Hello fellow Asperger's people, lets talk

They have just released a new movie based on Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". It is a horrible book and a terrible message and people with Asperger's need to know that. While it may not feel that way when we are young, we have been given a gift and it is not to be used selfishly, it is to be used to help those who hurt us when we were young because they couldn't understand.

The bible says that with great understanding comes great pain, pretty good description if we have hearts. There is a movie where a normal kid fakes that he is retarded so that he can win the special olympics. That is what Ayn Rand would recommend, cut out the retarded ones. If you have Asperger's would you beat up a retarded child?

There are too many of us now, our numbers have increased way too fast and too many at one time, in fifteen years the world will not be able to keep up or deal with us. When I was born we were 1 in 10,000 now it is 1 in 100. That is way too many for normal people to deal with, change is hard on them and the world is spinning faster and faster.

Some may think that we can own the world, have a meritocracy, that is tyranny and it is wrong, everyone's opinion counts and everyone deserves to have a say in their life even if it means they are not "better off". They cannot teach the young ones, they cannot understand them and they cannot help but pressure the youngs ones like us. You survived it and so did I, we know our joy when we are older enough to use our skills and they are afraid to mess with us, would you deny that challenge to those who want challenge? I cannot, I don't like short cuts, lets understand it all.

I understand how it feels when they say that they want to cure us, stop us from existing. It makes me angry also; but, they see our pain and not our beauty, you gotta take the shxt with the suger and that is how we grow. We fill think tanks and design their systems, it is an easy thing to take them over, we build in "trap doors". Still, why harm a child. If you call them neurotypical then you must recognize that they are children.

If your parents or family or friends were not like us but loved you, would you eliminate them in the way that other normal people would eliminate us. Do you wish to make them like us through technology or gene therapy. That would be wrong and shortcut, it would deny them the chance to grow on their own and as a world we have grown, we don't deficate where we eat anymore and we use the weel. They can come along, lets go as a group.

To those who read this that do not understand or know people with Asperger's, you probably don't want to read the responses. Some of us are angry and we can be very cold and depricating. This is our thread and they can say what they feel and they may attack me viciously, I am good with that, they are my brothers and sisters in a way that we cannot explain and I will not speak for us. For the parents of children who may be like us, do not look at our pain, look at the strength we develop, Listen to what we can do once we learn to deal with normal people.

I may get hit for this, my friends always get upset when I say it. I am a freak and I know it and I love it, I love my Asperger's and would not be anyone other than me. I know most of us once we mature feel the same way, there is no competing with us, the game ends before it even begins. I ask my brothers and sister to remember that they were young and we do hold all the cards when we choose to, do you really want cookies? If you need them you can have them; so, isn't simple better? Be well all.

reply to post by AQuestion

S&F
i'm interested in watching this thread develop.
i don't have asperger's but can very much appreciate where you're coming from.

reply to post by slowisfast


Thank you so very much. Please allow them and us to express any feelings we may have and yes some of us are more than capable of defending ourselves, we can get cranky. Be well.

When were you diagnosed?

I think I was about 12. The school had me take an IQ test and it basically snowballed from there.

If you don't mind me asking, has anyone had their IQ test taken? No online based, strictly professional quality.

Just wondering what the range is.

My best friend's son was finally diagnosed with PDD a couple of weeks ago. I have spent some time over the past few months reading about Autism together with my friend in hopes of trying to help her understand her son.

How alike or different are Aspersers and PDD?

Good to see someone speak up about Aspie's. I have Aspergers and I am quite proud to have it as well. I get to see the world from a perspective not commonly seen as 'normal' I am a freak and I love it. I had my IQ tested in high school and it was 174. Never really did searching into it because I didn't care at the time - nor do I really now (But I know it's a little high - my son is off the charts and I am so proud of him!). I wonder if high IQ is a trend of Aspies? To me, it's just a number and doesn't define me.

What I find funniest is how those without Autism don't seem to understand our view on things. I, personally, find sparkly things fascinating. I also like to watch a ceiling fan spin (And I will be 30 yrs old) and I love to collect Mica lol. I love nature and I love to feel it around me (Sometimes I feel like I can communicate directly with it but I must not be good enough just yet lol). I could go on and on but I won't.

I agree with the OP.

