Odd question from another autistic

[Jumpinbare]

I was checking out at a local Walgreens store. I was wearing one of my autism t-shirts. The cashier told me that he was autistic as well , Then asked how long I had been autistic. I told him I was born that way, He actually seemed surprised. I was surprised that he was surprised.

This guy seemed intelligent, and appeared to be in his 20s or early 30s. He said he grew up knowing he was autistic.

If someone can grow up knowing he is autistic, yet doesn't know autism is something you are born with, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the general public can have so many misconceptions about us.

 

[lunarious]

edited

I want to give you thumb down. This is strong. But society want to enforce thumb up . Because adults don't give likes to eachother. Of course thumbs up is ideal, but it is ideal for children autistic or not autistic.

Just like one can grow up being autist, there's an end to being autist. Like death. Autists seems like another word for a good Human.

 

[Crossbreed]

Some people conflate hereditary autism [ASD1] with aggravated autism [ASD2/3]. The latter does have an onset date.

 

[lunarious]

Some people conflate hereditary autism [ASD1] with aggravated autism [ASD2/3]. The latter does have an onset date.

New English words in Bold.

Edit: But we must respect everybody, young and old. In worst case situation one gets blocked. And forgiven repentance.

 

[Crossbreed]

I do not understand your point.

 

[lunarious]

edited

I want to give you thumb down. This is strong. But society want to enforce thumb up . Because adults don't give likes to eachother. Of course thumbs up is ideal, but it is ideal for children autistic or not autistic.

Just like one can grow up being autist, there's an end to being autist. Like death. Autists seems like another word for a good Human.

@Crossbreed this?

Edit: I disrespect everyone i give thumbs up sadly.

 

[Judge]

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the general public can have so many misconceptions about us.

Precisely. The logic being within the mathematical disparity between NTs and NDs. Unpleasant, yet impossible to ignore.

Post in thread 'First impressions'

Yesterday at 10:44 AM

The most fundamental problem I see in such a question is that most NT persons you come into contact with won't likely have *any real perspective* on what autism is.

That it's far more likely they will default to stereotypes and stigmatizing that runs rampant in American society when it comes to autism. One could say things are improving, but it's a misnomer to assume the average person has an average understanding of autism. Unless of course, that we two percent of society has somehow touched that particular person to enlighten them somewhat. That in the final analysis...

• Judge

• 

 

[ManuelXX]

Unfortunately, lot of people don't know enough about autism. You aren't the only one having this impression. Nowadays exist the day if the disorders of autism spectrum, and media tells about autism in this occasion. But autism should be normalised because more than 55 million people in the world are autistic, and some experts though 1 people out of 12 born autistic in this period.
Most of my relatives and all my friends don't know I'm autistic, but if we speak about autism I see that they don't know enough. And also the few people who know I'm autistic don't understand what autism really is.

 

[Outsider]

I believe it is possible to acquire autism due to improper parenting, but such occurrences are extremely rare, I know of only one such case. A boy in Russia was chained and his movements were restricted to a kernel by his adaptive parents. He was liberated at the age of 12, but such treatment left an autism mark on him.
It is possible that some NTs think that such cases of mistreatment of children are wide spread, which is not true; unfortunately, plenty of people don't know how to use statistics to reach realistic conclusions. I'm one of those educated NTs who don't make stupid conclusions, but we might be in the minority.

 

[vergil96]

Some people conflate hereditary autism [ASD1] with aggravated autism [ASD2/3]. The latter does have an onset date.

Does it? Like person with ASD might have a stroke or head trauma? I thought symptoms are constant thoughout life and some people might have a co-occuring condition (although sometimes of blurry origin) that is also inborn - be it genetic or acquired while still in the womb.

 

[lunarious]

Does it? Like person with ASD might have a stroke or head trauma? I thought symptoms are constant thoughout life and some people might have a co-occuring condition (although sometimes of blurry origin) that is also inborn - be it genetic or acquired while still in the womb.

It's a change. And it commands .. Faith.

