Why is autism such a bad thing?

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If Autism Speaks is moving away from finding the gene for autism and promoting genocide, why then do people still think autism is such a bad thing? Autism Speaks simply promoted the idea autism was a bad thing, they didn't make it up themselves. LF autism, I might understand why people think it's a bad thing but just look at people like myself and Temple Grandin who were more severely affected as childen but became "better" as they learned more skills as they grew. Some parents admit feeling upset when their child is diagnosed with Asperger's. Some even admit their kids have a very high IQ, yet they still admit they would cure their child if they could. People seem to have higher opions of people with Down's Syndrome than they do people with autism. Is it becuase people with Down's Syndrome are more socialble and easy going? Why is autism such a bad thing to many people?

I don't know. I wish I understood.

My only guess is people value the social aspects of life more than having intelligence and skills.

There are people out there who have this idea that the more sociable a person is, the better off they are. I don't really like that old school thinking. I dream of a world where everybody is accepted as they are, and not just the people who are more sociable. I also think that those people have seen the movie Rain Man one time too many and they all think that we're all as severe as that character.

I know this really made me mad. Autism is not a bad thing. In fact some of the most brilliant scientific minds ever were Aspie minds. I think one of the best things we can do to start to change this is not make excuses for ourselves and hide who we are. It seems like a lot of people just notice LFA and are scared or confused by it. I think if there was more recognition of what Autism was (the whole spectrum) this could change. Autism (even LFA) is not scary. It is just a different way of looking at the world. I have known several people with autism who were fairly low functioning (oh how I hate that term... these people functioned great, just in a different way) and they were some of the smartest and most logical people I knew. It's different, not scary. I know as much as I complain and hate this somedays, I wouldn't trade. My brain works just fine.

I see lots of parents who wish a magic cure for their child. But the happiest ones I have seen are the ones who accept thier child for who they are and are trying to find the resources.

As for the Down's kids... yeah they are happy and funny and easy to get along with. They can also be just as stubborn as we are. I think there is more recognition and understanding of Down's. I can't quite figure why Down's is different though... but I think you are right... it is.

Hope this makes sense

I think people have an instinct that tells them that their kid is likely going to have an easier time in life if he or she is "normal." And, it's not a bad instinct because it is true. It's not black and white, but the odds are better if you're "normal," (or not disabled, anyway) and a parent's job is to maximize the odds in their kids' favor. Hence, a lot of worry and bad feelings (at first, anyway?) when their kid is diagnosed. It sort of makes sense that they'd hate autism, at first, anyway.

Also, Autism Speaks was pretty successful at publicizing their message, and I think that that message has become embedded in the culture. That is, lots of people now have the impression that it's a good thing to be "against autism." It will probably take a while for that meme to change.

I hate to say it, but that could also be a factor. It doesn't help to have the phrase "lack of empathy [you know, like with a serial killer?]" associated with ASD. And I don't think most people are going to care to know about the difference between "cognitive empathy" and "affective empathy" or whatever other explanation. "You know, it's like being a serial killer, but without the bad parts... wait, let me try that explanation again..."

Many people seem to be afraid of anything different. Autism is different.

From a societal point of view, highly autistic people (theoretically) cannot survive long on their own and so they (theoretically) require effort from other people simply to keep them alive. Darwinianly speaking, this is bad cuz it means more energy use for the same or less net result (theoretically).

But I think mostly many people find the fluttering and different gait/posture/mannerisms to be scary cuz they are easily scared cuz they are wussies

Ummm....I feel like Autism is bad because civilized society is based on cramming a whole crap load of people who hate each other into a small area, called a city. Basic survival method of said occupants is to lie to each other like crazy so that they all think they like each other. To prevent random & chaotic killing sprees.

Seeing as how Autistic Spectromites (Spectrometers?) have difficulty lying, they unwittingly "push people's buttons" constantly, threatening to unleash the mad wave of hysterical violence that ever looms over the psychological horizon. The liars have to work double time to cover the "social gaffs" (aka telling the truth) of the A-Spectrometers, thus resenting said Spectromoters for having caused more work for them.

More work interferes with eating chips and watching television while clothed in naught but underpants. When that sacred ritual is threatened, woe betide the world.