Originally posted by SpiritualStar
Good to see someone speak up about Aspie's. I have Aspergers and I am quite proud to have it as well. I get to see the world from a perspective not commonly seen as 'normal' I am a freak and I love it. I had my IQ tested in high school and it was 174. Never really did searching into it because I didn't care at the time - nor do I really now (But I know it's a little high - my son is off the charts and I am so proud of him!). I wonder if high IQ is a trend of Aspies? To me, it's just a number and doesn't define me.

What I find funniest is how those without Autism don't seem to understand our view on things. I, personally, find sparkly things fascinating. I also like to watch a ceiling fan spin (And I will be 30 yrs old) and I love to collect Mica lol. I love nature and I love to feel it around me (Sometimes I feel like I can communicate directly with it but I must not be good enough just yet lol). I could go on and on but I won't.

I agree with the OP.

This right here, I don't really have much more to add to it because it has been said perfectly.I would spend hours in the woods behind my house, and I have this thing about collecting, when I was a kid if you bought me something, say, a hot wheels car. I would have to have two of them. One to play with and one to store. If I only had one, then it would get packed away.

Anyone itching for some Minecraft?

My 3 year old grandson is borderline on the Spectrum. I probably am too - but too old to have been diagnosed.

I'm doing everything I can to let him be who he is. He does seem to be very intelligent.

Originally posted by AQuestion
I understand how it feels when they say that they want to cure us, stop us from existing. It makes me angry also; but, they see our pain and not our beauty, you gotta take the shxt with the suger and that is how we grow. We fill think tanks and design their systems, it is an easy thing to take them over, we build in "trap doors". Still, why harm a child. If you call them neurotypical then you must recognize that they are children.

Having aspergers or hfa is VERY different from having severe autism or pdd and clearly you are doing not too badly if you are fuctional enough to use a computer and share your opinions. Some cannot read, write or speak so perhaps they would not share your aversion to the concept of a cure. In regard to aspergers I really do not think it's something that needs to be treated unless the person really wants and needs help with it. It can be a tough journey figuring all this out and whats best for yourself.. and remember there's no rule that says you have to be "normal" (if there is such a thing).

Personally I want a cure for severe autism. This does not at all equate to me wanting to stop someone from existing as I do not define someone by their disorder. It simply means that autism for some is a torcherous mental cage and I would like them to be free of it so they an express who they really are underneath.

Originally posted by riley

Originally posted by AQuestion
I understand how it feels when they say that they want to cure us, stop us from existing. It makes me angry also; but, they see our pain and not our beauty, you gotta take the shxt with the suger and that is how we grow. We fill think tanks and design their systems, it is an easy thing to take them over, we build in "trap doors". Still, why harm a child. If you call them neurotypical then you must recognize that they are children.

Having aspergers or hfa is VERY different from having severe autism or pdd and clearly you are doing not too badly if you are fuctional enough to use a computer and share your opinions. Some cannot read, write or speak so perhaps they would not share your aversion to the concept of a cure. In regard to aspergers I really do not think it's something that needs to be treated unless the person really wants and needs help with it. It can be a tough journey figuring all this out and whats best for yourself.. and remember there's no rule that says you have to be "normal" (if there is such a thing).

Personally I want a cure for severe autism. This does not at all equate to me wanting to stop someone from existing as I do not define someone by their disorder. It simply means that autism for some is a torcherous mental cage and I would like them to be free of it so they an express who they really are underneath.

edit on 25-4-2011 by riley because: (no reason given)

Dear Riley,

I would never attempt to speak for those who are not functional nor do I agree with those in our community who dismiss those who are normal. I am functional, very functional and I appreciate it. At the same time, being told that we should be "cured" is disgusting because it is saying that we should not exist. Lets be clear, the scientific community recently announced that they do not wish to diferentiate between high functioning and low functioning autistics. They want to cure us all, including me. I am not good with that, I understand and speak to my brothers and sisters; but, I am not good with being cured, nothing to cure here and I will fight back and nobody wants us to fight back, it will not be pretty.

