Autistic adults strain family caregivers

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At least they emphasize that the parents don't hate the kids, just that it's exhausting, and who will care for them once Mom's gone?

The people who posted the comments are a bunch of genocidal Nazis.

Less discrimination would for one thing help. There are many jobs that we can do as well or better than out NT counterparts. If we would only get credit for that.

This is my hometown newspaper. See what I have to put up with? The right diet will make me better? Sorry, at age 34 the damage is done. You can't diet your way to being NT. Sheesh...

This is the kind of crap we all have to put up with. I wish I could be NT for 3 months straight just so I could understand them and their culture. I have yet to figure out why a computer software engineer needs superb "interpersonal sills" but that is what many computers jobs postings in my area list.

They may need to learn to accept us since we are taking over the world and all...

I agree. My main "impairment is the attitudes many NT employers have against us.

When I was small, there were times when my dad was overwhelmed....My biological mother left when I was small, and my dad ended up being a single parent raising 2 small kids...one an aspie (me).He was exhausted but he loved us and refused to give up.He did what he could to ensure I am where I am at today.Yes, raising an aspie can be hard, but in the end, it can be rewarding...It is possible....my Dad did it as a single parent....He remarried when I was 4 or 5 but before then, he was basically on his own.He did fine.He was and always is supportive of me and is proud of where I am at today.I fared better than my older NT sister as far as independance and success goes.

I grew up in such an aspie saturated family I assumed I was normal. My mom, an aspie, was also a single mom. All four of us kids are aspie. I was a huge handful with 20/20 looking back, but I just did what seemed right at the time.

I'm the only autie in my immediate family. My brothers are all neurotypical or severely neurotypical.

My condolences, I hope they get better soon. I've heard of a special diet might cure them...

Not everyone with Autism is nonverbal or intellectually disabled
Part of the rise of the ASD diagnoses is adults getting diagnosed- often adults with jobs who do just fine being independent
Some people with Autism learn to communicate even if nonverbal
Many of these adults now were never given the chance to learn how to communicate via supported or alternative means and are assumed to be intellectually disabled, but we now know of far too many who were taught to communicate via alternative means and who now are college graduates and far from intellectually disabled
many of the most important achievements that benefit society greatly have been achieved by confirmed ASD people or suspected ASD people-
lots of disorders render children incapable of becoming independent adults. like NT kids who choose not to work. Are there threads out there calling for the eradication of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia by preventing the people from being born? Most people would be apalled at that because they see the person first and the disorder as treatable- how about the same respect for the Autism Spectrum?

I can understand how you feel. My dad may be simmilar to me =, but so far I would say both of the are NT's. Not only am I an aspie or at least matching the diagnosis, I am an introvert as well. Living in the US as an introvert is a pain. It's like all people not interested in socializing or bad social skills are defective

I am sure it was not your intent, Matrixlover, but as an employed, head of household adult with aspergers I felt misunderstood by the "just fine" comment. Its more that I do it hanging on by teeth and claws dispite emense anxiety and struggles with depression.

I think most adults who pursue evaluation may be independent, intelligent employees - even professionals, but who are not doing fine. Each day challenges the (*PC* alert - easily offended please skip!!) "idiot/savant syndrome" of strikingly uneven skills. That's why adults go to the time and expence to label themselves.

For example, the social negotiations with co-workers, the lack of opportunity to intensly focus on something for extended time (I have to transition from one thing to the next about every 45 minutes), and completing paperwork are the most difficult things for me, and there are a myriad of minor things as well throughout the week.

I am like the little girl in the nursery rhyme:
There was a little girl
who had a curl right in the middle of her forehead
When she was good, she was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid!

The media is just fear mongering again. The numbers on the far end of the spectrum are fairly low and the parents who have kids that fall in to that like me and my sister inlaw we plan for our kids. Also my son and I are working hard to get him to the point were he'll beable to care for himself they would never call someone who is deaf retared because they don't speek why do they think it's ok to put that lable on a nonverbal Attie I'lll never know.Jake is one of the smartest peaple I've ever known.