The notion of overcoming autism

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1. Yes, down to your cells.
2. Both good and bad and everyone can improve.
3. No.
4. Most of it.
5. As an ASD person I can't really say I care much for what others think of me,
however I'm quite sure noone is fully happy with their lives.

I don't think so. I think aspects of autism are deeply wired. But those aspects alone are not autism.




Yes to both. (If I'm understanding the 2nd part correctly, at least.) Also there are aspects to autism that are good things.




The question assumes autism is a thing. It isn't. It's a set of traits. Including, a way of looking at the world and interacting with it. And it's different for each person. Some traits can be overcome. Some can be lessened. Some can become traits that are used when appropriate, and set aside in favor of other skills when not.

Although, unless those autistic traits are a reaction to a medical issue that can be cured or lessoned (like, being over sensitive, physically, if that had a medical solution), it's not something that can be taken away (at least not in anyway that leaves someone healthy and functional), but in some cases (depending on the trait and the person) traits can be overcome. But it's the person with autism who does it.

Last edited by Mysty on 02 Jun 2009, 12:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Autism, unlike a broken leg, isn't a lack of something. I think, for an example, being in a permanent coma, would get rid of autism. Much of what makes up autism is things a person does, not simply a lack. Those can be taken away. But if they aren't replaced with someone else, it ain't much of a cure. Thus the 2nd part of Fernando's answer.

I was Dx autistic when I was a child. I will never get rid of ASD or 'overcome' it, but it's become less marked and severe as I've grown older and learned how to behave and how to cope a bit more. It's a lifelong thing, but it's like I've got 'experience points' and 'leveled up' slightly, if you will.
I don't enjoy having it or being it, whichever term applies. But I will say that things like 'stubborn' or 'obsessive' could be construed as 'courageous/persistant' and 'focused/knowledgeable on a certain topic', so we're not automatic writeoffs.

Until the world population drops dramatically over a short period of time there is no reason to destroy neuro-diversity.

Yes, it's an intricate part of someone's personality.


I have no idea, because there's no way of knowing how my life would be without autism. I live the only way I know how, trying to live any other way would be against my nature and going against nature is something I abhor.


Not without destroying who I am. So, in essence, no I don't believe it can be cured.


Since I'm happy with myself and only know how to be me, I'd have to say everything.


Letting the views and labels of others govern your life is a foolish way to live. Others have the right to label me and I have the right to ignore them.

What about the role of mutated DNA? ...imo not a trivial matter. It is impossible to overcome autism, because it is what we are. And we don't know squat about autism--yet. ..It is possible autism derives from mutated DNA. It may be an accepted fact, I don't know if it is or not....but I believe everything on Earth is rapidly mutating. Survivors into the next centuries, if there are survivors, will be those who successfully adapt to the environmental devastation, health hazards and economic upheavals. Perhaps a very very small minority of mutations will actually assist in surviving a radically altered and toxic planet. Assuming there will be at least a percentage of human survivors in a few hundred years....many more subgroups of homosapian may be developed as the outcome of successful DNA mutation--successful in terms of promoting survival. So I think ASDs represent a branching off from the pre-mutated human species. From my pov, autistics already represent a different subspecies. And those of our subspecies, like everything else, will continue to mutate....the ones with beneficial mutations may survive.

In the meantime, since it's sort of a crap shoot....we don't know how to select for beneficial mutations--that is, should we desire to genetically alter the human species. ...i.e., we don't know what to delete or overcome and what to emphasize or strengthen. Perhaps by the time we figure it out, it will be too late anyway.

1. Indeed. To change any part of autism would change the person themself. However, I don't think autism itself is a large part of an affected person's personality, neither small.

2. No idea at all. It's very easy to ignore the good things about it or write them off, or have no clue how much of the "good traits" are there or strong thanks to autism. The negatives stick out like a sore thumb from time to time, but implying you're cursed because a neurological difference is completely missing the whole picture, since everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. I wish I could change my social aptitude, and my attention difficulties, but there are plenty of things that nay be and are attributed from AS that I would never want to give up.

3. I believe that the traits that make autism difficult to live with can be 'learned out' of, though not completely. Once there is a better understanding of the brain, someone with an ASD may be "cured" by increasing the aptitude in the lacking areas of the brain... like stem cell brain steroids or something. However, I could hardly expect that to be achieved on a clinical level in our lifetime.

4. The objectiveness and emphasis on detail that usually comes with AS is very nice. Straight to the point and bluntness are things I admire too.

5. Disapproval? Uh, I guess I would want some people to be more tolerant and open minded, especially those who make decisions over my life, that's it.

Of course they aren't.


Actually, I don't think that's what he's saying at all. You completely read into that. He's saying that he was able to use his traits to his advantage. I can associate with this position completely. In my case, I have absolute pitch and feel that it certainly helped me to be a better musician, especially learning melodies by ear. I am no way implying that someone without absolute pitch couldn't possibly learn by ear or be as good of a musician as I am.


1) Where are these supposed "lists of benefits"?
2) That's quite an accusation. Would you care to offer examples?


No one knows what it would like to be someone else. Period. I think we all know that, and I think we all agree on that. However, if we could somehow take our current perspective and personality and then suddenly just "be" someone else for a little while, all the time still conscious of who we were "originally," I think we would all be worse off, NT/AS/whatever.

Autistic trait that I like and don't desire to get rid of: Inability to be what others want me to be. Being myself is a better option anyway.

Autistic traits that I'm glad I was able to overcome: Inability to emotionally connect. Inability to talk about my feelings in inner experience with others. Not that I'm great at talking about such things, but, it's possible, where it used to be impossible, and that's a good thing.

1. Is is that autism is part of who someone is deeply wired?
I wouldn't know because I don't consider myself very intelligent nor have a alternative way of thinking to help me understand things better.

2. Is autism a bad thing to you or could certain parts of what is known as autism and you be improved?
It's bad. I've done everything I could to improve upon it and failed. I just plain gave up. Screw this!

3. Do you believe it is possible that autism can be removed from you?
Heck no! My family's tried it, my friends tried it, doctors tried it, I tried it and now I'm more "autistic" than I ever was.

4. Are there certain aspects of autism that are things you like and that you wouldn't want changed?
It's not important for me to keep any aspects of my autism. Suppose my tastes in certain things I would like to keep around. I like having certain interests all to myself. I also like how Asperger's has given me a more sympathetic view towards mentally ill and emotionally unstable people that society treats as a joke. It doesn't make a difference going with or without these things though as my life will still be pathetic as is.

5. Would you simply like to be left alone about it and are in content on being yourself and being happy with what you do and how you are despite a perception that others disapprove of because of autism.
The problem with me isn't that people are annoying me about my autism...I dont think. It's that they dont get that my behaviors ARE because I have autism. I get s**ted on alot about being quiet and talking to myself and the people around me are so damn clueless to the fact that I have AS. They think I'm just an NT with some freakish teasable issues and or that I'm just a grumpy NT who hasn't gotten enough hugs. Ugh!

Seems to me we'd solve most of the problem by just getting autistic people accepted as much as anyone else.