"you can't be autistic, because ..."

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Which is why people should refrain from saying autistic and autism if they suspect they have Asperger's to professionals; saying these things immediately puts "autism", whether HFA/LFA, in the mind of the professional.

The latest one I heard was "you cant be, you feel empathy" "you've had girlfriends" Sometimes I'm not sure how the other person feels...
That person mistook empathy for paranoia, I always had a habit of upsetting someone or being inconsiderate. Just think, because of arrogance, something new comes up "paranoia" ...

I agree we cannot expect them to know everything, which is why it is both acceptable, and necessary for doctors and medical practitioners to recognise the limits of their clinical competency, and to be very cautious in keeping their subjective beliefs (however strongly held) out of their practice.

Doctors are there to give their clinical opinions and employ their clinical expertise. In those areas where they lack such expertise, they should refrain from practicing. Doctors have no more business giving 'clinical' advice about matters outside their expertise, than they have giving 'clinical' advice about who to vote for or what religion to take up.

Doctors should not be practicing/advising in areas where they lack basic competency, especially when the 'non-expertise' being employed, consists of erroneous and denigrating stereotypes about us that could easily be corrected by reference to readily available, modern literature and research. I know these doctors think they know about autism, but racists think they know about the targets of their prejudice too.

When doctors do not know about some condition as clinicians, whatever they think they know as laypersons, they need to refrain from practicing beyond finding information about physicians who can practice in the particular area, and consulting with the patient to make a referral accordingly. No more and no less is appropriate.

"You can't have - you're too old. Any such condition would have been picked up when you were a child".

This despite the fact that when I was a child it wasn't even considered as a diagnosis.

haha, this one is really funny and, of course, stupid, too.

One thing I also find when "NT"'s talk about autism, they refer it to as just a "child disorder". Thats just plain silly and a huge sign that people need more education on this.

I've never seen a doctor about it, but my parents told me there's no way I could have autism, because I'm just shy. They explain me only having echolalic speech until I was four as "all children are different," my sensory issues are me being too sensitive, and my social issues are just shyness.

That's true, but the psychologist who finally diagnosed me recognized that many adults couldn't have been diagnosed as children because we were too high-functioning.

I am a woman, I can speak with out a monotone, I am soooo smart, I can make eye contact, I am not a math expert and my all time favorite, I just "don't look autistic".

Igor commented,
"This despite the fact that when I was a child it wasn't even considered as a diagnosis."
I was one of the first children put on beta blockers. At the time, beta blockers had never been given to children at all, and they were just testing beta blockers for preventing aortic aneurysm in Marfan syndrome. I was a big guinea pig.

I had lots of problems with them over the years, and when I had my aortic root replaecd, they took me off them completely. They warned me there might be long-term side effects.

Years later, when I saw some quack cardiologist that the hospital assigned after the ER admitted me with a possible aortic dissection, I mentioend that fact: that I was one of the first kids on beta blockers, and that they may have had unknown longterm developmental side-effects.
He said, "There are no long-term side effects to beta blockers."
As he was walking out, I yelled, "If there are, I'm it!"

Ive heard.. "autistics don't know they're autistic" from one doctor.

i remember one: '... you are just used to be being alone'.

"You can't be autistic because..."

-- "you have an interest in having friends"

-- "you're an amateur boxer"

Everyone seems to think I am no question thats a worry , but others even if traits just like mind NO WAY we have worked, married, have children etc.. etc... but so have I

"you're too insightful into your own feelings and very aware/in tune with your internal processes and emotions to have asperger's"

"you can think abstractly"

Last edited by euippe on 11 Sep 2008, 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Once when I was 12 or 13 my mother told me to stare her in the eyes and that if I could do that I wasn't autistic, and if I didn't I was.