Professori
Professori
So, it appears that there are studies which claim that autistic people 'grow out of autism' as they grow older, so much so that they can no longer be classified as autistic - they lose the diagnosis. One study claims that the people they studied did receive an accurate diagnosis of autism in childhood, but they then 'grew out of it'. I will deliberately keep the contents of this study to a minimum due to a lack of space.
To support their claim they administered a battery of tests to assess whether those diagnosed with autism were still autistic after a certain age, plus they interviewed the parents. Test results are very debatable. However, the authors claim that 'these people' did not just grow out of autism on their own, but were assisted in this by parents and therapists.
The problem is that not one of the authors seems to have asked 'these people' about their experiences - not one article features an autistic person commenting on the results or claims of those reports. Not one article reports having asked 'those people' whether they felt that they had grown out of autism. They were not asked if their internal functioning actually agreed with their external behaviour - or with the results of the study. They were not asked what was going on inside them when they appeared outwardly neurotypical.
One independent person did take the trouble to interview those who participated in the experiments, and the response was generally the same, immediate and intense: 'I don't look like I have autism, but I know that I do.'
This is one point of this post: From my personal experience, and I am relatively new to this, I certainly have not 'grown out of' autism/Asperger's after many, many years, and frankly, neither would I want to. In fact, I feel that I have grown into it. I believe that the autism remains, but the people studied simply developed good coping mechanisms to allow them to behave 'naturally', or 'neurotypically.'
Also, it appears that there are many, such as those who 'speak' for 'Autism Speaks', who claim that it is possible for a full autism cure which is the best option or outcome for those with autism - a way to 'save' those with autism 'from the world they are trapped in.' They are fighting on behalf of those who suffer from Asperger's/autism - so they claim.
So, the real question is not whether a cure is actually possible (I personally do not believe it is), but even if there was a cure, how many would accept it? I personally would not want to accept it because Asperger's has become part of my identity, and I do not need saving, but acceptance. I may want relief from some of the more negative symptoms, but that is all.
I would be very interested in opinions and experiences of young and old regarding the above claims.
To support their claim they administered a battery of tests to assess whether those diagnosed with autism were still autistic after a certain age, plus they interviewed the parents. Test results are very debatable. However, the authors claim that 'these people' did not just grow out of autism on their own, but were assisted in this by parents and therapists.
The problem is that not one of the authors seems to have asked 'these people' about their experiences - not one article features an autistic person commenting on the results or claims of those reports. Not one article reports having asked 'those people' whether they felt that they had grown out of autism. They were not asked if their internal functioning actually agreed with their external behaviour - or with the results of the study. They were not asked what was going on inside them when they appeared outwardly neurotypical.
One independent person did take the trouble to interview those who participated in the experiments, and the response was generally the same, immediate and intense: 'I don't look like I have autism, but I know that I do.'
This is one point of this post: From my personal experience, and I am relatively new to this, I certainly have not 'grown out of' autism/Asperger's after many, many years, and frankly, neither would I want to. In fact, I feel that I have grown into it. I believe that the autism remains, but the people studied simply developed good coping mechanisms to allow them to behave 'naturally', or 'neurotypically.'
Also, it appears that there are many, such as those who 'speak' for 'Autism Speaks', who claim that it is possible for a full autism cure which is the best option or outcome for those with autism - a way to 'save' those with autism 'from the world they are trapped in.' They are fighting on behalf of those who suffer from Asperger's/autism - so they claim.
So, the real question is not whether a cure is actually possible (I personally do not believe it is), but even if there was a cure, how many would accept it? I personally would not want to accept it because Asperger's has become part of my identity, and I do not need saving, but acceptance. I may want relief from some of the more negative symptoms, but that is all.
I would be very interested in opinions and experiences of young and old regarding the above claims.