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What are your controversial opinions regarding the autism spectrum?

Aidan49

Well-Known Member
Mine are:

1. Some people use autism as an excuse for their own bad behaviour.

2. Some people base their self around their disability instead of who they are.

3. There are far too many "parents magically cure their autistic child thanks to a horse/a dog/rain dance" that sets autism back a few decades.

4. Inclusion should never come at the expense of the majority. That includes school and workplace.
 
One thing that really bugs me is people thinking they have any sort of cure for it. THERE IS NO FREAKING CURE. Maybe in the future. But not now.

Worse though is anyone trying to push that cure onto others. I'm not going to drop any names here, but... on a certain other autism forum, there's a certain individual that pretty much goes on about this non-stop. He's sure he "cured" himself, and keeps endlessly trying to push his method (which involves a certain diet and habits) onto basically everyone. This is someone who was NOT diagnosed professionally but instead self-diagnosed, which makes this even more dubious. When warned that his "cure" might not only NOT work for everyone, but could actually lead to unexpected harmful effects (everyone is different after all, some might have very negative reactions to something like what he proposes), his response basically boils down to "NO U" except in 10000 words, and he just keeps going forward. Anyone here who has been to that forum probably knows exactly who I'm talking about.

That's one example, but I've seen so many people try to do this, with increasingly idiotic cures, some of which are outright dangerous.

Now that being said, I do think there really are some things that can be a massive help to some people with autism. For example having a dog as a companion and friend can work wonders for some... I know it helps me more than I could describe. But something like that cant completely remove the "symptoms" of the condition. It simply doesnt work that way.
 
We are actually from the Emerald Planet.

high-council.jpg
 
A kid acts bad at school, disrupts lessons at school and stuff, the Parents just say "Oh he's got that Attention Deficit Disorder", remember Denise on the Royle family? She said about her son on there.
 
I do not believe that basic autism is due to neuropathy, but I believe that the influx of grievous co-morbid conditions is. I even have a viable culprit, but that topic isn't allowed here. (There is a company working on a hypo-allergenic alternative.)
 
1. Some people use autism as an excuse for their own bad behaviour.
Really interesting and tough one here. Obviously, there are certain behaviours that many of us truly cannot help, and for those, we do need to be excused. There are other behaviours that are every easy for many of us find easy to control and fit in with society on, and for those, we should not use ASD as an excuse.

But there's a massive middle ground of things that we can control, but cause us varying degrees of discomfort. To what degree should we be expected to control them? Under what circumstances?

When, and to what degree should those of us who stim be expected to control our stims so we don't look weird?

When, and to what degree should those of us with social difficulties be expected to attend social events so that we fit in with society better?

When, and to what degree, should those of us with sensory issues not quite bad enough to cause meltdowns be expected to put up with loud noises or flashing lights?

It's often very difficult to draw the line between knowing your limits and making excuses, and something that I think many of us struggle with.

2. Some people base their self around their disability instead of who they are.
I don't think this has to be an either/or thing. I have ASD, and it is part of my identity. But it's not my entire identity. ASD is part of who I am, but I am more than just my ASD.
 
Mine are:

1. Some people use autism as an excuse for their own bad behaviour.

2. Some people base their self around their disability instead of who they are.

3. There are far too many "parents magically cure their autistic child thanks to a horse/a dog/rain dance" that sets autism back a few decades.

4. Inclusion should never come at the expense of the majority. That includes school and workplace.
there should be groups for the neurodiverse who despise the concept of 'curing 'autism and the enablers who would accept a 'cure' for autism and the eugenicists who want to eradicate autism.
 
I've noticed at least some aspies seem to view themselves as superior to neurotypical people. I don't believe I'm superior to other people, and I think lacking social skills is more of a detriment than anything else. I don't feel the need to sugar coat anything about it. Also, it seems like referring to people as "NTs" can create an unhealthy us vs. them mentality, like they're aliens or something, when in reality they're just people.
 
