Autism Spectrum Megathread

[Western Vale Confederacy]

A thread dedicated to the discussion and expression of conditions such as autism, Asperger's Syndrome and more!

Since I haven't noticed a single thread that focuses on the autism spcectrum and the conditions such as autism, Asperger's Syndrome and more, I, an Asperger myself, have decided to create NationStates' first (?) official autism megathread ! Here, we shall discuss about how our conditions makes us special and/or different and more !

We can start with this fundamental question.

Are you autist, Asperger or one of the other conditions that are part of the autism spectrum ? To those who aren't part of the autism spectrum, do you think it is real or an illusion ? Are autists treated fairly ?

[Onlae]

I have Asperger's, myself.

[Edgy Opinions]

I have no idea, albeit it's unlikely that I have anything further unlike of neurotypicals on the spectrum than Asperger's syndrome. (Also, there's no allistic neuroatypical and/or neurotypical option in the poll.)

You might also want to beef up your OP, because threads with reduced content here are locked for not offering a coherent debate proposition.

[Communist Kerguelen]

I'm going to be THAT poster.

I would just like to point out, inb4, that Asperger's entails far more than simply social awkwardness, and can (and often does) coexist with other things such as OCD (which is also not the same as simply enjoying symmetry and perfection).

[Western Vale Confederacy]

I'm going to be THAT poster.

I would just like to point out, inb4, that Asperger's entails far more than simply social awkwardness, and can (and often does) coexist with other things such as OCD (which is also not the same as simply enjoying symmetry and perfection).

It's true that you can coexist with other conditions.

[Edgy Opinions]

OP, you're really not going to add "self-diagnosed, no idea", "self-diagnosed Asperger's", "non-autistic neuroatypical" and "neurotypical" to the poll? Lots of non-autistic people will vote "other".

[Benuty]

There was this really excellent meme with sponge bob having a Nicholas Cage (almost poker) like face while showing autism as a spectrum.

As for myself I do have Aspergers.

[Western Vale Confederacy]

I've heard that there were quite a few autists per 100 or per 1000 people.

What do you guys think of that ?

[Samarian Imperium]

As a sufferer of Aspergers this seems most interesting!

[Western Vale Confederacy]

As a sufferer of Aspergers this seems most interesting!

For some strange reason, I have not noticed one single autism spectrum thread in the seven months I was on the forum.

[Benuty]

As a sufferer of Aspergers this seems most interesting!

Not sure i'd call it suffering all things considered (since it is not a physical or mental condition).

[Western Vale Confederacy]

As a sufferer of Aspergers this seems most interesting!

Not sure i'd call it suffering all things considered (since it is not a physical or mental condition).

I often refer to it as "both a miracle and a curse" for some unknown reason.

There's good and bad sides to this.

[Edgy Opinions]

I've heard that there were quite a few autists per 100 or per 1000 people.

What do you guys think of that ?

I think that people are more diverse than originally expected, and that people often might not fit the cultural narrative of what it means to be "mentally ill", if that can even be applied to us. (We are different, and we might suffer because of said difference, but autism is not in itself necessarily a bad thing, albeit some forms of autism can be harder to learn to live with, particularly in a world designed for neurotypical people.)

Also that saying you only are different if you are significantly troubled for that is stupid, and that even professionals can have inadequate attitudes about what it means to be disabled/neuroatypical, so that might explain why we might have been much more under-diagnosed in the past.

Not to mention that due to various reasons (money, health, geographical location, abusive family members, nonsupporting family members, problematic services in one's country, ignorance, fear, etc.) people might avoid psychological and psychiatric care. Those should be much more available and be culturally interpreted as a common part of life for everybody. Media depictions of these are some of the most inaccurate and non-ideal.

[Zeinbrad]

As a sufferer of Aspergers this seems most interesting!

Not sure i'd call it suffering all things considered (since it is not a physical or mental condition).

Depends on your view of it.

I would say a person with non-verbal Autism are suffering. But then again I haven't met a non-verbal Autism person.

[Samarian Imperium]

Not sure i'd call it suffering all things considered (since it is not a physical or mental condition).

I often refer to it as "both a miracle and a curse" for some unknown reason.

There's good and bad sides to this.

Basically this Benuty. It's been very difficult sometimes but I wouldn't be as amazing without it .

[Scomagia]

I find, and I direct this at no one in particular, that there seem to be more people with "autism" on the internet than seems realistic, considering the actual rates of Autism. Indeed, among some people, self-diagnosing as Autistic seems to be done either as a way of identifying oneself as a special snowflake or a way of excusing bad behavior. I'm not accusing anyone in this thread of doing this, though I don't doubt that there are bound to be a few fakers popping up before this is through. I just thought I'd note it.

As for myself, I am not diagnosed with any sort of Autistic disorder, though my wife likes to joke that I have some manner of high functioning Autism because of my GAD and other peculiarities in my psychology and personality.

[Samarian Imperium]

As a sufferer of Aspergers this seems most interesting!

For some strange reason, I have not noticed one single autism spectrum thread in the seven months I was on the forum.

There kinda was one but that was some bigot who wanted to cure us .

[Scomagia]

For some strange reason, I have not noticed one single autism spectrum thread in the seven months I was on the forum.

There kinda was one but that was some bigot who wanted to cure us .

As I recall, the only "bigots" in that thread wanted to cure people with severe Autism.

[Edgy Opinions]

I find, and I direct this at no one in particular, that there seem to be more people with "autism" on the internet than seems realistic, considering the actual rates of Autism.

I actually would rather doubt the methodology to discern autistic from non-autistic people. Much of it seems focused on definitions of disability to function in our society as we know it rather than similar neurological function traits.

[Samarian Imperium]

There kinda was one but that was some bigot who wanted to cure us .

As I recall, the only "bigots" in that thread wanted to cure people with severe Autism.

Against their will and that of their parents! That denies them their most basic human right, the right to life.

[Furry Alairia and Algeria]

As I recall, the only "bigots" in that thread wanted to cure people with severe Autism.

Against their will and that of their parents! That denies them their most basic human right, the right to life.

I'm not sure which kind of "cure" we're talking about, so I'm going to shut my mouth here, but not in other places.

[Zunkwentania]

I often refer to it as "both a miracle and a curse" for some unknown reason.

There's good and bad sides to this.

Basically this Benuty. It's been very difficult sometimes but I wouldn't be as amazing without it .

Indeed
If you haven't guessed, I have Asperger's.

[Samarian Imperium]

Against their will and that of their parents! That denies them their most basic human right, the right to life.

I'm not sure which kind of "cure" we're talking about, so I'm going to shut my mouth here, but not in other places.

It was a hypothetical one. Not an actual thing.

[Samarian Imperium]

Basically this Benuty. It's been very difficult sometimes but I wouldn't be as amazing without it .

Indeed
If you haven't guessed, I have Asperger's.

I hadn't actually.

[Zunkwentania]

Indeed
If you haven't guessed, I have Asperger's.

I hadn't actually.

No, I mean because I said indeed