curing or defeating autism is misguided to say the least

[Guest guest]

now curing neurotypical semantic pragmatic retardation would be

wonderful so i don't have to keep posting this.

autism is the survival mechanism of the brain faced with extreme

neurological trauma and in fact by intensifcation of the visual

processing is a more powerful processor than the predominantly

kineasthetic sene of neurotypical processing.

its actually quantum processing and you know evrything already before

the nt morons start to hack at truth with thier stupid limbs.

u get angry reading this or start to react in some punitive way

because that is what you are, stop relect and move into

underdstanding is like, well ...tv radio and the mall for me!

[Guest guest]

if you read the post and let it sink in a bit.

i have never made a distinction between high functioning and low

functioning and time shows that this is right.

autism is a lot more liveable if you understand it abit.

autism is not a disease. its cruel of you to say this.

u n d e r s t a n d

n

d

e

r

s

t

a

n

d

> If you are high-functioning enough to become upset by this subject,

or to

> type a response, then you are in a completely different ballpark

than a lot

> of our kids. Low functioning kids will never be able to read Time

magazine,

> much less form an opinion about the ethics of treating autism as a

disease.

> Of course - duh - people who are able to decide something like this

for

> themselves can feel free to do so. Unfortunately, my daughter and

many others

> like her will live in an institution and likely be abused later in

life if I

> don't find help for her. High functioning autism and Asbergers is a

whole

> different ball of wax.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I recently addressed this same subject on GFCFKids forum.

> If you are high-functioning enough to become upset by this subject,

or to

> type a response, then you are in a completely different ballpark

than a lot

> of our kids.

In my opinion, it really depends on how you look at it. I am

considered " high functioning " , but I was severely mistreated by peers

and even teachers. Sometimes I would prefer to be blissfully ignorant

of all the things I have had to endure.

The original letter said autistic children should be accepted for who

they are. I entirely agree with that. Even as you try to help your

child improve and progress, never forget that the child is also

looking to you for some sort of recognition that he is worthy of

living in the first place.

What I don't like about the typical response to letters like that, is

that as parents are trying to cure/recover their child, they see only

what is " wrong " with their child, and the child can usually sense at

least that they are not acceptable to the parents. My parents were

loving, but I always had a sense that in some way I was unacceptable.

It was always " you can do better " . I was never okay just the way I

was.

Your child needs to know that he is okay right now, just the way he

is. Even if he never changes. Noone else in society cared one whit

about me. All I had was my parents, and they were always telling me I

could do better. So I grew up feeling very inadequate and unloved and

questioning why I even existed. No matter what I did, it was never

good enough.

I don't believe you should ever stop looking to recover your child,

but remember that all the child knows is what is happening and

how you are treating him right now. So right now, no matter what

stage of development and recovery your child is at, you need to convey

to your child that you accept him just the way he is. It would have

done a world of good for me to have believed that from my own parents.

>>Unfortunately, my daughter and many others

> like her will live in an institution and likely be abused later in

life if I

> don't find help for her.

Well let's see. I was held down and spit on and choked and cut with

scissors. I was thrown from moving vehicles. I was set on fire

twice. I have worse stories that I won't tell. Do these things count

as abuse? And I am higher functioning, and I had no label, except

perhaps " weird kid " .

>> High functioning autism and Asbergers is a whole

> different ball of wax.

What does a ball of wax have to do with this?

And why is it that higher functioning individuals are almost always

seen as being somehow " above the abuse " ? Trust me, it is simply not

true.

Yes lower functioning individuals can be abused in institutions, and

many of them are. But higher functioning individuals are also

severely mistreated and abused by others. Some bring guns to school

to give some of it back. Others commit violence upon themselves. Is

this better?

Abuse is not confined only to lower functioning individuals, or only

to institutions. It happens every day, to higher functioning

individuals, in the school and at home. Because society does not

accept them.

