What are your controversial opinions regarding the autism spectrum?

[4gottenLoreKali]

Not specific to autism, but it can be hugely liberating to reclaim agency by identifying as a perjorative. "Weird" is not necessarily an insult in every context; even NT friends have described as "weird but in a cool way". they stammered to word their point diplomatically, but I got it: a firebrand, one-of-a-kind. Unapologetically individualistic.

Autonomy to my fellow autists!

 

[AprilR]

I think it is a disability and it is okay for an autistic person to not accomplish great things in order to be valuable. That's like saying "prove your worth by being useful"

Many autistic people will not be completely independent in their lives and it is perfectly okay. People don't have to prove their worth by "having" or "succeeding" at something.

 

[Shaddock]

I think that some people think that they are a community or friends only because they share autism. like every autist would be the same and so every autist likes each other. that´s not true. sure there are similaritys and people maybe share similar experiences and that creates a feeling of connectivity, but every autist is a single person and can be very different.

and I would not call someone friend, only because we both would share autism, especially when I don´t really know this person. also I don´t would say that I like autists more than other people, for me it depends on the specific character/personality and behavior and not if someone is autistic or not.

I like people here because most have a friendly and lovely personality and not because they have autism.

also some people sometimes try to explain everything with autism and thinks that an autist always does things different than others.

"is it true that autists like strawberrys more than non-autistic people?" (fictive, for example).

that feels constructed and founded. like someone created that question on purpose, without scientific evidence that lead to.

so like some people want that autists always are (more) special than others and always different. even in eating strawberrys. but the truth is that in some, I would say many things autists and non-autists are very similar and questions like above are just absurd and ridiculous in my opinion. and needless. also there is no exact border between "autistic" and "non-autistic", because it´s a spectrum. but people often act like there would be an exact border.

I think some people use autism as some kind of ideology. but autism is no ideology, it´s a medical/neurological thing.

I think that some people exploit autism for their own purposes.

and everyone can call himself autistic, there is no proof, that he/she is really autistic.

 

[4gottenLoreKali]

My unpopular opinion is that my fellow autists will never know whether they like a new food or not if they don't try it once. Every once in a blue moon, shocking and reality-breaking as it may seem, you may be pleasantly surprised to find the most exciting, novel experiences are juuuuust beyond your comfort zone.

There was once a time when I'd never touch sushi, buffalo cauliflower, or ricotta pie. I'm glad those days are over.

 

[Knower of nothing]

Stop acting like weirdness is a bad thing. Weird just means different, and being "normal" means being extremely generic and boring.

Here the problem. "Different" is so vague and "boring" is completely subjective. I would find most of Middle Eastern culture weird and they would find me weird. Because it's different right? We must be simultaneously weird to each other because it's different. But we are never weird to ourselves. Who is the gold standard that sets in stone what makes weird and normal?
Some people judge weird and normal based on who gets shamed or bullied for who they are. So if you're in a room with a sadist, you'll probably be weird no matter what you do. And if you're in a room with a kind person, you'll never be weird. In this way, being weird only describes your relationship to your surroundings rather than say much about yourself like how boring or cool you may be.

 

[Matthias]

I'd like to express my controversial views about autism but I'm worried I will get bullied by people who are intolerant of people who disagree with them so I feel pressured to keep my opinions to myself.

 

[Slime_Punk]

I'd like to express my controversial views about autism but I'm worried I will get bullied by people who are intolerant of people who disagree with them so I feel pressured to keep my opinions to myself.

Unless you're talking about real, serious bullying, it sounds like you're saying you'd like to express controversial opinions without any sort of consequence. People are going to respond, like it or not, so it's definitely important to consider what it is you do and don't want to share. There's always some pushback, and if you're not OK with that, then it's obviously time to reconsider. Even if that means for your own sake.

 

[Matthias]

Unless you're talking about real, serious bullying, it sounds like you're saying you'd like to express controversial opinions without any sort of consequence. People are going to respond, like it or not, so it's definitely important to consider what it is you do and don't want to share. There's always some pushback, and if you're not OK with that, then it's obviously time to reconsider. Even if that means for your own sake.

My brain seems to work differently than most people with the result that I have controversial and unpopular opinions. I don't have any problem with people disagreeing with me (since I already know my opinions are unpopular) but I don't want a bunch of people to gang up on me and call me a troll, attack my character, or twist my words to try to get me banned from the forum.

