Poll: Autism. Bad or Good?

[creepy_rabbit]

Autism is an illness/deformity,ergo it's not good

 

[Cosplay Horatio]

Why would you even suggest if its bad? I believe autism is good and people with autism are awesome.

 

[TehCookie]

It depends on the kind of autism and the severity. If they can go to a normal school and get a normal job then there is no issue. They may have to try harder than the "normal" kids but they will need to pay the bills somehow. Then you have the people who are just mentally retarded. That is bad, and I hate them. Like some people on this forum I am not fond of children, but with their age they can get away with things. If you're 50 and have the brain of a 4 year old, these no excuse besides the fact their retarded and a waste to society. If it has a family that's willing and able to care for it, that's fine. Parents don't count, they usually die before their kids, and you can't send an adult to a orphanage.

 

[emeraldrafael]

OK then how did a healthy child at birth become slow to learn until he was 6 and then out of nowhere have the education of a 11th grader at 10, he didn't get out of dippers until he was 5. Not bad parenting

A switch flipped? Maybe he was just socially inept so he made up for it in studying. I'm sure most of the people who are parents of kids in grades past what they should be dont expect them to be. Besides, Autism doesnt make you smart. I know a few autistic people that arent really smart. I mean, they have 3.8 gpa (grade point average, incase some didnt know), but tehy're still in the same grade that they should be. THough I also have a few that are, but they liked to study instead of meet and socialize.


Anyway, on topic, I cant really say its bad at all. Thats like looking at a physically/mentally handicapped kid who was like that from birth and will most likely be like that for their life and saying, "oh, its bad they're like that, cause life will suck for them, but on the plus side, they get all the help they need and tax cuts/financial aid from the government." Its something completely irrelevant and usually untrue.
Yeah, Autistic people are abit more socially inept, but you dont say every shut in with no friends is autistic. Usually the problem with Autistic people is people dont understand how to get along with them, how they think. Part of the reason why most autistic friends i have get along so well with me is that i think outside the box, or at least differently. You just have to get used to their way of thinking, their way of interaction, and that takes time, patience. Its just something alot of people at a lot of different ages dont have, and are just glad to label someone and move on to "normal" companionship (And before anyone says anything, yes, i judge people like that too, but I try not to, and honestly try to get to know someone to see if my judgment was right).

So no, I dont see anything negative about it. If you work with the kid, have the patience, they can lead a somewhat normal life. And besides, at least in my opinion, I always liked a small, close knit group of friends. I know that what makes me like the about 25 friends I'm close to over my 18 years of life is that they all get me, and at least 5 have at some point laid thier lives on the line to help me, as i have done for them. but thats just me. I'm not a social butterfly, so i never saw the need to know everyone in school and be friends with everyone.

 

[slightly evil]

I have mild autism and i'm not that smart. I am however, socially akward. Thanks a lot random chance -_- (or god whatever). I say don't make a big thing of this, It really pissed me off in high school when they put help in my lessons.
I cant talk for more severe cases but I have about 5 good friends and 'some people I talk to', so I've done just fine. It's not bad exactly, just difficult. And one last word of advice to you all, don't patronise. anybody.
EDIT: also, there's a big ignorant cause/effect thing going on. Icecream sales and Shark attacks have a connection, one rises, so does the other therefore: stop selling icecream and sharks will stop attacking people?
People jump to conclusions about these things because there're certain ages conditions like autism is first spotted. IE when they can't learn something they should have or when they start interacting with other children.

 

[Thedutchjelle]

(Oh, also, because you came to a video game site, be prepared for a mega-malillion self-diagnosed "Asperger's" cases to tell you all about how it is.)

Who the heck would do something like that?

seriously when did it become something people title themselves with?

I just don't get when that started, it's sick and wrong...

Are you really so surprised? It happens with a host of mental disorders. It's almost never intentional, but people subconsciously assign themselves these disorders and stand by it firmly. People use them for two "benefits":

1) Surrendering Responsibility. The selected disorder comes with a particular behavior, or set of behaviors, for which the person can now claim they are not responsible.

2) Entitlement. The selected disorder also entitles the person to additional attention, or some side-effect label that is favorable.

Similarly, these disorders themselves are usually selected for two reasons:

1) They are hard to verify (or disprove). You can't fake a missing limb, but you can fake certain mental disorders, and no one can definitively tell you you're lying. They have no choice but to take what you say at face value.

2) They often come with a "trap door" built right into the disorder. Many disorders also come with a different or "milder" form that allows the person to claim the aforementioned "benefits" without having to accept the associated drawbacks.

In the case of Asperger's Syndrome, the benefits are that a person is no longer responsible for rude, abrasive, socially-unacceptable behavior (It's the disorder!), but they also can artificially label themselves as highly intelligent. Even if they're genuinely highly intelligent, this label gives their claim more weight than a possibly equally-intelligent person with no such label.

