An Autistic sterotype i'd like to see changed.

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Over the years something i've noticed is i'd had to see COUNTLESS doctors , phyciatrists, and counselers. But my real issue is being an Aspie i must complain that almost NONE OF THEM HAVE AUTISM! I mean how are you supposed to help someone if you haven't felt something under your own skin for yourself, and books can only describe so much. It's as absurd as a white man leading a black protest in the 1950's, or what if a white man gave the famous " I have a dream" speech instead of Dr. King jr.. It just doesn't work sometimes. And personally i'd like for more Aspies to be employeed to help other Aspies , in fact in starting off this movement by becoming a phyciatrist myself just for this reason.

I'm don't think stereotype means what you think it does...
And your A.S.=Black Liberation really doesn't fly for so many reasons; Martin Luther King was seeking to reform a society irrationally opposed to a large part of itself, doctors are trying to give people the tools to work in society. W.P. and such fill in the sense of camaraderie and understanding, and I for one, am thankful.
Not that I'm saying you shouldn't become a psychiatrist, just that you don't need to be so angry about the whole thing. Or at least to work on your rhetoric.

Unfortunately most of the people I've known who became psychiatrists or psych nurses or mental health workers to change the system ended up sucked into it, even if they were former patients themselves. That whole thing about if you stare into the abyss the abyss stares into you and all that.

Read Judi Chamberlin's On Our Own though -- that might give you some really interesting ideas. Not all psychiatrists are bad, but I don't think they have many answers for us overall. Mine meant well but was unsuccessful in most of his attempts to teach me how to deal with the world, I needed older autistic people to do that for me because my psychiatrist and I just didn't speak the same language. (He had ADD, though, and had been severely depressed in the past enough to attempt suicide, which gave him understanding of the patient side of things in general. But for specifics about autism, he was on the outside looking in and just tried a bunch of ineffective teaching methods.)

I agree with GRNfan in the analogy. It's difficult for people to understand about Asperger's, if they don't have it. It doesn't mean they Neurotypicals can't try to have some sort of understanding or try to help.

The analogy of a white bloke leading a black demonstration in the United States of America in the 1950s and 1960s makes a good point. That analogy does work on some many ways!

Being angry even though it is a negative emotion can be instrument for positive change in one's life if channeled appropriately. Anger is a good thing because it can motivate people to stand up for themselves, take action in a positive way.

If I didn't get angry about my own personal situations, I would have not earned my degrees, remained in stark poverty. Now, I am very successful in my work (businesses). And I'm so glad that I did get angry and didn't give up! I was able to boost my confidence by getting angry, taking appropriate positive action, and as a side benefit, I really showed people up - those that were ignorant, those that tried to give me a hard time. I gloated after my successes but only for a short time and now, I'm continuing to achieve more. My rental property in Costa Rica now awaits!

Yeah, it's not a 'stereotype' per se, more like a state of affairs. I would like for autistics to help each other more myself, especially mentoring and such, to help the younger ones get the hang of life.

I have often thought that it would be possible to have a community where every member had a disability, as long as they were different disabilities, because everyone would have different needs and different specialties. There'd probably be a huge amount of the economy devoted to services of some kind--equipment, trained animals, aides... but it could work, given people who were willing to do what they could rather than bemoaning what they couldn't.

I remember, at a supposed "big name's" place (see: Attwood's), when I was looking at the lights above the psycho's head, because that's something I like doing (it distracts me from the person's nonverbal cues, plus it's pretty), she thought I was rolling my eyes at her. Staring at lights is one of those stereotypical things too....

My grade 4 teacher thought the same.

*Daniel shakes his head*

There are actually organizations for self advocacy springing up. Look for those to get involved with. What seems to be the issue is that alot of Aspies are so hurt by the misunderstandings of society, they really aren't able to be very helpful; just kind of burned out. But you are right, society needs a better understanding. I don't see it as much different than the civil rights movement. People with disabilities and different ways of being have rights too. All too often, they have to fight to keep them. Who better to do it than those who understand first hand. I have a very good friend who is invloved with several organizations, does seminars and trainings, school consults (did one for us and it was wonderful), and he has Asperger's. He has written several books as well. His website is: http://williamstillman.com/ So, you don't have to become a psychiatrist, there are other alternatives.

