Can One "Recover" From Autism?

[OkRad]

I think the question should be can one recover from NT?
I think we should start a FB Group. "How we Got our Family to Recovery From NT!!!"

 

[megacomic]

It's just schmuck bait for parents. It's no secret that no parent signs up for an autistic child unless they adopt them. So many parents want an out they want their child to be normal, to be make sense even if they have to force them to. I work with children on the spectrum teaching day to day social skills and self advocacy. Parents make the mistake of thinking that I work for them. I don't. I'm not there to teach your kid how to be normal or how to hide their symptoms so they don't embarrass the family. I'm there to teach them how to defend themselves from a cruel world.

 

[Crossbreed]

@megacomic , I am an Aspie father of kids all over the spectrum. I'm fine with them being on the spectrum. It's just some of their more severe co-morbid conditions that have been a struggle. And those are what I seek to alleviate or prevent as I am able.

We have no desire to discard our children.

 

[Mathalamus]

it is currently impossible to recover from autism. theres nothing you can do to make it go away.

and even if you somehow got cured from it, the personality you get from having autism wont just vanish. there will be a considerable inertia from it. say, if i get cured now, i may maintain the same basic personality for the rest of my life, because i got no experience with NT thought theory.

 

[The Midge]

I came across this this article on a FB post: 13 essential Steps For your Child’s Recovery from Autism -
My comment: If a child can "recover" from autism then he was misdiagnosed! One doesn't recover from ASD -- it's not a disease. We are neurologically wired differently than NT's and perhaps that isn't such a negative state as the general public seems to believe. Yes, many children diagnosed early can develop more verbally and socially if early intervention is done and done the right way. However, for some, they will never "recover" to the degree where they are able to live independently and adequately within the "normal" world. Stop giving false hope. Also, too many kids are now misdiagnosed; especially at an early age. It's the trendy disorder. An accurate diagnosis is usually given when a child is older because some kids just take longer to develop.
Thoughts anyone?

That page looks like it was written by a snake oil homeopathic remedy sales woman. I don't think they have a clue what they are talking about.

 

[paloftoon]

Autism is not something that necessarily needs to be "cured". If we can be independent people and not be a burden on others, this is what matters most. In essence, that alone may be enough of a "cure" for NTs and for people on the spectrum who don't feel comfortable with the label to begin with.

 

[Crossbreed]

It turns out that my position of severe co-morbids being an injury on top of Aspergers is formally maintained by one Dr. Martha Herbert.

 

[Ylva]

If we can be independent people and not be a burden on others

The first would require substantial accomodations to be made during childhood to happen in what an NT parent would consider a timely fashion.

As to the latter… when our parents expect us to be burdensome, they will treat us accordingly, and we will have no other choice. Have you heard of the Pygmalion effect? Their prejudice is more of a factor than our actual needs. All children have needs that may seem inconveenient to adults.

 

[MonolithImmortal]

I really hate these homeopath snake oil salesmen that make a living off of abusing us.

Don't let us stim because we're not learning anything new when we are? Excuse me? I am engaged with the world best while stimming, even if I don't look like it. There have been times where my wife has asked me if I'm listening to her and I can recite the entire last 2 minutes of conversation back to her because, instead of sitting still and looking at her, I was engaged with something in my hands. I can make it through a long liturgy at church because I stim, not in-spite of it.

This reads like a manual for how to abuse your autistic child, and endanger them with unproven, untested "remedies" that might kill them *cough bleach enemas cough*.

 

[paloftoon]

The first would require substantial accomodations to be made during childhood to happen in what an NT parent would consider a timely fashion.

As to the latter… when our parents expect us to be burdensome, they will treat us accordingly, and we will have no other choice. Have you heard of the Pygmalion effect? Their prejudice is more of a factor than our actual needs. All children have needs that may seem inconveenient to adults.

You bring up good points Ylva, thank you.
I have vaguely heard of the Pygmalion effect. I looked it up, and it seems that principle was applied to my life greatly. While it can possibly help to have high expectations as long as they are not unreasonable, it can be a good push to help an individual improve. Focus on one facet too much can be more of a detriment psychologically in other regards as I have learned the hard way, if those expectations are put in a way that if you don't meet them, then you are treated like there is something wrong with you as a person. If you do meet them, then it's not quite good enough because there is something else you could've done to make it even better.

I think it's a fair thing to say that there's an undeterminable balance that is different for each individual for as how much they need to be pushed and how much one needs to be supported.

 

[Mattymatt]

I think a good lot of us develop compensatory strategies. I know I can mostly pass as neurotypical but the effort leaves me mentally and physically exhausted. At least I can pass as far in life so long as it is outside of the workplace. I cannot grasp the unwritten rules and social dynamic of the workplace at at all - it might as well be Mandarin Chinese.