Please do not deceive yourself. We "Aspergers" "children become adults and are forced to hear how we do not deserve to exist. What is our crime? The world seeks to cure disabilities, we are not disabled once we grow past childhood, we become very exceptional and dangerous. I believe (and it is just my belief) that even those of us who are low functioning don't want to be "normal". Should we not have this choice? Should even the lowest functioning of us not be allowed to exist? I am not good with that.

This weekend I played tournament poker in Vegas with someone who was disabled, I do not know what his issue was, you don't ask; but, he played good poker. I think it may have been multiple sclerosis. While playing cards with him I was not concerned about his disability, I was concerned about his abilities and he played well. I did not speak on this thread to "normal" people, I was attempting to speak to my brothers and sisters and ask them to be genle with normal people once they find themselves. I will make it very clear. If you were told you were pregnant and you child would have autism, would you let us live, take the chance we might be high functioning like me or kill us while we were three weeks in the belly? If you would kill me then I have no use for you or those like you, I deserve to live also.

If mediocrity is what we seek then there are no outliers. If we seek more than there must be outliers, some that beneift and some that take. In either case the question is the same, how much variation can society allow and at what cost? I think that society is well enough established that normal people can handle us existing without killing us all all off before we are born. If you cure autism then people like me are also elimiated, I am not good with that. Would you cure blindness if it meant killing everyone who could not see 20/20? Where does it end? I never alllowed my children to be tested for anything, I have three. If they had been "disabled", I still would have had them. The problem is in answering the question of who should exist, I cannot judge that only deal with it.

If you know who should be allowed to exist, please tell me and them. Should deaf people be allowed to be born, some will be retarded, should we kill them all, stop any deaf people from being born because some might be retarded? We are no different. They used to kill all siamese twins, would you agree with that? It is simple for me, I am against murder. I am in favor of us letting nature take its course. I trust in God and he created nature. Be well.

Originally posted by AQuestion
Dear Riley,

I would never attempt to speak for those who are not functional nor do I agree with those in our community who dismiss those who are normal. I am functional, very functional and I appreciate it. At the same time, being told that we should be "cured" is disgusting because it is saying that we should not exist. Lets be clear, the scientific community recently announced that they do not wish to diferentiate between high functioning and low functioning autistics. They want to cure us all, including me. I am not good with that, I understand and speak to my brothers and sisters; but, I am not good with being cured, nothing to cure here and I will fight back and nobody wants us to fight back, it will not be pretty.

I have not seen anyone say that and I see no reason to cure HFA.

Please do not deceive yourself. We "Aspergers" "children become adults and are forced to hear how we do not deserve to exist.

I'm not decieving myself. No-where have I seen people say those with aspergers should be killed. I think perhaps you are deceiving others making such claims.

What is our crime? The world seeks to cure disabilities, we are not disabled once we grow past childhood, we become very exceptional and dangerous.

What do you mean by dangerous?

I believe (and it is just my belief) that even those of us who are low functioning don't want to be "normal".

Yet earlier you assured me you would never attempt to speak for low functioning autistics..

Should we not have this choice? Should even the lowest functioning of us not be allowed to exist? I am not good with that.

Neither am I. I do not think curing low functioning autism equates to killing them.

If you know who should be allowed to exist, please tell me and them. Should deaf people be allowed to be born, some will be retarded, should we kill them all, stop any deaf people from being born because some might be retarded? We are no different. They used to kill all siamese twins, would you agree with that? It is simple for me, I am against murder. I am in favor of us letting nature take its course. I trust in God and he created nature. Be well.

Is this directed at me or generally? You replied to me specfically yet sound like you are making a presidental speech. I'd never advocate killing disabled people! Besides which deaf people can get implants and conjoined twins can be seperated due to medical advances. Are you really against medical intervention that can help the deaf hear or blind see? That would be just nature taking it's course after all..

reply to post by riley


Dear Riley,

I will not say that any of this was directed at you, I don't know you. It is the issues that I am interested in and one of the issues is that people want to eliminate autism, many of us who are autistic don't all agree with that. If there were a test that could be conducted in vitro to determine if a baby would be born autistic, many would recommend that we be aborted, killed. They have these tests for other things and have spent a lot of money to have one to detect autism. Assisting blind people by restoring their site or deaf people by restoring their hearing does not prevent them from being, what sense would we have restored? Autism is not a disease, it is a way of experiencing the world and we can learn to control some of its impacts.