It is nice to know parents want to help their children to improve and

be free of burdens. But from my own personal experience, to not

accept the child as he is right now, even as you try to heal any

problems, can be devastating for your child. No matter how low

functioning your child may be, I believe the child can sense whether

or not he is acceptable and loved by the parents.

Society does not accept your child. You are all your child has. And

if you do not accept your child right now, your child will know it.

Never give up on helping him, but always accept him just the way he is

right now.

Just my experience, maybe three cents.

Dana

[Guest guest]

Bravo! Standing Ovation! Once again Dana has said it best, and I

am thankful to have been listening. :0)

> > If you are high-functioning enough to become upset by this

subject,

> or to

> > type a response, then you are in a completely different ballpark

> than a lot

> > of our kids.

>

>

> In my opinion, it really depends on how you look at it. I am

> considered " high functioning " , but I was severely mistreated by

peers

> and even teachers. Sometimes I would prefer to be blissfully

ignorant

> of all the things I have had to endure.

>

> The original letter said autistic children should be accepted for

who

> they are. I entirely agree with that. Even as you try to help

your

> child improve and progress, never forget that the child is also

> looking to you for some sort of recognition that he is worthy of

> living in the first place.

>

> What I don't like about the typical response to letters like that,

is

> that as parents are trying to cure/recover their child, they see

only

> what is " wrong " with their child, and the child can usually sense

at

> least that they are not acceptable to the parents. My parents

were

> loving, but I always had a sense that in some way I was

unacceptable.

> It was always " you can do better " . I was never okay just the way

I

> was.

>

> Your child needs to know that he is okay right now, just the way

he

> is. Even if he never changes. Noone else in society cared one

whit

> about me. All I had was my parents, and they were always telling

me I

> could do better. So I grew up feeling very inadequate and unloved

and

> questioning why I even existed. No matter what I did, it was

never

> good enough.

>

> I don't believe you should ever stop looking to recover your

child,

> but remember that all the child knows is what is happening and

> how you are treating him right now. So right now, no matter what

> stage of development and recovery your child is at, you need to

convey

> to your child that you accept him just the way he is. It would

have

> done a world of good for me to have believed that from my own

parents.

>

>

> >>Unfortunately, my daughter and many others

> > like her will live in an institution and likely be abused later

in

> life if I

> > don't find help for her.

>

>

> Well let's see. I was held down and spit on and choked and cut

with

> scissors. I was thrown from moving vehicles. I was set on fire

> twice. I have worse stories that I won't tell. Do these things

count

> as abuse? And I am higher functioning, and I had no label, except

> perhaps " weird kid " .

>

>

> >> High functioning autism and Asbergers is a whole

> > different ball of wax.

>

>

> What does a ball of wax have to do with this?

>

> And why is it that higher functioning individuals are almost

always

> seen as being somehow " above the abuse " ? Trust me, it is simply

not

> true.

>

> Yes lower functioning individuals can be abused in institutions,

and

> many of them are. But higher functioning individuals are also

> severely mistreated and abused by others. Some bring guns to

school

> to give some of it back. Others commit violence upon themselves.

Is

> this better?

>

> Abuse is not confined only to lower functioning individuals, or

only

> to institutions. It happens every day, to higher functioning

> individuals, in the school and at home. Because society does not

> accept them.

>

> It is nice to know parents want to help their children to improve

and

> be free of burdens. But from my own personal experience, to not

> accept the child as he is right now, even as you try to heal any

> problems, can be devastating for your child. No matter how low

> functioning your child may be, I believe the child can sense

whether

> or not he is acceptable and loved by the parents.

>

> Society does not accept your child. You are all your child has.

And

> if you do not accept your child right now, your child will know

it.

> Never give up on helping him, but always accept him just the way

he is

> right now.

>

> Just my experience, maybe three cents.

>

> Dana

[Guest guest]

How many parents have you met who say their child is anything other than

" high functioning, mildly affected " ? Most parents I have met (internet,

seminars, etc) are in denial about the severity of their child's needs. I

can count on one hand the parents who will admit that this is FOR LIFE.