 

[Amy Susan Rose]

At least I can pass as far in life so long as it is outside of the workplace. I cannot grasp the unwritten rules and social dynamic of the workplace at at all - it might as well be Mandarin Chinese.

Mattymatt, I have been through so many jobs; the longest I lasted at one was 13 months (most were just for a few months if even that). I had a breakdown after the 13 months at the last job. I don't understand why this is so for I am able, like you, to pass in life just fine outside of the workforce. I certainly am able to adhere to rules so that's not the reason. I think, for me, it has to do with the social interactions which must occur on a daily basis whether I'm up to that or not. Not working, which allows me to choose when and where I go and with whom I will be interacting with is so much easier than the day after day interaction along with the stress of a job. I don't know; it's just that I do so well except when it comes to working. I am far from lazy; I work at home taking care of a three-year-old grandson and son who live with me, housework, cooking, laundry, babysitting, etc. I guess I just need to be in a familiar setting with people I feel totally comfortable with.

 

[Mattymatt]

Mattymatt, I have been through so many jobs; the longest I lasted at one was 13 months (most were just for a few months if even that). I had a breakdown after the 13 months at the last job. I don't understand why this is so for I am able, like you, to pass in life just fine outside of the workforce. I certainly am able to adhere to rules so that's not the reason. I think, for me, it has to do with the social interactions which must occur on a daily basis whether I'm up to that or not. Not working, which allows me to choose when and where I go and with whom I will be interacting with is so much easier than the day after day interaction along with the stress of a job. I don't know; it's just that I do so well except when it comes to working. I am far from lazy; I work at home taking care of a three-year-old grandson and son who live with me, housework, cooking, laundry, babysitting, etc. I guess I just need to be in a familiar setting with people I feel totally comfortable with.

The workplace is a dog-eat-dog world. People are scheming on ways to get ahead by making others look incompetent. It's almost like a social chess match. People pretend to be your friend to see if you have a weakness that can be exploited. This is why the workplace can be so difficult for people on the spectrum. My experience has been the same as yours. From the little I learned, working too hard is a negative and not doing enough work is a negative. The trick is finding the right balance. It makes no sense and is highly irrational because one would think hard work would be rewarded. That's just not the case in the NT world. You also have to constantly make positive impressions and the criteria that constitutes positive impressions can change whenever there is a management change or a direction change. NTs seem to be able grasp this nuance and role with it whereas I am simply unequipped to deal with that. Therefore, I think I will be doomed to underemployment BUT I will no longer choose to define myself by my profession. Instead I am going to define myself by my extracurricular interests and hobbies. I may well be the Security Officer capable of designing complex computer and radio networks but, I will be happy with substantially less responsibility.

 

[Ragnahawk]

The admin deleted all the comments!

Dude. I just clicked a random one right? Why children with autism struggle with sleep -

Is this an acceptable way to research?

Agree if you want this site shut down.

 

[Ragnahawk]

10 Important Things Neurotypicals Need to Know About People with Autism -

Oh look, they didn't bother to watch this video they posted. hmmmmm. What was that about fixing or recovering?

 

[Amy Susan Rose]

BUT I will no longer choose to define myself by my profession. Instead I am going to define myself by my extracurricular interests and hobbies.

That's a major problem in society; people usually judge you by what you do and therefore how successfully financially you are. Someone may be the biggest asshat in town, but OMG if they make a lot of $$$ so everyone is going to kiss their ass! What one does for a living or how much they make certainly isn't a measuring stick for one's essence, one's self. Some days I just hate NT's

 

[Buzzerfly]

(Only replying to the title of this thread)

I hope not.

 

[Buzzerfly]

(Only replying to the title of this thread)

I hope not.

 

[onlything]

That's a major problem in society; people usually judge you by what you do and therefore how successfully financially you are. Someone may be the biggest asshat in town, but OMG if they make a lot of $$$ so everyone is going to kiss their ass! What one does for a living or how much they make certainly isn't a measuring stick for one's essence, one's self. Some days I just hate NT's

Lately I hate them more often than not. So tiring. So loud. So illogical. So arrogant and self-righteous. Eh.

 

[Mattymatt]

That's a major problem in society; people usually judge you by what you do and therefore how successfully financially you are. Someone may be the biggest asshat in town, but OMG if they make a lot of $$$ so everyone is going to kiss their ass! What one does for a living or how much they make certainly isn't a measuring stick for one's essence, one's self. Some days I just hate NT's

Sadly America as a society values wealth. At this stage in my life, I am done with all of that pursuit of happiness and related nonsense. I just really want a sense of peace, a job I can do, and just keep on plugging away.