# Autism



## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autistic_Pride_Day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
everyone read this article carefully because i have this since birth i wanted to discuss about it and feel better about it so i can let everyone know about it now.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster said:
			
		

> Jesus, what's up with furries having autism?
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> So what, you just want to tell us what autism is or do you just want attention?



i just wanted to share the article over at Wikipedia and please be nice to me sir because i don't appreciate being offended by you.in short i am a special needs person.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 18, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

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Its ma'am and don't try to get special treatment on the internet. You're gonna find out it doesn't work that way.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster said:
			
		

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that's not very nice to me you've just offended me do not attack me like that i don't appreciate it very much.please stop it at once.


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## Arshes Nei (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster said:
			
		

> Jesus, what's up with furries having autism?
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> So what, you just want to tell us what autism is or do you just want attention?



Have you noticed for a VERY LONG TIME on this forum, he hasn't mentioned his condition at all (or if he did, it went unnoticed). I don't think he's doing it  for attention, but actual awareness of his condition, now that it has been brought to light.

Yes, people don't get special treatment on the internet because of their condition, but that doesn't mean dragonfan was doing it for attention either.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 18, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

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I'm not attacking you. I'm just saying that if you do this anywhere else,  people such as me can use it as means to make fun of you and troll you. I never called you a name or made fun of you. I know its your illness that's making you over act to my comments but I'm just saying that you need to learn not to try and have everyone play the worlds smallest violin for you on the internet because we don't care.


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## BijouxDeFoxxe (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster, this is a warning.  STOP harrassing BlueDragonFan.  He just wanted to inform us about the disorder, one he happens to have.  There is no need for you too be so belligerent and harrasing BlueDragonFan like you are.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

Arshes Nei said:
			
		

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i agree with you fully arshes on your post and she's got to learn on respecting people with disorders and other disabilities.because i learned
that from someone on SL named Ludo Merit i told her that people with disabilities can attack people without disabilities.because i showed my strength because i learned those words i said on my own.this was the truth on what i told her on Second Life and she agrees with me.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 18, 2007)

:?::?::?:

But I'm not harrassing him! How am I harrassing him?


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster said:
			
		

> :?::?::?:
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> But I'm not harrassing him! How am I harrassing him?



your earlier posts was harassing me ma'am i do not allow that or appreciate it because i don't like it when you harass me.please do not do it again because i do not appreciate your negativity towards me.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 18, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

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I'm sorry but I still don't understand what I've done wrong. I was just telling you that its best to keep things that that to yourself because people can use it to troll and harass you. I'm trying to help you.


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## WelcomeTheCollapse (Apr 18, 2007)

We had a kid with autism in our freshman class in high school. Coolest goddamn kid there, no lie.

</threadjack>


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster said:
			
		

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do not say that towards me please do not harass me i do not appreciate your manners towards me.another thing please keep it to yourself.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

WelcomeTheCollapse said:
			
		

> We had a kid with autism in our freshman class in high school. Coolest goddamn kid there, no lie.
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> </threadjack>



i believe you on that i think there was a few in my class in the past but i don't know who they was.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 18, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

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*sigh* and then you furries wonder why you get trolled. You never want to listen. Whatever, go, go ahead and say your autistic anywhere else and I bet your gonna wish you didn't.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster said:
			
		

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you was given a warning from a admin here on the FA forums to stop harassing me.but you have not stopped harassing me at all and i have said to stop it but you did ignore the admins warning.


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## nobuyuki (Apr 18, 2007)

thegreathamster said:
			
		

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Jesus christ, did you _not_ notice that dragonfan has had communication problems since square one?  Everyone here that's had a troubled time getting a point through to him had to have realized by now that he either was very thick, or there was something more than that.  He did not mention that he had a disability at any time.  Now that he has mentioned it, it was most likely done to bring people attuned to the issue that he might not be on the same wavelength as you and me, and essentially I believe that means he is asking, politely, for your patience.  

You have given him none of that, and the extra rudeness you piled on top simply because he asked earned you the warning you deserved.


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## BijouxDeFoxxe (Apr 18, 2007)

A- BlueDragonFan just wanted to share information on autism.  He was not doing to be an attention monger.

B- his posts are about AUTISM.  Somethin he really has no choice over.  It wasnt a post like "i have this thing where i have to have intercourse with fruit every day while watching old episodes of Scooby Doo"

And since this is a thread in a General Chat forum, he just wanted to start a discussion on Autism, something that effects thousands of people across the globe.  If you do not have anything to add to the discussion about Autism, please do not post here.


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## Renton Whitetail (Apr 18, 2007)

I know some people in real life who have autism; in fact, I've worked with people with autism before in music therapy groups, and they're fun to work with. 

I'm currently working on a presentation on the subject of autism for a Creative and Expressive Arts Throught Healing course, and I've noticed in the newspapers that the number of autistic children is constantly growing (I think they have said that it's now 1 in 150 births).


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

BijouxDeFoxxe said:
			
		

> A- BlueDragonFan just wanted to share information on autism.Â Â He was not doing to be an attention monger.
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> B- his posts are about AUTISM.Â Â Somethin he really has no choice over.Â Â It wasnt a post like "i have this thing where i have to have intercourse with fruit every day while watching old episodes of Scooby Doo"
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> And since this is a thread in a General Chat forum, he just wanted to start a discussion on Autism, something that effects thousands of people across the globe.Â Â If you do not have anything to add to the discussion about Autism, please do not post here.



i agree with you on that biji and it's just if i didn't discuss about it in the first place it would have made matters worse and i would have gotten angry.because people i have met in RL have had different disorders besides me and some people i knew had autism same as me.


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## Hakumei Ookami (Apr 18, 2007)

I know a few people with Autism - it's definitely a trying condition to have.  You do get bullied when you have Autism mainly because people don't actually understand it... perhaps if more people actually knew the ins and outs about the disorder we wouldn't have such negativity towards it.  In fact, that's true with a lot of things :lol:


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## SFox (Apr 18, 2007)

Personally I don't think of autism as a disorder or illness, I see it as a different way of viewing and interacting with the world.


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## BijouxDeFoxxe (Apr 18, 2007)

Back in high school, i did a 20 page report on Autism.  Plus, my mom works in a high needs Special Ed classroom at the local middle school.

Autism has many different degrees.  Many of the kids in my mom's class has Asperger's, which is a high functioning for of autism.


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## Hakumei Ookami (Apr 18, 2007)

somberfox said:
			
		

> Personally I don't think of autism as a disorder or illness, I see it as a different way of viewing and interacting with the world.



That sounds like a good way to view it - it would certainly dispel a lot of the myths about Autism.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

Anders said:
			
		

> I know some people in real life who have autism; in fact, I've worked with people with autism before in music therapy groups, and they're fun to work with.
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> I'm currently working on a presentation on the subject of autism for a Creative and Expressive Arts Throught Healing course, and I've noticed in the newspapers that the number of autistic children is constantly growing (I think they have said that it's now 1 in 150 births).



i didn't know that anders it sounds very interesting course to listen to and learn about it.i wish i could do the same as you.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 18, 2007)

somberfox said:
			
		

> Personally I don't think of autism as a disorder or illness, I see it as a different way of viewing and interacting with the world.



Exactly! My oldest brother has autism and he doesn't treat it like a disorder. He works, interact with people, and don't let it get him down (and it won't anyway). And yes, I do have real reason to post here. I know and have a sibling with autism and I don't agree of it being a disorder.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

BijouxDeFoxxe said:
			
		

> Back in high school, i did a 20 page report on Autism.Â Â Plus, my mom works in a high needs Special Ed classroom at the local middle school.
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> Autism has many different degrees.Â Â Many of the kids in my mom's class has Asperger's, which is a high functioning for of autism.



gosh biji i really didn't realize that what grade did you have to do that 20 page report in high school.


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## themocaw (Apr 18, 2007)

My $0.02

I see both sides of the argument: that is my blessing and my curse.  On Dragonfan's side, I can see that he just wanted to let people know that he truly has a disorder: just to let us know why it's sometimes hard to communicate with him.  On Hamster's side, she represents those of us who are truly and sincerely pissed off at the fact that many internet morons claim they have autism or dyslexia or some other disorder to excuse them being assholes.

My opinion: Dragonfan is not Blackwingdragon.  I sincerely believe he does have the condition described, and he has done an admirable job so far of trying to work through it.  Hell, he managed to take my very snide critiques of his conversation topics and work through them with me instead of crying, "I'm autistic, don't make fun of me!"  I also wish to point out that he didn't bring it up for the longest time until it was already clear to many of us that something was up.  However: he really needs to understand that sometimes, it's best not to keep talking.  There comes a point when a conversation is over and it becomes clear that continuing to talk won't help matters.

Still, it's kinda cool to see this discussion hasn't gone insanely batshit loco yet.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

themocaw said:
			
		

> My $0.02
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> I see both sides of the argument: that is my blessing and my curse.Â Â On Dragonfan's side, I can see that he just wanted to let people know that he truly has a disorder: just to let us know why it's sometimes hard to communicate with him.Â Â On Hamster's side, she represents those of us who are truly and sincerely pissed off at the fact that many internet morons claim they have autism or dyslexia or some other disorder to excuse them being assholes.
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i agree with you on this post and it's making me feel better to discuss about it.but this discussion really helps me and others on this forum.


