Are you offended by, "A Cure for Autism"?

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No. From the neurotypical standpoint, autism probably seems pretty awful. They're just trying to help. I would prefer to see a push for more neurodiversity acceptance though.

Blatant bigotry offends me. Differences of opinion do not. I support the marketplace of ideas.

the idea of "curing" autism is a wrong step in the right direction. it's not like curing AIDS or cancer, something that erodes the body. autism is a mental disorder. this is in the mind. and i've found messing with the mind doesn't always yield good results. best to just leave that alone i think and deal with what you got.

Truth to be told, even if society accepts us modern society will give us anxiety problems all our lives. I don't think we'll ever be as happy as we could if we were NTs.
Does this call for a cure? No. Society needs people that are willing to see more than the norm (no filter), is not easily influenced by society (lack of social understanding) and is willing to put all social life away to be able to dedicate themselves to an innovative new idea to benefit society (lack of social needs).
Society needs autistics, else it would never advance. You could say we are sacrifices for the benefit of our society.

Why try and cure Asperger it's like trying to prevent Evolution.

everyone keeps responding to this as though 'cure autism' necessarily equates with 'cure Asperger's' - some of the people wearing the buttons have autistic children with such severe difficulties that it's easy to see why they would hope for such a thing. my friend's son can't talk, toilet train, or really participate in anything without someone holding his hand in some way, or severely modifying activities. costs of care are insane, the school district is making her miserable, and he won't be small forever. his tantrums, which occur because of a near-total inability to cope without the immediate environment rearranging to suit him, equal for a very frustrating life. that said, she loves him unconditionally, he can express affection in his own way, and is a fascinating child to spend time with.
do you really think, though, that if given an oppurtunity to really bring him into the world around him is the worst thing ever? is that really offensive when we have the luxury of at least some range of coping skills?

incidentally, fetuses that aren't born don't have an awareness that they got screwed. the offense is in the mind of the living and sentient. if my biological mom didn't cancel her clinic appointment, i wouldn't be around to care or complain.

I don't think that any body's mind should be messed with.

That's a bit of a broad statement. I would think that most people would agree that there are some situations where minds ought to be 'messed' with - schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders. How they are 'messed' with can vary from medications essential for preventing hallucinations and suicidal thoughts, to basic psycho- or cognitive therapies to help with behavior and emotional issues that they feel are interfering with their lives.

--edited because I hate typos.

Thats like saying, I need to cure my skin color or eye color. AS, has to do with genetics and the way your brain developed in the womb. You can work on controlling or changing some of the symptoms but I think thats about all you can hope for. I may be wrong but that is my opinion.

I don't really think that's very accurate, that'd be like equating mental disorders with race. Besides, the sciences of brain chemistry have been making leaps and bounds when it comes to autism. They've even managed to create a drug which will induce symptoms of autism, and another drug to reverse the process.

Also, some genes aren't good, like ones which pass along susceptibilities to addictions, health problems, even cancer. Of course, Autism isn't like these, but it too is genetic in origin, and for those affected by severe autism would benefit from advances made in this field, to let them become more able.

Am agree,
the type of cause shouldn't matter whether they try to find ways around autism and if ever possible-cures,it's like only wanting people to exist,rather than give the chance of having a regular quality of life like themselves-if people are unimpaired and unaffected enough to not want a cure,they could choose not to have it.

As long as it's not forced on anyone,where is the offence? it's not about causing offence to people on the spectrum,it's about being able live a less painful,higher quality of life,without having to be stuck in a residential home for rest of life,with horrible staff and other residents are not able to cope with.
There are people out there who do see autism as some evil disease that must be cured,without looking at what the individual autistics' life is like first,but they don't make up the majority of people who agree with,or want cures/part cures.

Absolutely!

That's why I support the creation of a cure, and the right for people to make thier own choices. Jehovahs Witnesses have the right to decline blood transfusions, and they do, because they have that right, as does any other person. They have their right to themselves, to make their own choices, and to not be treated or changed against their will. Those most against a cure are those who're the best off, Aspies, and the high functioning autistics. Those most for a cure are parents of those with more severe autism, who aren't as able in their lives to say they don't need a cure, and autism is only a difference.

Those who want a cure deserve to have it, and those who don't want a cure have the right to decline it. If they are as capable as they state, there will be nothing to be gained by them getting cured, and only things to lose, since if they were cured against their will, the ones who did it would be stripped of their medical license for breaking the Hippocratic Oath, not to mention the criminal nature of forcing them against their will.

That's the kind of future that parents don't want for their children, the parents who are the supposed bad guys, who are trying to have autism cured, who are reviled so much. They don't want that future for their child. No parent does.
The parents are really demonized by those on the spectrum who're able and capable, for the offense they take from when a parent talks about their child, with severe problems, and is attacked by an Aspie telling them off, and telling them that they're wrong, and all about the "Joys of Autism."

Understandably, though not positive, are some reactions from the parents. They get so frustrated that these capable adults and teenagers, who never have to fear being put in a care(or group) home or worse, telling them how to raise their child, telling them they're bad parents, that they hate their child or want to replace them with a normal one... It's really not fair.

In a cure, we have to have faith in the greater good. It's up to the morality of general populace, the rights we have as human beings, and the will to let the first steps be taken. We can either deny those in need a cure in order to assuage our fears and cause inequality by making those who want a cure our inferiors, or we can bravely step forward into the unknown, and maybe better the lives of others. For me, the decision is clear.

I'm gonna have to stick to my guns on this one. We are not sick. Like it or not, we are a variation of what is considered "normal". Some region of our brain, is either under-developed or over-developed. Yeah, at some point we(humans) may be able to effectively, stimulate or suppress, that region of the brain that is affected, in order to bring us closer to what is considered "normal", but I think, ultimately, we would end up being a totally different person. If we were able to retain all of our strengths, most of us would end up being super-human. Sounds great, but I doubt it. I choose to remain who I am, and hope for improved treatment of my specific, problem symptoms. I just think I'm just being realistic and proudly accept who I am.

The other thing with a Cure for Autism is why cure it when REAL problems like AIDS, Cancer, Flesh Eating Virus, Famine and ALS still exist? I lost alot of respect for many of the rock dinosaurs in that VH1 Classic "Put an End to Autism" commercial (one of them - I think it was Gene Simmons - called it a disease).

They had a script they were reading from.

Why are people ignoring the fact that it says "Cure Autism" and not "Cure Asperger's"? There is a difference. And mainly, the people wearing the Cure Autism pins are talking about the lower end of the spectrum. Because their kids are suffering in a world they don't understand, in a country that has a sh***y history of enforcing the ADA (my friend's son has been out of school for six months because they are dragging their feet about placing him), and in a world where the cost of care is often soley on the parents. And the parents have to pray that when they pass away, their child will still be properly cared for becasue they cannot participate in any decision making.
People are so focused on how persecuted they feel that they only see CURE ASPERGERS! OH NOEZ! as if there isn't a spectrum and they're going to start building death camps in the backwoods of Tennessee and innoculate us with horrible drugs against our will!

Our country's got some issues, but we're not quite there yet. edit: (and i think that, at present, this applies to most countries. maybe social services are shot to s**t, but they're not injecting us with majikal anti-asperger's serum)