Parents of children with autism/AS dont care about my life

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I had an encounter with a parent of a severly autistic child yesterday at a forum with our local elected officials. She has a history of always trying to throw the mercury in the vaccines and heavy metal toxicitiy agenda around with our political leaders. I had thought that these things had been debunked by science, government and industry.

I walked up to her yesterday and told her that I have Aspergers and have been very active in the community for a number of years. I have a number of other accomplishments as well. She didn't want to here anything about it, and tersely told me how "moderate" that my Aspergers was, and went on to badger our officials about the mercury agenda.

I find this to be a major problem with the parents of those that have autism and Aspergers. I have dealt not only with this incident yesterday, but the same attitude at the local autism walk last year. For some reason they do not want to hear a story about someone who has "made it" in our community. Maybe I am being naive, but I would think that they would like to hear some advice and solutions to their childrens' problems and needs, what works and what doesn't. Along with this, due to my civic activism and involvement, I am friends and acquaintances of our local elected officials, and those that make decisions in our community, and have a voice with them. Instead of tuning me out, I could be an ally to these parents and their struggles. In a lot of ways, I would push for some of same things that they want, for example for services and resources for adults on the autism spectrum. This has been something that has been bugging me as of late.

Some of these parents cling to the victim role, the "Oh me, oh my, my child has Autism, I'm going to have to take care of him/her for the rest of my life because they can't possibly have a life of their own". Thus your existance makes them angry, they have proof that their children could be able to function better that they don't want. These people glory (unconsciously) in the idea that they are so hard done by and every time they get someone saying "Oh, you poor thing" they get a buzz out of it (unconsciously).

I can understand your frustration, here you are able to help their kids and you get a bunch of bile for trying to help them personally with your hard won knowledge of life experience and politics. The only thing that I can say is to keep on trying if you can, I'm sure you help as is and sooner or later you'll find someone who will accept or ask for your help without making you feel bad.

I'm a parent of an autistic boy and I know the feeling of these parents. They are scared to hear that mercury theory is a fraud because they need to have a faith to carry on their lives. They could be aggressive if you tell them what works with a scientific evidence and what doesn't. It's only a self-defence.
I'm different (maybe an Aspie) and I'm not scared to know. WP has helped me and I am less scared than I was before I joined it.
You know, when a child is diagnosed they tell you that he/she likely has a low intelligence and that very few autistics "make it". Parents don't want to deceive themselves. I learnt that until now autistic people were considered less intelligent than NTs and only recent studies prove that wrong.
I learnt that also because I read your posts ant it's like I hear your voices. You are different people but very logic thinkers.
I learn it when I see my son, who barely speaks 5 words (he is 3 yo) make things that older NT kids do.
I would ally with you if I knew you personally...

here's another viewpoint too.not everyone with aspergers always is sucessful.i have aspergers and i did not go to college even though my parents could have aforded it.i grew up in state hospitals and group homes and homes for boys.im a unemployed taxi driver.however when i was growing up there wasnt much known about autism with verbal language.im not trying to get you to feel sorry for me,im just saying not every aspie works in silicon valley.i have talked with parents about that on autism speaks as well and many understand.

I think a lot of parents cling to the vaccine theory because they don't want to acknowledge that it's genetic. If it's genetic then one of the biological parents is 'defected', so to say. And nobody, especially popular NT's, wants to be 'defected'. Once their mind is set on some 'cause' of autism (vaccine/environment/formula/evil chocolate), they will cling to that cause even after it's disproven.

Yes, some people are THAT superficial.

i have found the real cause of autism,seriously for real!! marsians from outer space using mind control machines