 

[Slime_Punk]

My brain seems to work differently than most people with the result that I have controversial and unpopular opinions. I don't have any problem with people disagreeing with me (since I already know my opinions are unpopular) but I don't want a bunch of people to gang up on me and call me a troll, attack my character, or twist my words to try to get me banned from the forum.

Depending on the severity of controversy, that's definitely a true risk. I guess it's worth it to weigh what you do and do not share with the public then, so that they have no reason to get offended. You're not likely to get outright banned if you can curb it, meet people somewhere in the middle and remain respectful.

Everybody has controversial opinions about something. That doesn't mean you need to share them with everyone.

 

[Knower of nothing]

I'd like to express my controversial views about autism but I'm worried I will get bullied by people who are intolerant of people who disagree with them so I feel pressured to keep my opinions to myself.

I don't think opinions deserve baseline respect just for being opinions at all. If you say something insulting, ignorant or that actively spreads harmful misinformation, look forward to having it be pointed out.

 

[Jordy]

Worse though is anyone trying to push that cure onto others. I'm not going to drop any names here, but... on a certain other autism forum, there's a certain individual that pretty much goes on about this non-stop. He's sure he "cured" himself, and keeps endlessly trying to push his method (which involves a certain diet and habits) onto basically everyone. This is someone who was NOT diagnosed professionally but instead self-diagnosed, which makes this even more dubious. When warned that his "cure" might not only NOT work for everyone, but could actually lead to unexpected harmful effects (everyone is different after all, some might have very negative reactions to something like what he proposes), his response basically boils down to "NO U" except in 10000 words, and he just keeps going forward. Anyone here who has been to that forum probably knows exactly who I'm talking about.

What worries me is that even if a potential cure for developmental disabilities where to exist, that some people will not be given excess to it or brainwashed into believing that they don't need it. When people are heavily invested into the idea that autism is not a real disorder and use that to keep their sense of value of afloat, than it is obvious they will start to disagree with and oppose any progress into finding a cure for autism, since it would imply that autism does much more harm than good. It would be very tragic if more people have to needlessly suffer from consequences of developmental disabilities because some people who are possibly already beyond the point of neural development where the cure could work, don't want to feel bad about themselves and acknowledge their disability. Crabs in the buckets mentality essentially.

 

[Shevek]

I think that programs to help Aspies should spend just as much on training NTs how to form a productive partnership that builds on our unique abilities as individuals, rather than making us self-sufficient but blunted.

 

[Matthias]

One thing that really bugs me is people thinking they have any sort of cure for it. THERE IS NO FREAKING CURE. Maybe in the future. But not now.

Worse though is anyone trying to push that cure onto others. I'm not going to drop any names here, but... on a certain other autism forum, there's a certain individual that pretty much goes on about this non-stop. He's sure he "cured" himself, and keeps endlessly trying to push his method (which involves a certain diet and habits) onto basically everyone. This is someone who was NOT diagnosed professionally but instead self-diagnosed, which makes this even more dubious. When warned that his "cure" might not only NOT work for everyone, but could actually lead to unexpected harmful effects (everyone is different after all, some might have very negative reactions to something like what he proposes), his response basically boils down to "NO U" except in 10000 words, and he just keeps going forward. Anyone here who has been to that forum probably knows exactly who I'm talking about.

There is no cure in your opinion but you can't really know for sure that no one has found a cure. What habits does his "cure" involve? I'm open-minded so I'd like to try it and see if it helps me.

 

[Misery]

There is no cure in your opinion but you can't really know for sure that no one has found a cure. What habits does his "cure" involve? I'm open-minded so I'd like to try it and see if it helps me.

Okay, so, for this bit, and:

What worries me is that even if a potential cure for developmental disabilities where to exist, that some people will not be given excess to it or brainwashed into believing that they don't need it. When people are heavily invested into the idea that autism is not a real disorder and use that to keep their sense of value of afloat, than it is obvious they will start to disagree with and oppose any progress into finding a cure for autism, since it would imply that autism does much more harm than good. It would be very tragic if more people have to needlessly suffer from consequences of developmental disabilities because some people who are possibly already beyond the point of neural development where the cure could work, don't want to feel bad about themselves and acknowledge their disability. Crabs in the buckets mentality essentially.

