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Autism IS a Disability

Ronald Zeeman said:
i have a background in quality engineering, every thing has a range or distribution, autism is no different.
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That would apply if the numbers stayed steady through 1979 and beyond. That chart shows the aggravated autism-equivalent of of a cancer cluster. No one can write that off as a normal distribution.

I have worked in quality control, too.
If 1:1000 products failed quality checks (not counting ASD1), a company might live with that, but 1:200-250 would be alarming (and demand a resolution).

Preventing severe co-morbidities won't turn the person into an NT, just a healthier autistic.
 
I was considered as 'failing to thrive' @5 or so. 1963. I didn't eat much, or a range of foods. They didn't bother that I had no friends, social communication wasn't a concern back then. Plus I was bright and talked happily to adults. ASD 1/ Aspergers wasn't a thing recognised much, or in girls.
 
Thinx said:
I was considered as 'failing to thrive' @5 or so. 1963. I didn't eat much, or a range of foods. They didn't bother that I had no friends, social communication wasn't a concern back then. Plus I was bright and talked happily to adults. ASD 1/ Aspergers wasn't a thing recognised much, or in girls.
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I was recognized as "gifted" in 3rd grade...before that, I was failing every class and had what in hindsight most people would consider behavioral issues. They tested me, decided I was "gifted" (which I'm pretty sure at that time excluded an autism diagnosis) and gave me an IEP for giftedness.

There was no recognition of any of my social struggles, but my intellectual "superiority" (heh) was highlighted every chance they got. Things like my organizational skills (well, extreme lack of them really) were seen as behavioral issues. My locker at work still looks like my locker did in school, which looks like my desk did in grade school, etc. Think 10 years worth of paper and flotsam packed in as tightly as possible. I would get my butt kicked for having a room like that but one look at the desk where I'm typing this message will tell you that did absolutely nothing to address the issue. My mother was the same exact way.

Oddly enough, despite being "gifted" I always felt I had some kind of learning disability. Even when I was in school, I thought there was something wrong that made it difficult to learn/operate in the way that was expected of me. I just figured I was smart enough to figure out how to get around it and succeed anyway. Socially I still struggle in a big way. (In a bigger way than I realize, I suspect. Having lived my life for 33 years and never lived anyone else's life, I suspect I'm unaware of just how abnormal I actually am.)
 
Major Tom said:
Agreed totally, what really gets me is when people call it a disease or say they will pray for a cure. I wish I could get away with living in such a fantasy world. (No offense if anyone is religious). To me saying things like that make it totally obvious to me that the person speaking has absolutely no autism awareness.
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As an atheist, I prefer to live in reality. No apologies to the religious.
 
Autism seems to come in different packages, but we don't know what we suffer from in some cases. We just know something seems off or different. Sometimes it's a lemon, you can't do anything, feels restrictve. l can't really claim my package- is a disability in all fairness. But it's a hinderance nonetheless. I do know l prefer jobs where it's simply me holding the fort down and making the decisions. I can handle most positions requiring public interaction. But working 9 hour shifts 6 days a week was too tough for me but l did it for almost 8 months with 20 min lunches.
 
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Aspychata said:
Autism seems to come in different packages, but we don't know what we suffer from in some cases. We just know something seems off or different. Sometimes it's a lemon, you can't do anything, feels restrictve. l can't really claim my package- is a disability in all fairness. But it's a hinderance nonetheless. I do know l prefer jobs where it's simply me holding the fort down and making the decisions. I can handle most positions requiring public interaction. But working 9 hour shifts 6 days a week was too tough for me but l did it for almost 8 months with 20 min lunches.
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This is it, for me. I have adapted my life around my particular strengths and weaknesses...someone might say "wait, you can't do X? That's a huge disability!" but I've never been able to do it, so it's not something I am really aware of.

It only becomes apparent when I'm pushed into a situation that is beyond my capabilities.
 
Crossbreed said:
That is what I have been saying the whole time. It is the increase of co-morbid conditions that needs to be addressed.

