Board index › General Discussion › General Autism Discussion

What if Aspies were available from all good toy stores?

Page 1 of 2 [ 17 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

Previous topic | Next topic

acousticvalley
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 95

03 Oct 2005, 5:55 am

...



Last edited by acousticvalley on 09 Nov 2005, 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Serissa
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,571

03 Oct 2005, 7:07 am

acousticvalley wrote:
Imagine if, we, the Asperger's community, got more exposure, and a toy company decided to make Aspie figures or dolls to raise awareness and understanding of children with Asperger's to non-Asperger's children. What features would you want the figure or doll to have?

No affect- it goes without saying. I think they shuld have pull-string versions, "Perseverators" each with a different interest (one could be fish, one could be parts of an engine, anyting). If they have friends (which I think they should, a few) they should have mechanisms ni the eyes which interact to make the eyes never meet.



MishLuvsHer2Boys
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Oct 2004
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,491
Location: Canada

03 Oct 2005, 7:24 am

Considering everyone on the autism spectrum is unique whether they have Autism or Aspergers, there is very little you could put in a 'toy' or a 'doll' that would ever accurately reflect what it is like to be an individual on the autism spectrum. First of all there is no distinctive look to those on the autism spectrum like there is with Down Syndrome, so we don't really look any different than anyone else, secondly, it'd be extremely difficult without years and all of research into some form of technology that can accurately reproduce behaviors/deficits etc. and lastly, even if you could get some behaviors in there... you'd be creating an ever bigger stereotype as non-autistics tend to look at general myths etc. and all as fact and would look at us as they already do... rocking, banging head, etc. because you wouldn't capture all the uniqueness of limited interests, stimming, etc. we all have even on this forum it's easy to see that there is no one individual that is truly able to be compared to another individual on the forum.

If anything, I think it'd just increase the general non-autistic population's propensity to generalize and stereotype on very little fact and more towards believing myths when it comes to us.

If you want to increase awareness, it has to be the human beings affected by it to truly represent it, not some toy.



acousticvalley
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 95

03 Oct 2005, 8:33 am

...



Last edited by acousticvalley on 09 Nov 2005, 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

MishLuvsHer2Boys
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Oct 2004
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,491
Location: Canada

03 Oct 2005, 8:59 am

Thing is not everyone with AS/Autism has poor eye contact. So that would just be another stereotype perpetuated. At times my oldest son (HFA) has better eye contact than I do.



lowfreq50
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 May 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,536
Location: Gainesville, Florida

03 Oct 2005, 11:21 am

MishLuvsHer2Boys wrote:
Considering everyone on the autism spectrum is unique whether they have Autism or Aspergers, there is very little you could put in a 'toy' or a 'doll' that would ever accurately reflect what it is like to be an individual on the autism spectrum. First of all there is no distinctive look to those on the autism spectrum like there is with Down Syndrome, so we don't really look any different than anyone else, secondly, it'd be extremely difficult without years and all of research into some form of technology that can accurately reproduce behaviors/deficits etc. and lastly, even if you could get some behaviors in there... you'd be creating an ever bigger stereotype as non-autistics tend to look at general myths etc. and all as fact and would look at us as they already do... rocking, banging head, etc. because you wouldn't capture all the uniqueness of limited interests, stimming, etc. we all have even on this forum it's easy to see that there is no one individual that is truly able to be compared to another individual on the forum.

If anything, I think it'd just increase the general non-autistic population's propensity to generalize and stereotype on very little fact and more towards believing myths when it comes to us.

If you want to increase awareness, it has to be the human beings affected by it to truly represent it, not some toy.


Agreed. There is no real "look" of Aspergers/Austism. If you were to just see me, like at work, you wouldn't even consider the possibility that there might be something different about my mind. Of course, once you did talk to me it would become noticable. Even then it's not very noticable except to people who have experience with autism. I come across in general as "a litte eccentric but an alright guy."



acousticvalley
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 95

03 Oct 2005, 11:31 am

...



Last edited by acousticvalley on 09 Nov 2005, 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

hale_bopp
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Nov 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 17,054
Location: None

03 Oct 2005, 1:03 pm

Mine would avoid eye contact, but sometimes not.