I do hope you understand that hearing that we need to be cured presumes that we are damaged, we are not. I cannot speak for low functioning autistics and neither can you. There are many low functioning people, we are not seeking to eliminate all low functioning people. The germans tried that, they said they were genetically unfit. I do not mean to imply that you believe such things, I do mean to say that it has been done. The history of the birth control movement in America used to sterilize low functioning people. In most of the world the number one reason for abortion is to select the sex of the child.

You rightly differentiate between high and low functioning autistics; however, recently there was a move to just group them all together as autistic. This appears ominous to some of us. We read history books too. The purpose of this thread was to get others with Aspergers to discuss it, I failed at that, oh well. It began because of what someone said on a seperate thread. I did read somethings from parents of low functioning and high functioning autistics. It can be challenging to raise them; but, the parents love them and the children do learn, just socially at a different rate.

Rather than having others choose for us, we should be allowed to choose for ourselves. I do not see large groups of autistic people asking to be cured, in fact many despise these groups that want to cure us. The blind may want sight and the deaf might like to hear, they get to choose shouldn't we be allowed the same? I do not doubt the sincerity of those who would "help" us, not a bit. Help when asked and most of us do not wish to be "cured". It is challenging when you are young, everything is challenging when you are young.

The dangerous comment was not about harm, it is about effectiveness. Think of the English hacker that broke into NASA and other very secure sites, he has Aspergers. Any group will respond if they feel threatened and that is a concern. When I read about some kid being jailed or otherwise abused because he is "not normal", it is upsetting. I worry that some in the community may take punitive actions. I would never condone such things; but, I have read from those who would.

Nobody has been able to prove definitively why the rates of autism are increasing. 1 in 10,000 when I was born and 1 in a 100 now. It is a little late to "cure" us, we are too numerous now. My children do not have autism, it doesn't seem to work that way. We don't know what causes us to be the way we are; but, we are. There is a movie out about a man who takes a pill that lets him be brilliant, if such a pill existed most people would want it. People with Aspergers don't need the pill, they learn to deal with it. Knowledge without wisdom is a bad thing and wisdom is acquired by having to deal with challenges.

This is not a question of high functioning versus low functioning. It is a question of how much variation we will allow in society. My heart goes out when I see a low functioning autistic person get frustrated, they don't handle it well when they are young. I do not know what it is like to a parent of one of them other than what they have said to me and the one's I have met have a lot of patience.

I don't want you to feel attacked and if you did I apologize, we do that a lot, it is part of who we are often. One of the traits is a type of bluntness, I work on that and sometimes I fail. Most of us do not ask for any cure, we ask to be allowed to be us. We ask to not be vilified or grouped into one giant basket. The examples given on television and in the media are usually of nerds or uncontollable low functioning people who seek to injure themselves. That is a pretty narrow description and does not accurately reflect the community (I am not accusing you of using that description), both exist; but, there is a lot of variationThe genome that is found in autistics is never in the same place, each has it in a unique spot according to recent discoveries.

My problem with the attempts to cure autism is that people who are not autistic believe they have a right to decide for us the solution. I don't recall having anyone ask our opinion. "Autism Speaks" the largest "advocacy" group was founded by the grandparents of autistic kids, not by autistic people. Why should that group get more attention and be listened to more that the groups that are comprised of autistic people? Autism is not a disease, it is a way of viewing the world and others. While I may not be able to speak for the community, why can people who don't have it speak for us? I don't need them to speak for me and they don't have a right to. In fact, I find it offensive and so do others in the community.

I have poor eyesight, I choose not to get laser surgery to "cure" it. I have that right. This is no different. You stated that you thought I was speaking "presidential", this is how we talk sometimes. Perhaps in dealing with us, you can focus on the message rather than the delivery. I think that is what I want, people to understand that we do have certain traits and that is okay. We don't think like "normal" people and we don't socialize the same, is it really that bad that we need to be cured? I am not a proponent of curing everyone with an IQ under 135. I like variation.

