Is Autism really as definable as the "experts" claim?

[Hurting89]

Autism is really a collection of behaviors that bear similarities to each other. It is not a tangible diagnosis. It's a lot like most mental disorders on the DSM; you can't test for them, they don't show up in a brain scan or blood test but they're diagnosed based on someone's presentation.

There for Autism is really just a psychiatric opinion and a very misunderstood one. I question the idea very much that it's a brain disorder or brain damage (like some studies suggest).

It really isn't "tangible" which is why it will never be cured or properly understood.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

There's probably loads of different causes, and once they figure them all out then maybe they can stop them from happening hopefully.

 

[ancusmitis]

I think we do exist as a distinct group of people. Further than that, though, I'm not really buying it.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I do believe that autism does show up in brain scans. The brains grows faster in children and ends up larger.

 

[Skylar]

I don't think that autism is something that has to be "cured". There's nothing to cure. The only reason that it's a "disability" as such is due to the neurotypical society we live in. For example, if everything was built for people who were 3 foot tall, most of the population would be considered "disabled" due to their dis-ability to co-exist with that structure and societal expectation. Of course, in the case of "profoundly autistic" people, for want of a better phrase, who may also have co-morbid learning difficulties, this is an exception, but it isn't necessarily something to be ashamed of or something that needs "fixing". I read an article about a girl who has autism and downs syndrome and can't read or write. She is running her own successful shredding business. The source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/master-shredder_5602c2a0e4b00310edf962fd

I realise that I'm rambling a bit, but my point is that a "disability" is defined due to the environment. Whilst some autistic people may not be able to function in mainstream society, many can and live happy and fulfilling lives. And those who cannot funcition in mainstream society, may also live happy and fulfilling lives. Why is it that people, even those with autism themselves, think of it as something to be fixed? I, personally, am proud to have asperger's syndrome and embrace who I am, accepting the autistic spectrum as an integral part of the diversity of society. People with autism also have many positive traits and these should be celebrated, not ignored.

We don't need to change. Society doesn't need to change. It simply needs to accept that some people are neurodiverse and allow us to find an environment that suits us.

To quote amy lee- "Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken."

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Why is it that people, even those with autism themselves, think of it as something to be fixed?

Because without it there'd be more for me to be able to do.

 

[Skylar]

Because without it there'd be more for me to be able to do.

Like I said, only in mainstream society. There are many things you can do, and some of them neurotypicals can't. If we stop focusing on the social aspect, which, in my opinion, isn't very important, we can see that autism is actually something to be celebrated and not something to be cynical about. I used to hate myself because I couldn't fit in in neurotypical society but now that I realise why, I'm able to appreciate the traits I do have and the opinions of other people don't matter anymore because they don't understand why they laugh at me, but I do. I hope that soon you'll realise this, just as I did.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Like I said, only in mainstream society. There are many things you can do, and some of them neurotypicals can't. If we stop focusing on the social aspect, which, in my opinion, isn't very important, we can see that autism is actually something to be celebrated and not something to be cynical about. I used to hate myself because I couldn't fit in in neurotypical society but now that I realise why, I'm able to appreciate the traits I do have and the opinions of other people don't matter anymore because they don't understand why they laugh at me, but I do. I hope that soon you'll realise this, just as I did.

My senses would still be messed up. My communication would still be messed up. It is incredibly frustrating wanting to say something but not being able to get the words together. I feel trapped within myself. It's frustrating liking to go out to places, but everything being too loud and too bright. It's frustrating hating summer months because I feel too hot too easily. I would still have repetitive behaviour impairing me. I would not suddenly be a functional human. And this is with the mildest form there is. I can't imagine how hard it is for those with severe forms.

 

[Skylar]

My senses would still be messed up. My communication would still be messed up. It is incredibly frustrating wanting to say something but not being able to get the words together. I feel trapped within myself. It's frustrating liking to go out to places, but everything being too loud and too bright. It's frustrating hating summer months because I feel too hot too easily. I would still have repetitive behaviour impairing me. I would not suddenly be a functional human. And this is with the mildest form there is. I can't imagine how hard it is for those with severe forms.

I accept that. I also experience all of those things. But my point still stands.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

I accept that. I also experience all of those things. But my point still stands.

What's the advantage of being trapped within yourself and being unemployed with nobody wanting to hire you? I'm not understanding.

 

[Skylar]

What's the advantage of being trapped within yourself and being unemployed with nobody wanting to hire you? I'm not understanding.

I'm sorry you feel and think that way. I can't explain my point to you, I already have. If you don't agree, that's your opinion. I hope you'll break free of that mindset soon and live a fulfilling life.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

I'm sorry you feel and think that way. I can't explain my point to you, I already have. If you don't agree, that's your opinion. I hope you'll break free of that mindset soon and live a fulfilling life.

