I am rather displeased with the new section

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This site was originally about Asperger's Syndrome. Just asperger's syndrome. It then branched out into other Autism spectrum disorders, which was fine. I do not think it's a good idea to add mental illness or diseases to the mix. That's just calling for a host of other problems to arise. This section will cause confusion. This forum was supposed to be about the autism spectrum, and talking to other aspies/auties in a safe environment. Mentally ill people tend to be mentally unstable. I feel really uncomfortable with it. I want to feel safe talking about my issues being on the autism spectrum. I don't want to feel unsafe, which I now do. People on the autism spectrum and mentally ill people experience vastly different issues and struggles. it seems very strange to have both on a forum. It seems like this might have been added so more people would join. This is not the way to go about it.

What about the reality that most of our members have co-morbid issues, and that with AS being a spectrum, it is really difficult to say who actually "is" AS v. something else?

I don't know, I haven't read the new section yet, and I certainly don't want any current members to feel less safe, but it almost feels inevitable to me, based on the patterns of postings, that the site would have to recognize similar or co-morbid issues.

It's not a section about co-morbid issues. it clearly says it's for those people. I'm sure co-morbid issues could be discussed, but that's not what the title or the description says it's about.

Aren't people with those other conditions also on the wrong planet?

Aren't there forums for people with other disorders? I don't mind that they are talked about here seeing as I have a dozen diagnoses myself but to make a seperate section? I'd rather see the womens discussion forum gone than this section added.

Reading the exact wording, I can see your point.

But ... to me, there is so much overlap.

I think having a separate section is a good thing. Wrong Planet is NOT only for people who have autism or AS. There's lots of NTs here as well who can have some issues that are similar to AS/autism & there's also lots of Aspies here who have issues not specifically related to AS or autism

A lot of the members here have mental illnesses (including me), so I don't know why having a separate forum would cause you to feel uneasy about it. Besides, a lot of mental health-related topics keep popping up in the Autism Discussion, so I think it's a good idea to have a separate section of the site dedicated to those specific topics.

WrongPlanet had always been meant to be an Aspergers/autism community; a place for us to feel comfortable and included, and talk with people who understand. The way Alex introduces the new forum seems to brush this all aside and morph the community into something less accepting and understsanding of our particular condition.

At the same time, AS can often be connected with other conditions, and I like having a forum to discuss these connections and how they affect many of us.
I just think that this should be done without making it seem like WP is turning into a neuro-diverse free-for-all when there's plenty of online communities for other conditions and only one WP. Why turn something unique into a copy of what already exists?

It´s just one little section of the website. I highly doubt this will attract many others anytime soon unless they were already searching / finding out about autism.

I wish there would be announcements when the forums change or things are added. By all the posts about it it's quite obvious people are confused about the change.

it's good for organization but i have trouble with the wording as yes, it seems an invitation to all kinds of people not on the spectrum (understanding many people here have comorbids i think it's good to have a forum section for discussion of other conditions and ailments, i just think the description should be different)

it is difficult enough to keep us from bullying each other without inviting hoards of people who may not be sensitive to ASDs or know anything about them.

Yes, I think there's a problem. Mental illness is not the same thing as neurodivergency.

I think that it should be made clear that it is "just" for co-morbids, and the line about "with or without autism" should definitely be removed ...

Unless alex wants autism to be be reframed as a disease state which is susceptible to cures ... as manic-depression/mood disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses are? ... ... ...
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People talk about other disorders in this forum anyway, the only difference now is that such threads are organised into their own section.

Or this one which is the wrong planet in reality... oh I have not read the new forum and likely will not do so either...

...what is the real issue here? That someone does not like to discuss mental illness here, or does not want mentally ill people here reading and discussing it?

And surely if the owners of the site envisaged such problems with the dichotomy, they would not entertain the concept in the first place?

While I would be happier if the new forum were dealing with conditions comorbid with ASDs, I am not going to get too worked up about this. After all, some of us came to our ASD diagnoses by way of our comorbid conditions. (My TS Dx long predates my AS Dx).

However, I am concerned that this new forum has been created while other requests for dedicated forums have gone unfilled. While clearly we can't create a new forum for every request, there seems to be a lack of transparency in how this particular forum was approved while others have not.

Because it seems to be entirely Alex's idea? Or is there an older thread suggesting it that I'm not aware of?