Re: Prenatal Testing is a Divsional Autism Issue

[Guest guest]

Prenatal testing is a divisional issue for many groups. For example,

I have epilepsy. I wonder what my chances would have been, had they

had prenatal testing when my mother was pregnant? My point is that if

we allow people to focus only on the disabilities, they will see no

reason to burden themselves with a child who will take so much time

and effort. If we focus also on the enormous gifts that can

potentially come of our increased sensitivites (but that can also

create our difficulties), we might be able to convince people that we

are worth cultivating. Sorry if this isn't well articulated/thought

out. -Jill

>

> If it's being funded, then it's supported. (do your own research)

>

> Then what? Also what does it mean to you personally if there is

intent to abort those with autism?

>

> It seems down right demeaning, insulting and a disallowance of

life and uniqueness as possibly humans can enact..

>

> Yet because that life does not become life developed if the

intended reality came to be, how does it ultimately effect you? Is it

a judgment in a way?

>

> How does it make you feel?

>

> There are more important issues ultimately?

>

> Should you not become personally attached to the issue?

>

>

>

> General response intended, not questions by question.

>

>

>

> New Song

> http://www.aspergershosting.com/audio/Onwah.wma

>

> ---------------------------------

> New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC

and save big.

>

[Guest guest]

If autism were to be accepted in society, for those who have more dibilitating circumstances, wouldnt quality of life issues become a major issue, more so then they are now? jillipep <jillipep@...> wrote: Prenatal testing is a divisional issue for many groups. For example, I have epilepsy. I wonder what my chances would have been, had theyhad prenatal testing when my mother was pregnant? My point is that if we allow people to focus only on the disabilities, they will see no reason to burden themselves with a child who will take so much time and effort. If we focus also on the enormous gifts that can potentially come of our increased sensitivites (but that can also create our difficulties), we might be able to convince people that we are worth cultivating. Sorry if

this isn't well articulated/thought out. -JillNew Songhttp://www.aspergershosting.com/audio/Onwah.wma

New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big.

[Guest guest]

If there was a test to be used for abortion purposes, what then? New Songhttp://www.aspergershosting.com/audio/Onwah.wma

New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big.

[Guest guest]

Somehow, we ought to produce something on the net that has nothing to

do with autism that everyone will hear about.

Then, when the word spreads about how great this thing is we can

say " It was created by autistics. "

Tom

Administrator

If we focus also on the enormous gifts that can potentially come of

our increased sensitivites (but that can also create our

difficulties), we might be able to convince people that we are worth

cultivating. Sorry if this isn't well articulated/thought out. -Jill

[Guest guest]

Music , writting and good will?environmental1st2003 <no_reply > wrote: Somehow, we ought to produce something on the net that has nothing to do with autism that everyone will hear about. Then, when the word spreads about how great this thing is we can say "It was created by autistics." Tom Administrator New Songhttp://www.aspergershosting.com/audio/Onwah.wma

Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make PC-to-Phone Calls using Messenger with Voice.

[Guest guest]

You forgot art :-) anything creative in fact, creative ideas etc.

Somehow,

we ought to produce something on the net that has nothing to

> do with autism that everyone will hear about.

>

> Then, when the word spreads about how great this thing is we can

> say " It was created by autistics. "

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

>

> New Song

> http://www.aspergershosting.com/audio/Onwah.wma

>

> ---------------------------------

> Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make PC-to-Phone Calls using

Messenger with Voice.

>

[Guest guest]

Tom wrote:

> Somehow, we ought to produce something on the net that has

> nothing to do with autism that everyone will hear about.

> Then, when the word spreads about how great this thing is

> we can say " It was created by autistics. "

Do you mean something like " BitTorrent? It's inventor, Bram

Cohen, is an Aspie. Google him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bittorrent

Hi, I'm Clay , making a first post here. I'm an oldster,

nearly 60, and I was Dx'd Aspie almost 7 years ago. So far,

I only recognize Stan here, whom I've actually met, and also,

I remember Maurice from some other List. Hi guys!

Clay

[Guest guest]

Hi Clay!

Welcome to the forum.

There are actually quite a few people in here but not all post at

once. I am Tom, your admin.

I've read about the inventor of BitTorrent. We might even have some

articles about him in the files section. And yes, I meant something

like what he has done, but not necessarily something " geeky " that

people would naturally associate with autistics.

Music maybe. Or artwork. Or inventing something of practical use to

people that they could use everyday.

Not sure what I mean exactly, and am open to any ideas.

Tom

Administrator

P.S. How about some of the oldbies come out of the woodwork to

welcome the new fella?

> Somehow, we ought to produce something on the net that has

> nothing to do with autism that everyone will hear about.

> Then, when the word spreads about how great this thing is

> we can say " It was created by autistics. "

Do you mean something like " BitTorrent? It's inventor, Bram

Cohen, is an Aspie. Google him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bittorrent

Hi, I'm Clay , making a first post here. I'm an oldster,

nearly 60, and I was Dx'd Aspie almost 7 years ago. So far,

I only recognize Stan here, whom I've actually met, and also,

I remember Maurice from some other List. Hi guys!

