New to the forum, familiar with the cause

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Hey, everyone

I'm Joe Shipman, and I take a special interest in autism...especially the awareness and understanding of it. This is especially evident if you know that I myself was diagnosed in the spectrum. I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS in 1995 at around the age of 3. However, through reminiscing my own experiences, and through my mom's telling of her experiences raising me, I actually possessed more severe symptoms than diagnosed...to put it accurately...I believe if I were being brought in today as the 3-year-old I was in '95, I would be diagnosed as mildly autistic, which, in my case, would be a bit more severe than Asperger's.

I was born in April of 1992. My parents were both well known in the community, as my father was a high school basketball star and valedictorian, and my mother was the daughter of German immigrants, originally hailing from Chicago. She was also homecoming queen, basketball star, and bodybuilder (calm down...she was natural)...and the both of them were high school sweethearts. In other words, My parents were celebrities; which is an appropriate term considering this was Flippin, AR. Anyway, I was a healthy, "normal" baby. I developed quickly, in fact...being able to walk at 6 months, and possessing a 60 word vocabulary and speaking in simple sentences by 12 months. However when I was around two, I stopped communication altogether, and (insert generic story here). But seriously, they took me in and I was, of course diagnosed...and considering the year 1995 in the world of autism was like the year 1955 in the world of sex education; people still didn't know as much as they do now, and one of the doctors that diagnosed me recommended I be institutionalized. My parents, of course, took their advice and told those doctors where to stick it. javascript:emoticon(':twisted:') They put through every therapy they could think of that was available at that time. Fortunately, I was never put in special education (although I saw my therapist at least 5 times a week during elementary and middle school), and I functioned in the same settings other kids did. I went to see therapists (sometimes sparingly, especially in junior high and high school) for a total of around 13 years (beginning when I was 3, of course), and it ended on my command. I felt I no longer needed it...and considering I am now a 19 year old college sophomore, aspiring to be a musician, who can interact with and form relationships with others just like anyone else, I don't need it anymore. However...I still believe autism and my experience with it is a significant part of who I am and how I look at the world. I do not think like others my age...I think about things they won't think about for decades, if ever. I am different, and I'm proud of it. In fact, I would not want to be "cured" of it....especially since I believe autism is just a different wiring for the brain, a different way of thinking, and one that is a valuable resource....without it, there would be no Albert Einsteins, or Bill Gates'. Screw the cure! How about understanding, and then teaching them to interact so we can nurture strengths?

technically a disease but not in the traditional sense. This is about logic and not emotion. It comes down to the facts.

I don't think that autism is a disease at all. It's a pervasive developmental disorder and I do not wish to be cured. I support another cause called ASAN.

ASAN has done nothing but be hostile politically and used abortion to guilt the public to attempt to guilt the public to achieve it's goals to that end. Yes a developmental disability however under the pathology framework technically a disease effecting the brain. However not in the traditional sense. Outside of the logical of pathology for social and political reasons one can define it otherwise for polite reasons. I can understand why one does not want to be considered of a disease. It's a matter of technicality.

As far as ASAN I believe other organizations and causes have already achieve far more and ASAN is itself a risk to already derived progress let alone new progress. Just because someone has a form of autism does not make them very good with politics. ASAN because of their methods does not have my support even though I have autism. I don't believe ASAN is a true network incorporating the thoughts and ideas of the greator diversity of self-advocates nor really wants to.

it would be a disorder or disability not a disease.a disease comes from bacteria or a virus if it doesnt come from a virus or bacteria its not a disease

As I said not really in the traditional sense or in popular culture interpretations.