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## Jekkal (Apr 18, 2007)

*DISCLAIMER:* I have (currently) undiagnosed Asperger's. I do not claim to have the exact same condition as Dragonfan insists he has, nor do I expect any special treatment for it other than "Please make sure you explain yourself if you're going to criticize my work so I can understand the issue better". As it happens, I'm actually better with online writing and typing than I am with speaking, so you probably won't notice unless I mention it. 

This all said: As long as he's got his head on straight and he knows where his strengths lie, then that's cool by me. Hell, you're talking to someone who actively puts her quirks (I have a bad tendency to 'fidget' even when I'm trying to pay attention, and if I don't hit a certain activity threshhold when doing so, I fall asleep; this was a constant trait of my education from 6th grade to high school, actually. I was just lucky the teachers found it 'cute' and didn't care because I still swept the class) to use with drawing and crochet. So far I'm about halfway finished with a huge shoulder bag I've been working on since Sunday (a pity I don't have a camera with me, eh?) 

So... there's a lot of ways this can pan out. I wouldn't have figured Dragonfan to be an autistic, but then again, most who use a keyboard tend to know how to use it well. Mileage tends to vary, especially when talking about Autism.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

Jekkal said:
			
		

> *DISCLAIMER:* I have (currently) undiagnosed Asperger's. I do not claim to have the exact same condition as Dragonfan insists he has, nor do I expect any special treatment for it other than "Please make sure you explain yourself if you're going to criticize my work so I can understand the issue better". As it happens, I'm actually better with online writing and typing than I am with speaking, so you probably won't notice unless I mention it.
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> This all said: As long as he's got his head on straight and he knows where his strengths lie, then that's cool by me. Hell, you're talking to someone who actively puts her quirks (I have a bad tendency to 'fidget' even when I'm trying to pay attention, and if I don't hit a certain activity threshhold when doing so, I fall asleep; this was a constant trait of my education from 6th grade to high school, actually. I was just lucky the teachers found it 'cute' and didn't care because I still swept the class) to use with drawing and crochet. So far I'm about halfway finished with a huge shoulder bag I've been working on since Sunday (a pity I don't have a camera with me, eh?)
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> So... there's a lot of ways this can pan out. I wouldn't have figured Dragonfan to be an autistic, but then again, most who use a keyboard tend to know how to use it well. Mileage tends to vary, especially when talking about Autism.



well i second that post because i've had autism since i was a baby and believe me it was really hard to make friends in school.when i first went
to school a long time ago everyone just hated me and i was stuck with other average students.but it was such a tough school time for me to deal with people who doesn't even like me and it was really bugging me
that a lot of people.when i was only trying to be nice and they just walk away and doesn't let me talk to them.i felt very rejected in school
and man did it suck without friends.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 18, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

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Friends are overrated, son. Don't worry about that. As long as you have someone who loves you, you don't need friends.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

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amen to that i agree with you partly and i have church friends in RL that got to know me.they like me as a friend but i have no problems with them at all i get along with them.


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## Magica (Apr 18, 2007)

In Psychology class the first thing we learned about was Autism.  We watched an old Dateline report called Prisoners of Silence from 1993 where it talked about how much of a scam Facilitated Communication was.  Pretty serious from what I learned.  Most of the time autistic individuals suffer from mental retardation as well, if not some other condition.

The doctor when I was a toddler tried to diagnose me as being autistic or retarded because I never communicated with anybody.  I proved him wrong when he asked where a sock goes and I stuck my foot in his face. 

I wouldn't of thought Dragonfan of being autistic, either.  Since most of what I learned about the condition was from Psychology class.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

DragonMagica said:
			
		

> In Psychology class the first thing we learned about was Autism.Â Â We watched an old Dateline report called Prisoners of Silence from 1993 where it talked about how much of a scam Facilitated Communication was.Â Â Pretty serious from what I learned.Â Â Most of the time autistic individuals suffer from mental retardation as well, if not some other condition.
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> The doctor when I was a toddler tried to diagnose me as being autistic or retarded because I never communicated with anybody.Â Â I proved him wrong when he asked where a sock goes and I stuck my foot in his face.



i've never seen that one at all but it looks unusual.i believe doctors shouldn't force a person to be diagonsed it comes when it's time.i don't
remember how i was diagonsed with autism as a baby it was too long ago.all i know is that 3/4 of my brain developed 1/4 of it did not.


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## BloodRedFox (Apr 18, 2007)

I have a form of Autism called Asperger syndrome. I was diagnosed at age 3 but it wasn't until I did this "disorder" project last year in biology class that I really found out more about it. Here's a Wikipedia article on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome

Don't know what else to say though. *shrugs* I don't talk too much about disorders.


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

BloodRedFox said:
			
		

> I have a form of Autism called Asperger syndrome. I was diagnosed at age 3 but it wasn't until I did this "disorder" project last year in biology class that I really found out more about it. Here's a Wikipedia article on it:
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> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
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> Don't know what else to say though. *shrugs* I don't talk too much about disorders.



i didn't see that one before but how hard was it when you had that in school.i never read that one before.


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## BloodRedFox (Apr 18, 2007)

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I'm still in school (I'm a high school junior). I'm fine for the most part (I'm an A and B student) but I do tend to sometimes struggle quite a bit on one thing (like a project or other such things). Hmm, don't know what else to say. I mean, I know I have Aspergers and I have some of those conditions listed in the article, but I'm not so sure how far my Asperger's really affects me. (I can elaborate on some stuff if you want me to.)

(Interesting fact: some very successful people like Tim Burton and the creator of Pokemon have Aspergers.)


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

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gosh where does it state that in the wikipedia article and i never realized that those 2 had the same thing i had i wonder how they ended up with it,i believe another person i know was on second life named torley linden he's got autism too http://www.torley.com [No Joke]


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## BloodRedFox (Apr 18, 2007)

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_autistic_people

To be more specific though:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Burton

Down in "Personal Life" it says: "Carter was quoted as saying that the reason for his unique vision and style of directing was because she believed him to have Asperger Syndrome, a mild form of autism. She said that it helped to inspire his creative fuel, and was in no way a hindrance, but in fact was a great asset."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Tajiri (creator of Pokemon)

Down in "Nintendo" it states: "Satoshi Tajiri has allegedly been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.[1][2] He has been described by Nintendo officials as exceedingly creative but "reclusive" and "eccentric."[3]" 
I know it says "allegedly" but that list I put up has him listed under "Aspergers."


Also, I agree with Helena Carter's quote that Aspergers helps creativity (this is true for me, everyone I know says I'm one of the most creative people they know, and that's not just a simple compliment).


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## dragonfan (Apr 18, 2007)

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that i did not know about on the article i guess i am not alone on that list either but it sure does tell the truth about all that info.


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## thegreathamster (Apr 19, 2007)

BloodRedFox said:
			
		

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Exactly, so anyone coming here acting like he/she wants sympathy with his/her so called "disorder" isn't gonna cut it.


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## dragonfan (Apr 19, 2007)

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i disagree with you ma'am anyone without disorders has to respect people with them it's a must.i'm not kidding here i've seen it happen before this is no joke.i believe people who have this disorder will easily get offended by people who don't have it.


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## Dark-Tigger (Apr 19, 2007)

Autism Pride Day?   Where's my diabetes pride day?


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## ADF (Apr 19, 2007)

Dragonfan while people do need to be tolerant and understanding of people who have these conditions, respect is something given and earned. While letting people know about your condition may help with future misunderstandings I have noticed some people will actually give you less respect for constantly using your condition as a excuse/crutch. Sure it is mean of them to treat you badly for something outside of your control but hell this is the Internet, it is completely uncensored and unregulated.

For instance I myself have Asperger's Syndrome; I use a freeware spell checker to reduce errors, but it has no grammar support, so people probably notice my grammatical skills are a bit chaotic. Back in my early days of the net my English skills was allot worse than they are now, I would make mistakes such as 'form' instead of 'forum' and 'board' instead of 'bored'. People were unforgiving, they would give me hell for it, but the incentive to avoid this ridicule encouraged me to improve my English.

When I was in my first day of college they put me in a English group below GCSE level, it was depressing that I was in a group like that when I was in college. In the 3rd lessen they asked us to type something up on the computer, I didn't think much of it at the time but the teacher gave me a weird look after glancing at what I had put down. The next lesson the teacher said I was being moved to a GCSE level group because my exam scores did not reflect my actual skill level.

I actually think the process of continuous improvement over that summer holiday did more for my English than several years at school O.=.o Yes it was mean of them to make fun of me, but without it, if I was constantly babied and tolerated, I wouldn't have had the incentive to improve.


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## kitetsu (Apr 19, 2007)

I got expelled and blacklisted from every other school in this state for being asstistic.

That's my story.


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## 1337intellect (Apr 19, 2007)

[size=x-small]Wow, I happen to be an Aspie.... and I can't believe that The Great Hamster hasn't figured out that her quote isn't mine, still.[/size]


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## Hakar (Apr 20, 2007)

Dark-Tigger said:
			
		

> Autism Pride Day? Â Â Where's my diabetes pride day?



I'm still waiting for Apathy Pride Day... I guess...


