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The geneticist and I

Effy

Effy

self-advocating autistic
I'm proud I'm an Aspie, but some things just hit so hard.
For those people who think that ASD is just another way of thinking, this is the result of impaired synapse development in the developing embryo. Autistic people have fewer neuronal interconnection, resulting in handed cognitive ability. That many are able to adapt to function is a remarkable demonstration of human adaptation in young children, but this is still a disease with real physical causes and effects.

Back on-topic, my youngest brother is autistic and this is ****ing hilarious. Obviously it's a caricature, but it's pretty accurate.
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I replied saying it wasn't a disease and that he needed to educate himself further on the matter, because being RELATED to someone with autism is NOT valid "personal" experience of it at ALL.

His reply?
it is a defect of normal development. It happens when the usual process of synaptic development is impaired.By any rational definition of the word, it IS a disease.

Try looking at things objectively, rather than bending over backwards to patronize people.

And, just in case you thought I was basing everything I know about it on my personal experiences with it, I am also a geneticist, and this is a genetic abnormality which impairs the development and expression of coded sequences of DNA. I have BOTH a working knowledge of this disease and the personal experience to link it to.

Try learning some relevant facts before trying to shout over someone who knows more than you in future.
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It was on YouTube, so I get it - the whole trolling mess - but really? Are we REALLY still here? And WHY is it that non-autistic scientists feel the need to go around and say this and that about autism?

Like, geez. I should start going around saying being a neurotypical is a disease - neurotypicality/neurotypicalism/whatever-it-must-be-called-to-get-the-point-across is a disease.

Ignorance is a disease.

Diseases need cures.

Autism doesn't need a stupid cure.

:'(
 
Everyone can be a scientist on the internet. ;)

Since he is so knowledgeable about it, I wonder why I haven't heard of his groundbreaking work in the field of autism that must at least have gotten him nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
 
I have often said that if a doctor offered me a cure my AS, I would not hesitate to decline the offer. As it is, I am different than 99% of the people on the planet. Why would I want to become one of the masses? AS defines me, it's what makes me what I am. It's what makes me good at what I'm good at and bad at what I'm bad at. I know that we're all different and not every body see's things the same as I do. For me, I would rather go by how I feel rather than by some of the things that are written. Just some opinions of a old man.
 
However, the whole idea of autism being connected with different neural connectivity is still a theory that has not been definitively proven. So it is "unprofessional" of him to use his alleged expertise in order to present it as if it is a proven fact.
Geneticist or not, he should know that the nature of autism is still a matter of debate among true experts.
Social Problems in Autism Linked to Extra Neural Connections | Psych Central News
 
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If there isn't a bacteria or virus or other micro-organism involved and can be spread from person to person by contact through gaseous, liquid, or solid state and the symptoms are not cured by nuking said bacteria or virus or micro-organism it is not a disease! *grumble grumble gripe grumble* It's just a genetic difference, like skin, hair, and shape of features. Ours just doesn't play favorites based on evolutionary history.
If I'm diseased, then that guy has asshat disease and needs a serious attitude enema to cure it!
 
This is worse than the latest curing autism with broccoli that I found in the paper the other day.

I don't think anyone with real knowledge would go around talking about it like that. You just encountered a poor internet troll. There are way too many bored and stupid people out there.
 
May Black said:
This is worse than the latest curing autism with broccoli that I found in the paper the other day.

I don't think anyone with real knowledge would go around talking about it like that. You just encountered a poor internet troll. There are way too many bored and stupid people out there.
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At least broccoli is healthy. If it encourages people to eat more broccoli, that's not the most harmful thing out there :rolleyes:
 
If he truly were a geneticist he'd know better then mixing up fact with hypothesis.
His labeling of autism as a disease is a subjective opinion.
It can be the cause of disease, but so can eating letuce.
By his logic, letuce is a disease.
 
I'm sick of these people who just assume something without doing research or asking or even knowing what ASD is!
And I also am pretty angry now. It hurts me that people seem to think that way.
But I probably wouldn't have been so offended if I wasn't as tired as I am.
These are the same sort of people who are homophobic. Just pieces of SH*T.
 
AsheSkyler said:
Man, people will do anything these days to get kids to eat their veggies! :p
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I like veggies, but they need to be fresh! And all that bullcrap about our 'disease' being able to cure' happens here too, in the NL we have a PGB or a ZIN. Which is money from the government to treat you/ give you therapy. And every year you have to ask for a new PGB or ZIN.
Really sad that they don't know something like that can't be cured :(
 
Gosh, and here's me thinking a geneticist would be smarter and more informed than to go online (particularly on YouTube, that great and respected source of science... wait... what?) and spout things that aren't backed up by logical or empirical evidence. Methinks the dude isn't a scientist...
 
Sass said:
Gosh, and here's me thinking a geneticist would be smarter and more informed than to go online (particularly on YouTube, that great and respected source of science... wait... what?) and spout things that aren't backed up by logical or empirical evidence. Methinks the dude isn't a scientist...
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Who knows what "geneticist" (as used by him) even means? Could mean he's a college student studying genetics, for all we know.
 
Ste11aeres said:
Who knows what "geneticist" (as used by him) even means? Could mean he's a college student studying genetics, for all we know.
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You're right, he could well be playing up his position to garner some kind of misplaced respect for his opinion. Either way, he still comes off like a douche!
 
Sass said:
You're right, he could well be playing up his position to garner some kind of misplaced respect for his opinion. Either way, he still comes off like a douche!
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At least he gets none, not from me nor from anyone on this forum.

Just curiosity, but what would happen if you court them because of discrimination, calling us an actual disease?
 
Sander said:
I like veggies, but they need to be fresh! And all that bullcrap about our 'disease' being able to cure' happens here too, in the NL we have a PGB or a ZIN. Which is money from the government to treat you/ give you therapy. And every year you have to ask for a new PGB or ZIN.
Really sad that they don't know something like that can't be cured :(
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True dat. Some symptoms can be eased or reduced, but you're always going to have T568B wiring instead of T568A wiring. (Throwback to when I was taking networking classes and we were working on Cat5 cables.)
 
I don't know if I'm allowed to do this, but I write a blog that examines claims about Asperger's by psychologists and other researchers. I'm a scientist (geology) and can cut through the BullS--- about studies and conclusions. One thing ASD types need to know is that psychology is not a science in the way that physics, chemistry and earth sciences are - their standards do not hold up to actual scientific methods and proof. An example I deal with is the "magic" of empathy. Hope you can check it out: Asperger: The HypoSocial Human | Investigating the Asperger brain as a legacy of ancestral humans
 
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