illness?

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Illness? You mean, the way that left-handedness used to be considered an illness? (a claim which was, long ago, used to decide that you had to "cure" the "sufferer" of left-handedness before you could teach him/her anything)

I don't see autism as an illness, at all. Nor do I wish, for a cure.

No, I don't see AS as an illness. Its an alternative neurological condition. These days its seen as a 'disorder', but how much a handicap it is probably depends on the culture one finds oneself in. In some times and places, we might fit in just fine, or even better than what's considered 'neurotypical' in modern Western culture. I suspect a lot of shamanic types, who are often revered because of their different perspective, may well be high functioning Autistics.

Director Kevin Smith calls his production company 'View Askew' - I doubt he named it with Autism in mind, but I think its a perfect description of the Autistic condition. God knows Jay of Jay & Silent Bob is out of touch with what's going on in anyone's head other than his own. Snoogans.





Like I ever drove before....

For the majority of us no. I do think there is point where it becomes severe enough to be called one.

The best thing I can think to like it to is Gigantism. Being tall isn't a disease, being REALLY tall isn't a disease, but eventually you get too tall and it starts messing with your heart and a bunch of other issues pop up.

The problem is we really don't want to take the people with severe Autism/Aspergers and relabel them. You devalue them as human beings, making it seam like they're worth less then the rest of us. But because we don't, everyones getting lumped in the same boat when we discuss this issue. Frankly we can't really win on this one.

AS is NOT an illness. if it weren't for us (the people not just with AS, but other syndromes) the world would be bland, One-color, also if it weren't for us, everyone would be the same.

What Willard said ^^^

"Alterneuroparadigm"

Just coined a new word! It's mine! Mine, all mine I tell ya!

Nonsense. We don't have a monopoly on uniqueness, and being socially ret*d, obsessive, twitchy and with the organisational skills of a 10-year-old doesn't make a person automatically more interesting.

I had no idea I was so bad off! Thanks so much for clearing that up for me.

The only thing I mentioned that isn't in the diagnostic criteria is the poor organisational skills, and executive dysfunction is so often seen in AS that I don't know why it isn't part of the criteria.

If you aren't signficantly socially impaired, not obsessive and you don't have repetitive motor movements, then might I ask why you think you have an ASD?

Actually, none of the terms you used appear in the DSM, but it doesn't really matter. I understood what you meant. I just thought it was kind of comical the way you put it.

They appear in slightly more... polite language.

Yeah, my first reaction was "WTF?" but then I "saw" it. I think I like your "PI" version better.

Last edited by MrXxx on 06 Sep 2010, 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I uphold my view of autism as a difference, not a defect. I have been around more "severe" autistics lately. If they are "ill" and in need of a cure, it is odd that they were smiling and seemingly enjoying themselves while many of the NTs were griping about their life and how depressed they were. Who's "ill" now???

I am proud to be autistic. I fear that if reincarnation is real that I might come back as an NT. I would want to come back autistic as I am now.