My "mindset" is reality. I don't have a job. I am impaired. Those are facts, not opinions or feelings.

 

[Skylar]

My "mindset" is reality. I don't have a job. I am impaired. Those are facts, not opinions or feelings.

I don't have a job. I'm impaired. Those are facts. But how you act on those facts and react to them, those are feelings and opinions. I'm going to leave this conversation here as I cannot change the way you view your condition, only you can do that. Good luck. ~

 

[unsurewhattoname]

There's nothing I really can do, I'm on a long waiting list for any sort of help. I do what I can. Like I can drive and shop. I help around the house. I just wish I could be as independent as everyone else my age though. It seems delusional to see nothing but an impairment as a good thing to have. The positives are limited and the negatives far outweigh the few there are. I was hoping that I had something that can be cured, but unfortunately that is not the case and getting anywhere will always be harder for me because my social communication is dreadful. What made humans thrive was their ability to work together with social skills, which is why they're so important even still and lacking them makes life harder. Hopefully one day they figure this out, like previous things previously thought impossible were figured out. I've even got on trouble on here for my social skills. This is not going to be easy.

 

[ancusmitis]

What's the advantage of being trapped within yourself and being unemployed with nobody wanting to hire you? I'm not understanding.

Those hiring requirements were developed by NT's without attempting to accommodate autistic traits that might not even be relevant to the particular job; in fact, some gatekeepers are actively scanning for and eliminating autistic people from their hiring pools. Of course they aren't going to call it that, since you technically are required to offer reasonable accommodations, but it's not because of autism that autistics who can find and hold down jobs still tend to be under-employed.

 

[paloftoon]

We need definitions in order to help others potentially understand a little bit about what autism is and why it deserves funding and support.

Any non-physical diagnosis is not going to be completely tangible. With any diagnosis, we need emotions and respect to be emphasized, and we need a lot of good role models to show that we are not just that definition, but that many can survive independently and deserve to be treated as such.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Those hiring requirements were developed by NT's without attempting to accommodate autistic traits that might not even be relevant to the particular job; in fact, some gatekeepers are actively scanning for and eliminating autistic people from their hiring pools. Of course they aren't going to call it that, since you technically are required to offer reasonable accommodations, but it's not because of autism that autistics who can find and hold down jobs still tend to be under-employed.

Some jobs just need people with good communication skills. People with autism don't have good communication skills as by definition our communication is impaired. So it just makes sense that certain jobs just won't hire us.

 

[AspergerianYogi]

Autism is really a collection of behaviors that bear similarities to each other. It is not a tangible diagnosis. It's a lot like most mental disorders on the DSM; you can't test for them, they don't show up in a brain scan or blood test but they're diagnosed based on someone's presentation.

There for Autism is really just a psychiatric opinion and a very misunderstood one. I question the idea very much that it's a brain disorder or brain damage (like some studies suggest).

It really isn't "tangible" which is why it will never be cured or properly understood.

Thank you for this!

I don't know if I'd go as far as to say "never". That said, I don't want it to be cured - why would I want to remove a very integral part of who I am?

Where I completely agree with you is in the idea that it is a collection of behaviors that bear similarities. The experts who are really on the front lines working with individuals on the spectrum daily are the privileged few who I think understand that autism is not one-size-fits-all but quite individualistic. I will quote this statement by Stephen Shore until the day I die: "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism."

 

[Hurting89]

^ This is exactly what I intended this post to mean. Thank you for understanding.

About the "no cure" part. I meant since Autism is not a tangible brain diagnosis like "Parkinsonism" all these types looking for a cure are not going to find it. You can not cure something that is not physically there, it's neither an illness, nor virus or even disorder- it's a collection of symptoms thrown under the Autism label.

If we can get this across in advocacy, maybe the perception of ASD will change. Don't forget the majority of the fear on part of the parents of children with what's defined currently as Autism is that they're sick with a brain disease.

 

[Skylar]

^ This is exactly what I intended this post to mean. Thank you for understanding.

About the "no cure" part. I meant since Autism is not a tangible brain diagnosis like "Parkinsonism" all these types looking for a cure are not going to find it. You can not cure something that is not physically there, it's neither an illness, nor virus or even disorder- it's a collection of symptoms thrown under the Autism label.

If we can get this across in advocacy, maybe the perception of ASD will change. Don't forget the majority of the fear on part of the parents of children with what's defined currently as Autism is that they're sick with a brain disease.

Exactly! I wasn't replying to your point, rather the "There's probably loads of different causes, and once they figure them all out then maybe they can stop them from happening hopefully." comment. In my opinion, autism is just as diverse as neurotypical's are. Everyone is different, and just because people with autism do not function as NT's do, it doesn't mean we all experience and act the same. A lot of the time autism is just seen as an umbrella for anyone who's brain works differently to an NT. Hope this comment made sense.