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## Arsonos (Apr 20, 2007)

ADF said:
			
		

> Dragonfan while people do need to be tolerant and understanding of people who have these conditions, respect is something given and earned. While letting people know about your condition may help with future misunderstandings I have noticed some people will actually give you less respect for constantly using your condition as a excuse/crutch. Sure it is mean of them to treat you badly for something outside of your control but hell this is the Internet, it is completely uncensored and unregulated.
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> For instance I myself have Asperger's Syndrome; I use a freeware spell checker to reduce errors, but it has no grammar support, so people probably notice my grammatical skills are a bit chaotic. Back in my early days of the net my English skills was allot worse than they are now, I would make mistakes such as 'form' instead of 'forum' and 'board' instead of 'bored'. People were unforgiving, they would give me hell for it, but the incentive to avoid this ridicule encouraged me to improve my English.
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I must say that that post puts forth much my own sentiment, and reveals a great deal about you. I notice little or no impediment in your typing, and it's rather stunning from your description the kind of improvement you've made.

But you are right, it seems that many people use their disorders as a crutch, becoming a "victim" instead of a "survivor." It is a common practice in psychology to assign someone a disorder or a disease, and sometimes te person will do more than they ought to _become_ the disorder rather than to fight it or put forth effort to change.

Thats why I am utterly humbled by people like you and Dragonfan and BloodRedFox you guys are all writers, and I am too... But I don't have to work at it as hard as you guys do. You have to punch through a disorder before you can write. ADF, I was actually amazed when I read that you had Aspergers, I'd have never guessed. BloodRedFox either. 

It is truly inspiring to see you guys writing and succeeding in beating the odds. So many people crumple at the first sign of difficulty! Awesome to see some people sticking it to adversity .


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## Icarus (Apr 20, 2007)

By real scientific and psychological terms, is anybody really sane?

(ps this is not a troll comment, it might seem like one but, by looking at some of these things I'm thinking, "Dang.  That's a lot of mental disorders." )


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## sgolem (Apr 20, 2007)

I have ADD, but I understand where you're coming from.

It can be frustrating sometimes.  My biggest problem being able to recall information.  For example, a lot of times people at fast food restaurants get frustrated at me because I can't remember what onions are called, or I'll forget what I want.  This can get really frustrating when I'm arguing with someone because a lot of times I'll completely forget what my argument is until it randomly comes back about a day later.  Then it sticks with you and drives you insane.  I also find that I do a lot of things impulsively, like randomly take a wrong turns, when I'm going somewhere I go all the time.  On top of that, I also have a really hard time paying attention, though that's a lot easier to deal with, since I can usually ask people to repeat what they said or get help from people later.  I have trouble explaining things to people too, so if you can't understand what I'm saying, I'll try again, though usually it's not as much of a problem when I'm writing since I can read it over it first. 

I don't really see this as a handicap though.  It's really more of my brain working differently than most people.  I seem to work much more subconsciously than others.  For example, I'll notice in artwork and stories I incorporate many things from my life without ever knowing it (it's often pointed out by others).  In the end I end up getting tons of information from the world around me that others normally miss.  I just have a hard time consciously accessing it.  

The point is, there's often just as many positive traits as negative with "disabilities".  It can make life a bitch sometimes, but you can learn how to adapt.


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## Meyou (Apr 20, 2007)

I recently found out about being an Aspie. It explained many things, but still came as a bit of a shock. I dont think its a Disability, as that would somehow imply that I'm less capable than those around me. Sure, I suck at conversation and making friends (Except for online) But I have two stable jobs, One for the Gov to make money, and one doing the thing I love, Paintball. Heck, I think it is a distinct advantage on the Paintball field as I have often been known to come up with "Suicidal fruitcake tactics" which somehow work beautifully.

I want a Paintballer Pride Day!


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## foxy (Apr 20, 2007)

I thought maybe it'd help people to hear from someone who has autism herself. I recently discovered her videos on YouTube and she's somewhat of an activitist. She apparently was diagnosed as low-functioning, but she says at some times her mind works coherently and at some times it doesn't. When it works coherently enough, she can type on a keyboard and has made these videos, which might help some people understand autism from the autistic's side (or perhaps in the language of the disability rights movement, it'd be more fair to say "person with autism" than autistic?). Some times it helps to see things for yourself, to make it more visceral and real and less academic than a Wiki entry or bulletin board discussion. Hope this helps.

(Note, she's from the community of people with autism that are against a "cure" and think that being considered "broken" is what contributes to seeing them as non-persons. Which reminds me a lot of the argument in the Deaf community against a cure for physiological deafness.)

About Being Considered Retarded:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn70gPukdtY

Being An Unperson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c5_3wqZ3Lk

In My Language (claims her stereotyped movements are her language):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc


I'd like to know what other peoples' response to this is. Even if you disagree about the cure issue specifically, I think it's really interesting to hear from her side (biased though she is, and who wouldn't be in her position?!) and consider the issues she brings up.

She makes claims of abuse in the video. So do schizophrenics when people try to help them sometimes -- so is it like she says? As far as actual abuse goes, by no means is it universal, and no doubt it is exaggerated often, but all the same it is hard to deny that such a thing probably happens way too often in a situation like this. It'd be like denying that abuse or neglect happens in 24-hour care facilities for people with alzheimers, etc. Some staff may see these people who can't communicate as not full persons and treat them badly. Which sucks.

Regarding the person in the video herself, while she mentions being diagnosed as low-functioning, and often unable to think much at all, she seems pretty high-functioning cognitively (even if she can't speak verbally) _at particular times_. Assuming all that is true, it suggests for one thing that there may be a problem with the labeling system, since people may not fit smoothly into one all the time. But it also is probably unusual for a low-functioning autistic person to so clearly make a call out against a cure and for fair treatment and such. (Assuming the usual descriptions of low functioning are accurate).

But she might be on the borderline between low and high functioning (again, if we keep using the terminology), so maybe there are many others who are nowhere near her in terms of cognitive capacity. But her general argument is also that cognitive capacity shouldn't matter for personhood, and also that those low functioning may still be functioning cognitively in their own world even if they can never master a keyboard or other facilitated communication like her.


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## dragonfan (Apr 20, 2007)

ADF said:
			
		

> Dragonfan while people do need to be tolerant and understanding of people who have these conditions, respect is something given and earned. While letting people know about your condition may help with future misunderstandings I have noticed some people will actually give you less respect for constantly using your condition as a excuse/crutch. Sure it is mean of them to treat you badly for something outside of your control but hell this is the Internet, it is completely uncensored and unregulated.
> 
> For instance I myself have Asperger's Syndrome; I use a freeware spell checker to reduce errors, but it has no grammar support, so people probably notice my grammatical skills are a bit chaotic. Back in my early days of the net my English skills was allot worse than they are now, I would make mistakes such as 'form' instead of 'forum' and 'board' instead of 'bored'. People were unforgiving, they would give me hell for it, but the incentive to avoid this ridicule encouraged me to improve my English.
> 
> ...



when did you have it ADF i don't get it i never realized you had that too same as me.but i do understand on what you're saying because of what you stated and i agree with that because of your reason.also i can understand that you're being honest in your post.


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## Sulacoyote (Apr 20, 2007)

I look like Moby. Who wants to start a National Association of Moby Look-Alikes with me?

We'll call it NAMLA!


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## Renton Whitetail (Apr 20, 2007)

OK, I'll be honest; I have some traits of autism as well.Â Â There are some problems that I have, including processing some information (sometimes I need to write things down on paper so that I can explain them to my parents if they have any questions, such as computer technical issues and dentist appointments).Â Â 

When I was a kid, I did need some assistance in grade school, but when I started junior high, I began to learn new things on my own, so I was able to succeed in junior high and high school.Â Â I'm doing pretty well for myself now (as a college student).

I have some traits that may be considered parts of high-functioning autism, including perfect pitch (meaning that I can detect any musical note without the need of any musical instrument) and a very good photographic memory.

I didn't discover that I have some traits of autism until I was in eighth grade.


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## dragonfan (Apr 20, 2007)

Anders said:
			
		

> OK, I'll be honest; I have some traits of autism as well.Â Â There are some problems that I have, including processing some information (sometimes I need to write things down on paper so that I can explain them to my parents if they have any questions, such as computer technical issues and dentist appointments).Â Â
> 
> When I was a kid, I did need some assistance in grade school, but when I started junior high, I began to learn new things on my own, so I was able to succeed in junior high and high school.Â Â I'm doing pretty well for myself now (as a college student).
> 
> ...



i understand on what you're saying anders and i believe you are telling the truth and i didn't realize i had that til my parents told me about it.


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## ADF (Apr 20, 2007)

Does anyone here have memories of being taken for testing as a kid? I didn't know what they were at the time, but every now and then I would be taken to this doctor. She would give me puzzles to complete and ask me questions about what is happening in the images on cards, there was other tests but it was too long ago to remember what they were exactly.


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## Renton Whitetail (Apr 20, 2007)

ADF said:
			
		

> Does anyone here have memories of being taken for testing as a kid?



I do.Â Â I remember in junior high school taking these tests and puzzles with a specialist a couple times, and one test I remember vividly is one in which there are several columns of tiny black dots on a piece of paper, and I was asked to connect every other dot with a line (as in, to not cheat by drawing a straight line all the way down the columns) in a certain amount of short time.


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## sgolem (Apr 20, 2007)

I had to take a test recently for bureaucratic reasons.  I got to do the puzzles and the one describing the images on the cards.  I also had to repeat words in order forwards, then backwards and stuff like that.

I have some vague childhood memories of having wires attached to my head with glue stuff that was kinda like toothpaste.


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## BloodRedFox (Apr 20, 2007)

ADF said:
			
		

> Does anyone here have memories of being taken for testing as a kid?



Yes. In elementary school, I was frequently tested in areas of speech and problem solving. I've improved a lot over the years though, and now in high school I'm not tested, but yeah my Aspergers is still present. I can elaborate if you want me to.


