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would you become neurotypical if given the opportunity?

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would you want to become neurotypical if given the opportunity?
yes (level 1 autistic) 23%  23%  [ 8 ]
yes (level 2 - 3 autistic) 9%  9%  [ 3 ]
yes (self diagnosed) 6%  6%  [ 2 ]
yes (neurodivergent in a way aside from asd) 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
no (level 1 autistic) 40%  40%  [ 14 ]
no (level 2 - 3 autistic) 14%  14%  [ 5 ]
no (self diagnosed) 9%  9%  [ 3 ]
no (neurodivergent in a way aside from asd) 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 35

AnonymousAnonymous
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03 Jan 2024, 8:15 pm

Absolutely not! :evil:


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03 Jan 2024, 8:44 pm

BillyTree wrote:
I am not even sure what "become neurotypical" at this point in my life would mean. Growing up and forming an adult life as an until pretty recently un-diagnosed Autistic has been a real challenge. It has forced me to adapt and develop strategies and strenghts to handle situations that come naturally for most people. It has made me a stronger person with a lot more grit than the average person. Autism has made me the person I am. If became a neurotypical would I be allowed to keep these strenghts or would I turn into some kind of happy go lucky weakling?


This is a really great angle to answer from.

I don't imagine it's possible, even with any deficits we might have resolved, that we could ever actually be NT. We'd likely always have ongoing impacts due to the experience of having once struggled in different ways.

We'd still have our coping mechanisms.
We'd still likely retain stubbornness and ability to persevere, but maybe with greater social insight, leading to making even better use of those traits.
Special interests would likely still be interesting, but less all-consuming. Reduced monotropism would result in a bigger plate, so to speak.


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04 Jan 2024, 4:53 am

Looking back now?-Never! But in the past-Absolutely wanted to be like everybody else. Social phobia kept me alive during the CA earthquake in ‘89 and the firestorm in Oakland/Berkeley Hills. Too many other instances when I would have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. So in a nutshell autism is why I’m still on this planet. But also the reason I used to wish I wasn’t.