I Want to Help Aspies!! !!

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One major problem with a "Ban NTs" attitude is just what constitutes an NT. By our own admission an NT is basically anyone who is not on the Autistic Spectrum. By showing a discrimination against NTs, we are discriminating against those people who are being discriminated against by other NTs. By our common definition, someone with Downs Syndrome is an NT. If someone were to come in and later say "oops, I don't have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder; turns out I am bipolar with Touretts Syndrome," and then we will all say "Begone, NT!"

Maybe I'm just playing Booker T. Washington to your W.E.B. DuBois, but I just don't think that it's right.

Yay! Finally SOMEONE who agrees with me!

I don't think this site should be restricted only to Aspies. I know I would not like it if some of the places where I get valuable information on topics of interest suddenly decided to disallow access to anyone on the spectrum. Of course, how would they know unless they knew already and decided to just ban anyone that they know is autistic? Without going into detail about the investigation being done into my Bipoal, or BPD traits (which I am pretty much fed up with hearing about) I will say that I have visited a Bipolar chatroom to get information. When I told them that I didn't know if I am Bipolar, or not but that I am autistic they were very nice and tried to answer my questions. That's what I would expect from a place like this if I were coming in and saying "I think I am an Aspie," or "I think someone I know is an Aspie."

Now, there is no way that I will ever be able to say "Oops, I am not autistic." However, if I went back to that Bipolar chatroom and said "I am not Bipolar, but do have some symptoms," should I expect them to say "you are not welcome here?"

If I had something to say that I didn't want anyone to read, whether it is my companion, or my mom, or my doctor, then I simply wouldn't post it. It isn't like I would say anything about anyone I know (IRL) on here anyhow that I would not, or have not already said to them IRL.

It is bad enough that we have to struggle with the ignorance that some NT's seem to enjoy flaunting at our expense, why should we lead anyone to believe that we share that same ignorant attitude towards others ourselves (I am not saying anyone on here is ignorant)? This place is OUR place. It is for us, but many of us also have NT's in our lives that do care about us, whether they understand us, or not. They should not be restricted from a place that can potentially help them to better understand us.

Not allowing non-aspies on here would be reverse discrimination.

I mean, what about friends of aspies who need advice on how to deal with their friends? I'm all for the idea of telling them how to deal with people like us.

Most of the rules are written out here, but a lot of it is curtesy and reading people's posts, keeping in mind their point of view, general consideration and being polite.

I don't think this site should be restricted only to Aspies, but it should still probably remain where a majority of the members are aspies (or autistic). I think we can keep the general idea of the forum the same without making it off-limits to any NTs who are either curious about autism or might be "radical NT geeks", for lack of better terminology, and want somewhere to go where people will understand them a little better. As long as they don't interfere with what's going on here, I'm fine with NTs posting. Sometimes it's valuable to get someone else's point of view on things.

You totally misunderstand. NTs are "normal" people right? And bipolar isnt normal.
Of course someone who thinks they are aspie should be allowed here. I just feel like I am in a showcase on this planet, now online and offline.

I wouldnt want my friends(if I had any at the moment) to go on here to get advise about me. If I knew about that I would instantly dump them. They should obviously ask me. I dont go to the NTboard to see how they wanna be treated.

So where am I supposed to post my thoghts and feelings? I do in my diary, but it is simply and extention of my ongoing internal dialogue with myself, and it is just me talking to myself really. I found this place and I was happy with it, but now I feel like I cant be here anymore. There must be one place where only aspies can be. NTs have so many places for themselves.

It is important to remember though that courtesy, keeping in mind other points of view, general consideration and being polite are other things that many Aspies, though not all, have difficulties with.

But whether they post here or not, it doesn't stop them from reading this.

I understand the showcase feeling and I often feel like I do not belong in autism related forums, or chatrooms myself sometimes. Not because I am not autistic, but because I have a hard time realizing that many who are DX'd with Asperger's/autism do not share some of the same difficulties that I do, as I do not share some of theirs with them. This sometimes makes me think that some people who say they are Aspies may not be Aspies at all and that makes me long for a place where I can find others like me that I can connect with. But therein is the source of the problem. I am simply unable to connect with anyone, so no matter where I go I am always somewhat uncomfortable. That makes it difficult at times.

Post your thoughts and feelings where ever you want to. Some people may not agree with them, others might. A lot of what I post is just me talking to myself, sorting things out in my own mind. If others comment, whether positively, or negatively then that is OK too. Some do not understand, or try to impart their theories on my thoughts. Some do this more aggresively and annoyingly than others, which can be frustrating. Others do understand and share their knowledge and experiences in a way that actually helps to sort those thoughts out better. There can be value in both. By posting your thoughts you help those who do not understand have an opportunity to understand, and you give yourself an opportunity to have someone who does understand help you understand even more about yourself.

Last edited by DeepThought on 28 Jul 2005, 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

Oh, yeah..

Bipolar isn't neurological, from what I understand, wheras Autism/Asperger's and Tourette's are. Both Bipolar and Tourette's are fairly common co-morbid conditions on the Autism Spectrum and many people with AS show signs of Bipolar, even though they do not meet the diagnostic criteria.

I was under the impression that bipolar was a neurological thing. I show some signs of it too.
I still believe that this site should be wierdo-typical/aspie only. Or might just leave.

From Wikip-edia.com

I oficcially dont care anymore. I just use the term "NT" for everything non-normal.

Technically NT means "neurotypical" and is often used by auts when referencing non-auts. If all I had was Tourette's alone, even though it is a neurolocial condition, I would still be considered an NT.

What I have observed in the chatrooms is that NTs tend to find us boring, tedious, get frustrated trying to follow our thought process and leave because they find trying to understand and communicate with us to be a chore. Unless they have some need to be here as an extremely close friend or family member, trying to follow our discussions is a waste of time for NTs and they are likely to quickly forget they were ever here.

Maybe there should be a restricted forum for regular-posting members to post extremely sensitive stuff in, and grant access after seeing the nature of someome's posts for a short time, and try to discourage it's use in order to foster a sense of community?
This isn't the first time concerns about who can see what personal information have been expressed and it probably won't be the last. I have some of those fears too, but I just haven't been as vocal about it (for a change) as other people have.