I've visited a psychiatrist once and would never do it again. I wrote it in another thread, but as I see here the same topic I think I should write the main thing at least. The doctors have seen so many different patients that they lost the ability to discern them. Imagine yourself being a doctor who sees a hundred of people every day when it is a first time when someone comes and says: "I think I have Asperger's syndrome, and here are its features"... Your reaction?
My doctor's was: "What syndrome? Ah, something autistic... no, you're not autistic. Just stop thinking that you differ from the society".
Well, certainly, we can say "I" only about ourselves, everyone is different from the others, but only an Aspie can understand another Aspie and determine if he/she has the AS.

I doubt it would help.

I so far found aspies as understanding or even more lacking in understanding of different types of ASDs as professionals without any form of ASD.

I rather keep the professionals for now. I'd just try to educate them on autism.

But is it right that most doctors are even properly educated in it? Sometimes you get those naturaly talented doctors who think that with enough will or something you can do anything, or something like that. Some still have the idea that it is just to get attention.

I suppose when you're different from a minority group, the specific pain or let's just say "experience" of being different is difficult for NT's to grasp, or to empathize with. But doesn't it take an NT to recognize an Aspie on certain levels? Certain _useful_ levels? Let me put it this way: could an Aspie have written that massive 3 hour developmental test my wife and I took in regards to our son?

I'm wondering if mentors wouldn't be a really good way for Aspi's to help other Aspis...Before you say it, No no no I'm not saying Aspis can't be psychiatrists!!

(at what point will I stop trying to assure people on this great site I'm openly interested, and am as desperate to learn as I am not to offend anyone. In any case, that's the deal with me.)

This is actually one of the big reasons why I'm going into psychiatry.

I wouldn't go that far. A properly educated psychologist, psychiatrist, or pediatrician can do it, too--but the key is properly educated. That means somebody who went to classes on autism after the 1990s--preferably within the past couple of years. And it means somebody who has been educated on what autism looks like in adults, rather than only having studied autistic children. I got lucky--the woman who diagnosed me had all those characteristics because she has a college-age Aspie son.

If you can, find a specialist; find someone who is either big on continuing education or else young. (I know--most of the time I would recommend an experienced person; but the fact is that very few people are experienced with adult autism because it hasn't been known for very long...)

The trouble is, if your psych-whatever was educated in the 1970s, and hasn't taken a lot of classes since then, he won't know about autism. And, because he treats adults, he probably won't have met a lot of already-diagnosed autistic people.

But here's the positive: Whenever you get a diagnosis, and go to counseling, you will give your counselor, whatever his title, experience with at least one adult autistic person.

Well, despite being told "I could do anything if I put my mind to it" countless times when I was younger, I have come to realize there will be certain career paths that are not available to me with my current social skills. Being a film director was something I wanted more than anything, and only after being in the film industry for a few years did I realize I hadn't made any good social connections, and those who knew me only tolerated me to edit quietly in the back.

Are there some on the spectrum that might be good at being a psychiatrist? Maybe. But I think it would be very, very difficult and I would personally not visit one myself, knowing my own limitations for empathy and theory of mind.

What we in particular have the most difficult time with is finding a service provider who can handle both my daughters age and intellect. Often these people come to us with little to no training, and their experience is with non-verbal, or with younger children. Emily can spot someone who is less intelligent, or who is condescending and when she does you've lost her respect. Kind of hard to develop any relationship past that.

We had one who would roll her eyes while looking at me in reaction to anything my daughter said. Guess how long she lasted here? Another cried after my daughter had an outburst, and said something mean. At the time she was 10 years old! This was an adult! After letting her know that nothing personal was meant by my daughter's outburst, and spending a little time educating this "professional" I also welcomed her not to come back.

I have a friend IRL who's both aspie and a cognitive psychologist. There are exceptions... and hopefully someday, they'll make the rules.