http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/adhoccom.htm

I do agree on that, people are more likely accept all disabilities (including those on the Autism Spectrum) as a valid minority than one smaller group and if there is already a movement towards it, why not go with something that is already established, it decreases the footwork first and foremost and the whole thing doesn't fall on an 'individual's back. Once the building blocks are there, than add the individual smaller groups, because then you'll have an established acceptance in place as far as laws and such to place autism as well as any other disability group that would so chose to do later. This is from just a simple common sense point of view, once a generalized standard is in place, it makes it easier to add more specific standards in place than work from nothing to get to that point. This is just simple sense that works for any case situation out there, as someone once used as a quote. "Rome wasn't built in a day." Neither is a disability movement towards being a minority or an autistic/aspie minority. In order to be truly a minority, you need to reach more than those that you can online to get a truly reflective agreement on the desire to be a minority.

I have to agree on that and many other points anbuend has made as it al is simple common sense.

I'd like to say something here:

From personal experience, the idea of as/autism always being a disability has caused a lot of trouble for me and i've seen the same problems with other people on the spectrum.

I'd rather not detail specific past experiences here for personal reasons but if anyone is interested talk to me in PM on IRC.

Mish said "I do agree on that, people are more likely accept all disabilities (including those on the Autism Spectrum) as a valid minority than one smaller group and if there is already a movement towards it, why not go with something that is already established, it decreases the footwork first and foremost and the whole thing doesn't fall on an 'individual's back."

There is no movement for all disabilities to be made a minority group, as I have said it would be a gargantuan task to do that, its completely unfeasible.

I think you are both missing the point also, I dont want the autistic community to be a minority group because we are disabled, as that is an issue in itself, its more to do with our own culture, ways of communicating, and the issues involving cure and therapies.

Loot at this statement from the UN "What are special rights?

Special rights are not privileges but they are granted to make it possible for minorities to preserve their identity, characteristics and traditions. Special rights are just as important in achieving equality of treatment as non-discrimination. "

As autistics, we have specific characteristics, certain therapies aim to erase those, that is a different issue to many disabilities, offhand I can only think of the deaf community that wish to preserve their characteristics, which are otherwise described as a disability, but which some view differently.

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs18.htm

And where in all this do I see any mention of discrimination due to the misreading of body language? Nowhere!

anbuend, please go ahead and fight your fight as you see fit; I see no one here opposing you in this. For the very reasons you have articulated, I and my kind have to fight our own fight just as you do; we can do this together or separately, but I see no justification nor rationale for any of us to oppose each other.

I think being a minority is opposite to being disabled. The point about being recognized as a minority is to say that autism spectrum is a different people than neurotypicals. It is not a definition of being sick, disabled, disordered or anything alike. It's about diversity of people, its about human evolution, and its about diversity of minds. Autism simply does not compare to disabilites. On the other hand, I could image other 'mental illness' or 'mental disorders'' to be wrongly labeled so and also qualify for evolution theory based explenations. The point here is to maximise accomodation and support to benefit from the different dispositions people have, to give them a chance to contribute to society on their own terms, and let peopel exits the way they are in peace. Let them live the ways the want without such an urge to social leveling. If there are problems, we have to organise and come up with our won solutions to the challanges we face, and being recognised as a minory groupd can help that process.

Gwynfryn wrote

Anbuend seems to have disappeared from this forum all of a sudden. I wonder why? Did she go to the same place that the thread that followed on from this one when it was locked disapeared to?

I'm glad that this thread is now unlocked so that comments can be added. It just worries me that things and people seem to be going missing rather a lot lately, I thought this was a pretty good forum in which weird stuff like that didn't happen.

Lili, this thread was locked for less than 24 hours due to a disruptive argument breaking out on it, this is normal procedure on any forum.

anbuend had given me permission by pm to remove the argument part from the thread.

anbuend was warned for the continuing argument, it was explained to her that if it continued she would have membership suspended for seven days, and would then be allowed to post again, sadly the argument continued and she has had her membership suspended for seven days, which was told to her in an e-mail.

It was only the second time since we started AFF that moderator powers have had to be used, that is much lower than most forums. Only one person has even been banned.

If you don't allow "argument" here, this won't be a discussion forum, it will be an infomercial for an interest group.

Discussion and debate are fine, pointless arguments waste everyone's time.

How does the process work, if we want to approach the UN? Does it mean we have to at least get one UN member country on our site to be able to talk to the UN? How does the process work? Who knows about this?

Perhaps we should take care not to endorse any particular medical or psychiatric view or explanation of our status, since history shows that these theories and explanations are subject to sometimes revolutionary change, total reverse or revision, whereas the fact that we are here and not always well treated does not change.

For example, when I was a small child in the 1950s, and said to have Kanner's Autistic Psychopathy, the explanations offered were all in terms of Freudian theory, and many books and papers were written endorsing this wholly false view.

As we have seen with the recent MMR farago, the intensity of popular belief about the origins of ASDs is no sure guide to their truth or falsehood.

In the Freudian explanation, which was thought to be "scientific" at the time, even ancient Greek legends were incorporated into the explanation -that of the Oedipus Complex - and the fallacy so general that no one noticed how unsound it was to incorporate mythological material into a scientific rationale.

Worrying ourselves over nosology - the classification of diseases by and for the benefit of doctors - does not really help us either. Much agonising about the various diagnostic criteria in the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manualcould be avoided if we remembered that one of its principle functions is to form a basis of justification for private health care insurance payments which dominate American medical practice.

The fact is that we exist, and have a need for social recognition and fair dealing which is not being met, irrespective of how we came to be here.

I hope this helpful,

Stella Maru

Stella


you are absolutely right!

and Welcome!!!!

Well end of the line for me, I think; I couldn't quite follow your post Stella, but I'll read it again, so hello! And if the ASman thinks you make sense, then  I suspect I will to (but with reservations of course; us Aspies are such independant types!).

Stella said "The fact is that we exist, and have a need for social recognition and fair dealing which is not being met, irrespective of how we came to be here."

So true Stella, welcome to AFF