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## dragonfan (Apr 20, 2007)

BloodRedFox said:
			
		

> ADF said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



i was tested for it way back when i was a baby but i have improved over the years too.


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## Jekkal (Apr 20, 2007)

*Foxy* -

The girl you see in the youtube videos (Amanda) is nothing short of incredible in the stuff she writes in her blog ( http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/ )

Abuse and Institutional Damage are common complaints among the Autistic community, along with the general stigma being attached to Autistics and the apparent lack of Autistic researchers in the field (as well as in groups like _Autism Speaks_, which are actually downright hostile to autistics that don't agree with their work, especially when the word 'cure' is involved.) 

You quickly learn once you get into Autistic circles that there's a lot of political baggage going on in being Autistic vs. being an 'Autism activist'.


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## Meyou (Apr 20, 2007)

I'm Anti-cure. If somebody claims I'm broken, then they better be able to run faster than I can, or they'll get an ass-kicking like no other!


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## Silver R. Wolfe (Apr 25, 2007)

Jekkal said:
			
		

> *Foxy* -
> 
> The girl you see in the youtube videos (Amanda) is nothing short of incredible in the stuff she writes in her blog ( http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/ )
> 
> ...



There's such thing as Autism activists?  Are these similar to the anorexia nervosa activists of late?


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## Jekkal (Apr 26, 2007)

silverwolfe said:
			
		

> Jekkal said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Other way around. "Autism activists" are people who don't have autism (or are convinced that they have been 'cured' of their autism) pushing for 'cures' and ABA (or its neutered cousin therapy DTT, which I still find disturbing), and raising money for their pet causes by demonizing Autism (and in effect, autistics). 

Autistics, on the other hand, are more often looking for assistance and better recognition of autism in adulthood / better identification and treatment, but for some reason the two groups don't get along, or someone starts claiming that the "Autistics" are all faking it. 

It's not even that Autism is 'bad' or 'good'; the point is that it's there, it's not going to go away (even with the best of treatments), and so it's just HEALTHIER to accept it as a personality trait than as a disorder, and compensate for it from there.


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## Silver R. Wolfe (Apr 26, 2007)

Thanks for clearing that up. I was afraid that people were actively pushing autism as a "good" thing.  My brother suffers from high-functioning autism and yes, I do mean suffers.


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## K-Red (Apr 26, 2007)

I've been diagnosed with AS, but I never let it bother me, and as I've grown it has had less and less of an affect on my life. The only thing that becomes troublesome is that I use words like "Confabulate", "Frivolous", and "Sanguine" in regular vocabulary, and I have to explain them to most people. *grunt*


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## dragonfan (Apr 26, 2007)

silverwolfe said:
			
		

> Thanks for clearing that up. I was afraid that people were actively pushing autism as a "good" thing.Â Â My brother suffers from high-functioning autism and yes, I do mean suffers.



don't take this the wrong way silverwolfe but even my friend casanovaunlimited over on DeviantART he has it too and he told me that on AIM.but i understand that i sometimes have problems with it when i couldn't be social at all.it was pretty tough for me to get used to talking to others that i didn't know very well.even when i was born with it i did not get enough attention from my parents which really sucks and the bad part about this is that i was raised with others that was like crazy or had anger problems or anything like that.but all i know
is that the family i am living with currently is not very nice to me when they did not give me respect at all.because i was a special needs person and it was tough for me to get through a lot of it.


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## Jekkal (Apr 26, 2007)

K-Red said:
			
		

> I've been diagnosed with AS, but I never let it bother me, and as I've grown it has had less and less of an affect on my life. The only thing that becomes troublesome is that I use words like "Confabulate", "Frivolous", and "Sanguine" in regular vocabulary, and I have to explain them to most people. *grunt*



... you mean 'frivolous' isn't an everyday word?!


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## Natsuke (Apr 30, 2007)

I'm autistic as well... I can handle it pretty well, and people don't really see me as autistic. I do, though Â¬ Â¬ I have PDD-nos; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDD-NOS


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## DruoxTheFurrinator (May 7, 2007)

....of coarse...RIGHT when I come back...There's the Autism topic...

keep on truckin' man!

Power to ya


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## dragonfan (May 7, 2007)

DruoxTheFurrinator said:
			
		

> ....of coarse...RIGHT when I come back...There's the Autism topic...
> 
> keep on truckin' man!
> 
> Power to ya



well i had to create it so i went for it


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## asdfjkl03 (May 7, 2007)

Funny this should come up.~ I have a dear friend who has AS and I love her like a daughter. There's nothing wrong with her at all in my opinion, and she's really quite different and creative... Because I learned she had it, I wanted to do a lot more research into it and learn more about what it really was ( thank you very much for the links~ ).

But, the thing that scared me once was when she mentioned that some guy was working to use AS as a reason for those with it to jump up and become violently prejudice against those without it... NTs, I think he called them.Â Â It only surprised me because it's like, the entire furry fandom jumping up and becoming violent against anyone who wasn't... it's like a "take over the world" scheme thought up by a single person who felt surpreme hate for anything without autism. The thought kind of scares me... 

Should I worry or just... ignore it? ._.


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## Bloodangel (May 8, 2007)

I used to work with kids with autism when I was younger. Some of those kids were freaking geniuses. The stigma is only there because people still see it as some disablilty when it goddamn well isn't!!


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## 16weeks (May 9, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

> thegreathamster said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I....have autism....but i'm not trying to get attention because of it.....that's friggen pathetic.....useing your....disability as a crutch......i'm perfectly fine, i don't need help just cause i'm autistic.......saying that autistic people are handicapped is just like saying a turkey is a fish......it's crap......they're better off than most......and are generally smarter too...


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## dragonfan (May 9, 2007)

16weeks said:
			
		

> dragonfan said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



you should refrain from attacking me 16weeks you should know a lot better not to offend me so leave me alone okay.


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## Hakumei Ookami (May 9, 2007)

16weeks said:
			
		

> I....have autism....but i'm not trying to get attention because of it.....that's friggen pathetic.....useing your....disability as a crutch......i'm perfectly fine, i don't need help just cause i'm autistic.......saying that autistic people are handicapped is just like saying a turkey is a fish......it's crap......they're better off than most......and are generally smarter too...



There are different types of autism, you know.  There's a High-Functioning Autism, and Low-Functioning.  I presume dragonfan has the low-functioning type, when intelligence is impaired when thinking from a general point of view.  The problem with low-functioning autism is that the person may be greatly gifted, but not as well endowed in other areas, and therefore that equates to low IQ.  If you do indeed have autism, you probably have the higher-functioning type, where IQ is not usually impaired, and may even be boosted.  Really, autism just defines a condition when there's less-than-normal social activity, or hypersociality.  I think.  I'm studying Psychology next year, and will be doing it at Degree level, studying to be a Professional, so check up on me in a few years and I'll let you know what I think then. :lol:


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## dragonfan (May 10, 2007)

hakumeiookami said:
			
		

> 16weeks said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



i think i do have low functioning autism because when i was in special ed classes that i was stuck in those days and man the students there was horrible and way worse than i was.even several of them have like ADD or ADHD i don't know for sure and the students in school i had in class was terrible i was picked on,teased,beaten up.it was pretty bad  for me when those things went on and i even went to see a counselor in school to talk about it and it made me feel a lot better.


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## Epsereth (May 10, 2007)

A girl I took some classes with has a 28-year-old brother with very bad autism. He can't speak and his parents always treated him like an animal, locking him in his room and putting bars on his windows and such. My friend would sneak into his room and teach him to read and books would calm him down, and he can read books that any adult could read. She eventually taught him how to type, and he uses his computer to communicate with enormous eloquence. This fellow can think and communicate with more brilliance than most unaffected people I know, but he just has problems with social interactions. On the outside, he looks for all the world like a non-functional retarded person, but he is a gem beneath the surface. He once typed that he felt trapped, because until recently nobody would treat him like a person; but he is ever grateful to his sister for teaching him how to communicate with the outside world.

Can you imagine going 26 years without being to communicate, even though you could think normally? Wow ...


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## Renton Whitetail (May 10, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

> Anders said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I've been meaning to post about my presentation a long time ago (sorry ^_^U), but I think it went really well.  I gave the basics about what autism is with a powerpoint presentation and demonstrated a few examples of musical activities that music therapists may use when working with autisitic clients.Â Â I recieved some very positive feedback on my presentation. ^^


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## Hakumei Ookami (May 10, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

> i think i do have low functioning autism because when i was in special ed classes that i was stuck in those days and man the students there was horrible and way worse than i was.even several of them have like ADD or ADHD i don't know for sure and the students in school i had in class was terrible i was picked on,teased,beaten up.it was pretty badÂ Â for me when those things went on and i even went to see a counselor in school to talk about it and it made me feel a lot better.


The problem with autism is that you do get a large range of conditions.  Some people may be severely affected, others may be incredible gifted.  then you get all the things in between.  I bet it's hard being categorised as low functioning when you're only borderline so.


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## dragonfan (May 15, 2007)

Anders said:
			
		

> dragonfan said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



that's good and i am glad it worked out for you which i am happy about
and i could have done one so long ago but i didn't



			
				hakumeiookami said:
			
		

> dragonfan said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



true on that right there and i think you are right on that part.it's really tough for me to focus on my stuff on what i want to do in RL which is tough.


