Invisibility of autism

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This is a very moving testimony. appeared on the Washigton Post. There are also some senseless comments which make all the more poignant the testimony, and gives a taste of very real problem with the various ASD "syndromes": the problem is that of the invisibility, particularly of the AS. I would like to make further comments about this. And I will post the article whereever I can. I hope there will a thorough debate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02608.html

Deactivate your cloaking device, and the world will see your pain.

O, and this is exactly me, apart from the girl part:

The thing about Down's Syndrome is that it IS visible. You can tell by looking. We don't have that privelege. If they can't see your disabled, then you're not.

I sometimes feel like a more sophisticated Downs person. I can relate to them. I have stupid joy.

Yet, this visibility has other drawbacks as most of the time people will think 'Down's? He/She is a stupid'.

So people reduce them to the immediate impression they have just by how the person looks like, which usually is that of someone who'll not understand what's going on around them.

It's also happening a lot that people deny the right for a visibly disabled person to speak/have an opinion/do something. People just act as if that person isn't allowed to

I think I like people thinking I'm shy, insecure and eventually, having them think I'm insane is better than people thinking I'd not understand them. If people think you're incapable, people already say lots of things.

And it's all common knowledge that some twisted people search victims and do things to people that they think cannot defend themselves and that includes disabilities/the impression people have of a disabled person.

I think neither is better than the other. If people think you're stupid, you're reduced to something inhuman and if people think you're behaving badly, you're reduced to a very bad and incapable human.

The generally advantageous difference of Down's so far is that A) it's a lot easier to diagnose and B) most people have at least heard the word and know it's something disorder-ish. Many people here hear autism and their mind goes blank. C) I'm not sure what it's like with services for Down's Syndrome.

I know two people with Down's Syndrome from my church. From the moment I first saw them I felt a connection of some sort. I don't really know how to explain it. It was like I actually understood a bit of them.

Ann does indeed touch on an issue for Autism but one thing is left out. What she does not realize that society is going toward a one-size fits all approach toward dealing with things and yet, people with various disabilities do not always fit the one size fits all.

Yes, there are people with Down's Syndrome who do hold down careers and get married. There are also those with Down's Syndrome who are in group homes or still with families and if they work, it is under sheltered work programs. It is the same with Autism. The difference is that Down's Syndrome has over a century of research to back it up while we are still fighting on what is the true meaning of Autism.

In the meantime, services are set up to deal with people who either have visible disabilities or are in the DCD range. On top of it, they are designed for the complient person with disabilities. Someone who needs constant attention if very hard to get into a group home or other organization.

I think this article was written in response to the items said on The Savage Nation. The problem is, like the rest of society, Dr. Savage is thinking about autism in terms of 1 dimension (either you have it in the classic for or you do not) rather in the 2D or 3D that is part of the human experience. Not everything is cut and dry.

As such, government agencies do not want to even try to determine what services to provide those when those involved cannot even come up with what it means to be on the Autism Spectrum. Again, they want the efficient "You have this, we provide this" type of service. I honestly do not think it will ever happen.