A Cure...?

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

I'm confused, what do you mean by this line?

Also, I don't feel any symptoms of depression anymore ever since I got a therapist. My best friend's Mom actually recommended her to my Mom. My best friend is also on the spectrum.

I think it was just a temporary thing for me. I am pretty sure I wasn't diagnosed with depression, either.

I was diagnosed with depression. Even talking to a therapist didn't help, and medications only caused suicidal thoughts. Now I started to feel less depressive when I got diagnosed with autism because I learned that there was nothing actually wrong with me being me.

 

[anacrusis]

Because it is a spectrum, I think it's difficult to answer the question for everybody on it. Do I wish to see some way of prevention, for the most severely affected folks, whose everyday living is made almost unbearable by it - yes of course. But many of the "treatments" people have tried to set up focus only on making autistic people adapt to neurotypical stereotypes, so that you have stories of "recovery" when in fact the autism isn't cured at all, it's still there, underneath a layer of learned behaviours in order to fit in. The result is burnout and the same sort of mental illness - anxiety, depression - as we get from being rejected by the society we live in. The thing is, there are advantages to autism too - we're the ones who recognise patterns, who are meticulous and see the details when we're problem-solving. We're more likely to be logical too. The fact that we have to learn how to interact means that we will put more thought and effort into thinking about other people and are less likely to be judgemental and more likely to accept others who seem to be a bit odd or different. Our society needs a mixture of abilities and talents - you need a good craftsman or woman to make something well, you need logical skill to write computer software, you need people who are good at networking to help social events run well. If all of us were neurotypical, society would be missing out, just as if we were all aspie, society would miss out.
So yes - depends what aspect of autism you want to "cure" - I wouldn't want to lose the positives, and I don't want a cure for Me - I would like proper support and care for those who are suffering from their version of it, and prevention of the co-morbidities which are so damaging. And I'd like better awareness in the neurotypical world of the difficulties we encounter, of the positives we can bring to it, and more acceptance of those of us who'd like to stay just the way we are .

 

[Crossbreed]

But many of the "treatments" people have tried to set up focus only on making autistic people adapt to neurotypical stereotypes, so that you have stories of "recovery" when in fact the autism isn't cured at all, it's still there, underneath a layer of learned behaviours in order to fit in.

The point of this thread isn't to "cure" autism, but to minimize co-morbid conditions, if at all possible.

I believe that the majority of ASD2s & 3s are just ASD1s w/TBIs. And that TBI is preventable. The specifics are just not a topic that is allowed in the open forum. (PM me, if you are interested in more.) I am happy to be an Aspie ASD1. I do not advocate any such genocide.

 

[anacrusis]

The point of this thread isn't to "cure" autism, but to minimize co-morbid conditions, if at all possible.

I believe that the majority of ASD2s & 3s are just ASD1s w/TBIs. And that TBI is preventable. The specifics are just not a topic that is allowed in the open forum. (PM me, if you are interested in more.) I am happy to be an Aspie ASD1. I do not advocate any such genocide.

understood It's just that the first premise on the poll talks about curing all autism. I wasn't assuming genocide was being suggested (it's a bit of an extreme way to cure anything!) and don't know the acronym TBI: have a feeling that some of the anxiety and depression which often accompanies autism is due to lack of acceptance and understanding in a neurotypical world - and not just by neurotypicals either. We look around and see we don't fit, and feel there is something wrong with us because of it, and beat ourselves up over it. Since NT folks also get anxiety and depression though, it can't be the whole reason - for the sake of all of humanity it'd be good to have effective ways to manage these conditions .

 

[Crossbreed]

...and don't know the acronym TBI:...

TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury. (It is a cause for savantism, too.)

HERE is my view, in a nutshell (from another forum).

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

I believe autism should be cured at all costs. The problem with current research is that it does not consider that cusring autism might be possible with a lot of collateral damage. I hate myself because of autism and I believe I am a monster.

I want to eliminate the autistic factors at all costs. So does that mean destroying much of my brain? IMHO, worth it. Autism is such pure inhumanity. I believe we must eliminate autism at all costs. At all costs. AT. ALL. COSTS.

And if we take this mentality, we can.

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury. (It is a cause for savantism, too.)

HERE is my view, in a nutshell (from another forum).

TBI can also eliminate the symptoms of autism. IMHO, if you inflict enough damage on the brain, it will no longer meet reasonable qualifications for autistic. I believe it's worth it.

 

[Autistamatic]

I hate myself because of autism and I believe I am a monster.

I'm sorry you feel that way and hope you can find peace with yourself. Autism doesn't make you hateful, or a monster, unless you believe that most of the members of this warm, generous, community are monsters too?

 

[Crossbreed]

I believe autism should be cured at all costs.

