The 'Asperger industry', and political correctness

Post Reply New Topic

It seems to me we have had 2 developments in Asperger in recent years, both very adverse;

1. the growth of an 'Asperger industry', and this looks likely to grow further as government funding increases. If you create a human structure it will fight to sustain itself. These academics and medics have nice lives doing long studies, and therefore have every interest in prolonging the status quo; exploring Asperger but not solving it. There seems no focus on urgently seeking cures for people in pain - for curing Asperger.

2. this age of political correctness has encouraged Aspies and others into a view that 'your lives are ok, they are just different' when Aspies know, even those many on this site who have picked this view up and pretend they like being Aspie, that in fact they are in awful social pain and isolation.

We need cures, but it feels to me as if the zeitgeist is taking resources and focus further and further away from this goal.
Best wishes
JC
http://unlearningasperger.blogspot.com/

Back to your old tricks, huh? They have been trying to work on such things for hundreds of years, and have really come up with a pitifully small amount! A lot of things that could help AS could help NT, and aren't new ideas.

What we need a cure from more than anything else is people accepting each other's differences and to be more understanding of one another. When a person is different to another human being, that person is work to get to know. That's the bulk of why people want to eliminate "oddities" as much as they can.

I know I work my tail of (my whole life) trying to understand NTs. If only NTs did the same, the 'Asperger industry' wouldn't be fueled with such a ridiculous amount of spending.

There does not seem to be too many people who think like I do in regards to believing that mental heath professionals are not worth the money they charge for the results they give. That's what makes "soft sciences" so political.

it all sounds a lot like something John Best would say.

I agree with faithfilly.

And now, I'm sorry if this is too strong an argument, but you could compare Aspies to any minority and say the same: minorities are often in social pain. Being an ethnic minority, for instance, means that in SOME PLACES - particularly in certain periods of time - you are ostracized, sometimes to a small degree, sometimes in a major way. (I think we can all think of examples here.)

But we can't "cure" ethnic minorities, and we SHOULDN'T. There is nothing wrong with being different - what we need to change is the world's view of minorities. That includes the Aspie minority. And that is what we have done in many ways. For instance, while racism is still present, it is not nearly as bad as it used to be in many places, because people have learned to embrace differences, and learned that there is nothing wrong with being a minority...

Maybe it will be possible to cure AS someday. But for now, we need to make progress in the way that some other minorities are making progress, which is by working to spread awareness and acceptance.

That's my opinion anyway. I hope that makes sense.

I have given my thoughts on the increased funding for Asperger’s in this thread: www.wrongplanet.net/postt34182. The people who benefit from these funds/programs are government employees and professionals. There is basically no direct assistance for adults with Asperger’s in the United States. The people who manage these programs don't want to see that change. They like to keep the money for themselves.

A cure for AS in the foreseeable future is unlikely. The problem is beyond the abilities of medical science. It would be nice but I don’t see it coming.

The alternative, insisting NT’s pretend you’re normal, is unnatural and would require a great deal of social/cultural engineering. Like everyone else here, I wish NT’s would just like me and be at ease with me. But they aren’t, and there’s a logical reason for that.

1) No one understands Aspergers or other ASDs. They know bits and pieces. So for now, it is going to take more research. That means hiring research professors and doctors. These people probably won't have Asperger's, but they may have a life of their own, and they probably want to get paid the same as other professors and doctors. No surprises there. And most science is set up to find tiny pieces of the puzzle and fit them together. Most science is not breakthrough, most is not revolutionary. That is just the way things are. It is also true for every other disease, condition and social problem.

2) Political correctness is such a useful term - it can mean just about anything negative, and it prevents unnecessary thought. Just label the opponent PC, and there is no need to further examine their opinions or positions.

The idea 'your lives are ok, they are just different' is not really being pushed by many people out there in the helping professions. Would you prefer that the "Forces of PC" stop pushing for acceptance of all people?

If you have anxiety issues, there are people that will try to treat that. If you have social difficulties, there are things to deal with that. Of course, the counselors and doctors and educators don't always know what to do (even for NTs).

We need cures? I don't even know if a cure is possible. This is a developmental disorder ... once the brain develops one way, it seems impossible to rebuild it in an NT style. What we will probably get are treatments - things to help us cope, things that improve life.

I go along with the idea that what is needed is understanding rather than a cure.

I have a big problem the message that is being largely given out by the medical profession rather than people with AS.

I have been thinking a lot lately about training in social skills for people with AS. Personally, I have come a long way socially since I was a child but there is still a lot I need to learn. People with AS though have highly specific needs when it comes to training in social skills. Maybe we have to start finding a way of providing ourselves with this need rather than waiting for government.

Every couple of years there's *phase and trend* in psychology. A decade ago it was codependency, then right after that it was Bi-Polar and BPD. Now it's the advent of the apsie. I'm guessing that this is the last fad in psychobabble because soul cures are going to be next big thing. And then, it's game over and a new life form on earth called bliss.

It sounds interesting, the idea of deciding to not systemise and just empathise. But the thought of trying to empathetically connect with others all the time kind of makes me feel a bit strange. Kind of like I would be erasing my personality.

Also I have quite a real distrust of many people which makes me not want to try and empathise with them.