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## BloodRedFox (May 15, 2007)

In responce to the testing thing, I was actually given one today. I was just asked a series of language and math questions to see if I needed to stay in this "thing" for my senior year next school year. Something to do with an academic elective. (I know the test dealt with my Aspergers because I noticed the teacher having a sheet mentioning my Aspergers).


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## dragonfan (Jun 24, 2007)

BloodRedFox said:
			
		

> In responce to the testing thing, I was actually given one today. I was just asked a series of language and math questions to see if I needed to stay in this "thing" for my senior year next school year. Something to do with an academic elective. (I know the test dealt with my Aspergers because I noticed the teacher having a sheet mentioning my Aspergers).



gosh how hard was it when it was done but it was hard for me to take the test


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## Zero_Point (Jun 26, 2007)

I'm actually starting to wonder if I might have some form of autism. Then again, I don't know what's wrong with me. I can talk with anybody about nearly anything, I'm good at many things but not at others (I took a test for Non-verbal Learning Disorder once. Solved a 3-minute puzzle in 45 seconds). I can be creative in some instances, but not in others. I have trouble forgetting alot of things, but not others. I thought I might have ADD, but I've also thought I might have something I recently found out about called "schizoid personality disorder".


> Description :
> 
> Unlike people with schizotypal personality disorder who may have one or two semi-close relationships, people with schizoid personality disorder are extreme loners and rarely have any close relationships.
> 
> ...



I think I'll have to get tested for that, but I also show signs of autism now that you guys have brought it up.


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## dragonfan (Jun 26, 2007)

Zero_Point said:
			
		

> I'm actually starting to wonder if I might have some form of autism. Then again, I don't know what's wrong with me. I can talk with anybody about nearly anything, I'm good at many things but not at others (I took a test for Non-verbal Learning Disorder once. Solved a 3-minute puzzle in 45 seconds). I can be creative in some instances, but not in others. I have trouble forgetting alot of things, but not others. I thought I might have ADD, but I've also thought I might have something I recently found out about called "schizoid personality disorder".
> 
> 
> > Description :
> ...



gosh that sounds really scary i hope you don't have that i would feel really sorry for you


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## Silverdragon00 (Jun 26, 2007)

It's interesting, because a few weeks back, there was quite a bit of talk about autism in the NASCAR race at Dover. A lot of the NASCAR drivers donate to autism research, and the race was actually sponsored by the group Autism Speaks. Driver Jamie McMurray (my favorite driver btw) actually donates a lot, and donated more than $20K to Autism Society of America that same weekend, and if he would have won the race, his sponsor Crown Royal would have donated a quater-million dollars. Wasn't able to win, but it was great to see and hear that there was so much support going on.


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## Zero_Point (Jun 27, 2007)

Well, I just found out today that my parents supposedly tried to get me tested for autism back when I was a kid, but apparantley back then they wouldn't test you for it unless you acted like freakin' Rain Man. Hoo-ray for crappy school-boards! >.<


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## Oni (Jun 27, 2007)

Well dragonfan, You are living and breathing and experiencing life and what it consists of. Smelling, touching, seeing, hearing, tasting. I would be happy just to have those sensations ^.^

Can you recieve disability money from the U.S. government because of your condition?

It is great that you decided to disclose your condition to people here, now they can probably understand you better. ^.^


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## blueroo (Jun 27, 2007)

Discussions like this are incredibly valuable. Often, people with neurological based disorders feel alone and overwhelmed by the expectations of the "normal" world. Folks with ADD, Aspergers, Autism, and other related issues are highly susceptible to ridicule and teasing, self-esteem problems, and depression. I'm really glad that members of our community are finding each other, sharing their stories, and offering their support.


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## dragonfan (Jun 27, 2007)

Silverdragon00 said:
			
		

> It's interesting, because a few weeks back, there was quite a bit of talk about autism in the NASCAR race at Dover. A lot of the NASCAR drivers donate to autism research, and the race was actually sponsored by the group Autism Speaks. Driver Jamie McMurray (my favorite driver btw) actually donates a lot, and donated more than $20K to Autism Society of America that same weekend, and if he would have won the race, his sponsor Crown Royal would have donated a quater-million dollars. Wasn't able to win, but it was great to see and hear that there was so much support going on.



interesting and i remember i heard commericals of autism speaks before
on tv and i thought to myself hey i should do that and get into it.


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## dragonfan (Jun 27, 2007)

Oni said:
			
		

> Well dragonfan, You are living and breathing and experiencing life and what it consists of. Smelling, touching, seeing, hearing, tasting. I would be happy just to have those sensations ^.^
> 
> Can you recieve disability money from the U.S. government because of your condition?
> 
> It is great that you decided to disclose your condition to people here, now they can probably understand you better. ^.^



in response to your question about getting disability money from US government yes i do get that every month and i get 2 checks from them every month and it's true that i do get that sort of thing and my parents did that for me and they didn't want me to be poor so they did
that for me and i feel happy.


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## dragonfan (Jun 27, 2007)

blueroo said:
			
		

> Discussions like this are incredibly valuable. Often, people with neurological based disorders feel alone and overwhelmed by the expectations of the "normal" world. Folks with ADD, Aspergers, Autism, and other related issues are highly susceptible to ridicule and teasing, self-esteem problems, and depression. I'm really glad that members of our community are finding each other, sharing their stories, and offering their support.



so true on that blueroo and you know i've always wanted to hear other
peoples stories on this subject it makes me feel entirely comfortable about what others experiences was like with autism.my story goes way
back when i was little and i didn't expect to happen til i was older but now i do because it helps a lot that i feel happy on what other members here are saying.


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## KitsuneKit (Jun 27, 2007)

I've never met anyone with autism... that I know about.  I have donated money to help fight it, but I mean, I haven't been personally effected by it.


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## blueroo (Jun 27, 2007)

KitsuneKit said:
			
		

> I've never met anyone with autism... that I know about.  I have donated money to help fight it, but I mean, I haven't been personally effected by it.



I bet you know someone with autism and don't even know it.


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## dragonfan (Jun 27, 2007)

KitsuneKit said:
			
		

> I've never met anyone with autism... that I know about.Â Â I have donated money to help fight it, but I mean, I haven't been personally effected by it.



that's good for them



			
				blueroo said:
			
		

> KitsuneKit said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



you know blueroo i have met several people from DeviantART they have it and i didn't expect them to have it.also another thing is that i know of is that when i was on Second Life i was at this one event last week and met a whole bunch of avatars in world telling me they have it too.even my friend crap mariner has it too he told me that over skype a few weeks ago this is true.infact there is a autism place in second life called autistic liberation front in the porcupine sim it's there in world and i've been there.


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## dragonfan (Jul 26, 2007)

Icarus said:
			
		

> By real scientific and psychological terms, is anybody really sane?
> 
> (ps this is not a troll comment, it might seem like one but, by looking at some of these things I'm thinking, "Dang.  That's a lot of mental disorders." )



what do you mean by this.


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## soundhound (Jul 27, 2007)

dragonfan said:
			
		

> Icarus said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He means that it seems like EVERYONE in the world has SOME kind of mental disorder...whether it's something small, or more pronounced/obvious.


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## Oni (Jul 27, 2007)

Hmm, it is difficult to determine if someone is "sane".

Does anyone have a decent definition of "sane"?

Encarta claims "Sane" to be an adjective which gives something the properties of:

- Mentally Stable.
- Able to make rational decisions.


Honestly that is not enough for me, too vauge. ;d


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## kitetsu (Jul 27, 2007)

"Sanity" is a joke.


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## greg-the-fox (Jul 27, 2007)

Do you have a really mild case or something? Your posts 'sound' normal, I would never have guessed. I thought people with autism had problems speaking.


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## kitetsu (Jul 27, 2007)

My doctor's told me that my assburgers affects me only by 20%. But, to tell you the truth, i actually like to repeat what i say, much to my own irritation.


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## Janglur (Jul 27, 2007)

So here's a question.

If Dragonfan gets special treatment from users and staff due to a disability..

Does this same special treatment apply to other people with different types of disabilities?  For example, I know someone here who is dyslexic, and types completely incoherently.  However, they didn't get special treatment.  In fact they've been asked by staff to use a spellchecker.

Was this just a mistake?  Are we ALL expected to give each other special treatment for mental handicaps?
I, for one, don't request treatment for mine.  That's why I don't tell anyone what it is.
I find it humiliating, degrading, and insulting to be treated like an invalid by the world just because i'm not 'normal'.  I work harder than anyone to be equal, and by god I will not have it handed to me.

And I sure as hell don't want people on a forum bowing down to me because i'm special.  If anyone respects me, I want it to be due to EARNING that respect.

So I request on behalf of everyone handicapped, not to treat us like a maimed animal.  Give us the exact same gauntlet you give everyone else.
Because we can't learn to fit in if we never get the chance.


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## Wolf-Bone (Jul 27, 2007)

^ EXACTLY. Nothing needs to be added to that.

Also, I'm curious, what exactly does it take to get diagnosed with Aspergers? How do they tell the difference between someone who's brain truly functions differently and someone who's just eccentric?


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## dragonfan (Jul 27, 2007)

Wolf-Bone said:
			
		

> ^ EXACTLY. Nothing needs to be added to that.
> 
> Also, I'm curious, what exactly does it take to get diagnosed with Aspergers? How do they tell the difference between someone who's brain truly functions differently and someone who's just eccentric?



i'm not sure exactly i think one person told me a long time ago that you have to be born with it.i don't know for sure if that is true or not.