My 26yo daughter functions like an 18month-old.
My 33yo son functions like an 8yo.
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That's not autism it's unique to both people and change your mindset from a neurotypical would be doing this each sentient being is unique
 
Streetwise said:
That's not autism it's unique to both people and change your mindset from a neurotypical would be doing this each sentient being is unique
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I embrace them (as people), but I do not embrace severe co-morbids
just because they happen to an autistic person
anymore than I would if they happen to an otherwise NT person.

Calling an injury a defect is not the same thing as
calling a person a defect. A valuable, autistic person was broken unnecessarily.

Accepting such an injury, uncritically, is anti-autistic; it is demeaning to both autism AND the best well-being of the autistic person in question.
 
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Thinx said:
I was considered as 'failing to thrive' @5 or so. 1963. I didn't eat much, or a range of foods. They didn't bother that I had no friends, social communication wasn't a concern back then. Plus I was bright and talked happily to adults. ASD 1/ Aspergers wasn't a thing recognised much, or in girls.
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In 1963 it wasn't recognized in boys either. Only the very lucky or the very affluent. For most of us, were were just considered annoying and antisocial people who could change but we didn't because we wanted to be annoying and antisocial.
 
I just don't understand how anyone can accept this disorder. Abstract thought is the only thing i can do well, but my creativity and ability to articulate my thoughts is so incredibly low most people still mistake me as stupid. I didn't even get it that bad, i only have pddnos, a good iq and i don't even have any comorbidities other than some social anxiety. But being an alien around people just really hurts and its never going to go away.

I don't hate life completely i just wish i could talk and connect to people in a normal sustainable way. You know whats worse than not being able to make friends? Not being able to keep any friends and eventually lose everyone you care about.

I met a new girl whom i have been talking to and i really like her, but i know that i can't keep the relationship up and im going to have to say goodbye to her after a while.

Complaining on the internet doesn't help tho, i am also not completely sure how internet support groups are supposed to help.
 
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phantom said:
I met a new girl whom i have been talking to and i really like her, but i know that i can't keep the relationship up and im going to have to say goodbye to her after a while.
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Why? is this a self fulfilling prophesy?
If the question is too personal - feel free to ignore it.
 
Crossbreed said:
I embrace them (as people), but I do not embrace severe co-morbids
just because they happen to an autistic person
anymore than I would if they happen to an otherwise NT person.

Calling an injury a defect is not the same thing as
calling a person a defect. A valuable, autistic person was broken unnecessarily.

Accepting such an injury, uncritically, is anti-autistic; it is demeaning to both autism AND the best well-being of the autistic person in question.
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You are blocking out the fact that a human with any neurology could be deaf and saying unless they resemble a neurotypical they are antiautistic
 
Streetwise said:
You are blocking out the fact that a human with any neurology could be deaf and saying unless they resemble a neurotypical they are antiautistic
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No, I am not.
I am saying that neuro-diverse & neuro-typical are both good & healthy.
Severe co-morbids are bad for either one. Co-morbid, by definition, means an "add-on."

Autistics might be more susceptible to them, but severe co-morbids are extraneous to neuro-diversity, not a facet of it. They were quite rare (even for us) before 1979.
 
phantom said:
I just don't understand how anyone can accept this disorder. Abstract thought is the only thing i can do well, but my creativity and ability to articulate my thoughts is so incredibly low most people still mistake me as stupid. I didn't even get it that bad, i only have pddnos, a good iq and i don't even have any comorbidities other than some social anxiety. But being an alien around people just really hurts and its never going to go away.

I don't hate life completely i just wish i could talk and connect to people in a normal sustainable way. You know whats worse than not being able to make friends? Not being able to keep any friends and eventually lose everyone you care about.

I met a new girl whom i have been talking to and i really like her, but i know that i can't keep the relationship up and im going to have to say goodbye to her after a while.

Bitching and moaning on the internet doesn't help tho, i am also not completely sure how internet support groups are supposed to help.
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Well... you don't have a choice in whether you accept it. The choice is in how you cope with it.

There is something to be said for communicating with other people in the same boat as you are. It eases the sense of being too unique.

Sometimes I just use an online group as a substitute for socializing. Sometimes I post to codify and clarify my thoughts and look for feedback. Sometimes I give advice that I'm pretty sure will be ignored. Not much of one for bitching and moaning for its own sake but sometimes a good rant can make one feel better.
 
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