imagination.  When you think about how many autistic people, throughout history, have demonstrated high levels of creativity and originality in such areas as art, music, and literature, how can it possibly be true that we are deficient in imagination?  We may have different ways of exercising our imagination than NTs have, but that doesn't mean we lack it.

All of the aspies in my family are creative writers and poets.  When I was a child, if I wasn't reading fiction, drawing, or writing short stories or poems, I was happily daydreaming that I was some sort of fictional character going on an adventure.  (That didn't endear me to my teachers.  I sometimes wandered away from school because the adventures in my head were much more interesting than the lessons in the classroom.)

I currently have a website with about 75 short stories and a fanfic novel, and I'd like to write a novel for publication someday.  I honestly believe that my imagination is my strongest autistic trait.

It would be tragic indeed if creative, talented autistic students were routinely discouraged from careers in the arts because "autistics have no imagination."  Please don't perpetuate this stereotype!

do autistics have the same kind of imagination in play as children?

You are right Bonnie, I had to simplify what the basics of autism are, as perceived by the majority, as this is a press release designed for anyone to read and understand. One of the basic diagnostic criteria for kids is lack of age appropriate imaginative play. It is a difference in the imagination, and that would be one feature of a cure. Though of course I think it would alter what we do have, and not be an improvement at all.

For myself, I do have a very poor imagination, and always have had, but I use my other skills to create things and am happy with what I have.

Yes, I know, but I don't think it's a fair assessment because they don't see what's going on in the child's head.  They're only seeing external differences in play.  An autistic child who is lining up sparkly rocks may be pretending to be an explorer finding treasures in a pyramid, but how would the psychologists know?

I beg to differ.  You certainly used a lot of imagination in creating the "what would happen to us" scenario that you posted above.  Horror film scriptwriters everywhere ought to be jealous of your ability to scare the audience.  (And yes, it could happen, which makes it even scarier.  Although your article isn't "creative writing," you did put some creativity into composing it, all the same.)

I like to think I'm good at certain imagentive things. I can't create a piece of creative art. However, I can 'imagene' things that could possibly happen.

I have no problem with Amy mentioning a lack of imagination in her piece, although I do believe that the word "imagination" is so vague and variable in meaning that it's use always has the potential to start arguments.

I personally don't think I have much of an imagination for fictional narrative creations. By that I mean I don't read or write fictional prose or poetry, and I don't have much time for movies that aren't about something that really happened (unless it is a Bollywood movie starring Shah Rukh Khan :wink: ). I have never had much aptitude or interest in narrative works of imagination. My husband has a positively contemputous attitude towards works of the imagination. I have never seen any novels on the bookshelves of an aspie friend of mine.

I am not ashamed of my "lack of imagination" at all. To accuse me of such a thing is not a bother to me, because I believe there are important disadvantages to the imaginative way of thinking. I don't feel that we are missing out on anything important, and I would not wish to have more of an "imagination".

Stella, can you give me the link to the article that you posted?  I'd like to add it to my collection of positive links on Aspergian Pride.

the press release


http://press.xtvworld.com/modules.php?na...e&sid=4096

I certainly didn't mean to suggest that you should be ashamed of it.  I meant only that it's not a trait shared by all autistics and shouldn't be described as such.

My article was about autism, using schizophrenia as an example, some people do have both, but there are not higher rates of schizophrenia for people with autism, so as such its not a common comorbid.
Also the point was that people shouldnt be forced, not that they shouldnt take it.
But there is a big difference to be forced something.

The main point is that those for an autism cure like to give the impression that a choice would be given to people whether to take it or not, but as we can see with other conditions, people are sometimes given no choice, so it has strong implications.

I agree about the medications and how many kids with ADD/ADHD have to take amphetamines to be docile in school. I've seen a horrible advert for some drug called "Adderall XR" in Newsweek once, and it looked like a zombie boy was being strangled to me!

I think that Amy was not spreading the stereotype, but was rather saying that was a stereotype of autism and how some NTs look at it.

Cindy , I could not delete part of the article now as it was written in January and was released through a press release agency, was on google news etc. It would make no difference to simply edit this copy of it here.

The important thing is, which I posted about after Bonnie's original comment, is that lack of imagination is part of the triad of impairments, and refers to chidlren's lack of age-appropriate imaginative play.
This can also show in adults in the sense of not being able to imagine the consequences of their or other's actions.

This is a factor in autism for some people.

As for imagination to write original stories, artwork, that is something else entirely. For instance, when my son was dx'd, he had stereotypical autistic play of lining up toys, if given trains he would line them up instead of age typical play. Therefore he came in the category of impaired imagination, he couldn't see the toys as though they were trains, they were just pieces of wood (which literally they were just pieces of wood).

But he is now able to create vivid animations, these are still unusual and atypical, but that is part of the magic of them.
It's what makes them unique. His lack of 'normal' imagination doesn't matter. He has his own unique version, that's how I feel the differences in autism can show themselves.

We don't have to be normal, cos we are special in our own way.

btw his site is http://www.dragonsplace.co.uk  :smile:

KitKat, I'm curious about the comment about Australia as I live here.

Do you think the situation in Australia is better than where you are? You're in NZ, right? And why do you think it's better/worse?

I've done my share of grousing about the medical system here, but to be honest, once I learned more about what the systems are in other countries, I'm really grateful with our situation...and am curious about what you think. Sorry if this is off topic folks...I'm just curious!

:oops: :oops: Sorry, hon, I'm having a space cadet day!