obama/secHHS committee

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At Autism Speaks there is an article about SAs EVP Jim Bell being appointed to HHSs committee on people with "INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES". The federal government seems to be refering, extremely offensively I might say, to Aspies, Autistics and some others as "disabaled" and inferior to them!

Anyone else find this wrong in the extreme? What are these supposedly "inclusive" "sensetive" ... doing? I would say this is not a simple mistake. There are those "on the spectrum" that are extremely intelligent, much more so than these so-called NTs. This type of language can and will be used against people when it is convenient for certain factions to do so.

The term "intellectual disabilities" is not only offensive in the extreme it has very possible very negative conotations as well. This label of "disability" can be very damaging and selectively used against individuals. This situation is absolutely unacceptable!

I wouldn't get too worried about the terminology.

On the plus side, if the government brands the whole spectrum as "disabled" then maybe everyone who is diagnosed will receive some sort of financial compensation (for fairness or something). I would just take the money and laugh at their ignorance.

That's because intellectual disabilities are negative. Stop worshiping super intelligent people. They have no higher virtue.

It's simply inaccurate and misleading. Intellectual disability is a euphemism for mental retardation; autism is not an intellectual disability, and whoever said Aspergers is one can go f**k themselves. Technically Autism is not a mental disability either, it's a developemental disability/disorder. Now where is the source for this article?

I am certainly not intellectually disabled. That is most able aspect of my being (a stark contrast with the emotional and social).The terminology is bunk.

Intellectually disabled?

I'm not that far away from certified genius. I am most definitely NOT intellectually disabled.

What goits.

It is an intellectual disability. Don't take the term so seriously kids.

What? What does seriousness have to do with accuracy?... and why so patronizing? Aren't you 20?

It is accurate. And you guys are taking it too seriously.

Intellect in a different manner. Lacking social intellect, I guess.

As for how it affects people, well, it'd depend. You know, you can't be "disabled" one minute, and then "able" the next, unfortunately, you sorta gotta pick one camp and stick with it.

As for what I think of this, well, it'd depend on what's in it for me. If my DX could allow me to just get free money from the government until it's eventual collapse, it's tempting, hell I have that proposition right now with trying to apply for SSI. It's tempting, but I'd honestly feel guilty about it, as I'm physically healthy, intellectually reasonably smart, just I have little problems that seem to ruin jobs and stuff. So, this is an issue I gotta deal with on my own, just within the current system. So if things change in the terminology or practice, it'd be interesting to see. But, I do feel guilty about taking a handout from the government, as I don't feel deserving of one, and I'm always deadset on being self sufficient at absolutely everything I do ever, almost obsessively. I don't like being helpless, weak, etc.

But yeah, this committee, it's reasonable I guess. We really do gotta figure out what we as a society have to do with all these odd people, Aspergers, ADHD, etc, that can be VERY gifted, but at the same time, their gifts seem to cancel out by the curses that come with them. But in reality, I've never really seen a committee like this do anything meaningful at all ever, and Ronald Reagan summed up what I think of the government in general "helping" with anything.

I can't tell which argument you're trying to make here. On the one hand, you say it is unimportant what they call it. On the other, you suggest that it is important we understand that it must be classified as such. What?

Important to get it right. But it's not a big deal.

Sorry, what I mean is, it's important that we as a society figure it out, just I don't think this committee itself is important, as I don't think the government ever really does much right ever, and I doubt will figure this out right.

It is sort of important that we as a society figure out roles for people with Aspergers, ADHD, etc, but, I kinda doubt it'll happen very soon. Society would have to change too much, and really, because of the more psychological nature of such disorders, if there's money involved, ie, increase of disability payments to Aspergers/ADHD people, you're gonna just get a bunch of people coming out of the woodwork wanting free money, all by just going "I didn't fit in good in school and I have social anxiety." That, and because the diagnostic rate of ASD is 1% of the population, if 1% of the population was suddenly eligible for free government money, yeah... So, the committee I guess is a noble step or whatever, but I seriously doubt it can figure out a "solution", in light of what I just said, especially because governments tend not to think pragmatically about problems, and just sort of like to throw money at them and "fill in the details later."

Besides the practical problems, even if total geniuses were running said committees, which they aren't because they're Congress, when was the last time you ever heard "Senate Committee does...." exactly, they never really do anything anyway, except in a very broad kinda scope at best.

I hope that clarifies things.

It's really quite a hard disorder to "figure out" as at least in my case, I'm physically and mentally "able" but it's not quite as simple as that. I'm physically capable of doing great work, just in most of the environments for entry level kinda jobs, I do terrible in, despite being mentally and physically capable. It's hard because simply, with ASD, most people aren't really "disabled" in the classical sense, because all the classical sense cared about was "get work done." Can move all your limbs, and can like...speak English. I think in general it stems from the switch from a manufacturing economy to a service based economy, which is why "Aspergers" has come out of the woodwork, so to speak, since our entire society has become much more about socializing rather than actually getting things done. But, I digress and I'm making a giant political statement and this isn't PRR, so... And it's 4AM, so...

(Thread moved from Autism discussion to Autism Politics, Activism, and Media Representation)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_disability

Aspergers is NOT an intellectual disability.

It's a developmental disorder with pervasive social impairments. It's an intellectual disability.