All you need is Love....and that doesn't change w/ ASD

Post Reply New Topic

The Beatles got it right when they sang, "All you need is love...love is all you need." Our primary goal in life is to LOVE AND BE LOVED and this doesn't change when you are born with the neurological differences associated with autism. As an autism professional, I am tired of the myths that people on the spectrum do not want and need relationships. I also think that the discussions about 'compliance' and 'decreasing behavior' seem so very limiting and undignified. So, I have organized a new conference called LOVE & AUTISM: A Conference with Heart with experts both spectrum and nuerotypical sharing a 360 view of love as it relates to ASD.

LOVE is survival, from the cradle to the grave
Health relationships makes everything easier- transition, work, school, etc
Love is our primary goal in life

I would LOVE to hear from, what is more important for you, love or compliance?

Love's basically all I'm concerned with. I can program for money all year, indeed I actually love programming but I'm an extroverted aspie who loves more or less everyone - I have my limits but I usually find that I might simply be viewing love on timescales irrelevant to NTs...

Welcome to WP Jenny.

I think what you are doing is really great and is long overdue. I am also an "extroverted Aspie" like Cberg. I love people but just find it can be exhausting to be around them for periods of time. I also have very deep bonds with the people that I love who love me. These bonds run so deep and so intense that it can be difficult for people to understand them. I think a lot of us have that issue. And because of the myths that Autistic people don't bond with other people, some Autistic people actually don't, but some do and do so very very deeply, it can be really hard for people to get how easily hurt and damaged I can become when others don't realize how much I bond to the people I do and how my kind of bonding is different from typical people my age. So I am glad that you are taking this on and hopefully it will help others learn more about how it can be for us.

You're forgetting one important thing. It's not so much that they don't want it or need it, quite the opposite. It that they can't get it. Love is a fragile thing that require both trust and self esteem. Two luxuries that a person on the spectrum simply can't afford. especially if you got sensory issues.

It's like all those god damn Christians out there. Always teaching (uh-hm, preaching) that "god is love" and yet, you walk in to those churches and they still treat you like some f**king freak. <sarcasm> Godda love it! </sarcasm>

YA!! Those motherf**king NT out there. You show them love and gratitude with your talents and what do they give you in return. Ya! it's kinda funny how that works.

I'm not really interested in love or in being loved. And I'm interested in several other things. All you need my ass. (I don't mean to offend, but this is a way too overused cliché.)

I've given up on love of a "personal" sort -- I'm just not cut out for it, I don't believe. Love is something you can have in your heart and still be happy all by yourself, whether it's trekking down a mountain trail or watching an amazing sunset. Of course, it's can be nice to share these things with other people. But it shouldn't be a "need."

What is compliance?

I'm happy without a romantic relationship and don't believe that's my purpose in life, but I don't want to avoid having one, either.

I'm conflicted on this because I try and convince myself that I don't want to be loved because I am grossed out by making and having children and stuff but then again I love r'shipping and I think some things are romantic like hugs and holding hands

There are all kinds of ways to love and be loved and many of them do not involve making and having children. Some of the most loving and powerful bonds are 100% platonic.

funnyt because a fair few beatles were awful awful awful to the people who loved them.

love is important, but isn't all you need. also food. water. shelter, warmth&cooling, and if Viktor Frankel is right some sort of entertainment/art.

the event sounds like a good idea though.

I concur with this, though I generally avoid relationships as I've never had one and change freaks me out.

GIYS! GUYS! What make you think that love just means romance, sex and marriage. JennyPalmiotto was referring to the other kinds of love out there. BTW: To avoid further confusion in this matter. If the love that you are referring to is of the romantic kind. please make sure that you state so.

Me too.

The concept of love has been perfected by The Beatles in 1967. When I think about love, I think about The Beatles. This is how I relate to the word, love. Love is something that we all need, no matter who we are or how we present ourselves.