New article I wrote: Those on the Spectrum Might be the Most

Post Reply New Topic

http://www.autismdailynewscast.com/spec ... 196/guest/

Basically, it's how popular media glorifies Autistics as well-loved geniuses when there isn't much evidence, and some studies show the opposite. Take a deep breath, think about it critically, and enjoy.

Stereotypes even when they contain "a grain of truth" are often hurtful. However I do believe in the statements 1. That autistic people have had an essential role in the formation of our world as we know it. 2. All autistics are disadvantaged often at crippling levels in a 98% neurotypical world are both true.

Up until the last 20 years Autism was only about the negatives. Despite the nuerodiversity movement and all the positive wording mostly this has not changed. Most of the money is still spent to get rid of it and failing that as most of it as possible be it genetics or ABA. Positive or negative messages repeated often take hold. Be it the massively high suicide ideation rate or just by reading most of the posts on WP a site that is repeatedly accused of being a neurodiversity/Autism is only positive website we see the catastrophic results of the combination of real negatives of autism, disadvantages and negative messages.

So how to counter this negativity? Neurodiversity opted to look at the positive. I do agree that some of it has gone too far even ridiculously too far at times. But the answer is not to let the backlash against this take us back to only emphasizing the negatives. The thing to do is keep a still mostly positive but more realistic counter message to the negative only view of Autism that is still the mainstream view. In other words we should not take view that the neurodiversity/Autism is a difference move is fundamentally wrong, just that the excesses of the movement are.

I think you're confusing case studies with broad generalizations. The authors aren't saying that Autistics are all geniuses. It's not even close to implying that. Rather, they are stating that the disability doesn't necessarily condemn us to the worst-case scenarios that Autism Speaks pushes into the public's face. These case studies are people who took the hand they were given (ASD), overcame (or at least compensated accordingly for) its disabling characteristics, and perhaps excelled in their fields because of positive traits of ASD.

It's about shifting the paradigm from where the general public thinks we are only burdens on society to a point that the general public is aware of our issues but sees that we can do more than their limited view of us. These case studies are about the possibilities, not about the current state of all Autistics. That you trimmed direct quotes to exclude that caveat only points to your misunderstanding of the point of these case studies.

To shift awareness, you need to emphasize the good traits. Everyone's fully aware of the bad traits, thanks to Autism Speaks and others painting us in a less than favorable light. So we need to point out how successful a few of us can be to improve the general view of the group as a whole. Think of it as a necessary evil, if you will. That you took it personally that you are not a genius and you assume that everyone stereotypes you to be one reflects solely upon your self-image. I assure you that this media stereotype you imagine is not the Autistic stereotype that the general public has.

TLDR: I think you are connecting dots in a way that isn't really there.

...Hm .