Written thing i like

[the_tortoise]

Is autism a disability? - Isla's Voice

I particularly like how well the author talks about the stigma and negative connotations of the word “disability” being, at least sometimes, the real issue.

I firmly believe that the problem of how autistic people are marginalized in society is not saying that autism can be/is a disability, at least for some of us (for myself it is a disability, regardless of whatever gifts it may also bring), but all the emotional baggage and stigma attached to disability itself.

 

[Thinx]

Well I think part of the problem is that autism is a huge category, and I can't really see how we can possibly generalise across that category, any more than generalising about non autistic people.

Also, and although I totally get the point this person is making, I think it's hard to embrace the word disability even if you believe it to be true of yourself, because it has become a word/ category that is stigmatised. Society is ablist.

I can imagine one of the people this person is critiquing might write an equally heartfelt blog about the burden of being labelled disabled, and especially if they don't need to rely on support or benefits, wanting recognition of their strengths and abilities instead of this stigma.

I wonder if it would be best for all of us to acknowledge and respect each others varying positions and views, given the breadth of the spectrum that is currently called autism.

 

[the_tortoise]

I get that it is hard to do but I believe it is better for everyone in the long run to fight the stigma, to fight for people of all ability levels to have their strengths and gifts recognized, than to try to distance yourself from the word “disability” when your impairments/differences are milder and leave all the stigma for people who are more or more visibly impaired/different.

I also think it is a risky thing to say “I am just different” if you want it recognized that you have hard limitations or aspects of your cognition or sensory or emotional processing that you cant change and didnt choose, because some people have a hard enough time comprehending that different ability levels or different types of cognitive processing abilities and different cognitive profiles even exist. Disability is not something people choose, but sometimes being different is a choice....people already don’t get it that autism is not chosen when it is being defined clearly (and officially that is the only way it is defined, in diagnostic criteria) as a disability. (This is not the only nor main reason I think it is better for everyone in the long run but it is one very small thing I can sort of put into words.)

 

[Thinx]

I m not sure that people with milder effects get a good deal, for example I have struggled all my life with social relating and being ahem quirky and different, there isn't support or assistance with this, but the upside is the abilities and being independent. Solidarity is good though, I agree.

I would also wonder if the young person here being described as disabled feels the same way as her mum about it, this is a view from a neurotypical parent I think?

 

[the_tortoise]

I m not sure that people with milder effects get a good deal, for example I have struggled all my life with social relating and being ahem quirky and different, there isn't support or assistance with this, but the upside is the abilities and being independent. Solidarity is good though, I agree.

I would also wonder if the young person here being described as disabled feels the same way as her mum about it, this is a view from a neurotypical parent I think?

I don’t dont think any of us get a good deal.

And I don’t think its likely that support for difficulties will be more forthcoming if you say they are just differences and not disabilities....I suspect the opposite is more likely.

I would also be curious about what the child in question thinks. When I was a child I would never have accepted the idea that I was disabled, because the stigma was clear to me even before I knew the word or had a clear concept of what it was. I just knew it was bad news to have anything “wrong with you”....people would treat you differently in a bad way, and try to fix you in ways that fixed nothing and were just confusing and/or unpleasant. Also that it meant doctors and I was terrified of doctors (still am).

 

[Wolfnox]

I think the word disabled is a very weighty word. For both us and the "normal" people. For us i think its describing a limitation we already know about or learn about. For everyone else. I think they see it threw the lense of what they have experienced or heard about that word. Usually a physical disability or chronic sickness. For the longest ptsd or shell shock was thought to be cowardice. That it could be overcome threw simple courage.

 

[jorgealarcon]

Perception about certain health conditions usually change when more is learned about them with additional research.

Have you heard about the link between autism and CFS?

 

[the_tortoise]

Have you heard about the link between autism and CFS?

That source does not appear meet my standards of “reliable” and I’m not paying 30 dollars to find out if my initial evaluation is incorrect.

But when I googled the proposed link i found this:
Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome do not score higher on the autism-spectrum quotient than healthy controls: Comparison with autism spectrum dis... - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Shamar]

Is autism a disability? - Isla's Voice

I particularly like how well the author talks about the stigma and negative connotations of the word “disability” being, at least sometimes, the real issue.

I firmly believe that the problem of how autistic people are marginalized in society is not saying that autism can be/is a disability, at least for some of us (for myself it is a disability, regardless of whatever gifts it may also bring), but all the emotional baggage and stigma attached to disability itself.

Interesting take on things. It sort of begs the question : is autism a disability? According to Social Security, yes and no. I have no problem with benefits to a truly disabled person. Does ability to work but inability to find a job constitute a disability? According to them, a disability is something that prevents a person from working. When I was diagnosed, I applied for disability benefits, since I was unable to find a job due to my autism and they listed autism as a disability. I was denied because I had worked having autism, therefor it was not a disability. Either autism is a disability or it is not. Take for example a blind person. There are blind people who have jobs; I personally know two. If they stopped working and applied for benefits, would they be denied because they had worked while blind? Very doubtful. There are a lot of paraplegics out who work. Would they be denied if they stopped working? I don't think so. In fact, I think in both these cases they can actually receive benefits while working. Yet autism, which is officially listed by Social Security as a disability (nothing about level of severity) does not apply.

I don't consider myself to be disabled, as such. I do consider myself to be ignored, dismissed, shunned, mistreated and stigmatized to the point where I might as well be

 

[Streetwise]

Is autism a disability? - Isla's Voice

I particularly like how well the author talks about the stigma and negative connotations of the word “disability” being, at least sometimes, the real issue.

I firmly believe that the problem of how autistic people are marginalized in society is not saying that autism can be/is a disability, at least for some of us (for myself it is a disability, regardless of whatever gifts it may also bring), but all the emotional baggage and stigma attached to disability itself.

I don’t think autism is a disability, I think we live in a very selfish world ,if it was just nature no agriculture ,technology , the way we are would be the norm ,we would be the majority .

 

[the_tortoise]

This, talks about how disability and difference are not mutually exclusive:

Is Autism a Disability or a Difference?