The cure for autism....how do you feel?

[Guest guest]

I am finding it very upsetting how most the mom's out there want

to " cure " autism out of their children. Before I knew that our

daughter was autistic...I had no clue that I was on the spectrum.

All's I knew is that I was always sick all the time. Like I have

shared with you guys before...we later found out that the cause of our

issues where Celiac Disease and Mitochondrial disease. This can cause

ASD problems in some of us. Me and my daughter (and my son to a lesser

degree) did not miss out on this. To control the physical sickness we

take supplements and eat special diet. But this did not " cure " our

autism. It just keeps us from being physicaly sick.

As some of us know, the difference that it causes are both sad by

wonderful. There are things that I would never want to change in

myself or children. The " gifts " that go with our autism are something

that I would not want to " chelate " or " cure " out of my children. Are

we different...yes....but this is for the NT of the world to deal

with. How do others feel about this? I personaly find it very

offensive that they are looking for a " cure " ....I think that genius

will be made extinct if we do such a thing. Think of the numbers of

people that would not have invented or created such wonderful peices of

art, music and science if they had been " cured " . What a boring world

this would be. Nt's are very boring to me.

We are going through an epidemic of autism.....MOST want a CURE. How

many of you would be " cured " if there was such a thing?

Thanks for reading my BS...I enjoy venting here.

Antoinette

[Guest guest]

Antoinette,

<I am finding it very upsetting how most the mom's out there want

to " cure " autism out of their children.>

I find the concept of " curing " autism to be upsetting as well. I do feel my

autistic son has many things to learn, but disagree that he needs to be

" cured. "

Here is my question to all of the people who want to cure my autistic child:

What would my " cured " son look like anyway? Would he be a follower or a

leader (a.k.a. popular kid)? What characteristics should he have?

If he's going to be a " Cured NT Follower " , then should he?:

-follow what every adult tells him to do with docility and submission?

-imitate the popular kids he meets and take their orders in play?

-as he gets older, should he agonize over whether he has the clothes/toys

that the popular kids have?

-should he become overly aware of how good looking he is/ how rich he is,

since this is how the majority of NTs judge themselves (and others) in high

school (and some carry this on for the rest of their lives)?

If he is going to be a " Cured NT Leader/Popular Kid " , then should he:

-tell all the other kids what to do. It is often acceptable to hit or bully

other children into submission, especially in elementary school. As they

get older, then verbal abuse is more widely used to keep followers " in their

place. "

-be rich in order to buy all of the expensive things that consumer culture/

tv says you need to be cool

-be good looking. usually this goes hand in hand with being rich, as being

beautiful involves expensive clothes/beauty treatments etc.

Or maybe my son would be considered " cured " if he just fit into the

authoritarian/auditory-dominant school system that we've created to handle

the largest amount of kids with the smallest amount of teachers/monetary

output. How dare he be a visual/kinesthetic learner in an auditory-dominant

school system? Let's " cure " it out of him-- teach him to be an auditory

learner. How dare he not be a follower. Let's " cure " that out of him too

so he will sit obediently in a class with 30 other kids.

Is this what a cure would be? I don't know. But I'm sure if we had more of

the characteristics above that nobody would have a problem with my son or

me.

<The " gifts " that go with our autism are something

that I would not want to " chelate " or " cure " out of my children. Are

we different...yes....but this is for the NT of the world to deal

with. How do others feel about this? I personaly find it very

offensive that they are looking for a " cure " ....I think that genius

will be made extinct if we do such a thing. Think of the numbers of

people that would not have invented or created such wonderful peices of

art, music and science if they had been " cured " . What a boring world

this would be. Nt's are very boring to me.>

I think that many autistics generally develop many gifts because they spend

less of their time socializing/conforming/consumerizing, and more time on

whatever pursuit they want to spend their time on.

As far as the word " genius " goes, I know it's an emotional topic. Here's my

two cents. By definition, a Genius is " different " (thinks differently, sees

things that most people don't, etc.) " Genius " is the opposite of " Normal. "

So by definition, you wouldn't call someone Neuro-typical/Normal and a

Genius. Many " Geniuses " (such as Einstein), have autistic tendencies, such

as being a visual thinker, or spending more time on an endeavor than on

being a social butterfly. Would I be surprised to find " Geniuses " with a

diagnosis of autism? Nope. I don't think that there is anything wrong with

saying that you have a good chance of finding a little

scientist/artist/musician in your autie that can border on genius. I think

it's just true. Why? Because society conciously separates kids with

" genius tendencies " at birth and call the ones without social akwardness

" gifted or advanced " and call the ones with social akwardness " autistic. "

_________________________________________________________________

More photos; more messages; more whatever. Windows Live Hotmail - NOW with

5GB storage.

http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us & ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM\

_mini_5G_0907

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

>

> I find the concept of " curing " autism to be upsetting as well. I do feel

> my

> autistic son has many things to learn, but disagree that he needs to be

> " cured. "

>

> Here is my question to all of the people who want to cure my autistic

> child:

> What would my " cured " son look like anyway? Would he be a follower or a

> leader (a.k.a. popular kid)? What characteristics should he have?