I have a triglycerides rate if over 900, over 150 is considered dangerous. They put me on pills that proceeded to destroy my liver, I stopped taking them when they did. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. I will probably die, according to my doctors, from a heart attack or a stroke; but, I am here today and that is enough for today. It killed my mother (she also had the same level) and it may very well kill me. I won't go back on the pills. In America we attempt to cure hyperactivity with Ridalin (I may have misspelt it), basically meth. We are not helping those children either. We used to say boys will be boys, now it is a syndrome. We have pills for depression, for anxiety, for twitchy legs (my favorite). Society is constantly seeking to normalize everyone because that is easier to control.

After World War II, America was given a protecting role over many Polynesian islands. We wanted to help them so we gave them corrugated steel to build houses and food and water and booze. By helping them to "Advance" we destroyed their societies and alcoholism became the biggest problem, that was very helpful. We saw them as not as advanced as modern society, they were happy till we helped them. While Europe still believed the world was flat and Columbus was not to be born for 100s of years, the Polynesians managed to navigate 1/3 or the earth with no compass in canoes that were paddled. They were not less advanced, they were very advanced in their way.

Being "normal" means to seek to be the same, it means we want the same things. We don't all want the same things and a society of "normal" people is doomed to failure. Arnold Toynbee is one of the most famous historians and he surveyed what caused societies to flourish and fail, just like Darwin said, you need variation or you cannot survive great changes and great change are coming, they have already begun. I do not know why my triglycerides are as high as they are; however, I do know that some genetic abnormality allows 5% of the population to be immune to eboli, that is a good thing. Not all anomalies have a place at all times; but, you better have some outliers when they are needed or we fail the survival test.

I may not speak for the community, let it speak for itself; but, I am entitled to speak for me and I am autistic. I have gone out of my way to talk others who are the same and ask them to be understanding of those who are not. I have asked them to not look down on normal people. I ask the same of those who do not have autism, be understanding of us not dismissive. You posted a nice little icon of someone rolling their eyes and attacked my writing style, we take some getting used to and have to allow for misunderstanding; but, once you get past that we are just people to and we have a right to exist even if you find us challenging at times, it is just the way we are; but, we learn to. Be well.

Sorry one last thing. You mentioned that you wanted low functioning ones to be cured so that they could be who they really are, autistic is who they really are just like me. It is not a disability, it is who we are and how we view the world, we just don't like this place much, it is painful to be here that is why they get frustrated. The repitition exhibited by many of us is a form of meditation in a way, it is calming and creates a focus point. Someone mentioned how they used to like staring a ceiling fans, other people have other forms. I myself used to like drawing cirlces endlessly, it may seem silly; but, it is harmless and is calming. We are not illogical, we are just responding to stimuli in our own way.

Originally posted by Itachimaru
when I was a kid if you bought me something, say, a hot wheels car. I would have to have two of them. One to play with and one to store. If I only had one, then it would get packed away.

Funny, that could describe me yet I've never had an inkling or feeling I had it. My now ex-girlfriend (who does have AS) tried to get me to find out since in conversations she'd bring it up after discussing our childhoods and thoughts on stuff.

Whether I had it or not, wouldn't define me any more than my personality already allows but how would one go about testing an adult if they absolutely needed to know?

Hey I found this thread.

Well, this is an interesting topic. I am HFA, Dyslexic but high IQ (se my sig).

I spent many years working in IT, 10 of which I was an IT Manager. My last job was for a woftware house with offices in the UK, the US and Canada, and Australia. I was responsible for the global opperation of the computer and telphone systems and all netoworks locally and internationally. I set budgets, and all the IT staff reported to me. I wrote the year and monthly plans and made sure all upgrades and maintenance was done in logical order and on time.

When I was at school, I was bottom of every class. My head teacher told may parents that I was not special, not dyslexic or anything else, I was stupid. He told them that Iwould never pass an exam, that I would never be properly educated as I was not compatible wioth the educational system. He said "..put him in a Quaker school, at least they will make a man out of him.."

I am now 43, and I am still fascinates with string (String is my thing!) I still have to empty my cions out of my poket and put them into piles according to their denomination. And lots of other oddness too.

We see the world in a different way.

This is why I failed at school, but we are intelligent too.

This is why I was successfull in my career. I was clever enough to teach myself everything I needed to know to do that job, I never went to college or university.

The world needs people like us. Clever people who think outside the box. I don't thing we can be cured or that anyone should even try. But we cann be taught how to deal with what is, from our perspective, a very strange, and sometimes scary world. How would you go about curing "above average intelligence and an alternative world view" anyway?

