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Article: Just Plain Fed Up

The Curebie debate continues to rage and while it's not normally a thing I'd get involved with, there's quite an intelligent article from Tiff on Life on the Spectrum

The article is called;

Just Plain Fed Up
http://lifeonthes.blogspot.com/2009/04/just-plain-fed-up.html

It walks the fine line between curing and acceptance and advocates neither. If it advocates anything, it's an end to advocacy. There's no doubt about it Tiff would certainly investigate a cure if one came along but it's this line that makes her different;

I'm not shinning a positive light on autism, I'm shinning a positive light on my SON who happens to have autism. He has a lot of gifts and I refuse to walk around looking like I've just attend his funeral so people can throw money towards a cure

I'm not sure that I agree with a cessation of all advocacy. After all, it's advocacy that gets ideas off the drawing board and into real life. I do however agree with Tiff's sentiments. Those with the condition or those who are caring for a family member with the condition are best placed to present their "individual faces" of autism. Nobody is really up to the task of presenting a single unified "face of autism" because there is no unity. Everyone is unique.

The Cure
Right now, there is no cure for autism, just a bunch of dangerous and untested theories and therapies. There's no point in a curebie debate (to cure or not to cure) simply because there is no cure.

I'm also not terribly interested in throwing money towards the search for a cure because I'm not convinced that one will be found. I'm even less certain that I or my children would want it if it were found.

Of course, I accept that there are people out there who would do anything for a cure but lets face it. If they announced a cure tomorrow, it would still be ten years before it reached the common people and by that time, most of our affected children will be grown up and able to make the decision for themselves.

I'd much rather see the "search for a cure" money being put to use providing better facilities for the children and parents with autism. They need support now, not dreams tomorrow.

Acceptance
Tiff puts her finger on the crux of the whole thing. Acceptance. That's what makes the difference between a good parent and a great one. It's obvious that she's not only accepted her son's condition but is also able to enjoy the little touches that his unique gifts bring.

There's also great followup article on Saved Aspie, called;

The Cure Debate Continues
http://savedaspie.blogspot.com/2009/04/cure-debate-continues.html

This has some interesting real-life recollections about meeting the parents with the wrong attitude and it's well worth a read.

Normal is just so over-rated. Instead of trying to force your aspie to fit into the "normal box", why not try to see them for the amazing people that they are. There's a good reason why many aspies don't want to be cured.
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Comments

The Rambling Taoist said…
I agree with you. I don't think a cure will ever be found. If, at some point, a cure is found, then we can deal with the situation. Until then, I just deal with my life as is.
April 9, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Ronald said…
I think the desire to find a cure for Autism, in particular high functioning autism like Aspergers, is a very dangerous one. It inclines towards attempting to make people all the same and putting an end to interresting diversity in people. From a progress point of view its probably outright dangerous. Lots of scientists and inventors are on the spectrum, if these people are "cured" at a youg age I think humanity's progress will probably slow down. I think my point is that we dont all need to be NT's, however much the NT dominated world wants to assimulate us. Diversity is a wonderful thing, people on the spectrum have a right to be different.
April 10, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Ronald said…
I agree, normal is overrated. Normal is dull. Normal is average. Normal is often shallow. We have more that enough "normal" people as it is. We _need_ people on the spectrum, with deep interests and fascinations, people that make life interresting. And besides, have you ever met a truely "normal" person? And? Did you like it?
April 10, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Beastinblack said…
the only 'cure' is acceptance. Pure and simple. Without acceptance and understanding there is a problem.

Like they say, communism works in theory, problem is people are just too damn different.

Diversity is ESSENTIAL for the prosperity of a species, and life, dawinism clearly states that.

My hero Einstein was thought to be on the spectrum, and he managed to say some of the most beautiful things about any topic that was thrown at him. Am I showing arrogance when I say we can look at things from such a different level that it can be uncomprehendable to the vast majority.

Certain music such as mozart has to ability to physically paralise me. I cant call that normal!
April 11, 2009 at 7:31 PM
Anonymous said…
I've come to think that autism, as well as baldness, are both forms of evolution.

baldness: pointing out which males have particular traits and which don't. By marking our species, mating becomes easier. Unfortunately society has made baldness the opposite of attractive in a lot of ways, like making models the 'idea woman' rather than what the majority of women look like.

autism: the beginning of change. we've been here less than 0.00000001 of a blink of an eye, so right now, human kind is working out the kinks. I feel like as an 'aspie' (I hate that term!), that my natural numb nature towards others is just thousands of years of the 'emotions' that have led to every evil word in the dictionary through wars, takeovers, genocide, holocausts, everything a result of a disagreement one way or another.


my point? there is no cure for evolution. evolution cures us.
April 15, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Unknown said…
I agree that autism cannot be "cured". I do believe that it can be recovered. The reason that I do what I do is because my son is physically ill (and he happens to have autism). If it were called childhood cancer or even indigestion, I would still treat the physical symptoms and not worry about the label. I wrote an article for Age of Autism on this topic. It will be in on Sunday. Check it out. :)
July 31, 2009 at 12:44 AM
EnthusiasticGamer said…
I'm starting to see life as pointless. My roommate gives me a hard time and takes out his frustrations on me regularly. Then again M life has been a history of people yelling at me and treating me unfairly for things that aren't always my fault. Talk about the story of my life. One day I'll verbally snap at my roommate and all hell will break lose. I'm growing sick of humans and their petty ego's these jackasses never change, yet they don't realize our society conditions them that way.
November 11, 2016 at 2:25 AM
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