 

[Rodafina]

Those who are committed to advocacy and education regarding autism have a very long road ahead and much misinformation to correct. I am working on that within my own family, but don’t have the skills or motivation to take on the wider society.

Seems like even many of us had to re-learn what autism was, compared to what we were told as young ones. When I was a young one, it was still a world where “girls don’t have autism.”

 

[Jumpinbare]

The other day I bought a thesaurus, but when I got home and opened it, all the pages were blank. I have no word to describe how angry I am.

Does it? Like person with ASD might have a stroke or head trauma? I thought symptoms are constant thoughout life and some people might have a co-occuring condition (although sometimes of blurry origin) that is also inborn - be it genetic or acquired while still in the womb.

This was my understanding

 

[Outdated]

I thought symptoms are constant thoughout life and some people might have a co-occuring condition (although sometimes of blurry origin) that is also inborn - be it genetic or acquired while still in the womb.

This is the accepted truth among educated people in Australia but there's also a lot of people out there who are willfully ignorant. A common misconception I've been hearing a lot recently is "Autism is just a form of anxiety, isn't it?". I'm not shy of correcting them in strong and difficult to misinterpret terms. I also tend to accuse them of watching Fox News and believing every word of it.

Look up the meaning of the word Polymorphism. This is the driving force behind evolution, and it is also where our autism comes from. We are born like this. We didn't get it from being hit in the head, we didn't get it from heavy metals in drinking water, and we most certainly didn't get it from flu vaccinations.

 

[Crossbreed]

Does it? Like person with ASD might have a stroke or head trauma?

ASD1s (and gifteds) commonly have immune dysregulation. That means we are predisposed to subsequent anaphylactic injuries* that NTs are not.

*Almost exclusively in early childhood.

 

[Hypnalis]

Some people conflate hereditary autism [ASD1] with aggravated autism [ASD2/3]. The latter does have an onset date.

This is not correct, and it's very misleading. Check your data properly.

ASD is known with certainty to be mostly hereditary.

Denying that is harmful in at least two ways:
1. Allocating a kind of blame/shame to some of us, so it's directly harmful to us as a group.
2. The world is medicalizing mental conditions that are actually environmentally- or self-induced. For some things, the thresholds are so low that people excuse their behavior based on a non-existent "mental health condition" rather than taking personal responsibility.
The last thing ASDs need right now, when we're finally starting to be "noticed" by society as a whole, is "false positives" using our condition as an excuse.

@Neonatal RRT
Please comment on the post I quoted. I'm fairly careful with my data, but you're far ahead in both knowledge and experience.

And correct me if I'm wrong of course - I always try to go with the facts.

FWIW (and IIRC) my source is one or two videos presented by Simon Baron-Cohen.

 

[lunarious]

My likes button gives just thumbs up, i want to give you a thumb up for respectworthy claim. I respect your posts around. ... sometimes @Crossbreed sounds cool though

 

[Crossbreed]

Denying that is harmful in at least two ways:
1. Allocating a kind of blame/shame to some of us, so it's directly harmful to us as a group.
2. The world is medicalizing mental conditions that are actually environmentally- or self-induced. For some things, the thresholds are so low that people excuse their behavior based on a non-existent "mental health condition" rather than taking personal responsibility.
The last thing ASDs need right now, when we're finally starting to be "noticed" by society as a whole, is "false positives" using our condition as an excuse.

By definition, co-morbids are secondary conditions; on top of one's autism.
There is no shame in that.
It is the severe co-morbids that are inexplicably on the rise, not autism generally.

 

[Jumpinbare]

ASD1s (and gifteds) commonly have immune dysregulation.

Well, I guess I'm doing my part then. Emotional dysregulation AND immune dysregulation. Oh - and blood pressure dysregulation, and body temperature dysregulation...

 

[Crossbreed]

It is why we have more allergies & asthma than NTs.
Though they are uncomfortable, I do not find the recognition of allergies & asthma to be particularly offensive.

Life is more uncomfortable when we do not recognize (and treat) them...