This is why I love college towns.

People don't like things that aint understood. They don't understand autism so they hate us.

Because it's a disability and disabilities are seen as bad because of limitations it causes and it makes your life harder because you have to try harder also to get through the limitations.

As much as I'm proud of who I am, who my special needs friends and family members are, etc. I'd never wish it upon someone simply because it's more of a struggle to get through life with different needs from the main stream. I don't know if most people think it's "bad" I just think they wish we had it easier maybe?

My short answer: some of the symptoms really suck.

Will come back with a longer answer soon.

Because autism is a disorder mostly revolved around a lack in social communication, the inability to communicate and relate to others. Apparently, as Im learning from a textbook for speech, social communication is vital to societal function. For people that have other disorders such as Down Syndrome, NTs probably find them easier to work with and more loveable people. While us autistics, have limited ability to connect to NTs and are often off in our own little worlds. People who are seen as unsociable and aloof and looked down upon by society.

Unfair but true. But many people are working to destigmatize autism, its gonna take a lot of work but one day....who knows when. I think we're all gonna be either dead or old by the time that happens.

Because it jeopardizes you from socially interacting and getting on with people properly, when this whole world is built for people who can socially interact and get on with people properly. This is why I'm experiencing more pressure from the job centre - the interviewers look at the stereotypes of AS only and so don't bother taking me on, if I don't tell them they still notice my crappy vibes and assume I'm a bit weird or stupid, so I can't get a job anywhere because everywhere values people who are able to multitask, or socially interact, or be intelligent and/or ambitious. I have none of those, never will have. So now I've been on job-seekers for over 3 years, and I've had nothing but hell in the last couple of months because of the length of time I've been on it they are now assuming that I'm not looking for work or are turning down jobs. I've explained about my disability, but you try explaining that to government-related people in this country of this century.

Yes I don't believe in this old school thinking either. Just because one is more socially able, doesn't mean they never face problems. It annoys me when people think, ''oh I want to be NT because then I wouldn't have any problems.'' NTs have just as many (if not more) problems than we do, but I just think that generally NTs can deal with them better by using social interaction as a small power against certain situations, and they can always make friends, and little mundane things come naturally to them and so they don't have to worry about that so much, but with me it's little mundane things AND the big important things what I have to use up all my energy to keep up with, and that is what is making life mighty hard when it comes to things like finding jobs. Plus I can't seem to get rid of these vibes what I give off and make people notice something odd about me. It's all so horrible.

That is why I hate Autism and I'm not proud of it because it's the bain of my life for me and for everyone around me who are affected by my awkward ways.

f**k Autism right to hell.

Last edited by Joe90 on 06 Oct 2011, 3:48 pm, edited 3 times in total.

90% or more of people with REAL autism are nonfunctional in society and unemployable, and they are unable to have friends. I can't see how this can be considered to be a not-bad thing.

I am adamantly against eugenics and selective abortions. However, if there was a cure--you bet my brother would be first in line for it. He's truly autistic, not I'm-Asperger's-so-that-excuses-me-being-an-a*hole, and he has come far enough to understand just how far behind the average person he is in so many ways that matter. He wants a wife (though I'm not sure how much more than just for having someone there reliably/sex...), but he is incapable of managing to even ask a girl out for a date. He wants friends, but he cannot converse with people outside the family. He wants a job, but unpredictability and the possibility of changes make him dread employment (he is employed now, BTW, and lives in terror of his boss--not because his boss is bad but because he theoretically has the authority to ask something of my brother that he has a mental block against). He's had therapy and anti-depression drugs and has been near-suicidal because he can sense the gap between himself and other people and is incapable of bridging it. He knows he's missing out on most of life but is too paralyzed by disgust, fear, and ignorance that can't be "Taught" away to act. He has to mentally prepare to drive a car to a strange place for DAYS ahead of time, and even then, he has to have someone on the phone talking him through it. He can't even buy things from stores he hasn't been a regular of without a panic attack. is apartment was robbed once in college, and he is so terrified of someone coming in and changing things--far more than the loss of anyone in particular--that it takes months to get him to agree to leave the house overnight.

So, yeah, REAL autism sucks. Fun and quirky "autism"--defend that all you like. But it's not really autism.