Would YOU take medication that "cured" autism?

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I would not want to be cured, because my special interest in psychology and ability to hyper-focus for hours at a time are what get me through college. I feel really sad for all the "undeclared" undergrads at my school who don't know enough about what they like, or who don't have enough of a passion for any one thing, to choose a major. My autism allows me to know exactly what I want to do with the rest of my life, and to be relatively certain that I'm going to love what I do for a very long time.

I also enjoy my unique ability to come up with ideas and solutions to problems that no one else has thought of, and my capacity to enjoy spending hours alone. People who require constant human companionship to be happy must spend a lot of their lives lonely.

That said, if they invented a cure for sensory processing disorder, I'd take it in a heartbeat. One of the biggest challenges I face as a result of my autism is my sensory problems; they affect almost everything I do, and are very hard to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

No, I would not take such a medicine to cure my autism if such a medicine existed. I enjoy my intense special interests. I enjoy my way of thinking. I am content living the lifestyle that I do (socializing almost entirely with family only). My talent in music has come from my autism. I am a talent savant. I am able to play musical instruments that I become fascinated in with no lessons or instruction. Autism is a part of me, and I don't want to change me.

Okay, Willard, you have me hesitating now.

Starvingartist, that sounds like a very interesting book. Thank you for mentioning it. I don't know of any more books on the subject, but Willard's post had me thinking of Flowers for Algernon.

if there were a panacea that cured all that ailed me [including AS/ADHD/Avoidant/Schizotypal et al] then I would bite. if I could know that if I removed part or all of the aforementioned addlements, I would lose the major part of what makes me distinctive and turn me into somebody more "off the rack" then I would have 2nd thoughts. this is akin to the choice between being made young again but losing all of my hard-won wisdom, versus sticking with my old age and welter of addlements.

I probably would not choose to be "cured".

This. Well said, kraftiekortie.

I do think I would have been a lot less suicidal throughout my childhood if I had even known what autism is and had a one week social skills crash course, though. It was so hard figuring out everything and all of it the hard way. Now that I finally understand myself and have sort of written a social algorithm for myself with thousands of if/then statements filled in with facial expressions, speech patterns, and voice tones, Now I'm pretty happy and I would be really sad if I wasn't probably autistic anymore. I really love being me now and find my existence in NT society very funny.

Realistically: probably not

In my fantasy: A pill that allows me to reciprocate properly with others instead of quizzical stare-downs while constantly feeling adrift with no oars? You betcha.

Honey, I don't even take my ADHD medication.

Let's be honest here. You can't just can't a pill and have better social skills. You would still need to work on them, and overtime yes you can be more socially successful if you no longer had an ASD.

I have had such severe side effects on any medication I've touched I don't care if they turn me some type of highly advanced celestial being that can fire lightning bolts from its eyes, I would not take it.

I mean, I like my autism.

Last edited by pensieve on 30 Mar 2014, 11:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

when I was on Strattera, I was briefly quasi-normal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0VKiCgU ... w&index=10

I made a whole you tube video about the autism cure. I'm my mind, I don't just refuse the cure, I fear it for 5 reasons and this is when the cure is found

1. More Stigmatization and prejudice
2. Less autistics and more isolationism
3. Raising health risks especially in the brain from the cure
4. Risks of losing positive autism abilities due to the cure
5. Rewiring the individual's personality when taken

Last edited by lenini056 on 31 Mar 2014, 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

Did you stop because of adverse side effects? I take Strattera and I think it helped me focus so I could get through school but it did exacerbate my anxiety so now I take Strattera and Cipralex for anxiety.

If this hypothetical pill that "cured autism' was like an ADHD pill and alleviated the symptoms while I was on it allowing me to socialize normally and understand non-verbal language and all that I would definitely take it. I'd try it anyway and stay on it unless it did have adverse side effects or didn't work on me just like I've done with other meds. No pill that exists today actually changes your genetic make-up and brain structure. If it did that I'd be afraid to take it and I'm not sure if I would or not, partly because I'm not sure I'd want to change who I am and I'm not sure I think that's right (morally okay) to do either but I don't think such a pill could ever be developed.

stopped taking it because 1] insurance stopped covering it and it cost [unsubsidized by insurance] $20 per capsule, and 2]it made my GERD much worse. that is its one main side effect. 'tis a pity because it was an ADHD drug that left the hydraulics alone.

My daughter can't handle school without medication.

They are super expensive. We order the generic version of Strattera bcs it costs a little less but I'm really lucky because I'm still covered under my mum's health plan unless or until I'm independent ,as a handicapped dependent, and my mum's health plan is very good because she's a teacher.

Autism is normal. Curing it...yeah no.

F*** no.Fu*k NO!