As someone who does not think he has ASD, but Social Anxiety Disorder combined with OCD, but who has two ASD children, but who cannot totally rule out I could have higher functioning ASD, many here would nevertheless consider me an NT without medical diagnosis, despite severe lifelong social and other dysfunction Regardless, what I have, I will tell the truth as I see it. And although some points she made were valid, she lost all credibility because of the following six things:
(1) As she is a medical professional, she should never generalize like that, and create a website suggesting or stating all with Aspergers are like that, as all are not, as each with Aspergers or ASD will have differing abilities, strengths, limitations and interests, and stress tolerance levels, and abilities to learn and adapt in some ways. You would think a psychologist would understand that each on the Spectrum can be different.
(2) The psychologist showed lack of empathy herself. Although from the surface it looks like she was putting herself in the shoes of the spouse, children, parents, friends and siblings, and understanding there, but that may not really show empathy, as if she were really empathetic she would not be so one-sided in her website, and she would show care, concern and compassion for those on the Spectrum as well, and again she would not have generalized about ASDers. I would hate for any with Aspergers or ASD, or any condition, to be involved with psychologists that showed apathy towards persons with diagnosed mental health conditions and that liked prejudging like that, as many variables are involved that would require case by case analysis.
(3) Her website page did not state or suggest how NTs could be doing wrong, in such relationships. Although I agree that the NT could go through a lot of anxiety, stress and/or depression, the NT could also inflict severe abuses onto the one with Aspergers or Autism, because of any traumas they faced or because of their own personality flaws, and push that one with diagnosed or suspected ASD condition away, and then play victim, and make little attempt at resolvement.
(4) Other than that psychologist stating or suggestion that the medical society should pay more attention to and admit to the traumas of caregivers and family members, there were no specific solutions in her website to help the one with Aspergers or their families. It seems like the purpose of the website page was to promote empathy towards the NT, and likely so as the medical community can get more money from more new patients, as if she really cared, without money strings attached, create a website that gives numerous tips and solutions to help these relationships, with equal solutions for each side to consider.
(5) If one is a psychologist, why create a website singling out those with Aspergers or ASD? Does she have anger at those persons for some reason, more than others? If so, why? There certainly are mental health conditions more severe than that. It is as if maybe she had a personal bad experience with an Aspie, so her need to create a website focusing on them, as it seems bizarre to focus on just those with Aspergers, and would seem more proper if she would have instead just grouped all mental health conditions together, and create a webpage saying how those with a mental condition can make it hard for families and in many of those varying ways.
(6) The implication from that website and that psychologist is that NTs are way more empathetic than NTs. That is fiction. If they are so empathetic, then why did none of the teachers help me in school, and why did no students come to my aid when bullied, and why does discrimination run rampant against women, men, against minories, different races or ethnicities, the old, disabled, those with handicaps and mental illness?
Also, if NT's are so empathetic, then why are many NT medical professionals taking advantage of many patients, with dragged out treatments, not listening to patients and their families, over billing, diagnosing improperly sometimes to just satisfy insurances, etc. Yes, there are great doctors too, but there are great persons with any condition, too. How would it look like if I created a website saying all doctors had narcissism and without empathy, based on many experiences our family had with them? And why are so many abuses coming from NTs, and with little attempt to hold many of them accountable by other NTers, or in not taking away the victim then to safer environments? That shows a lack of empathy coming from NTs. Why are so many NTs these days obsessed about high achievements and their own personal happiness, more so than helping others? Is that empathy?
Why would so many NTs rather read books not with purpose to understand and help, but to escape or to be entertained? That is their right of course, as they could help in other ways. But, let's say an NT who did not relate in any way to Autism, read a book on Autism, which would be a very rare case. I bet most NTs would be closed minded and rather read something else, or even if that NT related in some way to Autism, they would in most cases read just a best seller related to that, due to slick advertising, or read from a doctor's perspective; a doctor that does not understand the Autism details up close having not lived that on a daily basis, rather than buy from from a parent who was living with Autistic children and who really spoke the truth in an empathetic way, with a goal to change the systems with specific solutions and not those on the Spectrum. That does not show empathy and a desire to understand from another persons perspective and that may not believe in heavy promotion or advertising.
But, of the several hundreds of mostly professional NTs who initiated being followers on my twitter, how many do you think had the empathy to read my website and buy my book, to learn about Autism, through a Dads perspective raising two different Autistic children? One. Had they have done that, I would have returned the favor. If they were an empathetic person they should not need me to sell them on the idea for them to have a heart, do the right thing, and to show care and respect to a parent that was trying hard to help society treat Autistics better. Instead, they all wanted to just promote their own stuff. Most Nts do not care about Autistics. They cannot empathize with what they are going through, much less care about their families. That psychologist likely had a bad experience and tried venting in a professional way, to get back at all Aspies. She should be banned from her profession.