It would say random stuff on a pull string, and uh.. I don't really know how else you could put your personal features into a doll.



monastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 724
Location: Indiana

03 Oct 2005, 1:14 pm

I suppose if it were a doll designed to be like me (since I can't speak for all autistics) it would have to have an awfully long pull string so that it could say everything that I so evidently need to say. (Me seems to monologue a bit) :lol:


_________________
Compressing the most words into the smallest ideas possible.

In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act. - George Orwell


NeantHumain
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jun 2004
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,837
Location: St. Louis, Missouri

03 Oct 2005, 1:54 pm

I'd prefer a Saturday morning cartoon show; but this could expand into a line of toys, too! :lol:

I like Serissa's idea of calling it the Perseverators! It sounds action packed.

Here's a jingle for it (words set to the theme song of classic late 1980s/early 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

Teh Jingle! wrote:
High-functioning autistic individuals
Asperger's little kid professors!
Boy and girl genius calculators!

They're Aspie, and they perseverate!
Perseverators!

Okay, the jingle needs some work.



Sean
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Apr 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,505

03 Oct 2005, 2:22 pm

acousticvalley wrote:
Imagine if, we, the Asperger's community, got more exposure, and a toy company decided to make Aspie figures or dolls to raise awareness and understanding of children with Asperger's to non-Asperger's children. What features would you want the figure or doll to have?

It really doesn't matter what features the toy had. Kids would just use it as something for the GI Joe's to fight anyway. :P



monastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 724
Location: Indiana

03 Oct 2005, 2:57 pm

Yeah, I like the idea of being an action figure way better than the thought of being just a doll.

Quote:
It really doesn't matter what features the toy had. Kids would just use it as something for the GI Joe's to fight anyway


I just know I could whoop up on some GI Joe Butt too :lol:


_________________
Compressing the most words into the smallest ideas possible.

In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act. - George Orwell


fahreeq
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Gender: Female
Posts: 590

03 Oct 2005, 5:26 pm

I'm not being entirely serious, so please bear with me...

I'd have a series of dolls, like Barbie dolls. We could have Perseveration Aspie, Vacation Aspie, Meltdown Aspie, and many others. They could each capture a particular trait or set of traits. Playsets, including fun stuff like crowded shopping malls, slimy food, or books on obscure subjects would be sold separately.
8)



DrizzleMan
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 887

03 Oct 2005, 6:23 pm

NeantHumain wrote:
I'd prefer a Saturday morning cartoon show; but this could expand into a line of toys, too! :lol:

I like Serissa's idea of calling it the Perseverators! It sounds action packed.

Here's a jingle for it (words set to the theme song of classic late 1980s/early 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
Teh Jingle! wrote:
High-functioning autistic individuals
Asperger's little kid professors!
Boy and girl genius calculators!

They're Aspie, and they perseverate!
Perseverators!

Okay, the jingle needs some work.


Teh Jingle fails to scan :wink:


_________________
The plural of platypus.


nirrti_rachelle
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Age: 49
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,302
Location: The Dirty South

03 Oct 2005, 7:35 pm

fahreeq wrote:
I'm not being entirely serious, so please bear with me...

I'd have a series of dolls, like Barbie dolls. We could have Perseveration Aspie, Vacation Aspie, Meltdown Aspie, and many others. They could each capture a particular trait or set of traits. Playsets, including fun stuff like crowded shopping malls, slimy food, or books on obscure subjects would be sold separately.
8)


And, of course, you have to have at least one black doll for diversity sake. How about one like me with super-comfortable wardrobe included (no high hells,....er um, heels). My doll will also make no sound when you pull the string and have hand-flapping action.


_________________
"There is difference and there is power. And who holds the power decides the meaning of the difference." --June Jordan


monastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 724
Location: Indiana

03 Oct 2005, 9:02 pm

:lol: :lol: nirrti_rachelle :lol: :lol: So funny - I love it


_________________
Compressing the most words into the smallest ideas possible.

In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act. - George Orwell