Clay

[Guest guest]

Hi Clay!

Welcome to the forum.

There are actually quite a few people in here but not all post at

once. I am Tom, your admin.

I've read about the inventor of BitTorrent. We might even have some

articles about him in the files section. And yes, I meant something

like what he has done, but not necessarily something " geeky " that

people would naturally associate with autistics.

Music maybe. Or artwork. Or inventing something of practical use to

people that they could use everyday.

Not sure what I mean exactly, and am open to any ideas.

Tom

Administrator

P.S. How about some of the oldbies come out of the woodwork to

welcome the new fella?

> Somehow, we ought to produce something on the net that has

> nothing to do with autism that everyone will hear about.

> Then, when the word spreads about how great this thing is

> we can say " It was created by autistics. "

Do you mean something like " BitTorrent? It's inventor, Bram

Cohen, is an Aspie. Google him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bittorrent

Hi, I'm Clay , making a first post here. I'm an oldster,

nearly 60, and I was Dx'd Aspie almost 7 years ago. So far,

I only recognize Stan here, whom I've actually met, and also,

I remember Maurice from some other List. Hi guys!

Clay

[Guest guest]

>

>

> If there was a test to be used for abortion purposes, what then?

>

Let me apologize in advance for my uneducated opinions, I have only

read in those areas that relate directly to my own conditions (and I

have only completed the most basic of science courses).

My belief is that neuro-diversity is necessary to the overall health

of the human population. Unfortunately, our culture here in the USA

promotes the extrovert personality type as the ideal (an unfortunate

by-product of a culture built by immigrants). Fortunately, I doubt

they will be able to tell in the womb whether or not a child is

definitely autistic spectrum, but if they could, I believe it would

lead to imbalance, should parents decide to abort on this basis.

It is my belief that the increase in autistic spectrum population is

not due merely to better diagnostics but is also due to the fact that

we are necessary to balance out the ill effects of too much

extroversion. I have an idea that increased stress levels during

pregnancy are giving our genes the signal they need to produce neuro-

diversity. Sound crazy? Well, look around you. Look at the world

today. Is it healthy? Doesn't it make sense that highly sensitive,

thoughtful people who are not likely to 'leap before they look' are

required to put on the brakes? Maybe you'll think I'm just trying to

see this positively, but you know what? That's the point of life,

learning to create your own story, not letting other people tell you

what your story is going to be.

Rant over. It's 1:10 AM, so I apologize again if this was muddled---

I'm only half awake.

:-)

Jill

[Guest guest]

Hi

welcome to the forum.

>

> > Somehow, we ought to produce something on the net that has

> > nothing to do with autism that everyone will hear about.

>

> > Then, when the word spreads about how great this thing is

> > we can say " It was created by autistics. "

>

> Do you mean something like " BitTorrent? It's inventor, Bram

> Cohen, is an Aspie. Google him.

>

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bittorrent

>

> Hi, I'm Clay , making a first post here. I'm an oldster,

> nearly 60, and I was Dx'd Aspie almost 7 years ago. So far,

> I only recognize Stan here, whom I've actually met, and also,

> I remember Maurice from some other List. Hi guys!

>

> Clay

>

[Guest guest]

" Rant over. It's 1:10 AM, so I apologize again if this was muddled---

I'm only half awake. "

It is a good post - I like your rant :-) I feel a few of them coming

on myself now I am starting to feel better :-)

I remember watching a programme many years back now focusing on the

use of medication such as prozac on children in America. Parents had

these wonderful sensitive children, that happened to be shy. Now to

me shyness can be natural, also sometimes beneficial; as you

mentioned more likely to look before they leap - less likely to give

into peer pressure too etc.

However the parents of these children could not accept their children

as they were, they saw the shyness as some sort of fault and wanted

their children to be ultra sociable and popular - so their answer was

to medicate these children - prozac. I was horrified watching this

proggramme how many children were being medicated to fit in with what

was considered a preferred/desired personality type.

Also more worrying was that the proggramme explained that the long

term affects of such drugs are not known and neither did they know

exactly how they worked. This also angered me - as I had been

previously on prozac for many years and they doped me up to the

eyeballs. I had researched the drug and even read a book on it. The

book in question was in retro-spect very pro-prozac and convienently

left out the negatives, also much in the book that was peddled as

fact, made to appear as fact was infact just conjecture and had no

basis in fact - I was annoyed that the book had not clearly stated

(and other cites of research) that the things it was saying were just

theory and not in actual fact, fact!

My rant over :-)

Looking forward to reading more of your rants btw :-)

> >

> >

> > If there was a test to be used for abortion purposes, what then?

> >

>

> Let me apologize in advance for my uneducated opinions, I have only

> read in those areas that relate directly to my own conditions (and

I

> have only completed the most basic of science courses).

