What's so wrong with saying you want severe autism?

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It's fascinating that you should create this topic; I was sort of thinking the very same thing the other day, how simple life would be if I were severely autistic, not expected to deal with social communication or the outside world, and incapable of recognising that I was missing out on anything. Provided I was with people who cared about me and didn't try to hurt me, I don't think that would be such a bad life.

By all accounts, it isn't. The more stereotypically severe autistics we have here seem about as content as the more independent people are. And if you dump independence and ability as a quality of life measure, and use only things like pleasure, meaningful relationships, meaningful activity--then level of disability doesn't really affect quality of life at all. Not to say that extreme autism is a piece of cake; it isn't. But neither is the milder version. Or the many variations in the middle. We've all got our problems and joys.

I don't think that severe autism would mean you couldn't understand what was going on, though. I have heard many parents, and many people who are labeled severe, say that they understand a good deal more than they can tell you they understand. Which makes sense to me, because communicating what you're thinking is usually tougher than just plain thinking by itself.

There seem to be many, many similarities. I would bet that some of us have more in common with folks who don't use language, than with many other WP members who type and/or speak fluently. It only seems superficially like we're very different because living in an NT world has taught us to value speech and traditional body language above other forms of communication, and to see speaking versus not speaking as being totally different. But speech is only one skill out of many.

It's just the same NT-centric thinking all over again--they think that if you don't speak, or don't know you should speak, or don't use the proper body language, or don't look like you want to say something, then you mustn't have anything to say--that if they can't see that you're thinking, then you must not be. It's almost like NTs never learned that there are other ways to think and be than their own way. At least, it's a problem for NTs who haven't had practice thinking out of their own social box. I'm sure they could learn, if they realized there was something there to learn.

Callista, I think I did mention the abuse part in my original post. I'm not completely ignorant of severe autism. And in no way do I think it would be better.

I mean it was a pretty stupid thing for me to say. I was experiencing a mixed bipolar episode so I wasn't even able to explain myself properly. I happened to be in a group of parents with children with more visibly disabilities who were complaining about mild conditions such as AS and ADHD. They didn't even try to listen to my explanations on why those kids had those behaviours.
I just want to ignore them now because they weren't just ignorant they refused to listen. And they were rather emotional.

I agree with you about seeing yourself as more autistic than AS. I don't feel like a smart person, though 3 years on Ritalin sure made me seem that way. I always feel self conscious about my poor math ability so I don't see myself a smart nerdy kid. I mean woman. I'm a grown up.

After one of my cognitive regressions I started to be treated as less than human. People (family members mostly) didn't think I was capable of much and after I recovered, literally built up my skills all over again, I started to feel like they were doing too much for me. I guess I'll never be satisfied.

Anyway, I think a better thing was to say I wish I went back in time before I ever became this aware. Or maybe someone could put me on anti-depressants so I could stop thinking so much.

If I started over with a more severe type of autism and had pretty much the same experiences I probably wouldn't have had so much anxiety, been forced to socialise, or even tried to date. Dating = the pill, the pill = the beginning of a mood disorder. The mood disorder meant I had to get on anti-depressants after I tried to take my own life. Anti-depressants led to hypersensitivity. Then I went on Ritalin, then I ended up with full bipolar disorder and epilepsy. Then I took too many pills one night to help me talk to somebody and ended up obsessing about another person. Now I feel like I may be able to be social, maybe, given certain circumstances but I could never meet the standards of this one person. And I don't work, have severe mental health issues, physical issues and have to be dependent on my family for the rest of my life, even though I appear to not need their assistance.

Then again, I'd probably still have a lot of problems, just different to the ones I have now.

Those people though, they overreacted. I still don't see what's so insulting about saying something like that. Maybe if someone said they rather have my level of autism than ADHD, I would understand. Though I said things like I wish I had longer bipolar episodes or just autism instead of ADHD. Both those come with a downside though.

Yeah. It was a stupid thing to say.

why should we leave our emotions at the door, when you have already taken yours into the house?