Immagine how much more I could have done if I was supported by my teachers, and given the help I needed right from the beginning!

reply to post by AQuestion


Some of my favorite people have Aspergers Syndrome. They are intelligent, kind,and thoughtful.

Originally posted by Shamatt
Hey I found this thread.

When I was at school, I was bottom of every class. My head teacher told may parents that I was not special, not dyslexic or anything else, I was stupid. He told them that Iwould never pass an exam, that I would never be properly educated as I was not compatible wioth the educational system. He said "..put him in a Quaker school, at least they will make a man out of him.."

The world needs people like us. Clever people who think outside the box. I don't thing we can be cured or that anyone should even try. But we cann be taught how to deal with what is, from our perspective, a very strange, and sometimes scary world. How would you go about curing "above average intelligence and an alternative world view" anyway?

Immagine how much more I could have done if I was supported by my teachers, and given the help I needed right from the beginning!

Dear Shamatt,

Three points, were you bored out of your mind in school. Einstein failed in school. Pretty common for many of us. For us, there is no box, it doesn't exist, only possibilities, chew toys I call them, "normal" people only see limitations, feel sorry for them, a world of limits. If you had been supported, you would have risen as far, that came from you, you refused to concede defeat, that gave you a new strength. Be well.

Originally posted by gabby2011
reply to post by AQuestion

 

Some of my favorite people have Aspergers Syndrome. They are intelligent, kind,and thoughtful.

edit on 3-6-2011 by gabby2011 because: (no reason given)

Dear gabby2011,

We can also be very annoying. LOL. I have nothing but sympathy for my teachers when I was young. We don't shut off, no mind rest time, always looking for something to figure out, something to put right. We look at the world and say, "that is not right, it should be this way" and then go about disrupting the calm to put things the way they belong. We always have another question and usually for people who don't know the answer.

It is good that you like us, I think we age well. Best part of having Asperger's is when we get to decided for ourselves how we will live our lives. Be well.

Originally posted by AQuestion

Originally posted by gabby2011
reply to post by AQuestion

 

Some of my favorite people have Aspergers Syndrome. They are intelligent, kind,and thoughtful.

edit on 3-6-2011 by gabby2011 because: (no reason given)

Dear gabby2011,

We can also be very annoying. LOL. I have nothing but sympathy for my teachers when I was young. We don't shut off, no mind rest time, always looking for something to figure out, something to put right. We look at the world and say, "that is not right, it should be this way" and then go about disrupting the calm to put things the way they belong. We always have another question and usually for people who don't know the answer.

It is good that you like us, I think we age well. Best part of having Asperger's is when we get to decided for ourselves how we will live our lives. Be well.

What some find annoying, I find intriguing . I have learned much from people with Aspergers , as they are very knowledgeable in the fields they are passionate about. Some may find them annoying , but I found them less annoying then some of the so called "regular" type people.

Thank you..be well also

Originally posted by AQuestion

Originally posted by gabby2011
reply to post by AQuestion

 

Some of my favorite people have Aspergers Syndrome. They are intelligent, kind,and thoughtful.

edit on 3-6-2011 by gabby2011 because: (no reason given)

Dear gabby2011,

We can also be very annoying. LOL. I have nothing but sympathy for my teachers when I was young. We don't shut off, no mind rest time, always looking for something to figure out, something to put right. We look at the world and say, "that is not right, it should be this way" and then go about disrupting the calm to put things the way they belong. We always have another question and usually for people who don't know the answer.

It is good that you like us, I think we age well. Best part of having Asperger's is when we get to decided for ourselves how we will live our lives. Be well.

See that further aids my confusion.

It's like I said, my now ex-girlfriend has Asperger's and even she said there's a chance I have it and everything you and others (including her) describe about yourselves is exactly me to a tee.

Only thing is, my teachers always supported me, enjoyed my eccentricities and allowed me to get on in my own weird world because they knew I'd always turn in the work required on time and way above expectations.

Intelligence, weird way of viewing the world, social confusion and chronic shyness to name just a few......check.

It's great you guys and girls here have a place to talk amongst yourselves though and be proud of who you are, always great to see