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EzraS
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04 Feb 2016, 2:51 am

I had an interesting conversation with someone who said autism was the "new gay". Meaning there being a trend of people outing themselves as being autistic. And also people trying to out various celebrities as secretly being autistic. Plus coming up with famous people in history who must have been autistic, just like King James of the King James Bible was gay.

Then what gets added to it is "why should anyone care?" "What difference does it make?".

The thing is homosexuality is not a disorder and a disability, whereas autism is.



QuiversWhiskers
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04 Feb 2016, 3:08 am

I think the same thing: that it is kind of the new "cool" thing to be, like a trend. Anyone who says they have ASD or thinks they do but hasn't been hurt by it, doesn't know what they are really saying and doesn't know what they are really talking about.

And I am not diagnosed. I haven't been evaluated. I am one of those who didn't show overt traits until I was in late elementary school and middle school. I may not even be ASD.

And I worry about the "trend". I think we have a whole generation of young people who have grown up under the influence of current TV programming for kids and teenagers and are modeling those behaviors while others are expecting those behaviors. We are so digital now that nobody really spends time with anyone else as much and I think it's created a generation of young people who just don't feel connected or like they belong anywhere. I grew up before all this stuff was around, especially cell phones and wasn't immersed in technology so I know my problems were not caused by lack of experience or exposure or distraction from technology and the technology actually helped me.



EzraS
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04 Feb 2016, 3:28 am

What bothers me the most is this trend in some cases includes buying all kinds of paraphernalia like autism t-shirts and puzzle ribbons etc. I'm proud to be autistic. Autism is a difference not a disability. Autism makes me special. The "NT's" are out to get us etc.



Yigeren
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04 Feb 2016, 4:14 am

I personally do not share the "autism is cool" attitude. And I'm also not anti-NT. I have no intention of wearing any t-shirts to announce that I have ASD. I don't feel cool; I feel like an outcast and a failure. I don't feel this way about others with ASD, though, just myself.

I think maybe people are trying to make themselves feel better about being consistently rejected by the majority of the human population, and by having so much difficulty in doing typical everyday tasks.

I do however have positive aspects of my personality that are derived from having ASD. I'm definitely going to try to use them to my advantage. If I can get control over most of the bad aspects, then perhaps I can make something of myself.

My attention to detail, perfectionism, and focusing abilities have in the past given me advantages when learning new things, or when working on tasks that require precision. Projects or assignments that I have produced are typically very well thought-out and superior to what others produce for this reason. That is if I can even remember to do them, or complete them on time.

I can also work by myself for long periods of time, which is useful in performing many tasks and certain types of jobs. I also don't tend to need or want breaks when I am working.

But...So far all of my deficits have prevented me from accomplishing much of anything in life. That's why I'm aggressively working towards overcoming them. I have a therapist who's hopefully going to help me find ways to do this.



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04 Feb 2016, 4:21 am

Yigeren wrote:
That's why I'm aggressively working towards overcoming them. I have a therapist who's hopefully going to help me find ways to do this.

Are you going to do vocational rehab?



Yigeren
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04 Feb 2016, 4:29 am

I've got a therapist who has a lot of experience working with those with ASD. I'm extremely determined to overcome my social deficits and problems with executive functioning.

I can't fix the way my mind works, but I can develop ways to work around my problems. Kind of like how someone who can't walk uses a wheelchair to get around instead. My sensory issues are probably not going to be able to be improved, however.



EzraS
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04 Feb 2016, 4:41 am

Yes way to go Yigeren! Work around it, through it, over it. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, keep plugging away. I wish you much success.



androbot01
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04 Feb 2016, 4:51 am

EzraS wrote:
I had an interesting conversation with someone who said autism was the "new gay". Meaning there being a trend of people outing themselves as being autistic.

I interpret that phrase to mean that autism is gaining the acceptance that the gay community once had to.



Yigeren
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04 Feb 2016, 4:55 am

EzraS wrote:
Yes way to go Yigeren! Work around it, through it, over it. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, keep plugging away. I wish you much success.


Thank you :) I also wish you success. You are very intelligent and seem to have a lot of common sense.

I've been so miserable my whole life because of ASD and I was never able to fix it, because I never knew what the problem was to begin with. Now that I know, I'm going to do what I can to make my life better, because it really, really sucks right now.

I'll probably never be like everyone else, but that's fine. I just want to be happy.



Edna3362
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04 Feb 2016, 6:16 am

Some NTs are genuinely would rather be autistic not because of some trend, it's because of relation or connection better than most other NTs.
Not because they have traits or symptoms, because they prefer company (No social games, or so) and/or a want for understanding how to live like one regardless the severity of 'disability' part.
Yet they are so rare, I just happened to encounter a few...


But many, who would rather be autistic just because it's a trend are making a huge fool of themselves. Seems their attentions on the 'funny' and 'positive' sides of autism. Not really, they seem want to replicate aspies than autistics.

They cannot "fake" or replicate sensory issues (environmental struggles, mostly non-social), culture shock (causes of anxiety, social struggles, lack of filter), and certainly they can't just force themselves to keep up with the inclinations that might not be natural for them (perfectionism, rigid/black and white thinking, intense focus, obsessions-stereotypical or not, general introversion, memory).

