tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post5805927237085393715..comments2024-03-14T18:26:18.208-07:00Comments on autism's gadfly: Will Divisions in the Autism Community ever be resolved jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972394536850151087noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-87819785033218561152017-07-01T23:16:42.861-07:002017-07-01T23:16:42.861-07:00I do not think the anti vaxxers can be convinced e...I do not think the anti vaxxers can be convinced either but I hope that growth in thier popularity can be slowed or stopped. There is a quote made famous by the late Israeli General Moshe Dayan "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.". Tough to do because despite myths we autistics do have feelings and bieng change resistent makes it tougher. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01028540118285437777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-41002496617607136042017-07-01T20:40:22.586-07:002017-07-01T20:40:22.586-07:00Thanks for the wishes EK. Yes, I agree with you f...Thanks for the wishes EK. Yes, I agree with you for the most part. I am opposed to the Judge Rottenberg center and sometime ago, I wrote a post stating that ASAN was doing something good for a change. I still won't work with the people that have been abusive to me even on issues on which we are in agreement. though I hope FDA does something about JRC, but as long as people are crippled by ASD's desperate people will attempt desperate measures, so not sure what can be done. The people who believe vaccines cause autism are never going to be convinced otherwise so I'm not going to try. John Robison is one of the leading proponents of ND though he seems to take a slightly different position on treatment and he is one who has called for unity, but I don't think people will listen to him. I forgot to mention it in my post, but Liz feld who was president of autism speaks also called for unity after Silberman's scathing editorial criticizing autism speaks. So two leaders have already spoken and asked for unity, but I don't believe it's ever gonna happen no matter how many times they repeat it. jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972394536850151087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-28480273173015083152017-07-01T06:53:35.418-07:002017-07-01T06:53:35.418-07:00Our goals and worldview at this point are too far ...Our goals and worldview at this point are too far apart to be resolved at the point but there could be individual issues where both sides could work together. You an ND agree about vacccines. I think most people on both sides do not approve of the electric shock treatments going on at the Judge Rotenberg Center. I know the FDA was considering a rule banning it but a year has gone by and nothing has happened. A joint statement by ND opponents and proponents can galvanize all sides of the broken community and more importantly move things along at the FDA. The next statement might be naive given the current national climate but all sides really need to tone it down. Threats, trolling, doxing saying "all ND's" or "all curabee" language, personall attacks are never acceptable. People engaging in the threatining and violent behavoir need to face consequences from the law. I think joint statements from the leading figures on all sides could be helpful. But these joint statements can not be a one off, the need to happen on a semi regular basis and all leading figures need to realize they hold responability and follow through on a regular basis. <br /><br />I hope you have a nice Fourth Of July that is not too much of a sensory nightmare.AutisticSince1957https://www.blogger.com/profile/07700590802057803680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-24990213085734057102017-06-23T18:16:30.474-07:002017-06-23T18:16:30.474-07:00"Temple Grandin's mother, with the except..."Temple Grandin's mother, with the exception of her unfortunate statement linking autistics to pedophiles, has stated that she usually stays out of autism debates because of all the political disagreements in the autism world"<br /><br />Jake Crosbyhttp://www.autisminvestigated.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-64195973506164842162017-06-23T15:46:58.590-07:002017-06-23T15:46:58.590-07:00@anonymous, thanks for the kind words. Neurodiver...