Petition Alex Plank to discuss Treatments and Research!!

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Please read the my first two posts before replying to this thread. There is a debate thread for those opposed to the idea.

100 signatures needed!

I believe that a special "Research and Treatments" subforum is needed on this forum.

For the past 15 years, neurodiversity activists have been fighting hard for their acceptance into mainstream society. Activists like John Robison and Temple Grandin have successfully spread this message across America.

However, these same activists now demand treatment for autistics. John Robison has been treated with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and says that it hasn't changed him, but simply improved his social skills. Temple Grandin now demands research into sensory integration therapy.

While there are many successful autistics, there are many that struggle to succeed. In 2012, there was a study in Pediatrics that was published that said that a third of "young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical school nearly seven years after high school graduation". According to the Autism Society, only 56% of Autistics finish high school.

Many successful geniuses with other mental issues like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ect. have owed their success to their different minds. However, take treatments for these problems, as schizophrenia, for instance, is associated with significantly higher rates of drug abuse and suicide. Banning these treatments would be considered inhumane.

A successful autistic that doesn't feel the need to change wouldn't need this research and treatments subforum. However, for the autistics that struggle, this forum would exist to inform them about potential treatments and research findings. Hopefully, they can be treated in a way that simply resolves their deficits without changing their identities. Additionally, there are a small but growing number of autistics that would like to be cured altogether. The existing subforums about autism politics and autism news are too broad in the topics that they cover.

How to sign:

Go to

http://www.change.org/petitions/wrong-p ... discussion

Sign this petition with your username and why you support it.

Make any post on this thread. When 100 signatures on the petition match up with the thread posts, the petition will be complete.

Do NOT post anything on this thread that questions the need for this subforum. I have created a separate "Debate Thread" for this.

I think you need to make it more clear that you want a new sub-forum to be created.

There are plenty of forums already. This on, for instance - "General Autism Discussion" - is perfect for discussing research and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Just start a new thread, and those who are interested will contribute.

If you want a new subforum I recommend that you post your request/ideas for it on the "WrongPlanet.net discussion" subforum.

atdevel, there is merit in what you say, as any knowledge of AS can only help us be the best we can be. Having said this, this forum belongs to Alex, and I think we must respect his right to run it any way he pleases. In any case, we have no right to be making any further claims on his time or efforts than what he chooses to give us.

This thread was created more than an hour ago, where is the "debate thread" referenced in the OP?

Could someone please edit the OP to include a link to the "debate thread"? I was unable to locate it by checking the author's profile.

I would want it to be called "Therapies & Research". That way, the ambiguous nature of the word "treatment" doesn't enter into it. Therapy sounds more like the sort of thing that helps you learn how to do useful things, as opposed to treating an illness.