Cure?

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It's probably been talked about in the forums about 6 bajillion times, but I havent come across it yet. Anyway, I've heard about those classes/coaches who can help build up your social skills and 'train' you in a sense to cope with the world. I wanted to hear from people who have done this, and what kind of job it has done, if any. Or even opinions on the idea. Could it be called a cure?

It isn't a cure as it's only helping to lessen some of the social aspects,Autism is a difference in the neurological wiring and a permenant part of the person,it can't be removed from us in the same way that neurotypicality can't be removed from NTs.

i don't think it's possible to cure asperger's or autism, but i know it's possible to come close. because i've gotten such early treatment (since i was like 6 years old), i'm at about NT level in most aspects of life (except for my social skills which are slightly behind that of an NT). My dad said this doctor who i used to see has wanted to meet with me again and talk to me to see if it is possible to "cure" Asperger's. there doesn't seem to be a limit as to how close you can come, but to some degree everyone who's ever had it will always be an aspie. but that's just my opinion.

I don't know though even if someone receives intensive instruction in social skills that they would be able to make a huge amount of progress to being almost NT. It depends on each person. Since it is a neurological condition there is more than just a social aspect that comes into play. If someone with AS had alot of sensory issues then teaching social skills would not really effect that. I mean it did help tremendously when a doctor finally told me what I was experiencing was sensory overloads and how to learn about what the triggers might be. Still that does not make that go away or make you NT if you learn some coping skills. I think some of this may lead to disappointment if you head into any kind of therapy under the impression that it is going ot be a cure for ASD.

I don't mean to intrude but I don't think that autism or Aspergers is a 'disease' that even needs to be 'curred'. Social interactions can be 'learned' if you just have to have them in order to 'get along'. I found that learning 'middleground' approaches to apperaing to be 'normal' worked really well when I was growing up. By developing or adopting these stratagies I could both be true to my own beliefs but appear fairly 'regular' to 'outsiders'. You have to observe your surroundings and then develop a 'mask' that enables you to infiltrate those very surroundings. It's dirty pool to be sure but at least it gets your foot in the door.

Autism and Aspergers are, by my guess, genetic disorders. Or in the light of my Aspie supremacy, genetic mutations. And genetic disorders, especially ones that f**k around with your mind are in truth, uncurable. You an alter the symptoms with cognitive behavioral therapy, and also medication, but you are only making yourself look and act like "normal." And seriously, i'm sure a trained expert could tell the difference between someone with clincal depression on drugs and a normal person if they were looking. But if you are so bothered by your natural behaviors, you can alter them with training and medication.

I think that AS hits hardest when you're a child. With the learning of proper coping strategies, you can overcome some of the more negative traits. But, there is no cure. You just have to deal with it. Besides, as I got older and look at myself now, I don't want to be cured. The only thing that I would want to be cured now is the emotional imbalance that I so often feel. When I was younger, it was different. I just wanted to be normal, but I had reasons.

My parents were up in arms as to what they could do with me when I was younger. I would shift from wanting structure to wanting independence. If I didn't have enough structure, I'd fall to pieces. Then, if I didn't have enough independence, I'd fall to pieces as well. I just didn't know how to behave in most circumstances, so I acted out all the time. So, where could the line be drawn? Simply stated, I didn't know what was happening at the time. All I wanted was for all the emotional crusades to end. So, I think AS hits hardest when you're a child and a teen. It took me two two-week hospitalizations and almost all of my schooling in a specialized school for me to get myself in control. If people knew what AS was at the time, maybe things would have been much easier. The specialized school setting, I think, is what made the most difference.

There are still those times when I tend to act out, but hardly like anything that I was doing when younger. I still feel emotionally unstable most of the time, but at least I can control my own emotions to a much better degree. I can think rationally far better than I could when I was young. Most people were afraid to even speak to me, because I'd either shut them out or blow up. This might sound appalling, but at the same time, I overcame all of this to where I am now.

My advice is not to even think about a cure. There is no known cure. Just think about the more positive aspects of AS, which have been talked about many times in these forums. If you're having trouble coping, seek a support group. Understand that being AS is simply a way to think differently, and it can also give you skills that could far outweigh those of an NT. Just being here on these forums can have an impact, simply because you're discussing things with others who have similar conditions as yours.

As far as medications go, maybe medications for things that cause you to become overwhelmed may be okay for some symptoms, such as anxiety. But, I would caution against using too many medications. I don't even know if there are medications that can even come close to curing AS, but if there are ... they are probably neurotropics or something similar. These sorts of things tend to fool with your mind. I wouldn't recommend it. You are who you are.

- Ray M -