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## Wolf-Bone (Jul 27, 2007)

^ Well obviously. What I'm asking is how exactly these pseudoscientists we call shrinks determine who is born with an arbitrarily-yet-loosely defined "disorder" and who is just eccentric and awkward.


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## dragonfan (Jul 27, 2007)

Wolf-Bone said:
			
		

> ^ Well obviously. What I'm asking is how exactly these pseudoscientists we call shrinks determine who is born with an arbitrarily-yet-loosely defined "disorder" and who is just eccentric and awkward.



i have no idea i am no expert on that kind of field it's kinda tough for me to know how it is done or not.


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## Wolf-Bone (Jul 27, 2007)

^ Fortunately that question was open to anyone.


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## Kyrre (Jul 28, 2007)

Pervasive developmental disorders aren't my speciality, but I'm a research-psyschologist with years of experience in this particular topic.  I was diagnosed with asperger's syndrome when I was seven years old.  Since my diagnosis, I have put in over 10 years into studying about autism (yes, as a pre-teen I read reference material to learn about autism...) and am now in my final year of college about to earn a bachelor's in science in psychology, so I'd like to think I'm at least a little qualified to offer some input on this topic.  I do, however, stress that it's not my speciality (I focus my research on gender-related issues), and I encourage people not to quote me on anything, but take what I've got to offer as more educated than your average person's experience with autism.

I wanted to start off by answering Wolf-Bane's latest question about diagnosis.  Firstly, no diagnosis of any disorder or illness is just handed out to people based on a loosely deinfed structure.  In the United States, all practicing psychologists are required by the American Psychological Association to adhere strictly to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).  This manual updates often as newer research or break-throughs in technology allow us to better define its contents and is currently in it's fourth edition.  Taken directly from the DSM-IV, here's a list of criteria for someone to be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome:

_(I) Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following: 
(A) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
(B) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(C) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people, (e.g.. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
(D) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

(II) Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

(A) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(B) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(C) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(D) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects


(III) The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

(IV) There is no clinically significant general delay in language (E.G. single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)

(V) There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction) and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

(VI) Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia."_

As an *extremely important disclaimer*, before I go on, it is common for people to read lists of criteria and want to self-diagnose themselves with a disorder or illness.  It is strongly caitioned *NOT* to do so, instead trusting a registered, practicing psychologist to do this for you.  Even further, I recommend people who do get a diagnosis of any kind to obtain a second and third opinion from other professionals to help eliminate the error of a misdiagnosis.

But yeah, back to how to diagnose some with AS... meeting the requirements for these criteria are not the only factors needed to obtain a diagnosis.  Tests are administered and people are observed closely over a certain period of time before someone gets a proper diagnosis.  Some cases where it's more obvious, these additional tests aren't always necessary.

A lot of people hold the assumption that you go into the doctor's office and walk out with a piece of paper saying "You're autistic."  As someone who will be dedicating his life to this field, I can assure you it's not that simple, nor is it that quick.  The practice is an extremely sensitive one, because it so closely effects people's lives, and a doctor will lose her or his liscence to practice if they don't take the extra time to be as accurate as possible as often as possible.  Obviously, putting 4 years worth of time into a degree and thousands upon thousands of dollars into tuition costs, training, APA conference costs, etc... I don't know anyone would would ruin their career by treating psychology as a 'pseudoscience' and toss things out on a hunch or at whim.

I hope this answered your question Wolf-Bane, sorry it was lengthy, lol.  I'll expand open my answer if you want to hear more, or delve into more specific areas if you have more questions.  Oh, and for the record, I approve of cynicism for the field of psychology because it gives the people doing the research, like myself, more of a challenge to overcome the obstacles of trust with the public in an attempt to always find the truth about how we operate as people.  Most people in the profession twitch their eyes and grumble when they hear people calling it a pseudoscience, but I just grin.

To answer Icarus' question really quick to transition between questions... there is no one "sane" person.  There are degrees of sanity which allow you to function harmoniously and healthy in a society, and there are those that do not.  They do not determine the actions of the individuals who possess them, but studies have consistently shown they can be good predictors of behaviour.  Sooo, you can be clinically insane and act more sane than someone who has a perfect mental health record.  Sanity is overrated though.  I personally prefer quirks here and there.

Jangular, I wanted to address your question too.  In the US, the government has set up a program to help people with any disability that interferes with their ability to hold a regular job and earn the monetary funds necessary to live.  Some people that are eligable are capable of holding down a job, but for the most part a lot of people who are eligable to receive money through this program do not apply for it because they're managing to hold down a job and coping with the conflict between their responsibilities and their disability.  For some people, they have no choice.

While I recognize disabilities like dyslexia can impede job performance, it doesn't limit them from working at all.  A person with dyslexia might struggle in a job that deals with computer coding, databasing, or maybe as a stenographer... but they can still get a job doing manual labour that doesn't require them to rely on word processing to get paid.  People that apply for these funds have to prove that for 12 consecutive months, their diability is severe enough they are incapable of working a job that is generally available to the public, (eg. food service, retail, muscle work).  Dyslexia, to my knowledge, has never been a disability, by itself, that prevented people from working.  If a dyslexic was wheelchair-bound and had some other mental disorders, I could see a case being made.

The government and insurance companies don't like to dole out money to everyone who applies.  Trust me, there are dozens of lawsuits currently going their litigation because people feel they didn't receive benefits they think they should have.  If someone applies and does get approved for the benefits, it means they have a legitimate claim.  It bothers me to hear people talk down to people that choose to accept these checks, but I won't argue about whether or not it's socially appropriate to accept these funds, so please don't ask.

I had more to say, but I'm going to wait a while for typing more because well... look at how long this post is already.  I talk too much.  ._.


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## Rhainor (Jul 28, 2007)

Wow.

That was, by far, one of the most informative and well-worded posts I've ever seen on this message board.


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## Janglur (Jul 28, 2007)

Kyrre:

I want to be treated like a human being.  Not like a retard.
So please treat me as such.


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## FuzzDragon (Jul 28, 2007)

Wow, I'm amazed how much negativity people are managing to channel here - all he did was post a thing about Autistic pride day (Which is a real thing believe it or not and with damn good reason), and yet people are accusing him of "shoving it in their faces" - Something people accuse furries of all the time. 

Autism has a unique problem never before faced by any singular group that has been granted "rights". When homosexuals wanted rights they wanted to cease being treated as a second rate citizens; however even at the worst period in history homosexuality was never seen as anything more than a state of mind. Autism on the other hand is treated as a _disease_, and autistics as a result don't even get taken seriously when they say they want right.

Because of this you have got multinational companies, hollywood stars, parents, even the US government funneling billions into wiping it out. No matter how someone looks at it, Feminists, Homosexuals, Furries - have never had to face *genocide*; a total erradiction of their culture, on the basis of their genetic pattern. When someone says they want to see you and your kin removed for the genepool, it's not great suprise you're going to get very vocal activists opposing it; afterall most autistics are perfectly happy with their life and many have gone on to be a huge boon to humanity.




> Do you have a really mild case or something? Your posts 'sound' normal, I would never have guessed. I thought people with autism had problems speaking.



Check that girl amanda on youtube someone linked earlier

If you watch her movements and behaviour she appears like am sterotypical low functioning autistic, scratch that - she IS a typical low functioning autistic, but she can type, and what she's typing isn't a slurred broken mind, she's more eloquent then many perfectly normal people I've seen on forums. Hence even low functioning autistics can on the internet make themselves heard in a way they can't face to face

If only these huge autism "cure" groups would allow people to see that instead of telling the world how they're a shell of a person who should be wiped out for their own good. :cry:


Anyway I don't usually bother posting on the forum, but this one caught my eye - afterall, I'm on the Autistic spectrum, and I'm not unhappy about that (I'm just unhappy that half the planet is unhappy with my existance and want what makes me, me,[/quote] "removed")


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## Janglur (Jul 28, 2007)

FuzzDragon said:
			
		

> Wow, I'm amazed how much negativity people are managing to channel here - all he did was post a thing about Autistic pride day (Which is a real thing believe it or not and with damn good reason), and yet people are accusing him of "shoving it in their faces" - Something people accuse furries of all the time.
> 
> Autism has a unique problem never before faced by any singular group that has been granted "rights". When homosexuals wanted rights they wanted to cease being treated as a second rate citizens; however even at the worst period in history homosexuality was never seen as anything more than a state of mind. Autism on the other hand is treated as a _disease_, and autistics as a result don't even get taken seriously when they say they want right.
> 
> ...


 "removed")
[/quote]


That you're comparing a mental disorder's cure as 'genocide' is appalling.  Do you truly want to identify people solely by their malfunctions!?
The entire point of medicine is to cure diseases so people can live a normal life.  Many autistics can.  Many cannot.  For some, a cure is welcomed.  For some, a cure is necessary.  For some, a cure is not required.

I can't beleive that you think so little of other people with autism that you'd suggest they cannot choose for themselves whether they want to live with autism or not.  You sound just as bad as the people you supposedly speak against.

Thing is, i'm not hearing anyone suggest genocide.  Only cures, and help with coping.  Is this what you consider genocide?  Do you relate to your autism so much that you no longer consider yourself human, but autistic sapiens?  I would hope you have enough humanity in you to let people with autism decide, if they want to live with autism.

