I will not have children because I dont want to spead AS

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On the contrary, it says everything - that is, the number of offspring you have that in turn have offspring, etc is the only thing that matters as far as natural selection goes. From an evolutionary perspective, 'good' genes are the genes that get passed on, not the more 'sophisticated' ones, it is a mistake to equate 'sophisticated' or 'complex' or 'desirable' with 'favourable from an evolutionary perspective'. And frankly I take offence at your characterisation of NTs; my parents are NTs after all (and they have certainly never been the just-following-orders type) and, while all my childhood bullies were NTs, all my friends have also been NTs.



It's not binary, that the genes are, barring mutations, gone in a generation. The only 'ultimate suitability' is that your descendants survive to also reproduce. Unless you or your descendants literally starve to death, poverty is not relevant, unless you or your descendants are actually killed or prevented from reproducing, oppression is irrelevant, etc.



Except that I would find one consistent with known facts, and not the other.

I remember it, we all remember it. It's why we're here. You're pessimistic. And depressed. You seem to have no hope that things could be better. Most of us went into public school not being taught how to have AS among NT's. That is why we were targeted. If we had children with AS, we could guide them through the tough times, and teach them what to do, what not to do. How to be eccentric, but still fit in. There's a youtube video of someone called "Taylor Morris" - she was diagnosed with autism at age 2, but because of early treatment, she's 17 now, and listen: She's high up on the track team, has great friends, has great grades, and I believe also does well at art. This is a combination of ASD and NT, somewhat: Blending in with NT's, with the ASD traits that NT's are missing - I could go as far as to call this superiority. Wouldn't you want that for your kid?

There will be problems, BUT EVERYBODY HAS PROBLEMS. EVEN NT'S. We conquer our problems, and get stronger because of that. There's not much that is impossible in this world. It's only because of my experiences that I can say I'm better now in some ways, than I was as a kid.

w...wait. You said "distorted perceptions"? wha...? Distortion implies negativity. We have different perceptions. I don't want to repeat what I said in one of your other threads, but whatever: DIFFERENT PERCEPTION = INNOVATION. Most of the greatest minds of the world's history have our autistic traits. Einstein, Newton, Darwin, Orwell, Jefferson, etc... They had their problems, but if it weren't for them, where would all of us, AS and NT, be? In an even worse place than you're making this out to be.

So what is it you want?


Get up and walk. You are capable of more than you can imagine.

I just wanted to stress that I was just speculating as to why there may be more individuals diagnosed along the autistic spectrum. It makes sense to me, from my knowledge about natural selection, that there is an increased "need" for those on the autistic spectrum because so much of our world is revolving around machines, and they need people that understand them, and are willing to spend vast amounts of time alone programming or working with those machines. Simon Baron-Cohen wrote an article ("The Cognitive Neuroscience of Autism: Implications for the Evolution of the Male Brain) similar to this notion, saying that there is an increased need for people with strong "folk physics" (or the "everyday ability to understand and predict the behaviour of inanimate objects in terms of principles relating to size, weight, motion, physical causality, etc.", Baron-Cohen, 2000). They also call it "intuitive physics". He says that there is an increased need for people with strong "folk" or "intuitive" physics. Here is the article if anyone wants to look at it. It's an interesting article, even if it is a bit old (10 years): The Cognitive Neuroscience of Autism: Implications for the Evolution of the Male Brain

There is also a book called I'm reading called "Neurodiversity", by Thomas Armstrong, PhD. It was just released this past June, so it's pretty new. It's an interesting take on the positive aspects of various disorders (e.g. dyslexia, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism). It's much different than other stuff that I've read about autism, that people need to constantly find "cures" or make them more like neurotypicals in nearly every way. He thinks that there's a niche for everyone in the world and that they also have something to add, and that there's a reason why they (or we) are still in the gene pool. It's a really good read (so far), and I highly recommend it. I'm really open to opinion if anyone wants to discuss this; I think that it's a really interesting topic.

If you do want kids you shouldn't refrain from having them in case they had AS. AS isn't the end of the world in itself. You don't HAVE to let those kids go through school and get bullied half to death and their mind and emotions broken. You can teach them at home (make sure you live in a country where home schooling is legal), find a more progressive school, find easily workable solutions for sensory problems (how hard is it to get a pair of sunglasses, or earplugs?). You can teach a kid to function successfully without doing the emotional equivalent of breaking his or her spine.

If you feel so strongly that AS is not worth risking, you could always adopt some kids. There are legions of older kids that no one wants because they want instead a nice white non-disabled baby they can pass off as their own.

