tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post8399519712032389414..comments2024-03-14T18:26:18.208-07:00Comments on autism's gadfly: Neurodiversitites bizarre responses to Elizabeth Svobodajonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972394536850151087noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-41860449497053168562009-04-29T11:35:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:35:00.000-07:00A few points on this issue:
1- Asperger is classi...A few points on this issue:<br /><br />1- Asperger is classified in the DMS-IV and ICD-10 separately from autism. This is a separate condition requiring separate answers.<br />2- The diagnosis of AS and ASD are solely based on 3 main (and I’d like to say crude) behavioral features. Many unrelated conditions share these features. So, we don’t have just two conditions, but more still; separate individualities requiring separate and unique answers. <br />3- There is currently some sort of fashion regarding autism; association with genius like traits, enigmatic profiles, potential confusion with overlapping but distinct conditions like BPD (borderline personality disorder) and “fantasy diagnosis", like Bill Gates, and these tendencies lead to over-diagnosing in cases.<br />4- To assist someone’s development, health, insertion, socialization, communication is NOT about changing the person; it’s about empowering him or her, it is just the other way around. It’s like giving a stronger voice, increasing someone’s chance to succeed. <br />5- The answers for the ASD as a group are: health, happiness, self expression, independence, self-esteem, evenness of mood, inclusion and insertion. These are individual (not everyone has issues of health for example). If the person cannot express or make choice for self, reliable measurement of the above criteria must be made to guide support or justify of a non-intervention. If the person is able to make a choice, this should be respected, as long as it is compatible with the rest of the society (no harm, no insult, no attack etc, within normal expected citizenship, not self destructive, not self-injurious -until a law is passed to accept people to destroy themselves without anyone saying no to it.<br />6- People with autism should only chose for other autistic people based on reliable and measurable evaluation criteria, not on their beliefs of what is right for them.<br />7- The world does not revolve around the Asperger sun. The right balance should be found between them and the rest of the community. Not sufficient attention and attentive listening are given to other people on the spectrum.SM69https://www.blogger.com/profile/16239400845268784984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-34252152385842317362009-04-29T01:13:00.000-07:002009-04-29T01:13:00.000-07:00Yes Marius, when Grandin claims the autistic perso...Yes Marius, when Grandin claims the autistic person invented the spear she implies it is due to autistics having superior genes. She is quite confused about research on the genetics of autism or even the most rudimentary principles of genetics. For more you might want to read <A HREF="http://www.jonathans-stories.com/non-fiction/autism-genetics.html" REL="nofollow">this article</A> that I also wrote that clarifies this issue of autistics having superior genetics now that you have read my undiagnosing article. (shameless plug I know)jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972394536850151087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-89976084609854519572009-04-28T23:40:00.000-07:002009-04-28T23:40:00.000-07:00I've read your article on Gates, Einstein and Jeff...I've read your article on Gates, Einstein and Jefferson and, in the respect of the outlooks of Mr. Gates, I agree 100%.<br /><br />Bill Gates does not have any form of autism. The so called autistic traits are common in computer geeks - which Bill Gates was once and retained a flavor of it up to his retirement. If Bill Gates is autistic, then all the programmers at Microsoft are autistics.<br /><br />Bill Gates was an excellent strategic thinker in the computer industry. Many of his predictions fulfilled. Quite the contrary with the difficulties to conceptualize found in autism.<br /><br />He knew how to work well with people. While quite demanding on others, it was not unspecific to him - it is rather the norm in that company. It is rather difficult for a person to be a manager without having a Theory of Mind - which the Asperger's seem to lack.<br /><br />Bottom line, the presence of autistic traits of Bill Gates are unsubstantiated.<br /><br />In one of the videos at the MIND institute, Temple Grandin said that an autistic person invented the stone spear - and not the social type of human.<br /><br />While I agree that the spear was invented by someone more oriented to detail, I find equating social awkwardness with autism profoundly misleading. Autism is a brain disorder; being socially withdrawn does not necessarily require an abnormality of the brain.<br /><br />I consider the arguments in favor of the autism of geniuses a way to shove the idea that autism is "neurological difference" and not a disorder through the back door.<br /><br />That is, a political agenda through and through.Marius Filiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11369035654997497568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-79514931052552388912009-04-28T09:25:00.000-07:002009-04-28T09:25:00.000-07:00It seems to me that we aught to remember that auti...It seems to me that we aught to remember that autism is a range, a spectrum. There are "aspies", who only appear strange, but need little or no medical help, treatment, or a "cure", but most autistics do need a lot of medical and other help. I'm also sure there are plenty of autistics like myself, who are perfectly intelligent and articulate, but still need some treatment.David Rubinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01867960099619837551noreply@blogger.com