Poll 6: Are autistics obliged to become more normal?

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Do you think that you and other autistics are obliged to make an effort to be more "normal" and to "fit in" around society and others' expectations?


Option A
I think that I should to try and act as normal people do, autistics not doing this should have compulsory activities such as learning how to communicate normally (i.e. making "appropriate" eye contact), being exposed to loud noises whilst growing up to condition them (such as in this thread: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt158252.html), compulsory "support into work" when they are older to help them to be more normal and to join in with society, ultimately making them more normal; the way people are supposed to be, and so making them happier.


Option B
I think that autistics should be educated in a way that suits them and have a tolerable amount of soft guided input whilst growing up to help them to communicate, most importantly to help give them a voice of their own, but overall they should not be forced to change who they are and normal people who do not accept this need to have lessons about neurological diversity so that they, and ultimately society can become less intolerant and can offer a lot more to people who are not neuro-typical, in addition to accepting them as they are; as different yet equals


Option C
I mostly disagree with both options and have a different opinion which I have written about below

I've picked Option C, because I have an opinion that agrees with some things from Option A and some things from Option B.

I believe that society should become less intolerant of Aspies and Autists and that more people should learn how to understand Aspies and Autists, but at the same time, not everyone is ever going to be tolerant and understanding of us. That is why I think it is important for Aspies and Autists to try and become as NT as possible, while still being proud of being "different". I don't think it should be "compulsory", as you put it in Option A, for Aspies and Autistic people to become used to noise and NT behaviours, as that is not the way to learn. Even normal people hate noise and other NT people! I think the best thing is for Aspies to work on their strengths, as well as to understand NT people and communicate well with NT people for their needs and wants.

I had to go with B, that sounds like the best option.......option A did not sound good at all especially being exposed to loud noises, Its not like there aren't plenty of loud noises in life already.

thanks for sharing your opinions

There is no such thing as "normal". It is just an illusion that people chase.
Who would want a boring, homogenous world where everyone was "normal"?

I think NTs need to be educated that Autistics are people too.

Option C

Certain people will never truly blend in. Believe or not, there are career paths that are ASD-friendly (or at least accommodating), so for those with autistic spectrum disorders, all is not lost.

I strongly disagree with Option A, which forces autistics into stressful situations. Option B is no better - if you studied American history, you should know that "separate but equal" does not work.

Redacted

A little from column A, a little from column B. While I think that there needs to be social skills training for the people who would like it (since we are raised in a majority NT world), I really think that autistic people need to have spaces where they can break free and be completely themselves (i.e. in autistic-run groups, and around others on the spectrum).

I pick option C because I think Autistics should be allowed to be how they are & NOT have to change anything. But I also do NOT think autistics should be living in an NT world. We should be living on the Rite Planet or some kind of non NT society so we would not to deal with NTs. The problem with us is that we are different from NTs & this is an NT world. We should NOT except NTs to change their world for us anymore than NTs should expect us to quit being autistic

I chose option C because it's not so black-and-white.

I do not believe in an NT-world as being a uniform society, or non-autistic people being of a uniform mindset or set of behaviours. Non-autistics, too, struggle to find their own personal place in this world that takes them as they are. Face the dilemma of keeping their integrity and making compromises to co-exist with everyone else in the world.

The particular challenges we face as autistics... I am a great supporter of what you write in the first lines of 'option B': suitable education, soft guided input, help with communication, and not being forced into the so-called 'accepted' social structures. That's also what I got in my childhood, and it's provided me with the strength and self-determination I have now.

At the same time, I'd accept the main gist of 'option A', in the case of HFA's (and HFAspies), to train our social skills to resemble the general social codes that everyone adheres to. Like I said above, I don't think there's one single, monolithical neurotypical social code* that's opposed to autism, but rather a set of social codes that is built by every individual in society. And I think we each of us can contribute to that, IF we want to. I'm not advocating making a hobby out of socialising, because I prefer my privacy more than the average person, too, and I can be very difficult for a lot of people to relate to. But I have found that I've very little to lose in trying.

*not to mention there are many societies per country, per city, per religion, per people, and numerous subcultures as well.

I'm between Option A and B because my mother did option A with me by exposing me to noisy places by taking me to them over and over so I get used to it. I also had speech therapy and was taught how to talk.


Also define "who you are?" If it means like what your interests are or what you like or what you don't like and what you enjoy doing, no that shouldn't change. If you mean who you are by what problems you have and what issues you have and it doesn't matter if it effects other people around you or if it makes your life harder, I don't agree there that that shouldn't change If my mother never changed "who I am" then I would have never learned to talk or never been given speech therapy or occupational therapy or even seen a shrink.

I'd say "B" is the ideal, but realistically, most are going to have to do some amount of "A," too.

In a perfect world, "A" would be modified so that people are pushed just below to where it becomes deleterious to them (or otherwise to where the cost-benefit ratio makes it worth it, and it's sustainable). The problem is with people judging where that point is. Some people will have a "must make autistics as NT as possible" view, and others will have a hard time gauging autistic stress levels (or misinterpret shutdowns, meltdowns, etc.)