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frozensoul
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14 Sep 2014, 9:17 am

Hi I was just wondered what countries treated people with aspergers the best. I've heard A lot of good things about the Scandinavian countries in their treatment of people with AS. I was wondering if anyone living in Norway Sweden Finland or Denmark could confirm this for me. Or tell me how their country treats people with AS.



Charloz
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14 Sep 2014, 9:38 am

Don't ask, don't tell, and you'll be good anywhere you go. Tell people and you will find that the stereotypes and negative perceptions are damn near universal.



Aspie1
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14 Sep 2014, 10:14 am

I found Israel to be very aspie-friendly. I went there 8 years ago, when my AS was more severe, and had a great time there. The police are very calm and professional. People are very tolerant of each other's differences, given how Israel is composed of immigrants with a common goal (to live in a place where being Jewish is safe). I also had no trouble finding girls to dance with in a nightclub, which is a rarity for me in the US. One girl even danced with me when neither of us spoke the other person's language (although she might have liked me for being an American); that was a fun experience.



Charloz
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14 Sep 2014, 10:19 am

Aspie1 wrote:
I found Israel to be very aspie-friendly. I went there 8 years ago, when my AS was more severe, and had a great time there. The police are very calm and professional. People are very tolerant of each other's differences, given how Israel is composed of immigrants with a common goal (to live in a place where being Jewish is safe). I also had no trouble finding girls to dance with in a nightclub, which is a rarity for me in the US. One girl even danced with me when neither of us spoke the other person's language (although she might have liked me for being an American); that was a fun experience.


Still would prefer not to live in a country hated by it's neighbors, that has nukes and is surrounded by terrorists. Explosions and suicide bombs and military operations and such aren't very aspie-friendly... one might become a bit triggered.



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14 Sep 2014, 12:15 pm

Maybe Japan? Theyre just as weird as we are and they are accepting of weird behavior at times.


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lostonearth35
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14 Sep 2014, 12:36 pm

Japan may seem pretty friendly with their quirky pop culture and general wackiness, but I can't imagine handling the lack of privacy and personal space and unusual foods. Also the word "otaku" which many people are embracing as something positive here in NA, is a very negative and derogatory word in Japan. I read that one of the first things Japanese-teaching classes do is explain to you how it's a very bad word and people in Japan may see you as a useless human being or even a psychopath. So I guess you'll be treated like slime by some people no matter where you are in the world. Not all people, but some. Or a lot.



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14 Sep 2014, 12:41 pm

lostonearth35 wrote:
Japan may seem pretty friendly with their quirky pop culture and general wackiness, but I can't imagine handling the lack of privacy and personal space and unusual foods. Also the word "otaku" which many people are embracing as something positive here in NA, is a very negative and derogatory word in Japan. I read that one of the first things Japanese-teaching classes do is explain to you how it's a very bad word and people in Japan may see you as a useless human being or even a psychopath. So I guess you'll be treated like slime by some people no matter where you are in the world. Not all people, but some. Or a lot.


They have a term called "parasitic single" in Japan. If you are unmarried, unemployed, NEET, childless, any or all of the above? They will resent you for it. If you fail to fill the mold of society, fail to walk in step with the rest of the robot army, you are seen as a subhuman. A parasite, a nuisance. And the robot army marches on... Japan is the nation with the highest percentage of suicides in the world, and for good reasons. Life can be cold, detached, impersonal, miserable. Loneliness will fill your days. A crushing, all-consuming loneliness even the most battle-hardened aspie will succumb to, as many Japanese have before us and many will after.



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14 Sep 2014, 12:49 pm

What seems quirky or weird to you is the norm to them Japanese as their culture is very different. And if you don't conform to their "weird" ways, then you will be an outcast. They are not very tolerant of different/weird people (from their perspective).

To me some of the most liberal European countries seem to be the best. I think they have a very developed awareness of differences that people may have and therefore are very accepting.



ravenloft68
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14 Sep 2014, 12:49 pm

Scotland might be the new place for Aspies. They have free healthcare and are very understanding of special needs. Plus they are about to go independent and become a new nation.


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14 Sep 2014, 1:22 pm

I don't believe there is much of a difference between countries and when people say that, it is often based on stereotypes. One thing that can make a difference is having to speak a foreign language. This takes a lot of pressure away from having to communicate right - people can attribute your weirdness to the language barrier and cultural differences and so they tend to be more forgiving, which can be nice.


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o0iella
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14 Sep 2014, 3:51 pm

I've found that countries with a culture different from my own seem to be more forgiving than countries with a culture similar to mine.

I think Northern Europe would probably be the best place for those on the spectrum, except for Scandinavia, where people tend to be quite collectivist.

I think that Japan would be one of the worst places in the world to grow up Autistic.



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14 Sep 2014, 4:22 pm

frozensoul wrote:
Hi I was just wondered what countries treated people with aspergers the best. I've heard A lot of good things about the Scandinavian countries in their treatment of people with AS. I was wondering if anyone living in Norway Sweden Finland or Denmark could confirm this for me. Or tell me how their country treats people with AS.


The only thing I know about that is: I was born in Sweden and lived there for 23 years. I had a really hard time in school. I was bullied, had no friends, severely introverted, awkward demeanor/behavior, and struggled badly with making the grades. Not a single time did anyone (teacher, parent, or adult) ever check if I needed help with anything. I was drowning and left to sink or swim on my own.



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14 Sep 2014, 4:36 pm

ravenloft68 wrote:
Scotland might be the new place for Aspies. They have free healthcare and are very understanding of special needs. Plus they are about to go independent and become a new nation.


They'll still be the same nation, and by those standards not any better than England or (especially) Wales.

And to answer OP, no country is any more accepting than any other. To imagine otherwise is fantasy.



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14 Sep 2014, 5:05 pm

I've heard that some aspies go quite well in a different culture as their social awkwardness is tolerated because they are foreigners and don't understand the cultural protocols, language etc. rather than they have a problem.

I think it would be harder to be a Japanese aspie in Japan than a foreign aspie in Japan.


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Aspie1
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14 Sep 2014, 5:11 pm

Charloz wrote:
Still would prefer not to live in a country hated by it's neighbors, that has nukes and is surrounded by terrorists. Explosions and suicide bombs and military operations and such aren't very aspie-friendly... one might become a bit triggered.

Maybe so. But when a Palestinian missile can strike a village any moment (although the Iron Dome is supposed to reduce the odds), people are less likely to ostracize the weird ones, simply because ostracism stops being a priority. After all, is it really a big deal if someone keeps waving his fingers in front of his eyes (a stim), when that same person could save a child in times of danger? Quite the opposite, a victim of bullying might not take action to help the people who tormented him. Or in less lofty words, why hassle with bullying one weird person, when you yourself have bigger bullies to worry about (i.e. the neighbors who hate you).



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14 Sep 2014, 5:24 pm

Antarctica. :P