Comments on: Time for this Elephant to Leave this Circus http://www.shiftjournal.com/2009/11/13/time-for-this-elephant-to-leave-this-circus/ Neurodiversity: autism and Asperger considered in light of social and evolutionary changes; "autistic" explored as a legitimate way of being in the world. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:37:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jameysmom http://www.shiftjournal.com/2009/11/13/time-for-this-elephant-to-leave-this-circus/comment-page-1/#comment-281 jameysmom Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:54:15 +0000 http://www.shiftjournal.com/?p=649#comment-281 Neurodiversity? I don’t see it in the Ari Ne’eman crowd. At least not until they openly acknowledge people like my son and stop pretending autistic persons like him, don't exist. My videos on you tube of my severely autistic son who suffers from self injurious behaviors have been obsessively attacked by some in the neurodiversity movement. Like children having a tantrum, they repeatedly give thumbs down to anyone who applauds me for showing real sides of real severe autism. This is very telling. This shows these alleged advocates for autism are probably not autistic. Consider Rain Man, could U imagine this sweet guy (based on real life person) trolling you tube and attacking a mother like me who has been through hell trying to help my son? It wouldn’t even occur to him, or even Temple Grandin, who has severe Aspergers, to act like or do this. But so called “auties” and “aspies” who hate my guts now, are on a rampage to villify me and downplay my son’s condition because it threatens to expose their narrow driven movement that FAILS or willfully ignores autistic peole like my darling son. Please go to you tube and see the video “autism epidemic out of control.” Many of my friends and family members are helping me spread word about this because it is really scary that such hate, intolerance and outright mean spirited attacks would come against me and my son or anyone else who is dealing with serious issues like self injury. We just want to be included. Why such prejudice against us from the neodiversity crowd? Why such hate? Mockery? It is simply unreal that these neurodiversity fanatics are even posting things on “wrong planet” (a good site) like “the mother must feel guilty” or she’s got munchasen by proxy, or “she’s whacked.” This is often funny to me, actually, as I gather their comments and really look at the kind of spirit they have. It is not one of helping people like my son. It is not empathetic. Nor considerate. Nor of love. They are driven by a spirit of self-preservation. They have an agenda. They’ve fooled a lot of people. And cases like my son are driving them crazy. So, they want to shred us. Shut me up. It won’t work. In fact, it will work against them. Some, however, in the neurodiversity movement are really kind, honest and open minded people who have Aspergers and actually acknowledge my son’s severe autism and support us, and for that I am grateful. I wish they could all be so honest and kind. I have a close relative with Aspergers and he in no way would ever downplay my son’s autism or attack it because it made him look bad. Is it too much to ask that my son's severe autism self injury and seizure challenges are discussed in neurodiversity circles? Why such prejudice against his type of autism? Why downplay it as it he isn't part of neurodiversity? I think my son's case baffles and infuriates some neurodiversity folks because when you see him slamming his fists into his head, clearly, this isn't an autistic person you'd say "to just accept as he is." Well, the truth is, I accept my son's autism. But that doesn't remove the fact that his self injurious behaviors, which are deeply rooted in the autism, can be ignored or 'celebrated'. This is serious stuff and for a neurodiversity movement to willfully ignore this autsitic population is unethical and shows extreme prejudice. Severe to profound autism is real and must be acknowledged if you claim to really care about autism advocacy. I'm not the type of mom who blames vaccines, by the way. I'm probably baffling to the neurodiversity movement because I share some of their beliefs, but I also am very vocal about how serious self injury is within the more severe sides of autism. They just can't figure me out. So, sadly, some attack me. Neurodiversity? I don’t see it in the Ari Ne’eman crowd. At least not until they openly acknowledge people like my son and stop pretending autistic persons like him, don’t exist. My videos on you tube of my severely autistic son who suffers from self injurious behaviors have been obsessively attacked by some in the neurodiversity movement. Like children having a tantrum, they repeatedly give thumbs down to anyone who applauds me for showing real sides of real severe autism. This is very telling. This shows these alleged advocates for autism are probably not autistic. Consider Rain Man, could U imagine this sweet guy (based on real life person) trolling you tube and attacking a mother like me who has been through hell trying to help my son? It wouldn’t even occur to him, or even Temple Grandin, who has severe Aspergers, to act like or do this. But so called “auties” and “aspies” who hate my guts now, are on a rampage to villify me and downplay my son’s condition because it threatens to expose their narrow driven movement that FAILS or willfully ignores autistic peole like my darling son. Please go to you tube and see the video “autism epidemic out of control.” Many of my friends and family members are helping me spread word about this because it is really scary that such hate, intolerance and outright mean spirited attacks would come against me and my son or anyone else who is dealing with serious issues like self injury. We just want to be included. Why such prejudice against us from the neodiversity crowd? Why such hate? Mockery? It is simply unreal that these neurodiversity fanatics are even posting things on “wrong planet” (a good site) like “the mother must feel guilty” or she’s got munchasen by proxy, or “she’s whacked.” This is often funny to me, actually, as I gather their comments and really look at the kind of spirit they have. It is not one of helping people like my son. It is not empathetic. Nor considerate. Nor of love. They are driven by a spirit of self-preservation. They have an agenda. They’ve fooled a lot of people. And cases like my son are driving them crazy. So, they want to shred us. Shut me up. It won’t work. In fact, it will work against them. Some, however, in the neurodiversity movement are really kind, honest and open minded people who have Aspergers and actually acknowledge my son’s severe autism and support us, and for that I am grateful. I wish they could all be so honest and kind. I have a close relative with Aspergers and he in no way would ever downplay my son’s autism or attack it because it made him look bad. Is it too much to ask that my son’s severe autism self injury and seizure challenges are discussed in neurodiversity circles? Why such prejudice against his type of autism? Why downplay it as it he isn’t part of neurodiversity? I think my son’s case baffles and infuriates some neurodiversity folks because when you see him slamming his fists into his head, clearly, this isn’t an autistic person you’d say “to just accept as he is.” Well, the truth is, I accept my son’s autism. But that doesn’t remove the fact that his self injurious behaviors, which are deeply rooted in the autism, can be ignored or ‘celebrated’. This is serious stuff and for a neurodiversity movement to willfully ignore this autsitic population is unethical and shows extreme prejudice. Severe to profound autism is real and must be acknowledged if you claim to really care about autism advocacy. I’m not the type of mom who blames vaccines, by the way. I’m probably baffling to the neurodiversity movement because I share some of their beliefs, but I also am very vocal about how serious self injury is within the more severe sides of autism. They just can’t figure me out. So, sadly, some attack me.