My disorder is considered 'far worse'.  But I owe my intellect and abstract thought to it.  And my faith in others.  I consider myself fully sentient, rational, intelligent, educated, and entirely capable of deciding whether I am happy or not.  However it does cause great grief socially, physically, and emotionally.
I'd hope you were considerate enough to let me decide for myself what makes me happy.  Maybe I don't want to live with it.  Maybe I DO want to be cured so I can 'fit in', or maybe I like myself the way I am.  You should let those who would make a cure do so.  Then let those of us with the 'disease' decide whether we want it.

Because a lot of us do.


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## FuzzDragon (Jul 28, 2007)

I'm not saying a cure should be taken out of the picture, having a treatment on hand for those who cannot function or simply "want out" is highly desirable. The main problem right now is nobody is taking us (Autistics) seriously because they consider us _diseased._ (The Gay rights crowd can probably appreciate how the difference between "different" and "diseased" greatly effects your arguement with higher powers)

Genocide therefore is not an unfair description because right now most cure options are looking at the wholesale eradiction of Autism/Aspergers genetic line through abortion and genetic selection to completely remove them from the future genepool. Even you said you still like who you are but left to groups like CAN, you wouldn't have even been born.

As long as we're considered _diseased_ nobody is going to take our thoughts, no matter how rational into consideration. So when your "cure" arrives, it might well be of no use to you _personally_ and instead simply mean we're the last generation, because the cure was to "fix" the genes.


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## Kyrre (Jul 28, 2007)

Rhainor, lol.  I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep... so I needed something to make me sleepy again.  Being informative is tiresome.  ^^;;

Janglur, I'm a buddhist.  I treat people with and without mental retardation the same way, with the same level of respect.  I won't treat you any less than you wish, nor will I treat you better than your peers.  It's just my thing.  

Also, while Fuzzdragon's comment about genocide might be bad word-usage in a modern context, during the Holocaust, behind Jews and homosexuals, autistic people are assumed to be among the third largest group of people sent to concentration camps.  I say assumed because the death toll isn't well documented.  While the Jews were forced to wear a yellow Star of David, and homosexual/bisexual men the pink triangle, autistic people wore a black triangle (along with lesbians, alcoholics, and a few other groups).  That's more of a historical note, and not completely relevant to the discussion... just thought I'd add it in.

As for where the term genocide comes up in a modern context, this is being used by autistic people and their supporters who oppose the medical push to eliminate autism for the next generations.  The person being creditted with first coining the medical approach to elimiate autism as "genocide" is Larua A. Tisoncik of autistics.org.  I think the original point of using such blatently abrassive language was to attract attention to the topic, which it has succeeded to do.

But later, people discovered that there might be a prenatal test for autism by 2015 according to a leading doctor at the Autism Genome Project at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  Like what Fuzz said, people fear these tests will encourage abortion among fetuses testing positive for some form of autism because of the unfortunate notion that not being born is better than living a life with autism.  I think it's obvious where most of us stand on that notion... heck, I wouldn't be here if my parent's thought that way.


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## Griff-the-DevilDog (Jul 28, 2007)

hey Dragonfan, i understand you. i have Aspergers Autism. though mine mild i guess. 
its very hard to deal with indeed.
its causes me many problems, yet i am trying to overcome it as much as i can. your not alone yo.
i hope they find the cause of autism, and cure too as well if possible.


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## Janglur (Jul 28, 2007)

FuzzDragon said:
			
		

> I'm not saying a cure should be taken out of the picture, having a treatment on hand for those who cannot function or simply "want out" is highly desirable. The main problem right now is nobody is taking us (Autistics) seriously because they consider us _diseased._ (The Gay rights crowd can probably appreciate how the difference between "different" and "diseased" greatly effects your arguement with higher powers)
> 
> Genocide therefore is not an unfair description because right now most cure options are looking at the wholesale eradiction of Autism/Aspergers genetic line through abortion and genetic selection to completely remove them from the future genepool. Even you said you still like who you are but left to groups like CAN, you wouldn't have even been born.
> 
> As long as we're considered _diseased_ nobody is going to take our thoughts, no matter how rational into consideration. So when your "cure" arrives, it might well be of no use to you _personally_ and instead simply mean we're the last generation, because the cure was to "fix" the genes.





Shouldn't we have the option of choosing whether we want happy children or not?
You keep accusing people of being these horrible monsters that take your rights and freedoms, but you're proposing the same thing on the other side of the fence.

We should have the right to decide.  Not you, not 'them'.  US.  The ones WITH the disease, the ones who DO know what it's like.
And to hell with you and whether or not you think my children should suffer.  I make my decisions with my own rational mind.  If I chose not to have children because I don't want them to suffer with what I have, that's my decision.
You have no right to tell me I MUST force it on my children.

I want them to find a way to identify my defective genes, like they're close to with autism.  Then they can tell me what, if anything, will be wrong with my children.
I don't dare have any with the fear they may have to suffer with some cruel fate.  I cannot bring a child into this world with only a bleak and dismal future.
But if I could KNOW, then I could decide if there's hope.  Or if it would be better to adopt one of the millions of children that are healthy and fine, or perhaps a child who is not healthy and fine, but can be with loving understanding parents, supportive friends and community, and the will to succeed.



So i'd like to close this argument with three points.
1)  Let those who have the 'disease', decide what they want to do.  That includes all aspects, not just one facet.  We may want tolerance, but we don't want pity.
2)  Become a better person yourself before you try to improve others.
3)  Stop playing God.  Telling us we shouldn't have kids is just as bad as your telling us we should.  That's not yours or anyone else's decision.  That's ours and ours alone.


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## Vegex (Jul 28, 2007)

I was beat up in school by an autistic person, but he wasn't puinished because he was autistic

It's the same on the internet, they allow autistic people to do whatever they want because they have communication problems, but they crack down on anyone that messes with that person

Should there be a double-standard here?


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## Janglur (Jul 28, 2007)

Vegex said:
			
		

> I was beat up in school by an autistic person, but he wasn't puinished because he was autistic
> 
> It's the same on the internet, they allow autistic people to do whatever they want because they have communication problems, but they crack down on anyone that messes with that person
> 
> Should there be a double-standard here?



There should not.
As mentioned, i'm not 'a-ok' myself.  However, I don't say how or what because I don't want anyone to treat me any different from what I say, do, and how I act.
If I insult you inadvertantly, and you respond with offense, I will know that I must improve that.

At the same time, it's despicable to give me hand-me-downs I didn't ask for.  I can't stand that.  You can insult me, taunt me, treat me as badly as you want, and I will be no more insulted than someone who would 'protect' me as if I were some helpless child.

I am a human.
I am a human being.
I have a human mind, human emotions, and human organs.
Treat me as you would a human.
Not as you would a dog.


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## Kyrre (Jul 28, 2007)

Janglur, we probably won't to see eye to eye on a few things here, so I'll let your comments be without responding them.  We've probably got different experiences that influences our decisions on these issues.  No worries though.

Vegex, there is a double standard and it drives me crazy at times.  I know a couple autistic jerks online (not in this forum), and they get away with crap because people don't want to offend them.  I haven't really figured out what to do about this yet, because it really is annoying.  I'm just lucky enough to be autistic myself, so when people try to pull that card on me, I give it right back.  You can't pull the race card on a fellow brother, and you can't pull the autism card on an aspie.


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## RankHusky (Jul 28, 2007)

Hey. I feel for the Autistic. But they're most probably the most brave of all the ones who are furries. Don't know why exactly but I admire them.

That being I was nearly classified as one and I did a little reading about it


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## Griff-the-DevilDog (Jul 28, 2007)

Vegex said:
			
		

> I was beat up in school by an autistic person, but he wasn't puinished because he was autistic
> 
> It's the same on the internet, they allow autistic people to do whatever they want because they have communication problems, but they crack down on anyone that messes with that person
> 
> Should there be a double-standard here?


i dont know,
but i was one angry fucking autistic kid in my youth!!
maybe it was me Mwahahaha!!! JK.
but that sux, maybe in certain situations there should be double-standard


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## Vegex (Jul 28, 2007)

This kid sat in class and sucked his thumb all day

Oh and he screamed like a monkey all the time


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## Griff-the-DevilDog (Jul 28, 2007)

Vegex said:
			
		

> This kid sat in class and sucked his thumb all day
> 
> Oh and he screamed like a monkey all the time


Oh-shi..........the kid sounds identical to this one kid in my alt education class i took for 2 periods in high school. he was annoying as hell. plus hyper, and just idiotic. he made monkey sound a lot, thumb sucking.........not sure.


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## Oni (Jul 28, 2007)

Griff-the-DevilDog said:
			
		

> Vegex said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


*laughs*
I have autistic traits also although I do not possess enough of them to be considered autistic.


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## dragonfan (Jul 28, 2007)

Griff-the-DevilDog said:
			
		

> hey Dragonfan, i understand you. i have Aspergers Autism. though mine mild i guess.
> its very hard to deal with indeed.
> its causes me many problems, yet i am trying to overcome it as much as i can. your not alone yo.
> i hope they find the cause of autism, and cure too as well if possible.



i am still trying to find a way to be more mature and it's tough for me to deal with this kind of thing when i am different.i am hoping they find a cure for the autism i have and i really don't want to be left out ever even though it makes me feel sad.


