Indigo children theory considered harmful?

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Hey, I have just got into a case of a family member that refused her diagnosed Aspie kid any AS treatment or handling because to her the kid was an Indigo.

What do you think? How bad could it be to ignore a diagnosis? If you were diagnosed when old, do you think being diagnosed earlier would have helped? If you were diagnosed earlier, do you think getting the diagnosis (or not getting it at all) would have given you a better experience?

I don't buy all that indigo children stuff. And why indigo?? why not red or blue?

In spite of its questionable new age origins, I like to remain open minded about the indigo theory. I really like the idea that I am here to change the world. However, just because the child may be an indigo doesn't mean they don't have AS or that their AS should be ignored/neglected.

I think you should be informed of many different options, but the only reason I'm talking with you is because I was diagnosised with Autism early in my life.

Wow. I wondered when something like that would happen.

"Indigo Children" is a new-age invention by pop-psychologists who are bilking parents out of tons of money, and feeding their belief that their kid is somehow 'special'. The 'indigo' phenomenon is based on an old book (What Color Is Your Aura?) by an aura reader (which was taught to her by a channeler), who gave various traits to colors in peoples' auras, and the indigo color was appropriated for 'special kids'. In the original text and reading, Indigo was very rare, but that bit was totally brushed aside in the stampede of helicopter parents finding excuses for their kids' eccentricities. Today, Indigos are suddenly common as dirt.

Many of these kids very well could have Aspergers. Some could just be over-attended brats. But for a parent to apply a 21st century new-age con to their parenting and the behavior of the child should be considered criminal. But I also think that the overdiagnosis of Aspergers- and its medicalization- is also criminal. Happily, I am old enough to be out of reach of the psycho-pharmaceutical establishment, and can get away with being merely eccentric and geeky.

It's better to know. If she knows the child has AS, and so does the kid, then they can educate themselves about it. Then when thing come up that are easily explined by AS, they can adapt accordingly. (I mean, does the kid, for example, get overstimulated easily and need time alone? That's something she could learn from an AS diagnosis.) Also, she can advocate at school for her child, if necessary, with an AS diagnosis.

This is a case for Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is probably the right one. Is her kid different because her soul is part of a wave of more advanced souls? Or......Does she have AS? Hmmmm

You're right about the Occam's Razor observation. But I have a feeling that the parent in question would rather have a 'positive' dx of "Indigo" than a 'negative' dx of Aspergers. Still doesn't help the poor kid.

It may be interesting to see how this kid develops though, if his/her AS quirks are fed and encouraged rather than being discouraged and opposed. How might our self esteems have developed differently if we had been treated as special and important rather than simply weird? Might the confidence we could have developed as a result overridden our eccentricities in terms of acceptance in the NT world?

Yeah- I wish I had gotten more encouragement and support when I was younger. Aspergers did not exist as a diagnosis when I was young- they tested me and told my parents that I was 'gifted', but also an oddball. My teachers loved me, my classmates hated me. My dad told me that I was a 'waste of brains', and my mom complained that I was not 'girly' enough because I loved stereos and radios and hated dolls and tea sets.

Sigh... Somehow, I managed to muddle through, and sincerely believe that the latter half of my life will be better than the former. I 'won' the stereo vs. doll thing- I became an electronics tech, and am now a computer specialist. My late mom admitted that it was cool that people throw money at me to fix their stuff, and I wasn't a 'waste of brains' after all.

I wish they'd throw more money at me!

I don't have a problem with it. What's wrong with "new age" beliefs anyway? All belief systems should be respected. Open your minds a bit instead of deciding that it's just a money making scheme. The indigo book I read was not asking for anything and simply suggested that Aspies or ADDS are highly evolved souls. If it helps parents to see their children in a positive way, as evolved souls rather than ret*ds, then I don't see a problem.

Yea I think that if I had been dx at an earlier age it may have helped.

I was born in 1966 and Asperger's Dx was not available. Quite possibly even is it were my parents would not have had me dx'd as there was "Certainly, Nothing wrong with THEIR child."

My life has evolved around one question, "What the Hell is wrong with me?"

Then of course "Why can't I be normal?''

my life has many difficulties, Had I been dx'd maybe I could have worked through them...

at the very least I would have been able to accept the dx sooner instead of being in denial for 10 years..


I am tired of being confused.

If a person, no matter age, is refused help to get better and instead, is left alone entirely, I think whatever the cause is is harmful then.

I know for a fact that some parents call their children Indigo, but they have tried everything to aid them in their development (all the kids have a condition). They just look at the child they have and try to do help their children achieve the best.
However, I do not doubt that some other parents may do it differently. Some may call their children Indigos in order to avoid being confronted with the condition and the challenges their child has.

What I find to be stupid is that I know some parents mentioned their child's doctor said the child may have Asperger's.
And then the parents/other people who believe in Indigos say, no, the child can never be AS, because the child is way too loving, warm and friendly. (=they think people on the spectrum is cold and incapable of showing love?)

I think people who believe in super-natural things like indigo kids, are harmful to mankind.

My neighbour believes I'm an indigo child(1991). I laugh at her.

i think it's better to know as long as that knowledge doesn't do more harm than good. had i been diagnosed early i think it may have helped me get through elementary and some high school if the proper approaches had been taken. if i had been sheltered and all that i don't think it would have helped because i find i've learned a lot out of necessity. i was put in a very difficult environment so i was forced to adapt and i put a lot of effort into it. it may have been easier but it could also have been less effective.

The Indigo label doesn't really explain what a child is. Is it possible that an "indigo" child has AS? Yes.

I would have been classified as an indigo had it existed when I was child. However, at that time I was just gifted, and eccentric.

Knowing that I have AS has changed the way I think about myself. It explains so much, and I'm glad I have explanations and others who I can relate to.

However, as long as they treat their child with love and caring, does it really matter? Hopefully, if the child has AS, they'll learn about it eventually. Whatever is used to help a child grow and be comfortable with themselves is good.

At least in my opinion.

New age bullcrap like this are stupid. Anyone who actually buys into it is an idiot.