Asperger's is a candidate for this fakery because it is (#1) hard to verify or disprove. A person can simply claim to have "very high functioning Asperger's," meaning that they don't have to demonstrate much in the way of symptoms, (#2) except those they find favorable at a given moment. It's a "buffet disorder." Take what you like, leave the rest, and who's to say otherwise?

OTHER EXAMPLES:

"Clinical" Depression - These people are always keen to use the word "clinical" as a way of saying, "You may not argue this point or assign any responsibility to me." This is despite there having been no medical tests to prove there is any sort of chemical imbalance. You can't disprove them, and they have a license to get free attention from anyone by having the saddest sob story at any given moment.

Bipolar or Manic-Depressive - All of the benefits of claiming depression, but without the burden of having to be depressed all the time. You can be impulsive and rash, as well. But the bottom line is that if people are negatively impacted by your mood, that's just tough--it's not your responsibility, you have a disorder.

ADD/ADHD - I don't have to do anything I don't like, or pay attention to you, because I have a chemical imbalance for which I have had no chemical testing. You can't prove I don't have it, and it doesn't mean I'm dumb or have any sort of drawbacks. I can selectively choose when to pay attention or when not to, with complete freedom--it's the disorder!

SPECIAL NOTES:

- I know these are actual conditions that actual people have. I also know that diagnostic techniques are spotty at best, so plenty of people are able (and willing) to get a rushed diagnosis in order to excuse behavior by using the misfortune of others. There are real examples, and there are many, many fakers. This does not detract from the reality of the disorder itself.

- The fact that a medication "works" is not proof that there was a disorder, and is not an acceptable diagnostic methods. That's like me saying that, because I feel better after having a Twinkie and a glass of scotch, I must have depression that is linked to a Twinkie-scotch deficiency in my brain. Diagnosis comes before treatment, and it takes a long time and a lot of observation. Phony, armchair diagnosis is the only kind you can get on short notice.

- I'll repeat: In the majority of cases, I don't think people do this intentionally. I don't think they know that they're doing it for attention or excuses, but that doesn't make it any less true. The subconscious is powerful, especially in the sort of people already willing to surrender responsibility for their own behavior to a hollow label--these are the sort that were already predisposed to letting the subconscious "take over."

I love you.

My mother works in some sort of asylum and I can tell you based on her stories that having mental disorders is usually not fun. Autism doesn't really give people superbrains. Read the wikipedia article on it. So many negative symptoms. Impaired movement, awkward social skills etc. Read the wikipedia article about it people.

Also, stop with the vaccine-did-it-crap. How about this: don't take the vaccine then. I'll laugh my ass of when those people get polio or something else easily preventable.

 

[wearesoneutralthatithurts]

Are you serious!?
OF COURSE autism is bad.

END OF DISCUSSION.

I mean, come on!
Why the hell would autism be a good thing? You're socially handicapped, but have superior knowledge in most matters than that of everyone else?
Who gives a shit? Certainly not your friends, since you have none, because you're an autist.

Unfug.
Many aspergers have friends. Maybe not much, but better, because they have friends, which respect them with all their problems although it isnt easy.
I dont need people, who are just "nice" because they have to. I need people which are honest. Which are telling me whether i made mistakes. Aspergers are often very loyal, so they can be good mates.
And superior Knowledge? No.not really. It would be nice, if I didnt have to learn. But i have.

Savants are very rare. At the moment there are maybe 100 known savants (I mean real savants, not those intellectual gifted) but many more autistic people, so I think its impossible, that 10 % of all autists were savants. But 50% of them were autistic. Maybe Kanner-type, not Aspergers.

I dont think about being in a good or bad mental condition or being handicapped. I am who i am and its okay, altough it isn´t easy to be me.
I dont need many friends, 3 or 4 are enough, because i dont need so much socializing. With the right people it is nice but exhausting, so i dont want to meet friends often. (And there is the wonderful internet \o/ )I dont feel loss.

Living isn´t easy all the time, because i had(and have yet) to learn very much about communication, emotions et cetera.
But now I´m fairly skilled at "reading people" and I am happy, if people let me be myself. (Autistic, strange but happy.(mostly)
But coming so far was very very hard. mobbing, depressions because of being mobbed and beaten etc..either you lern to compensate or you will grow lonely.(Or getting mentally ill)(Some autists like being lonely. )

A nice aspect is hypersensinsitivity of senses. My sense of taste and smell is very good, so eating is fun and my sense of touch too (Good and not so good, you have to war the "right" not itching clothes. But if you have a partner and you are accustomed to hugging and touching and all these stuff, its realy nice. But being barged by an old stinky alcoholic at the bus...eeeeew!




i am german, and i haven´t written/spoken english quite a while . especially grammar. but i think writing at this forum may help me develop better english.
so,please are indulgent^^

 

[Beastialman]

I'm going to start off saying this "My little brother has autism", he wasn't born with it he was given a vaccine when he was 2 years old to help him from receiving the flu, but all of the vaccines in that year had expired and had mercury inside of all of the expired bottles and effected hundreds of kids within those years.

