The cure topic - let's phrase this a different way

Post Reply New Topic

I would like to poll opinions without the accusations of unethicalness and rights, because I seem to be reading about WPers trying to defend the rights of people who don't exist yet (for example people who might be born in the year 2020), unless that really is your conviction, which I suppose it could be.

Let's say you have no children. The children we are talking about DO NOT EXIST. You/your partner is not pregnant, there are no children on the horizon, this is purely hypothetical and does not apply to any children who already exist in some form.

Among many questions, there is one question with, by and large, two possible options about your preferences.

1. You would prefer your child had autism. you think that being autistic will be better for your child than not being autistic
2. You would prefer your child DID NOT have autism. you think that not being autistic will be better for your child than being autistic.

Which one describes you? If you participate in this poll please elaborate on your choice. Thanks!

Last edited by Liresse on 03 May 2009, 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I would prefer it if they didn't to make life easier for them (and me).

I am going out on a limb and say I prefer my child to be neither autistic or neurotypical. I want my children to be able to communicate telepathically, have access to higher plains of consciousness, and to know how to solve problems today's generation can only glimmer hopelessly at. I don't want them to be petty and superficial. They need to be capable of seeing past silly games and be able to grasp what really matters.

I think the obvious answer is no--life would be a lot easier without autism.

I prefer them not to have autism, of course.

Just as I'd prefer them to be gifted, tall, beautiful, reasonable, ambitious and hard-working, in absolutely perfect mental and physical health, naturally interested and curious, positive, energetic, strongly empathic and sympathetic and overly talented in both arts and science.

I would have thought it was obvious too. But this is basically the question of a pre-conception cure, and aspies overwhelmingly seem to argue about the rights of their children to be autistic. That perplexes me a bit and I want to explore this a bit more.

Also, some people have voted that it is better for the child to be autistic than neurotypical. I'd be interested to know why they feel that way.

I'd prefer them to be autistic, because I am autistic, and much as an NT would prefer their child to be NT because they cannot understand an autistic child, etc, my feelings are that but in reverse. Simple.

Plus, I'd rather have a child with bad social skills (like me) than a child who is out getting drugged and pregnant because "everyone else does it", which is what a lot of NTs I have experienced are like.

But of course this is purely hypothetical, because I'm never having kids.

Thanks for your thoughts. Is this what the other person who voted the first option thinks as well?

Sorry, I should have been more clear. Either you are on the spectrum, or you are not on the spectrum. You may be somewhere between the spectrum and on the spectrum, but your functioning will be composed entirely of elements on the spectrum and not on the spectrum, there is no third option. For example a high functioning individual may have great eye contact and no language delay but moderately low social awareness. Some elements are on the spectrum, others are not. That is fine. I am asking an idea of whether you would prefer having the spectrum elements or prefer not having them.

"neither autistic or neurotypical"

I should not have said neurotypical I suppose. You could for example be not on the spectrum and not be neurotypical by being bipolar with mental retardation, but not autistic.

I assume you do not mean that you would prefer your children to not have autism but prefer have other neurological disorders?

Liresse,
I guess I was projecting my desire to have the central nervous system of ET the extraterrestrial in the body of a human. I wouldn't want to look like him, (unless everyone else looked like him too) but it would be cool to have a different CNS, a new kind but one that can still function here (hasn't evolved into better functioning on a different planet therefor making functioning here much more difficult).
I don't wish for anybody to be unhappy with their functioning abilities but I really do not envy what many on here consider "NTs". I definitely do not envy them. I pity them at times. Sometimes I think it would be awful to be so dependent on others for absolutely everything because so many times people have flaws and they cannot provide this fulfillment which can lead to distress. They seem enslaved by this need to be accepted and loved by others and their egos are way too large. They miss out on the simple joys in life, like watching a leaf on the branch of a tree.
At the same time, it is more difficult for those further along the spectrum who have sensory issues, so, I don't know if they are happy having to deal with them.
If people would leave me be and not harrass and hassle me and there was a way to make a good living I would be perfectly happy like this. For the most part, I am a very peaceful and peace loving person, far more than "NTs". The only time I am really miserable is when I get harrassed or hassled over something petty.

I'd rather have an Autisitc child.

There are a lot of stereotypes about autism and lack of autism. I just want to talk about the actual features of autism and the actual features of lack of autism, not "all NTs are mean" type value judgments. I am also not interested in generally what you want for your child, it is great that you want an interesting unique child but that is not really my focus here.

I am talking specifically about the syndrome and diagnosis called autism (spectrum disorder). And the symptoms of it.

For example, autism is generally associated with reduced ability to either understand or convey emotional information in a form that others (whether autistic or not) can understand. while non-autistic individuals can communicate that type of information more effectively and accurately.

I am curious to know who would prefer this type of weakness in communication over not having that weakness. There are other weaknesses of course. Some weaknesses result in functional strengths, such as inability to prioritise attention (obsessiveness) may result in hyperattention which may produce relative good performance in one field.

(However I doubt this is the definition of the entire syndrome.)

I ask you to consider if you prefer autism over lack of it. (rather than anything else.)

thanks for your thoughts.. Can you tell me why?

Some people have different traits. I outgrew some of mine. Not everyone outgrows theirs. Some people might feel theirs more accutely.
When I am not being hassled for whatever reason I do just fine. I tend to have problems when people hassle me and thats pretty much the only time.
I do not talk about emotions, for the most part and I am happy not talking about them. It's hard to explain. Most of the time what I want is peace. I don't want hassles. For the most part, left on my own and not hassled by people I am tranquil, that's a good word for me. When there's a roof over my head and food on the table, no one saying "you need counseling" or "you are a weirdo for wanting to be alone" or something to that effect, pretty much criticising the way I choose to live which is a pretty low key, simple existence, and no one is hassling me over things like socializing, my mind is tranquil. I feel like a buddha or something.
I think many people would be better off if they could live this way. They would need much less and surviving on less makes life easier, doesn't it?
Aren't you better off the more you can do on your own and the less needy you are? I am a bit of a minimalist. I think there's many good points about the way I live.
So, I wouldn't have a problem with someone else existing who is like me. It's only when people criticise what they don't understand or make untrue assumptions that I feel miserable.
It's got nothing to do with "mean NTs". I really do think some people are way too needy and it's not good. They want so much and they over indulge. They are drama queens who want to be the center of it all and will stage all sorts of drama so that people will pay attention. This is what I think of when I think "NT". Either that or they are super-cutesy. I heard some today when I was out, I listened to them talking, they were behind me. I can't imagine me ever in a million years having personalities like theirs. It was just so not me. The way they were talking was just so weird. I can't even explain. I cannot understand the need to have that personality. See what I mean? It's like so...different...from me. But there were three of them and they were all interacting and being really cutesy with one another talking about ittle wittles and all that so I guess that's what an "NT" is to some extent but I have never been able to pull that kind of personality off.
But anyway, would I want more like myself? Yes. It would be kinda cool if more people were a bit more detached, not as needy and more interested in certain things.

i wouldnt prefer my children had anything not autism, not tourettes, not anything... if i had to pick a disorder for them to have though, i would pick adhd or ocd at the most, but nothing else.

i wouldnt prefer my children had anything not autism, not tourettes, not anything... if i had to pick a disorder for them to have though, i would prob pick adhd or ocd at the most but i would actually hope and pray they have nothing holding them back.