Statistically what is the percentage of those with a diagnosis of autism who

are high functioning, 5%? Yet about 98% of parents give that description

of their child. Think about it, if someone cannot toilet and dress them

self, tell you " I am hungry/thirsty/tired/scared/mad/sad " or cross a street

safely, HOW HIGH FUNCTIONING CAN THEY BE!? Those are pretty basic tasks,

and all things my middle child could do before her 3rd birthday.

I got the May/June issue of " AUTISM/ASPERGER'S " magazine yesterday. There

is an article about a 25 year old man who started living " independently " 2

years ago, with the help of; " a job coach, a community coach, a room-mate

and a respite worker " , as well as several pieces of written material created

by his mother to be given to outsiders to read during situations that are

new or difficult for this young man. This is not " independent living " , this

is living away from your family with a very structured support system. And

I believe the majority of our children will be doing well to get to this

point.

Maybe if more parents could accept the fact that " assisted living " and

support systems will be a permanent part of their children's lives we could

collectively lobby our government for the services these children will need

when we are no longer here to provide for them. Why be insulted or

irritated by the coverage TIME gave to autism? Write NEWSWEEK or the NY

TIMES and complain to them since they gave autism NO COVERAGE that week.

Valeri, mom to:

Jenna (2/98 ASD)

(2/99 NT)

Leanne 2/01 NTSF)

Re: [ ] curing or defeating autism is misguided to say

the least

If you are high-functioning enough to become upset by this subject, or to

type a response, then you are in a completely different ballpark than a lot

of our kids. Low functioning kids will never be able to read Time magazine,

much less form an opinion about the ethics of treating autism as a disease.

Of course - duh - people who are able to decide something like this for

themselves can feel free to do so. Unfortunately, my daughter and many

others

like her will live in an institution and likely be abused later in life if I

don't find help for her. High functioning autism and Asbergers is a whole

different ball of wax.

[Guest guest]

---I have wondered if my non-verbal Autistic son may be processing

things much faster than I, thus becoming very bored, and needing to

spin, bounce, etc. to try to keep up with his own mind...does that

make any sense? I have the utmost respect for the " autistic " mind.

Lindy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In @y..., " osip7315 " <alevin@i...> wrote:

>

> now curing neurotypical semantic pragmatic retardation would be

> wonderful so i don't have to keep posting this.

>

>

> autism is the survival mechanism of the brain faced with extreme

> neurological trauma and in fact by intensifcation of the visual

> processing is a more powerful processor than the predominantly

> kineasthetic sene of neurotypical processing.

>

> its actually quantum processing and you know evrything already

before

> the nt morons start to hack at truth with thier stupid limbs.

>

> u get angry reading this or start to react in some punitive way

> because that is what you are, stop relect and move into

> underdstanding is like, well ...tv radio and the mall for me!

[Guest guest]

" >>Unfortunately, my daughter and many others

> like her will live in an institution and likely be abused later in

life if I

> don't find help for her. "

ok. well an institution would have been relief for mine home.

was born, a fraternal twin with brother paul.

autism is our life. and death.

paul lay dying on the rock hard floor of the basement as tried desperately to

put him " back together again " ....

the abuse of autistic kids who couldnt speak or cry for help INSIDE HOMES reads

like this.

lucky for you, you are reading, not living it... or worse, as brother paul dying

from it....

sure.. am " high functioning " even despite this sort of " family life " ... but

brother paul never made it past the basement...

where his speechless body lay until he found the escape without asking for it.

our " high functioning " comes with a price to pay...

we all pay, in some form...

minna

" The Doctor of the future will give No Medicine, but will interest his

patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and

prevention of disease. " .-Attributed to Alva Edisonn

" Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter "

Dr. Luther King, Jr

---

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[Guest guest]

ditto here. My son is LFA and I can't imagine him not wanting to be *cured*.

He is not HF enough to have an opinion.

JJ