]]> By: Mark Stairwalt http://www.shiftjournal.com/2009/11/13/time-for-this-elephant-to-leave-this-circus/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Mark Stairwalt Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:26:10 +0000 http://www.shiftjournal.com/?p=649#comment-72 Point well taken; autism need not be an exception. The definitions of psychopathology, as James Hillman has pointed out, can never stand up universally across time and space. And since those definitions are all social constructs, those to whom they apply can be best integrated into society, if that's what they want, by having a hand in that construction themselves -- as well as by those who are not so defined coming to accept that the whole business of defining one another, when viewed across a span of centuries, bears an uncomfortable resemblance to <a href="http://net.educause.edu/er/erm07/erm0731_fig.gif" rel="nofollow">Calvinball</a>. Point well taken; autism need not be an exception. The definitions of psychopathology, as James Hillman has pointed out, can never stand up universally across time and space. And since those definitions are all social constructs, those to whom they apply can be best integrated into society, if that’s what they want, by having a hand in that construction themselves — as well as by those who are not so defined coming to accept that the whole business of defining one another, when viewed across a span of centuries, bears an uncomfortable resemblance to Calvinball.

]]> By: abfh http://www.shiftjournal.com/2009/11/13/time-for-this-elephant-to-leave-this-circus/comment-page-1/#comment-71 abfh Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:25:20 +0000 http://www.shiftjournal.com/?p=649#comment-71 Indeed. And I would also add that we need mental disorder stigma -- all of it, not just as it relates to autism -- out of our society. To the extent that it is appropriate to classify any condition as a "mental disorder," the people so labeled should be given access to treatment, services and accommodations, rather than being stigmatized and excluded. Indeed.

And I would also add that we need mental disorder stigma — all of it, not just as it relates to autism — out of our society. To the extent that it is appropriate to classify any condition as a “mental disorder,” the people so labeled should be given access to treatment, services and accommodations, rather than being stigmatized and excluded.

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