>

> My belief is that neuro-diversity is necessary to the overall

health

> of the human population. Unfortunately, our culture here in the USA

> promotes the extrovert personality type as the ideal (an

unfortunate

> by-product of a culture built by immigrants). Fortunately, I doubt

> they will be able to tell in the womb whether or not a child is

> definitely autistic spectrum, but if they could, I believe it would

> lead to imbalance, should parents decide to abort on this basis.

>

> It is my belief that the increase in autistic spectrum population

is

> not due merely to better diagnostics but is also due to the fact

that

> we are necessary to balance out the ill effects of too much

> extroversion. I have an idea that increased stress levels during

> pregnancy are giving our genes the signal they need to produce

neuro-

> diversity. Sound crazy? Well, look around you. Look at the world

> today. Is it healthy? Doesn't it make sense that highly sensitive,

> thoughtful people who are not likely to 'leap before they look' are

> required to put on the brakes? Maybe you'll think I'm just trying

to

> see this positively, but you know what? That's the point of life,

> learning to create your own story, not letting other people tell

you

> what your story is going to be.

>

> Rant over. It's 1:10 AM, so I apologize again if this was muddled---

> I'm only half awake.

>

> :-)

>

> Jill

>

[Guest guest]

I do understand that, but it is still a wonderful story and to me

shows that no-one should be denied a chance at life.

I am classed as higher functioning (i.e, dx Aspergers), I do struggle

with a lot of things. There are a lot of negatives for me, although I

do not always speak about them. I get stressed and when stressed I am

plauged with unwanted thoughts that are horrendous. Somethings I have

great difficulty functioning with.

A lot of the time I have to pretend I am okay, because there is no

help - I have asked for help. I see my life going downhill very fast

and feel helpless to deal with it/cope. If I am realistic I fear that

worst case scenario is I will lose my house, have a breakdown, have

my child taken off me etc. I know where I live the only help

available is once crisis point has been reached, to me by then it

will be too late.

I actually hate facing up to reality that I cannot cope, because it

does me no good - there is no help. I have to deal with it somehow

and yet lack the ability to do so - if I dwell on such things it

opens me up to despair. I need to cling to faith and hope otherwise I

am not sure I want to face the alternative.

" I believe you will

find his story compelling. "

>

> That story is truly wonderful - thanks for posting :-)

>

>

[Guest guest]

Brava, ! I like your rant much better than mine! :-)

I'm terribly sorry to read that you were on Prozac, especially as I

am currently boiling with anger for my own lost teenage years, doped

up as I was on medication. Not that it wasn't somewhat necessary for

treatment of my epilepsy, but because all of the adults in my life

were clueless as to the effects. And they wondered why I ran away...

I'm even angrier when I think of the thoughtless way people put their

kids on meds these days, never thinking about brain development, etc.

Just like people who get dogs and proceed to lock them up in

apartments all day, whatever is most convenient for them, not what is

best for the animal. Grrrrrrrrr... okay, I'm done. Clearly, I need to

try to get some sleep, getting very grouchy!

Looking forward to more of YOUR rants, too! ;-)

Jill

>

> I remember watching a programme many years back now focusing on the

> use of medication such as prozac on children in America. Parents

had

> these wonderful sensitive children, that happened to be shy. Now to

> me shyness can be natural, also sometimes beneficial; as you

> mentioned more likely to look before they leap - less likely to

give

> into peer pressure too etc.

>

> However the parents of these children could not accept their

children

> as they were, they saw the shyness as some sort of fault and wanted

> their children to be ultra sociable and popular - so their answer

was

> to medicate these children - prozac. I was horrified watching this

> proggramme how many children were being medicated to fit in with

what

> was considered a preferred/desired personality type.

>

> Also more worrying was that the proggramme explained that the long

> term affects of such drugs are not known and neither did they know

> exactly how they worked. This also angered me - as I had been

> previously on prozac for many years and they doped me up to the

> eyeballs.

[Guest guest]

> " Parents had

> these wonderful sensitive children, that happened to be shy.

>

> However the parents of these children could not accept their children

> as they were, they saw the shyness as some sort of fault and wanted

> their children to be ultra sociable and popular - so their answer was

> to medicate these children - prozac. I was horrified watching this

> proggramme how many children were being medicated to fit in with what

> was considered a preferred/desired personality type. "

Prozac for shyness?!? That's horrible!

[Guest guest]

Yes, I'm higher functioning and while not trying to downplay other

peoples' difficulties who have a harder time than me, it can be very

difficult to be expected to function on the same level as the rest of

the world. Things that don't stress others out stress me out and I'm

constantly having to deal with my adrenals crashing from stress,

which in turn makes me vulnerable to the slightest stresses. Working

full-time, dealing with traffic, and all the public things that

a 'normal' life requires is like being in a war. When I was single

since I don't have a relationship with my parents I felt very alone

and I was really scared that I'd either get sick or have too many

problems to overcome but not enough to get disability or other help

and then would be homeless or something like that.

The good thing is, because of the problems, we can all relate to each

other and understand each other to a great degree.

" I believe you will

> find his story compelling. "

> >

> > That story is truly wonderful - thanks for posting :-)

> >

> >

>