Seraphim Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Yay ,our package got to Charlottetown already! So about four more weeks and we should get an answer. Link to comment
annie24 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 yeah, it is a difficult and perplexing field. I know of a very large study that's been published trying to make correlations between genes and autism. It's definitely not a simple and answer and is going to be a huge combination of genes and environmental factors. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 yeah, it is a difficult and perplexing field. I know of a very large study that's been published trying to make correlations between genes and autism. It's definitely not a simple and answer and is going to be a huge combination of genes and environmental factors. Absolutely ,I believe it's a combination of genes and environmental factors and viral factors. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I think it's a mix of genetic and environmental factors too. Link to comment
WithLove Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I do as well. I'm sure you remember that my ex has a 5-year-old autistic daughter. She really doesn't "appear" as if she is autistic until she tries to communicate. I believe she would be much more "functioning" if someone other than her mother had custody of her. I don't believe her mother understands much about autism and refuses to learn more about it, nor about things to do to help her grow. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 It is certainly one of the more complex issues out there. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I am torn because I love my siblings and their quirks which would no doubt not exist without autism, but at the same time, I wish there were a cure, absolutely. If I get them a shot today that would take away their autism, there's not much I wouldn't do to get that shot, including illegal things. Hmm, torn. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Yeah ,I can see what you mean ,Fudgie. At the same time though spending a lot of time with that Aspergers group I can see a lot of them are extremely extremely insulted at the thought of being "cured "or "fixed" in some capacity. They love themselves and the way that they are and they just want to be accepted and loved. And by in large they don't feel accepted or loved by society and many have been abused by family members and society in general or people they call NT. So now they are incredibly defensive and I could see why. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I can see why too. It is important to have love and acceptance for them. I do that but still wish for a cure. I think someday there will be a cure or perhaps a very effective treatment that could be done very very very early and I want that very much and I still love and accept those on the spectrum. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 I can see why too. It is important to have love and acceptance for them. I do that but still wish for a cure. I think someday there will be a cure or perhaps a very effective treatment that could be done very very very early and I want that very much and I still love and accept those on the spectrum. Exactly ,we may be able to if not cure at least severely limit the neurodiversity . I understand it just comes from wanting to make their life easier. I can completely understand that I would love to make my son's life easier. And I know you love your siblings. It is such a quandary because those who are neruodiverse just want to be that and just be loved. And really that's all anybody asks for. They also have a very severe hatred for Autism Speaks. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I've heard of Autism Speaks but I am not really sure what that organisation does. Why do they have it? Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 I've heard of Autism Speaks but I am not really sure what that organisation does. Why do they have it? Neurodiverse people hate autism speaks because they feel the organization wants to eradicate them from the world. Because they don't employ people with autism. They feel they try and shut down the voice of people with autism. And they say they don't put their money into helping people with autism but they put their money into research to get rid of autism. And they don't want to be gotten rid of. Link to comment
IAmFCA Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Popping in to say how much I am enjoying this discussion... thank you ladies Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Popping in to say how much I am enjoying this discussion... thank you ladies Thanks. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Being part of a group with thousands of very blunt people has been interesting to say the least. You have to learn to develop a thick skin. A number of them openly despise people who are not neurodiverse. They will tell you that they hate NT's right to your face. But I've come to realize a lot of that is born out of pain of being treated like crap by their family and by society. Link to comment
Batya33 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Isn't there a way for both those positions to co-exist? Those who are happy being neurodiverse live their lives and those who are not can seek various treatments, therapies, etc. I agree that if an organization challenges the rights of those who want to remain just as they are to be able to do so then there is a problem but there will always be people who think that certain lifestyles or ways of thinking are harmful -can't everyone just agree to disagree? Maybe I'm missing something here. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Isn't there a way for both those positions to co-exist? Those who are happy being neurodiverse live their lives and those who are not can seek various treatments, therapies, etc. I agree that if an organization challenges the rights of those who want to remain just as they are to be able to do so then there is a problem but there will always be people who think that certain lifestyles or ways of thinking are harmful -can't everyone just agree to disagree? Maybe I'm missing something here. The thing is humanity never accepts something different. Anybody who's different will always be singled out for nonacceptance by in large. And that is why they are so upset ,angry and defensive. And truly we will never know how it feels to be them just as they will never know how it feels to be us. I will never truly understand how it feels to be my son. Because I am not Neurodiverse . I can only try as best I can to understand. I think my son has fared a lot better than most because I knew from before he was two months old that he was a little different. But I didn't care that he was different I just loved him and wanted to understand him. I have adapted so much of myself just to understand him. And I have accepted all of him and love him to pieces. I accept his Neurodiversity with love. It is a part of who he is. Therefore I can't wish for him to ever be different. See? But the abuse with which Neurodiverse people are treated is so horrifying as I have found. And most times by their own family. As I have said humanity doesn't like anything different. Link to comment
Batya33 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I guess it depends how "acceptance" is defined. If acceptance is defined by everyone agreeing that neurodiversity needs no cure then that is different from "just let us peacefully co-exist". I happen to be a person who celebrates differences in people (with the reasonable exceptions of course -not violence, etc). Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 I guess it depends how "acceptance" is defined. If acceptance is defined by everyone agreeing that neurodiversity needs no cure then that is different from "just let us peacefully co-exist". I happen to be a person who celebrates differences in people (with the reasonable exceptions of course -not violence, etc). Unfortunately, there are not enough people in the world that celebrate difference. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I think there's a balance somewhere. I want autism cured. In 100 years, preferably less, I want it gone forever. I wish my siblings didn't have autism. I love my siblings and I love being around autistic kids in general, I definitely accept them as they are because I know it's not their fault and they were born with it and that's just how they are. They deserve love and acceptance, absolutely. But they also deserve proper treatment and in the future, perhaps a cure too. Some look at autism as merely a "different way to be" and maybe we shouldn't treat it. I see it as a potentially debilitating disorder that affects function and life potential. I owe it to my siblings to be loving and accepting of them, and yes, sometimes I've failed at this over the years. But they deserve this. They also deserve treatment so they can be at their best. It's more about increasing functionality, language comprehension, learning abilities, etc. than it is about conforming. Some may say that encouraging treatment is asking them to conform and you know, perhaps there is some truth in that. I realize that the world can be a harsh one and it's easier and more effective to treat one person to their best of their abilities than to try and get the whole world to understand and accept. I wouldn't wish autism upon anyone and I really do want it gone. But my love for someone isn't affected by whether or not they have autism. I hope I'm making sense. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Absolutely you're making sense. What I'm trying to balance in my mind is how these people think and feel about their life and how to make the world better for them at the same time. And yes ,you are right they need help in certain areas to make their life that much better and yes at the same time it is to somehow make them easier to conform. I just don't know how to balance that at all. In talking to my son he sees absolutely nothing wrong with himself and he's perfectly happy. But at the same time I see how much his life is impacted. It's a huge struggle on the inside for me. Link to comment
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