Also for this bit...

Please check the dates of the posts you're quoting before doing so. You're both quoting a post of mine from four years ago, and I have trouble remembering last Tuesday. I have no idea what's even happening here or where this conversation was going.

 

[4gottenLoreKali]

A far greater concern than any hypothetical cure for autism (inshallah it never gets invented) not going to someone who "needs it", is someone who doesn't need it being coerced, guilt-tripped, shamed or incentivized into taking it. Psychiatry already profits greatly off of a woefully excessive and coercive degree of "treatment" for individuals opportunistically branded "psychotic". Do you honestly believe that in our society, here and now, with the omnipresent regime of social shaming on which it is founded, everyone who gets their personalities eradicated by whichever sci-fi means proposed would do so because they arrived at the decision independently?

This is not unlike how some poor or terminally ill people in countries with legal assisted euthanasia will see it as an enticing option because their families and / or the socially Darwinist culture there has engrained the false idea in the person's head that they are a "useless eater" or parasite who would be "better off" dead. anything to not improve conditions for citizens.

If someone is that much of a masochist and conformist that they'd go forward with operation to amputate their very soul in hopes that they'd achieve some delusion of arbitrary-defined normalcy, absolutely no one under any circumstances should get it who doesn't purely want it. Informed consent is an alien concept to most caregivers of the disabled. This would be tantamount to a lobotomy or an operation transplanting the soul of an African-American into a White donor body.

 

[Jordy]

A far greater concern than any hypothetical cure for autism (being invented (inshallahbit never does) not going to someone who "needs it", is someone who doesn't need it being coerced, guilt-tripped, shamed or incentivized into taking it. Much like how some poor or disabled people in countries with legal assisted euthanasia will see it as an enticing option because their families and / or the socially Darwinist culture there has engrained the false idea the a person is that a "useless eater" or parasite.

If someone is that much of a masochist and conformist that they'd go forward with operation to amputate their very soul in order to entertain some delusion of arbitrary-defined normalcy, absolutely no one under any circumctances should get it who doesn't purely want it. This would be tantamount to a lobotomy or an operation transplanting the soul of an African-American into a White donor body.

Developmental disorders are not part of your soul, and being diffirent isn't inherently valuable. I think that if a cure where to exist it would only be effective at an age where a person could not make their decision on whether to have it anyway.

Normalcy is definitely not arbitrarily defined, you should look up the root and definition of that word.

 

[4gottenLoreKali]

I think that programs to help Aspies should spend just as much on training NTs how to form a productive partnership that builds on our unique abilities as individuals, rather than making us self-sufficient but blunted.

Something as close to self-sufficiency as possible should always be the end goal, but only on our terms, and how we would envision it.

 

[Knower of nothing]

Developmental disorders are not part of your soul, and being diffirent isn't inherently valuable. I think that if a cure where to exist it would only be effective at an age where a person could not make their decision on whether to have it anyway.

Normalcy is definitely not arbitrarily defined, you should look up the root and definition of that word.

"the condition of being normal; the state of being usual, typical, or expected."
None of these synonyms are objective or tied to anything. It is entirely arbitrary.

 

[Jordy]

"the condition of being normal; the state of being usual, typical, or expected."
None of these synonyms are objective or tied to anything. It is entirely arbitrary.

What is considered common and expected behavior within some group or population is not arbitrarily defined. Arbitrarily defined means that someone with authority has senselessly defined something to his liking without any further consideration, it comes from the word "arbiter". Common and accepted behavior develops naturally in response to environment.

 

[Knower of nothing]

What is considered common and expected behavior within some group or population is not arbitrarily defined. Arbitrarily defined means that someone with authority has senselessly defined something to his liking without any further consideration, it comes from the word "arbiter". Common and accepted behavior develops naturally in response to environment.

It is arbitrarily defined. People can't agree on any of it and what's normal today is weird tomorrow. It's fluid because what decides it is an individual biased perception. The only consistency you're seeing is the consequence of many biased perceptions coming together and forming some illusion of stability for a while but to say that gives it objectivity is to ignore the scale of time and to deny all outliers the validity of their own perceptions. Majority rule is blind and stupid.
For as long as you can have a situation where two people disagree on something being weird or not the idea of normalcy is arbitrary.