How do I describe the term "curebie" to a layman?

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Yeah, that's it! WAY less cool.

EDIT: Never mind, I agree with Fnord and Ganondox.

I agree. Sign language is potentially an open field and for some children, and probably adults, too, a real opportunity.

In a similar way, parents might introduce a child to several different sports and one might peak the child's interest.

Or, introduce a child to several different types of art, and the child might really jump in with one or several.

So, with communication, try different things with a light touch, including sign language, including typing on laptap keyboard (laptop screens don't flicker like desktops). And with adults, too. Sure, why not.

A "curebie" is someone who supports research into finding a cure for ASDs.

Hurray for giving the first nonbiased answer.

I support research into finding a "cure" for autism as long as even 1% of autistics wish to become NTs, who the hell are we to tell them that they should be happy with their lot?
I don't support forced cures...obviously....well I guess it isn't that obvious given what's been said.

A biased answer is required due to the way curebie is being used here. Otherwise we need to beat you with said stick.

If you need to claim that your statement is non-biased, and particularly that it is 'the first non-biased answer', then that can only mean that your statement is, in fact, very much biased.

People tend to only recognize bias in others, not in themselves.

Care to walk me through that logic - step by step?

I'll tell you exactly why: Because they believe in treating autism for the comfort and convenience of neurotypical persons, not for the actual functioning, happiness, or well-being of autistic persons.

I didn't know the word until just now, but curebies damn near killed me.

Where do I get a (mostly) metaphorical "curebie beating stick" of my very own??? It needs to be a big, strong, high-quality, ergonomic stick. I run into a lot of curebies.

Maybe we're people who believe it's better to be proud of being who you are rather than feel ashamed and embarrassed? How do you feel about people saying there should be a "cure" for being gay? That's considered just as offensive to most gay people as we find the idea of a "cure" for autism. In both cases, the sentiment overwhelmingly comes from people on the outside, who care more for what others think of them than how they feel about themselves. I, personally, think that giving up what you feel is best in favor of peer pressure is a very unhealthy and dangerous way to go. If nobody ever dared to view things from a different perspective and challenged "normal" ideas, the world would be a very different, sad place.

Not to mention, how many parents of autistic children who can't understand what's going on would happily jump onto the "just cure them!" bandwagon? Like I said, these are people who care more about what others think of them than their own well-being, let alone however their child (who probably can't express themselves well) feels about it. All they see is a difficult child that does embarrassing things. I'm pretty sure that, if my mom had known I have Asperger's and there was a cure when I was a kid, she would've had it administered to me just to stop my tantrums and "attitude problems." I might've grown up to become the exact kind of person who disgusts me! I love being myself, others love me for being myself (even my mom nowadays); but if there were a cure I fear there would be too many "trigger-happy" parents willing to do anything just to get their child to act the way they wish they would, sacrificing what could be a bright, talented, one-of-a-kind person in the future.

Kinda reminds me of X-men with human society wanting the mutants to be cured. Think of us Aspies as the mutants lol only we dont have any powers except maybe great talent in certain or multiple areas.

Exactly! We're not even a threat. (Well, people who like controlling others with peer/societal pressure may have trouble with us, so we're only a threat to those that are already a threat to everyone. )

Some people do view us as a threat precisely because we tend to be nonconformists. For example in unhealthy workplaces that don't operate according to reality principle but instead just a bunch of fictions, we probably won't be appreciated. (but there are even ways to finesse these work environments, but won't work all the time. Kind of like playing poker, get the odds more in your favor, still far from a sure thing)

I'm kind of an optimist on skill sets and the future.

I think we will be accepted as readily as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons, probably within . . . ten years?

I prefer the general approach of engagement, not conformity.

The one problem I have with this is because there are some people who are seriously depressed and unhappy, have seizures because of the occasional link to epilepsy, or manic depression because of the link to bipolar disorder [which, according to my friends, kinda sucks]. Not everyone can handle it. However, I'm paranoid about the expectation that people on the spectrum be cured, as it would create greater stigma for those who don't wish to change. I'd hate to be diagnosed as my current age and be told, "You'd better take this so you can get cured," by a parent or a teacher or a doctor. Especially because I don't want to be cured. =P

Exactly, it's tricky. I wouldn't be surprised if (in the world where a "cure" exists,) insurance companies (or whoever) were to decide to make it a requirement, like, "If you take the cure, your insurance costs will go down by 75%", or, "Unless you take this, we won't cover your trips to the therapist", etc. Even if imposing a federal law is considered illegal, there can still be tons of pressure put on us in other ways to accept the change. That's a really scary thought.