My own conclusion so far that this kind of trend isn't as good. Segregated/specialized yet serious and up-to-date at best. This is already happening somewhere. Because really, you can't just treat an autistic or even an aspie like just a normal person because such rules don't apply to them, even they want that rule to apply of themselves, it backfires. Manipulation and adding more jerkass of an excuse at worst to the point the culture itself is butchering the word 'Individuality' and a cycle anew to the point of apathy and hate.

But who knows what time could do?

This kind trend has not reached my place yet; even though showbiz tells them of a nephew's president (Level 1 or 2 autism), or heck accusing the president as autistic himself, but it never reached the celebrities nor it came into conclusion that it's "cool". And overall knowledge of my current country is mostly nil. While parents and caretakers of autistics are mostly by-the book, only have in-surface knowledge and are outdated.
In my experience, I'm currently being patronized. And my own needs are as minimal as possible (some social struggle, no sensory issues aside from taste, no meds, no depression/anxiety, no co-morbidity)

Yep, long post.



BTW-- At those who gets trouble with the captcha, don't "click" submit. Try selecting (they don't appear to be selected, after selecting 'terms') submit by "Tab" button then "Enter" button. (Unfortunately for the mobile users. :( I'm a mobile user myself. Tsky.)


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ASS-P
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04 Feb 2016, 6:42 am

...As I've outlined previously , the help that I could REALLY use would be help in getting registered in/getting things set up for going to community college here , getting things lined up to go in May this year - " practical " help , I mean , I am NOT ASKING FOR financial help , only help in getting things all set up ! Please :( .



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04 Feb 2016, 6:44 am

I don't believe, amongst the general public, that autism is the next hip thing.

It is seen, by many people, as the disorder of Rain Man, of children who self-harm so much that they are required, by prescription, to wear a helmet. The media has caused people to fear people with Asperger's, believing that people with Asperger's isolate themselves so much that they cannot see the forest for the trees; hence, they could potentially plan mass murders.

I happen to believe that a autistic mindset has lead to many great innovations and inventions. However, it is ridiculous to suppose that autism is the so-called next step in human evolution.

Many people with autism are at least somewhat disabled by it. To some, it is a hindrance to their progress in the human world. It's not something to be glorified. There is usually no nobility in autism, just like there is no nobility in poverty.

However, autism does not have to be a tragedy. Through hard work, and a generally positive mindset, the lives of people with autism could be enriched. The positive aspects of autism could be emphasized over the negative at times. Even among those who are more severely affected by it, improvements in quality of life could be made. One does not have to remain static in one's autistic state.

As with many conditions, there is no cure--but there are treatments.



Last edited by kraftiekortie on 04 Feb 2016, 6:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

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04 Feb 2016, 6:46 am

I'd take that comment with a grain of proverbial salt itself. It seems everything that is different, not just autism, is now "the new gay" because apparently being gay isn't edgy enough in western cultures (even though it can still get you killed, in the west and everywhere else). Transgender people get accused of faking being trans to be "cool," people with depression, bipolar, or borderline personality get accused of faking it because it's the new "cool," even people with autoimmune problems such as fibromyalgia or lupus get accused of faking it to be "special" like they have a disability. That's without even getting into the crap people give other people who look white, but identify with a native / First Nations or aboriginal ancestry, getting accused of not being "real blacks" and just appropriating the association for attention.
Autism, ironically enough, is not special in this sense.


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04 Feb 2016, 11:11 am

Well, at least it means that people are beginning to take an interest in autism, even if they're making rather a mess of understanding it and are trying to treat it like a fashion accessory. Looking at famous people and wondering whether they might be autistic ought to deepen their knowledge of the condition, though their conclusions will often be full of misconceptions. A lot of people don't seem to think very carefully about anything.



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04 Feb 2016, 11:15 am

EzraS wrote:
I had an interesting conversation with someone who said autism was the "new gay". Meaning there being a trend of people outing themselves as being autistic. And also people trying to out various celebrities as secretly being autistic. Plus coming up with famous people in history who must have been autistic, just like King James of the King James Bible was gay.

Then what gets added to it is "why should anyone care?" "What difference does it make?".

The thing is homosexuality is not a disorder and a disability, whereas autism is.


For a LONG time homosexuality WAS thought of a disorder (if not also a disability). If was officially listed as such in the equivalent of the DSM until around 1970. Gay men were subjected to shock therapy, and the like back in the 1950's.



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04 Feb 2016, 12:33 pm

EzraS wrote:
The thing is homosexuality is not a disorder and a disability, whereas autism is.


I don't see why whether it's a disability or not should really matter that much. It just means an autistic person will need some adaptations to live their life well. And gays need adaptations too - if they want to have kids, for example, they need as much assistance as people with the disability of infertility. Sure, it's a more minor need than what many autistics need, but it's just a matter of degree.

Especially at the milder end, most of the problems autistic people have are due to intolerance, just as with gay people. It's just that homophobia has become more visible and less socially accepted than disablism, and the impact of disablism on autistic people is often blamed on the autism. (For example, bullying isn't caused by autism, it's caused by disablism. And that's true whether the autistic person has a label or not, because negative attitudes towards undiagnosed socially awkward people is a form of disablism too.)