I find it annoying how everyone here assumes that if they have kids, then they will be high-functioning ~*supergeniuses*~. What if your kid turns out to be really, really low-functioning or like Chris-chan?

Who here assumed that? I never said anyone would be a "supergenius". I just said (with a case) that knowledge and early treatment can lead to an autistic child having a much more successful life than Corp900 and those at Autism Speaks want everyone else to think

Also, there's a genetic link with Autism, but beyond that, that's it. Autism just appears out of the blue, to parents without any autistic history. Anyone has the risk of a low-functioning autistic kid. If we were all that paranoid, then why even try to have kids?

Besides, it would be nigh impossible for anyone to keep track of everyone with AS, let alone everyone with autism. Trying to "stop the spread of autism" would just be futile and a wasted effort. It's going to "spread" anyways.

... Come to think of it, that's a case in itself. Even if they find a "cure" for autism, (lol), they wouldn't be able to "cure" everyone with autism, so Autism Speaks should just give up... there's the money situation with it anyways. They would cure *their* children with ASD's, but if someone couldn't afford said cure, then they're not receiving said cure, and said ASD will go on, and multiply.

http://www.livevideo.com/video/1EFA0174 ... intro.aspx

Because it is Life. The greatest gift anyone can pass on, and it is our right. Period.

Was my life all "wonderful?" No.

But whose is?

I've lived my entire life being misjudged by an NT world. I've learned to overcome that judgment. Yours doesn't bother me either. I can teach my kids to learn to ignore it as well. They are already learning at at a much younger age than I did. Their life is already better than mine ever was as far as their ASD's go, because they know about them, and have already learned to embrace it and learned to cope.

Make your own choices, but don't even bother wasting your time and emotional energy trying to convince me that having children of my own is wrong.

It's not for you to say for anyone but YOU.

Have you even considered that when you say things like this, you are not only passing judgment on everyone with an ASD contemplating parenthood, but you are ALSO passing judgment on those that already are parents, and by proxy, and effectively, their children?

If anyone should be ashamed, it's you. How dare you insinuate our children should never have been born.

I can GUARANTEE you if my kids read what you've written here, they would have some choice words of their own for you.

I think about this sometimes. How would my kids life be, as a result of having me as a father? To be honest I don't really see myself getting married anyway, but what if? Hmmm, I'm not really sure. My parents, especially my dad passed on a lot of "problems" to us kids as a result of his psychological frailties. Would I do the same? I guess there's no guarantee either way. But what if I knew? What if I knew my son or daughter would suffer the way I did, in this so far miserable life? Would I be able to cope knowing that my decisions as a person will have a direct influence on them? No, I guess. I would rather say no. I wouldn't want to gamble with anyone else life. (Just to add that my problems are not all AS or ASD related - so I suffer from other debilitating things too.)

My rule: Unless you are 100% certain you will willingly take/love a child NO MATTER what they have (NT, autistic, MR, wheelchair, their permanently handicapped, they die at birth even, etc.) DO NOT REPRODUCE!! ! Take what you get, accept them, love them, or else DON'T SPREAD YOUR LEGS or STICK ANYTHING IN BODILY HOLES. Other option= ADOPTION/FOSTER CARE

If my bluntness grosses you out I say yay

I refuse to have kids because I wouldn't be able to handle parenthood. I seem unable to generate a steady income, and live off disability; if there's one thing every single kid deserves, it's to not go to bed hungry and/or homeless. I have little sympathy for impoverished mothers who expect welfare to take care of their 4 or 5 kids, and who complain constantly about the kids going hungry, living in filth in the ghetto, etc. If you can't take care of them, DON'T HAVE THEM! I seem unlikely to be able to support a family, so I won't have kids. Taking care of kids should be up to the parents, not the government.

Thank you! Go XXX!

Did you even listen to the lyrics of that song? It doesn't have anything to do with not wanting to have kids; it's a breakup song.

Having children is a crapshoot no matter what. I am NT, and my husband is mostly NT with a few Aspie traits. Our son was diagnosed as PDD-NOS/possible Aspergers. No one on either side of our family that we know of has been diagnosed with autism or Asperger's (although many of them on one side appear to have Aspie traits.)

If you want to have children, you need to be ready to accept whatever the child may have. The child could have Down Syndrome or some other genetic condition. Bottom line----don't have children unless you are willing to love and care for them unconditionally.

Actually, yes I do. Do you have to corner me, every time that I post something? Sheesh. Go shag yourself.

All I was saying is that the song has nothing to do with the OP.