Chris Packham - being called disabled is “abominable insult”

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carlos55
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19 Aug 2019, 4:50 pm

ASPartOfMe wrote:
carlos55 wrote:

Somewhat off topic: Is the person that you know severe intellectual disability and pain caused by autism or is a co existing condition? I am not being facetious I don’t know and nobody else really does either.


Unfortunately, I’ve never met him, his mother is a work colleague of my wife, she doesn’t talk about him much, from what I’ve been told he has Autism with Global Delay and Self Harms, he`s I think around 22 years old. As far as I know he hasn’t left the house in years, his father gave up work long ago to be his full-time carer. I know another mother where I live with a severely autistic son who`s probably around 25, again never met him (probably for same reason never leaves house) although luckily she says he`s happy in himself & doesn’t self-harm.

My cousin, who died in his early 40`s, had low functioning down syndrome so I can guess what life must be like, although I’ve don’t know if true but in many cases for the individual concerned low functioning downs is less stressful than severe autism as the individual usually has less stress / anxiety to deal with?

I know quite a lot of people on the spectrum, what irritates me the most about these type of aspie supremacists is their lack of consideration of others, when really their higher intelligence, age and life experience should give them at least the common curtesy to think about others less fortunate than themselves before making provocative offensive self-centred statements.

Imagine if I was a middle age celebrity born with severe spina bifida, won lots of wheelchair races, made some money and had a comfortable life and when asked I said “I like my life & don’t want there to be a treatment for spinal injuries or conditions!”. What would the teenager who was left paraplegic after a motorcycle accident or another severe spina bifida young person think to that?

Those of us with Autism who like the way their brain works I say GREAT IM VERY HAPPY FOR YOU, but the polite non offensive way to convey this message is something like “I don’t want to be cured I’m happy in myself thank you”, their doesn’t need to be “autism wars” just consideration of others.


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green0star
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20 Aug 2019, 1:37 pm

So he says something stupid and then blames the fact that he's autistic ...??? While I don't know this person this behavior in itself is rather inflammatory o_O



Ziemael
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17 Sep 2019, 9:54 pm

If he has no crippling issues the fellow is being strongly defensive in that context. If he does have impairing struggles it sounds like denial. I for one, despite being high functioning, barely passed high school and failed to complete 3 trade schools and 2 colleges, my debts (that will be a loss for the financer) being more of the failings of the college loan system in being so greedy they failed to care if autism was a factor. I am excellent at obtaining employment but remaining employed at my 42 different jobs, (none lasting beyond 4 years due to my adverse reactions to change and social expectations), and keeping the 4 management positions in that process has been an exercise in becoming very self aware. My label as being disabled is a badge of honor, the ssdi accrued the last 30 years before the job hire/loss cycle created performance crippling anxiety, ptsd, etc, now keeps me from losing my modes gains. If I hadn't stubbornly mule kicked my way attempting so many things so many different ways for so hard for so long I would be without a home, a wife, children, being consigned to either prison, destitution, both or death. I feel what I have done is amazing, so calling me disabled just means I was able to succeed with what I can only dub autistic luck, where many neurotypicals have failed. I am not well off, but strategically I am in a good place.


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Irimias
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20 Sep 2019, 9:36 pm

Definition of disability
1 : a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person's ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions


If we look at the definition of disabled it's hard to not make a case for aspergers falling into that category.

For me i feel disabled when interacting with people just as people with other disabilities might feel exposed when faced with certain situations.



firemonkey
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21 Sep 2019, 5:40 am

The 'triad of impairments' is mentioned quite a lot . Does impairment equal disability though?