@anonymous, thanks for the kind words. Neurodiversity movement would certainly argue that since cystic fibrosis (at least in its more severe forms) and Huntington's are fatal diseases that they are different than autism, even though autistics on average probably have a lower life expectancy, it does not directly kill as do CF and huntington's, the assertion that autism is a complete natural variation as most in the ND movement claim has no scientific basis as autism has been found in association with pregnancy complications and environmental factors in many cases. They have claimed that autism confers benefits on those who have it, though there is not much evidence for this either, at least in the majority of cases (with the possible exception of Stephen Wiltshire and other savants)<br /><br />There are various ways (at least theoretically) that autism could be cured or at least prevented such as CRISPR genetic editing. Finding a way to inject the properties of Schwann cells into the central nervous system, neuromodulations such as TMS or the type of work Yuri Danilov does where energy is sent to the brain via the tongue to reorganize it so that it functions better. At this point, however, there is no cure so it is a theoretical question and I admit not likely to be a reality in the foreseeable future, but at some point in time I believe it could be reality when and if we learn more about the etiology of neurologic diseases and better techniques to remediate brain dysfunction are discovered. Again I admit it's a long way off and I don't expect it to happen in my lifetime, particularly at my advanced age, Thanks for the nice comments about my blog. jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972394536850151087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-32727600429042267052017-06-23T15:27:09.825-07:002017-06-23T15:27:09.825-07:00So, I recently found your blog and I have to say g...So, I recently found your blog and I have to say good stuff. What I do not understand about the ND movement is how they justify the their initial premise. By that I mean they start from the idea that autism is a result of regular genetic variation. That's fine, but that does not mean the result of that variation is a benefit. Other disorders that would fall under reasoning are things like tay-sachs, cystic fibrosis, marfan syndrome, and Huntington's disease. Now, would Silberman argue that since these are a result of the same type of genetic variation which produces autism they are all acceptable condition under the neurodiversity model? <br /><br />They are all quite debilitating disorders which offer no possible environmental advantage (it has been suggested that cystic fibrosis may grant a resistance to TB when only 1 copy of the gene is passed to the child). Even something similar like sickle cell blood anemia is known to make make a person resistant to malaria when only 1 copy of the gene is present.<br /><br />Autism is not exactly like these others as the exact cause is pretty much known. The same is not true for autism. But the other genetic disorders are more analogous than left handedness.<br /><br />Over time the exact cause of autism will become more clear. But if it is the result of genetic and environmental factors where do ND draw the line? Is it only the genetic causes that should be preserved? Or will any identified environmental factor be allowed to roam free?<br /><br />If removing all the causes of autism (through completely humane methods like fetal gene therapy and environmental cause awareness/prevention)constitutes a genocide to them, then is the elimination of cystic fibrosis equally genocidal? That seems untenable, if you asked someone with CF if they would like to be cured I would imagine either 100% or pretty close says yes.<br /><br />And due to the severity of those disorders they have a significant influence on who that person is mentally. To the same extent that autism is essential to who that individual is. So I think the comparison to the 3rd Reich and the eugenics movement is very weak. In the purest sense something close to eugenics has been occurring since throughout human and pre-human history, only it was not the conscious action of a species on itself, but rather the natural pressures exerted on the population. <br />This once again kneecaps the basis for ND. Without a selection pressure on the population then there is less utility in increasing genetic diversity. And with the current and hopefully future ability of humans to control their environment there is less natural selection pressure on the population than there ever has been. So ya in conclusion I don't think ND makes that great of an argument. <br /><br />Lastly, I just had a question for you Jonathan. You talk about finding a cure, but I just don't know how that would work? If autism is brought about in brain development how do you reverse that? When I think about a cure I picture like antibiotics for a bacterial infection. It's remedial, I just don't know how you could put the cat bag in the bag as it where for those with autism.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-9055703861191870882017-06-23T05:06:59.512-07:002017-06-23T05:06:59.512-07:00No. It's not even a cure/vaccine thing. I...No. It's not even a cure/vaccine thing. It's a passing for normal / disabled thing. Which is why I will not allow my eldest to call himself autistic or disabled . That is his brother . Also I appreciate that our life on the severe end of the spectrum is much easier than most . We don't have the behavior / sensory overload. Ours is on the mild end which in hindsight should have been a flag for the catatonia.<br /><br />They can keep pushing online but the schools and professionals know the difference too.farmwifetwohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02680758336779501712noreply@blogger.com