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I've noticed at least some aspies seem to view themselves as superior to neurotypical people. I don't believe I'm superior to other people, and I think lacking social skills is more of a detriment than anything else. I don't feel the need to sugar coat anything about it. Also, it seems like referring to people as "NTs" can create an unhealthy us vs. them mentality, like they're aliens or something, when in reality they're just people.

I think it may be a coping mechanism for them?
 
Really interesting and tough one here. Obviously, there are certain behaviours that many of us truly cannot help, and for those, we do need to be excused. There are other behaviours that are every easy for many of us find easy to control and fit in with society on, and for those, we should not use ASD as an excuse.

But there's a massive middle ground of things that we can control, but cause us varying degrees of discomfort. To what degree should we be expected to control them? Under what circumstances?

When, and to what degree should those of us who stim be expected to control our stims so we don't look weird?

When, and to what degree should those of us with social difficulties be expected to attend social events so that we fit in with society better?

When, and to what degree, should those of us with sensory issues not quite bad enough to cause meltdowns be expected to put up with loud noises or flashing lights?

It's often very difficult to draw the line between knowing your limits and making excuses, and something that I think many of us struggle with.


I don't think this has to be an either/or thing. I have ASD, and it is part of my identity. But it's not my entire identity. ASD is part of who I am, but I am more than just my ASD.

I agree, it cam be hard to know what the line is. My feeling is that if you find yourself going up against places or people all the time than maybe autism is not the problem but rather yourself.
 
I think it may be a coping mechanism for them?

That's probably what it is, but it's not a very good coping mechanism. Putting down a whole demographic group isn't cool because it's basically saying that if you belong to that demographic you have no personality, goals, talents, skills, or passions of your own. Your demographic defines who you are. There's definitely plenty of ****** NTs, but they are ****** people who just happen to be NT. Just like there are ****** aspies, but their shittiness is independent of that.
 
My not-so-popular opinions on autism would have to be:
  • I do think a cure, if one is ever invented, should be allowed for aspie adults if they consent to it
  • Seeing stories about an autistic student getting a date for the prom or winning a football game is not really empowering to me. I actually find it patronizing when people make such a huge deal about it because it's basically saying that autistic people aren't really capable of those things or that such things don't happen that often (which is far from the truth for many of us)
  • I don't get that offended when people use "autism" as a joke
 
I hate constantly hearing about other people on the spectrum wanting a cure as well. It seems they think if they get "cured" they'll automatically get a girlfriend or a good job and junk. It's never that that simple. It also really bothers me that so many autistic guys think they absolutely need a girlfriend in order to be happy. And ever since the incel terrorist attack in Toronto, I sometimes even feel nervous or threatened when they start trashing women in general.:coldsweat:
 
My not-so-popular opinions on autism would have to be:
  • I do think a cure, if one is ever invented, should be allowed for aspie adults if they consent to it
  • Seeing stories about an autistic student getting a date for the prom or winning a football game is not really empowering to me. I actually find it patronizing when people make such a huge deal about it because it's basically saying that autistic people aren't really capable of those things or that such things don't happen that often (which is far from the truth for many of us)
  • I don't get that offended when people use "autism" as a joke

I agree that the second one is really patronizing.
 
That there are those who seem way too high functioning to be autistic. It gets to the point where autism seems insignificant.
 
I had my grandfather’s wife once say to my aunt that my Aspergers is just a excuse,mind you that this lady and my grandfather were not part of my life while growing and before my aunt told them that I am on the spectrum they never even heard about Aspergers before,It did hurt me when my aunt told me what was said but then again these people wouldn’t even be able to recognise me if I walked passed them in the street.
 
do you mean like the self diagnosed?

I mean those who say they have a diagnosis. They do a lot of talking about themselves in forums and videos. And it's like where's the autism? Has the spectrum stretched to the point where autism traits are virtually nonexistent? What's the point in that?
 
I mean those who say they have a diagnosis. They do a lot of talking about themselves in forums and videos. And it's like where's the autism? Has the spectrum stretched to the point where autism traits are virtually nonexistent? What's the point in that?

ah ok.
 

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