--A lot of great stuff snipped for brevity--

Very well said!

D.

[Guest guest]

Well put. Thank you.

>

> Antoinette,

>

> <I am finding it very upsetting how most the mom's out there want

> to " cure " autism out of their children.>

>

> I find the concept of " curing " autism to be upsetting as well. I do feel

> my

> autistic son has many things to learn, but disagree that he needs to be

> " cured. "

>

> Here is my question to all of the people who want to cure my autistic

> child:

> What would my " cured " son look like anyway? Would he be a follower or a

> leader (a.k.a. popular kid)? What characteristics should he have?

>

> If he's going to be a " Cured NT Follower " , then should he?:

> -follow what every adult tells him to do with docility and submission?

> -imitate the popular kids he meets and take their orders in play?

> -as he gets older, should he agonize over whether he has the clothes/toys

> that the popular kids have?

> -should he become overly aware of how good looking he is/ how rich he is,

> since this is how the majority of NTs judge themselves (and others) in

> high

> school (and some carry this on for the rest of their lives)?

>

> If he is going to be a " Cured NT Leader/Popular Kid " , then should he:

> -tell all the other kids what to do. It is often acceptable to hit or

> bully

> other children into submission, especially in elementary school. As they

> get older, then verbal abuse is more widely used to keep followers " in

> their

> place. "

> -be rich in order to buy all of the expensive things that consumer

> culture/

> tv says you need to be cool

> -be good looking. usually this goes hand in hand with being rich, as being

>

> beautiful involves expensive clothes/beauty treatments etc.

>

> Or maybe my son would be considered " cured " if he just fit into the

> authoritarian/auditory-dominant school system that we've created to handle

>

> the largest amount of kids with the smallest amount of teachers/monetary

> output. How dare he be a visual/kinesthetic learner in an

> auditory-dominant

> school system? Let's " cure " it out of him-- teach him to be an auditory

> learner. How dare he not be a follower. Let's " cure " that out of him too

> so he will sit obediently in a class with 30 other kids.

>

> Is this what a cure would be? I don't know. But I'm sure if we had more of

>

> the characteristics above that nobody would have a problem with my son or

> me.

>

> <The " gifts " that go with our autism are something

> that I would not want to " chelate " or " cure " out of my children. Are

> we different...yes....but this is for the NT of the world to deal

> with. How do others feel about this? I personaly find it very

> offensive that they are looking for a " cure " ....I think that genius

> will be made extinct if we do such a thing. Think of the numbers of

> people that would not have invented or created such wonderful peices of

> art, music and science if they had been " cured " . What a boring world

> this would be. Nt's are very boring to me.>

>

> I think that many autistics generally develop many gifts because they

> spend

> less of their time socializing/conforming/consumerizing, and more time on

> whatever pursuit they want to spend their time on.

>

> As far as the word " genius " goes, I know it's an emotional topic. Here's

> my

> two cents. By definition, a Genius is " different " (thinks differently,

> sees

> things that most people don't, etc.) " Genius " is the opposite of " Normal. "

>

> So by definition, you wouldn't call someone Neuro-typical/Normal and a

> Genius. Many " Geniuses " (such as Einstein), have autistic tendencies, such

>

> as being a visual thinker, or spending more time on an endeavor than on

> being a social butterfly. Would I be surprised to find " Geniuses " with a

> diagnosis of autism? Nope. I don't think that there is anything wrong with

>

> saying that you have a good chance of finding a little

> scientist/artist/musician in your autie that can border on genius. I think

>

> it's just true. Why? Because society conciously separates kids with

> " genius tendencies " at birth and call the ones without social akwardness

> " gifted or advanced " and call the ones with social akwardness " autistic. "

>

>

>

> __________________________________________________________

> More photos; more messages; more whatever. Windows Live Hotmail - NOW with

>

> 5GB storage.

>

>

http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us & ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM\

_mini_5G_0907

>

>

>