How did you arrive at your screen name, if you take that position...?

 

[Joshua the Writer]

I believe autism should be cured at all costs. The problem with current research is that it does not consider that cusring autism might be possible with a lot of collateral damage. I hate myself because of autism and I believe I am a monster.

I want to eliminate the autistic factors at all costs. So does that mean destroying much of my brain? IMHO, worth it. Autism is such pure inhumanity. I believe we must eliminate autism at all costs. At all costs. AT. ALL. COSTS.

And if we take this mentality, we can.

Scientists have never considered collateral damage to the brain because of the following reasons: That'd also potentially kill a person or just make them not function properly. You are aware of that, right? Somebody could even miss and just accidentally disable that person's legs or arms, instead.

I consider myself to be a friendly, caring person. I'm proud of who I am as an Autistic person. Also, I want to stop this cure crap as soon as possible. I really only want negative co-existing conditions to be cured (such as depression, etc.) because those are things that one should not be proud of.

TBI can also eliminate the symptoms of autism. IMHO, if you inflict enough damage on the brain, it will no longer meet reasonable qualifications for autistic. I believe it's worth it.

I don't think that amount of pain and injury is worth it. That's also kinda child abuse when you stop and think that parents might force this on their kids.

 

[Crossbreed]

Added distinctions: Basic & Aggravated autism...

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

It should be cured, if possible.

People will say that with ASD they get "Attention to detail" or "great memory" or something. The thing is none of those things exist exclusively with autism. A non-autistic person can be great with numbers, excellent at rmembering things, good with detail, hyper focused etc etc.

The only things that define autism are bad things: over sensitivity to stimuli, difficulty connecting with people, social cognition problems, problems accepting routine changes, disconnection from society.


IF these could be eliminated, then it would be great. PEople could suddenly live happy, rich, complete, lives.


I hate seeing human suffering and I hate seeing people limited in what they can do and who they can be in life.

So yes, a cure would be welcome.

 

[Fino]

The majority of NTs I know are constantly complaining and certainly don't seem to be living "happy, rich, complete lives". Is that what it looks like to you? If so, we are looking at totally different things and where you are sounds amazing and magical.

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

No. The life of a non-autistic is not perfect. Far from perfect.

But they also have a kind of connection, emotional bond, understanding of people that is beautiful and gives life its richness. Humans are not islands.

Non-autistics do not celebrate it or obsess on it because they experience it all the time, so they don't even notice that it is there.


Just like how most people do not think much about how great it is to see color. But if you could grant color vision to someone who had been colorblind, they would be dazzled by the beauty they see.

And if you granted theory of mind to someone is mindblind, they too would be floored and amazed by the depth of this new dimension they could see.

That would be worth anything. The richness, the depth and fulfillment of not hav autism and experiencing the collective connection of humanity as more than ones isolated self.

 

[Fino]

I'm not an island and consistently feel that emotional bond you describe. I have five amazing friends that make me happy every time I think of them!

"Theory of mind" is silly.

 

[Autistamatic]

It should be cured, if possible.

People will say that with ASD they get "Attention to detail" or "great memory" or something. The thing is none of those things exist exclusively with autism. A non-autistic person can be great with numbers, excellent at rmembering things, good with detail, hyper focused etc etc.

The only things that define autism are bad things: over sensitivity to stimuli, difficulty connecting with people, social cognition problems, problems accepting routine changes, disconnection from society.


IF these could be eliminated, then it would be great. PEople could suddenly live happy, rich, complete, lives.


I hate seeing human suffering and I hate seeing people limited in what they can do and who they can be in life.

So yes, a cure would be welcome.

I hate to see people suffer too, especially when it is self inflicted. Autistic skill spikes are way beyond what you see in NT people. High spikes in one ability are compensated by low troughs in others which is one of the defining aspects of autism. If you are unnaturally good at one thing, you HAVE to have a corresponding weakness elsewhere. That's how the finite resources of the human brain are distributed. People with spiky profiles, who have amazing talents with equal weaknesses elsewhere are autistic, even if they themselves don't know it yet.

I do live a full, rich, rewarding life because I have embraced my autism and made wonderful autistic and non autistic friends. You would be dazzled by the beauty, compassion and determination I share in every day. I get to see, share and benefit from the best in people, not just suffer from their worst.

 

[Fino]

Sometimes people will have grand ideas, these complex theories and intellectualized explanations for things, but all they're really expressing is one or two simple things, like, "I'm lonely," and often they don't even realize this is the case.

 

[Crossbreed]

Here is a relevant graph, taken from California's Autism Crisis

California DDS autism cases by birth year, as of 2014
(This chart does not count/include ASD1s, only ASD2s/3s
and these cases did not exist previously under a different diagnosis.)​