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## dragonfan (Jul 28, 2007)

Kyrre said:
			
		

> Pervasive developmental disorders aren't my speciality, but I'm a research-psyschologist with years of experience in this particular topic.  I was diagnosed with asperger's syndrome when I was seven years old.  Since my diagnosis, I have put in over 10 years into studying about autism (yes, as a pre-teen I read reference material to learn about autism...) and am now in my final year of college about to earn a bachelor's in science in psychology, so I'd like to think I'm at least a little qualified to offer some input on this topic.  I do, however, stress that it's not my speciality (I focus my research on gender-related issues), and I encourage people not to quote me on anything, but take what I've got to offer as more educated than your average person's experience with autism.
> 
> I wanted to start off by answering Wolf-Bane's latest question about diagnosis.  Firstly, no diagnosis of any disorder or illness is just handed out to people based on a loosely deinfed structure.  In the United States, all practicing psychologists are required by the American Psychological Association to adhere strictly to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).  This manual updates often as newer research or break-throughs in technology allow us to better define its contents and is currently in it's fourth edition.  Taken directly from the DSM-IV, here's a list of criteria for someone to be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome:
> 
> ...



that is really informative and interesting i'm not sure if this is true.


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## Oni (Jul 29, 2007)

Dragonfan, I assumed most of the information Kyrre posted is factual.

http://allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html

He was very informative ^.^ and thank you Kyrre. ^.^


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## Kyrre (Jul 29, 2007)

Eh, I try to be as accurate as possible when I'm reporting something.  I'm capable of mistakes, sure, but I don't think I've misrepresented any information thus far.  I'm sure there's conflicting data out there, I mean... this is the internet after all.

Oh, and you're welcome!  Almost forgot to put that.  ^^;;


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## dragonfan (Jul 29, 2007)

Oni said:
			
		

> Dragonfan, I assumed most of the information Kyrre posted is factual.
> 
> http://allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html
> 
> He was very informative ^.^ and thank you Kyrre. ^.^



oh from that website i guess it is all true


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## Get-dancing (Jul 29, 2007)

I used to have aspergers syndrome but I overcame it. I reckon its an enviromental thing. I had no life = asprergers, I have a life = no aspergers.


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## v-deus (Jul 29, 2007)

Everyone has autism, in its millions of degrees.

I'll bitch slap anyone who attacks that hyperbole.

On a related note, I'll be getting "tested" sometime this week!


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## Wolf-Bone (Jul 29, 2007)

Get-dancing said:
			
		

> I used to have aspergers syndrome but I overcame it. I reckon its an enviromental thing. I had no life = asprergers, I have a life = no aspergers.



Exactly, and I'd like to think any good scientist working in a relatively young field, such as psycholgy / neurology would be the first to tell you that they haven't got it all figured out. What I object to is this movement in recent decades to treat people as if they were little more than machines with a few biological inconveniences which need to be worked around in order to make them do what we want (and by "we" I mostly mean government and business). I don't know what's more disturbing, their arrogance in the face of what's at best a rudimentary understanding of how the human mind works, or the amount of people who blindly follow and willingly submit to them as faithfully as crazy religiosos do whatever dogma they think is the answer to all their problems.


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## dragonfan (Aug 3, 2007)

Wolf-Bone said:
			
		

> Get-dancing said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



well i second this post wolf bone i believe it is wrong in business to turn people down for a job who have autism it can be reported to the owners of the place or the police.because i am really sick of them turning me down since they do not know my condition.


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## Wolf-Bone (Aug 4, 2007)

... dragonfan, that has nothing to do with what I was talking about, at all. I was talking about the arrogance of the scientific community and average joes who never question them, especially on things they've only scratched the surface of, like how a persons mind works, not workplace discrimination.


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## Magnus (Aug 6, 2007)

I'm autistic too, the only thing that i notice is that i don't like being with other people. It does suck tho, its hard to get a job ><


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## coffinberry (Aug 6, 2007)

autism/aspergers = new bipolar and depression

i cant get on any forum online without seeing a 'hay guys who else is an aspie?' and seeing posts from 43 other people who have it. i'm not saying that everyone who claims to have autism is a liar, but the number of people who have it seems to have jumped.

i think many people self-diagnose because its an excuse to have shitty social skills.


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## Moomba (Aug 6, 2007)

Get-dancing said:
			
		

> I used to have aspergers syndrome but I overcame it. I reckon its an enviromental thing. I had no life = asprergers, I have a life = no aspergers.



...Aspergers syndrome doesn't work like that.


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## Friskyaa123 (Aug 6, 2007)

Everybody who has AS and really isn't handling it well at all, do me a favor and try some weed.

This isn't a joke post, either. I'm not asking you to get MESSED UP, just take enough so that you ease up. Like as if you were taking an aspirin to get rid of a headache, or any other medication that /can/ be abused but most normal people don't. (Ok maybe aspirin is a bad example in this case, but I hope it still makes sense)

It seems like there's more to it, like maybe it balances out the brain's reward system too. I mean, the first time I tried it, I went to college the next day and I couldn't have possibly been high by then, but I was still like "I want to talk to someone because I don't want to seem impolite / I don't want to lose this person's friendship somewhere down the line", in a way that wasn't like I was worried about it either. Also I used to be bad with hurting myself in minor ways like opening up wounds, but if I'm a little high I'm like OW THIS HURTS I'D BETTER STOP.

Of course I'm just one person, maybe it's just the way my particular brain is wired. I heard some people with autism are great with words but horrible with other things. Then again, I always knew /a lot/ of words and how to spell them, I just had problems finding the right words at the right time, or thinking way too hard about a topic that wasn't all that interesting.


Also, I think Get-dancing's post has some validity, but more along the lines of "I overcame the bad stuff about it." Also I think some of the stuff that is listed to check for autism might be SYMPTOMS but they're made to be cold hard facts about what that person will be like.

Edit: I tried marijuana in the first place because I heard all sorts of theories comparing autism to being addicted to one drug or the other (mostly it mentioned morphine) But there's also this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punding

I have no idea how THC might relate to dopamine overactivity but maybe someone else on here would.


Edit: I could give a more detailed account to what exactly 'feels' different now but I might not explain it too well.


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## dragonfan (Aug 13, 2007)

Magnus said:
			
		

> I'm autistic too, the only thing that i notice is that i don't like being with other people. It does suck tho, its hard to get a job ><



gosh when did you have it magnus i've had mine since i was a baby.


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## sateva9822 (Aug 13, 2007)

Many casses of Autism is diffrent...


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## Nollix (Aug 13, 2007)

sux2bu lol


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## dragonfan (Aug 13, 2007)

sateva9822 said:
			
		

> Many casses of Autism is diffrent...



true and i don't know a whole lot on it and it's a touchy subject for me.


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## balt-lightning (Aug 13, 2007)

Aspergers and OCD Anyone? Thats me for you all. I don't really mention it, but as there is a thread for it I will do so. I don't mind it, and it doesn't change what I think I am like. I find myself  brilliant.
<3


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## Friskyaa123 (Aug 25, 2007)

Seriously have some marijuana

I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble, and I'm not claiming it's a cure but it definitely has given me a "break" and I feel some kind of positive effect even after I couldn't possibly be high. It's like, when I was really bad, I used to hurt myself pretty badly, so you could say that's the brain's reward system being out of balance. Now I'm feeling compulsions that go the exact opposite way, like wanting to talk to someone afterwards, just wanting company in general.

99.9% of the time I actually use a binaural beat generator (which is a sound program that goes wumwumwum in some way that it achieves an effect in your brain) and I can share it with anyone who's interested. Just PM me.

Only catch is you need headphones, and I found out today it doesn't really work if you have bass-boost turned on. I think it messes up which sounds sound the loudest and probably just screws up the whole process.

Edit: I wouldn't say it completely stops OCD but I swear it activates my kinesthesia (sense of where your body parts are relative to one another) where it was "off" before. Which I guess could go a long way towards controlling certain behaviors done for the sake of "feeling".)


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## FuzzyPinkRaptor (Aug 25, 2007)

X3 My best friend's little brother has Autism, Smart as hell, but not too socially inclined. Matt (His brother) and I have been working on him. He can now hold a decent conversation and acts and talks perfectly fine. >>;

So, Dude, that sucks, but Cheers up. We all got are little quirks, and we ALL need  special needs. X3
Like I could use a back massage, Aye-sap!
Just kidding, but yeah, I know what it is. Just hang in there kid.
((Even though you're older than me.))


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## dragonfan (Sep 20, 2007)

balt-lightning said:
			
		

> Aspergers and OCD Anyone? Thats me for you all. I don't really mention it, but as there is a thread for it I will do so. I don't mind it, and it doesn't change what I think I am like. I find myself  brilliant.
> <3



true



			
				Frisky1753 said:
			
		

> Seriously have some marijuana
> 
> I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble, and I'm not claiming it's a cure but it definitely has given me a "break" and I feel some kind of positive effect even after I couldn't possibly be high. It's like, when I was really bad, I used to hurt myself pretty badly, so you could say that's the brain's reward system being out of balance. Now I'm feeling compulsions that go the exact opposite way, like wanting to talk to someone afterwards, just wanting company in general.
> 
> ...



i still don't understand your statement it's too confusing.



			
				FuzzyPinkRaptor said:
			
		

> X3 My best friend's little brother has Autism, Smart as hell, but not too socially inclined. Matt (His brother) and I have been working on him. He can now hold a decent conversation and acts and talks perfectly fine. >>;
> 
> So, Dude, that sucks, but Cheers up. We all got are little quirks, and we ALL need  special needs. X3
> Like I could use a back massage, Aye-sap!
> ...



gosh lucky him and i am not that smart at all because i didn't learn that fast as other students did in school.it took me months to learn the stuff and now i didn't like it.


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