No, he didn't. He was born with it. People need to stop blaming vaccines for autism because it simply doesn't work that way, but it's easier to blame somebody for things you don't like than to admit that sometimes shit just happens. Relatedly, the number of kids with autism hasn't actually gone up, they just broadened the definition without telling anyone so it looks that way. Not that that was their intent, it's just an effect. If you expand the definition of red to include purple and yellow, then suddenly a whole lot more things are red, even though nothing has changed.

Hello old friend, did you learn all that from Penn and Teller?

 

[sheogoraththemad]

Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder. Children with the condition want to know everything about their topic of interest, and their conversations with others will be about little else. Other characteristics include problems with nonverbal communication, clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements, and the inability to interact successfully with peers.

if those are the signs of asperger syndrome then I think i have it too

 

[Ampersand]

We all have to do the best we can with the cards we're dealt. Take that however you wish.

 

[slightly evil]

Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder. Children with the condition want to know everything about their topic of interest, and their conversations with others will be about little else. Other characteristics include problems with nonverbal communication, clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements, and the inability to interact successfully with peers.

if those are the signs of asperger syndrome then I think i have it too

tons of people have symptoms, it's just when you get a lot of them or severe ones that you're classed as autistic

 

[wearesoneutralthatithurts]

one sign is, if you werent interested in people as a baby. i didnt looked at my parents. i screamed if they lifted me or swayed me (is this the right word? dunno) because i wanted to be left alone. I cant look people in the eye and i coudnt as a child. had 1 "friend" until the age of 16. People were so confusing, so i didnt wanted friends a long time. But my teachers told me, i should have friends, because everyone has. (I am not everyone, but i didnt messed with my teachers..
Sign is prososdie (dont know how its called in english. it means a strange articulation and rythm of speech. Eg monotone voice, wrong accent ...) and a very exact speech. like oxford english, like youve learnd your language with grammarbooks and not beacause you´ve listened to your parents.

at wikipedia might be the definition of DSM4

 

[CardinalPiggles]

sounds like your summary just answered your question for you.

but dont get me wrong i do sympathise.

 

[saruman31]

-bad
Charm and good looks(yes, in the same amount for men too) make a first impression. And that matters a lot.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

So my question is. Is Autism good because of the learning boost or bad because they don't have any social time because they cant deal with others?

It's not good or bad, it is simply part of who your brother is. Learn to love him for who he is, not because of or in spite of his condition. As someone diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, I can tell you that it's just a fact of life and you take the good with the bad. You brother sounds quite talented and gifted so I pray that he capitalizes on those gifts and has a good life.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Yes, I'm sure this genetic disorder is entirely caused by shit that's been disproved. No way my pure Aryan parents could have any genetic flaws whatsoever, because we're perfect, and all we need is lebensraum.

I suffer from the stuff along with my mother, grandmother and little brother and I think it's unfortunate that the social aspect is mauled for me, though I think it weighs out the intelligence bit.

I wouldn't want it on anyone else but I think there's potential to utilize it for something good in the future. Imagine if you could add the intelligence boost to anyone without the social difficulties aspect.

That being said, for the individual it is quite disheartening, you either cope or go bonkers. Easier to cope when you know what's wrong and how to counter it though.

 

[Restoshamankk]

Are you serious!?
OF COURSE autism is bad.

END OF DISCUSSION.

I mean, come on!
Why the hell would autism be a good thing? You're socially handicapped, but have superior knowledge in most matters than that of everyone else?
Who gives a shit? Certainly not your friends, since you have none, because you're an autist.

That seems rather rude, I have autism and I have many friends, just because you have autism does not mean you can not make friends, or be social at all. And it is also not always the fact that someone has a great knowledge over just one thing, that is just a possibility.

It all comes down to personality, next to aspergers, and your own experiences.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I'm of the belief that Autism is an evolution in response to individualist societies, just a thought.
I'm unsure if it's a step forward or backwards, but since I've been medically been diagnosed, I can only hope my particular version of the syndrome is "good".

 

[Oskar K]

Well, I have Aspergers Syndrom, ADHD & Teurettes.. and I'm doing pretty good. I mean I'm at a "special" school for some reason.. it's not like theyre teaching me anything there, been two weeks since I last had math. But anyway I thinks it's okay.. I would rather get rid of Aspergers and Teurettes if it was possible. But I have friends and people can't tell that I have all those things if I just talk with them n stuff. So yeah.. This probally won't help you but I'm gonna post it anyway

 

[gl1koz3]

If he can sustain himself (financially and all that), then why even care or try "fix" whatever is "broken" with him. If his brain works like this, there isn't much you can do beyond forcing him and thus making him do things that won't last forever anyway. After all, our "true self" takes over at some point anyway.