Awareness of Asperger - Autism

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Awareness of Asperger - Autism vs Doing something about it?

Has anyone momentarily struggled with the idea that Asperger - Autism (etc.) can often only be recognized vs something which can be, so to say, partially alleviated/whatever?

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Web definitions for alleviate

relieve: provide physical relief, as from pain; "This pill will relieve your headaches"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn - Definition in context

(Google - 09-28-2010)

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Also, generally speaking, are you under the impression that the news media/the medical and psychological guilds frequently tend to try to sell the (false) idea that if you see a professional about Asperger - Autism, the professional will easily make things much better for everyone right away (due to extensive training over many years and knowledge in this area)?

Or were you under the impression that seeing a professional would simply result in an (automatic disorder) label like Asperger - Autism and that would be the entire extent of the whole process, that is, the professional would clearly say something like the professions have no answers at all to Asperger - Autism - other than to slap a label on the disorder and charge a fee for that?

Or what?

Experiences?

Views?

Tony Attwood states that the cure for autism is very simple - go into your own room and shut the door. Without a social context, many autistic symptoms have no meaning.

I'd much rather be quirky, than normal.

I have had no luck with any "professionals", and one experience was particularly bad that I deeply regret, despite my good intentions. Most "professionals' give me the therapy in a box and send me home, and charge me thousands of dollars to tell me what I already know, or tell me what I know is NOT true as though they know my child they met an hour ago.

I help my son cope with the world by giving him tools to navigate it. I don't try to change him, or do the "therapies" that people give me to do. I take what I read and learn and use what works for whatever the challenge is for him, him individually.

Awareness and acceptance is the best therapy out there.

No, I do not need my personality alleviated.

"You don't suffer from Asperger's, you suffer from the ignorance of others"

But it's not true that autism / asperger's cannot be partly alleviated. Okay, you can't give someone a drug to make things better. It's a working and learning thing, not a let the doctor do it to you thing. But it's not like, you have it, you are stuck with it, and nothing related to your autism will ever change.

People with autism can grow and change just like everyone else. And in some cases, many cases, that will mean a lessening of diagnosis related symptoms. (That is, the symptoms that make it a disorder, not just a difference.)

How much that's possible will vary a lot. But to say it can't even be partially alleviated is to ignore the very real positive changes that people with an autism or asperger's diagnosis (or who could have one, or could have had one) have made for themselves in their lives.

I agree. And (just in case it wasn't clear), that's certainly not what I meant in my above post.

There are aspects of autism and asperger's that are who we are, and not things we want to change or should have to change.

And there are aspects that, well, are things we would like to, and in some cases can change.

I prefer to think in terms of learning and growing and adding to ones repertoire of possible choices rather than "alleviate" or any such word.

Thinking of myself, the isolation I felt, I experienced, and that I'm so glad to not experience anymore, to say it was alleviated, well it's in a way right, but, better to say, I learned skills, I learned about myself, I learned to see myself differently, and I found a social circle where I can use what I've learned and be myself and fit in.


I guess the main point of what I'm saying in these two posts is: If there are aspects of your autism that you would like changed, don't just assume you can't. Learn what you can and can't change. Not just generically what tends to be true for people with autism, but for you personally. Find your own limits. Know that while you won't be a normal ordinary person, you can learn and grown, and, hey, there's a good side to not being normal/ordinary.

And if you don't want to change anything, well, at least recognize that someone who does want to change isn't necessary being untrue to who they are. They may very well be working on becoming more fully themself, in the fullest way possible.