What sort of future do you see for AS understanding in your

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Understanding in your country.

No what you'd like, but what sort of future do you think AS has in terms of being understood by the "masses" and media?

I'm optimistic that as soon as every teacher in America has a child on the spectrum, then we will have first-class autism programs from elementary school through graduate school.

I don't know when that will happen, but I've been wishing that fate on every teacher who has misunderstood my child

I'm optimistic that humankind will go the same way as every technical civilisation; the greedy and self indulgent will take over and we die.

SETI conundrum resolved!

I still see too much self-criticism in people with AS, calling it a disability, abnormal, etc. Only when we decide to fight intolerance and demand to be taken off their medical books, like the homosexuals did, with a good lobby in gov't, will we be free.

I think that they'll be amazing autism spectrum communities sprouting up all over the place and, together, they'll create and invent and wow the whole world. We'll feel so lucky about being a part of such an amazing family of innovators and kind hearted folks.

Dave I know you said "Not what you'd like" - but that is actually relevant to me given what I trying to do.

First off - when Federal Parliament goes back in Australia on February 12 and they complete their ceremonial commitments and a couple of other things (including the formal "Sorry" to the Aborigines) - I will be pursuing the relevant Committee for an enquiry into the issues of adult Aspies. That will allow other adult Aspies to put their own stories forward on top of me putting mine forward - and then (hopefully with the help of Tony Attwood as I will try to convince the committee that his input would be of a huge benefit in properly drawing the links between all cases - I'll be trying to do that myself but it would be better to have Tony on board because he has the qualifications) a stragedy can be put in place to achieve a greater understanding of AS - as well as providing assistance to those who are having problems.

Second - there's the Autism State Plan in Victoria. I've been active in the consultation process, and the material brought forward by others that I've seen were productive as well. Of course that covers the whole Spectrum and not just Aspergers, and it is only Victoria - although I'm told the other states and territories are watching. I'm sceptical of Queensland's eyes having said that, which is why the Federal boys are important to the whole process.

If I can get the federal enquiry off the ground - 2008 will be a big year for Aspies when it comes to getting the understanding we all deserve in Australia.

True - it is already happening. Hoards of us in Computer/IT careers are finally being seen as gifted and valuable instead of as useless and weird.

I am proud of my differently-wired brain - it is an endless source of entertainment for me, and I can easily carry it around with me wherever I go

In my country it is not looking good, its not taught at all and even now doctors are refusing to diagnose and support is not given when needed. At the rate things are going at the moment there will be no such a thing as autism in another 20 years.

I notice awareness of AS is raising among our society. While it was almost impossible to find something about AS in the Polish Internet when I found out about it in 2003, now situation is getting better. And it may be only better now.

The genie is out of the bottle. There is no going back. My husband and I knew that there was something different about us. We were so curious about so much, so excited when we found another person who was like us. We just called ourselves Misfit Toys but now that we all all identified and finding each other, things will never be the same. Things will only get better and better.

Once Autism is removed from the medical books, there goes all the Early Intervention and treatment programs benefitting the younger generation. That's exactly what insurance companies, school districts and government agencies are waiting for...so they no longer have to provide and/or pay for ABA, OT, ST, PT, Mental Health Services. The only reason why so many of our children are recovering thanks to intervention is because someone out there, normally the groups I've mentioned, provide these services because Autism is considered a disability.

I'd like to see a cure worldwide. But, in the meantime, I'll settle for all Aspies and Autties getting the help the need without jumping through hoops and being discriminated against.

I think things will only get confused for Aspie's as long as Autism Speaks doesn't shut up. People with Asperger's would need their own advocacy group and a boatload of money to get the facts out regarding our situations. As it is, when I run in to people who have only had access to Autism Speaks, it takes me forever to convince them; no, I'm not kidding, yes, I am autistic and no, we're not all institutionalized and in horrible torment from our "affliction".

I realize that some suffer. I fully support research into improving their condition. Just as I fully support research into treatments for paralysis, or CF, or cancer. In a way, I'd love to see an accurate genetic test for the spectrum disorders, as accurate as possible. I think if everyone were tested, and the Aspie's out there (and PDD-NOS) who "pass" for NT, (almost all without knowing they're on the spectrum) were revealed to the world... I think the public would have a different viewpoint about us. I think a lot of the people on the spectrum would, as well.

I partially agree. I think Autism Speaks should no longer speak for Aspergers. It clearly does not represent anything the Asperger community stands for. Only Asperger organizations should speak for Aspergers, that way there's no conflict in interest. Autism is Autism. Aspegers is Aspergers.

Personally, I will rally behind all the ogranizations that advocate helping people live or cope with the effects of both, including Asperger organizations.

AutismSpeaks needs to lump Aspergers in with other autism diagnoses so that they can continue to scare people with their lie about how huge the numbers are. They want you to picture someone as disabled as my daughter when they say that "one in 150" ad.

Things are pretty bad, in Canada. There's this one woman who made a report on the rights of autistic people, in Canada. There are many parts in the report that says that all people with disabilities have rights, unless they are of course, autistic. I don't quite remember what the link to the report is, or who's written it.

In Colombia? I really don't know. There are a lot of people here who don't even know what autism is, let alone Asperger's.

I hope eventually there'll be more coverage of this here, although there are more important things to think about right now, but yes, here we have a long road to walk.