Autism

[Random Queen]

Alright, I made a thread on this subject a while back but it got out of hand and I closed it down. I didn't want to remake it until I knew everything was settled down, but I guess I waited a little longer then I should have. There is a good reason.

I started a vlog on the 20th and yesterday I had my almost 10 year old autistic brother make a special Autism Segment. I figured that now would be a great time to start this thread again, but put my brother's thoughts about Autism in it.

Here's the video: YouTube - Autism Segment

So now, let's have a civil discussion on Autism and keep it civil with no arguments plz. Thank you

 

[Wehrmacht]

Autism isn't a good thing and people shouldn't feel proud about having it. All it means is you're weird and probably have trouble functioning properly in society without help. It doesn't mean you're special, you're just an oddball.

 

[thylings]

^ Agreement.

But I will say that any disease a person has is a misfortune and all they can do is work their hardest to live a good and normal life.

 

[Dogenzaka]

Some autistic kids are amazing at some things. There's a painter with photographic memory who can get on a roof and look at a city's skyline for 5 minutes, go into his basement and paint an exact replica of what he saw from memory.

My friend's brother's autistic, though, and at this point he's just a social annoyance. Poor kid. My mom helps take care of him sometimes because she has a heart for kids with disabilities. I'm sure someday he'll be amazing at something, though. He seems to take a knack for building stuff, at the moment.

 

[Wehrmacht]

Having a narrow and intense interest in something can mean you getting good at something, but as far as I know being autistic doesn't really make you more talented or smarter than anyone else by default. There are smart autistic people and autistic people that...aren't very bright (and I'm sure we're all familiar with that side of the coin by this point :v ).

So yeah.

 

[Siren]

I've got to say that I agree with everything CS is saying. While they don't deserve to be ridiculed, having a disability isn't necessarily something to be proud of, especially one that makes you a social nuisance and puts your family members through constant, constant stress.

 

[Random Queen]

Autism can be a good thing. There a people with Autism that can become famous.

People with autism are so misunderstood. It kinda makes me feel bad for people like my brother. Some autistic people are very social, like my brother. They do get slightly obnoxious, trust me, I've helped take care of my brother since I was 7. But the thing is, there are those who will misunderstand these people.

Alot of them do have short tempers, but despite the short tempers they are very kind people. And they can be very good at things. My brother is a pretty good gammer. He might get frustrated with the games but he's beaten more video games within two years then I'll ever beat in my life time.

 

[Siren]

If you don't mind my asking, does your brother have full-blown autism or does he have Asperger's Syndrome?

 

[Random Queen]

If you don't mind my asking, does your brother have full-blown autism or does he have Asperger's Syndrome?

He has full blown autism. He was diagnosed at the age of 2.

 

[Wehrmacht]

I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when I was 12. It isn't really something I bring up very often, even around friends, because

a) as I already said I don't feel like it's anything to be proud of

b) when people usually admit to having AS on the internet it's usually as an excuse for dumb behavior (to the point where you're usually considered a laughingstock if you admit to having it), and I find that unacceptable.

It's not really something you'd notice unless you met me IRL; I mostly just pretend there's nothing wrong with me (or more like there isn't a specific name to the pattern of my odd behaviors) and that I'm just weird, but a weird that can be remedied to help me function better. Being proud about it is bad, but moaning and crying about it doesn't really do much for you eiher.

 

[Nyangoro]

Here's the thing: Autism is not a good thing. Given the nature of the disorder, it can have beneficial side-effects (such as an intense focus on music, art, etc.); but the disorder itself isn't good. Musicians with Autism would have been equally as capable in their music without it.

Autism itself negatively impacts social behavior to the point where it can hinder rational thought.

I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when I was 12.

Wow, I would never have guessed. Is it a fairly mild case (even for Asperger's)?

 

[Wehrmacht]

Given the nature of the disorder, it can have beneficial side-effects (such as an intense focus on music, art, etc.)

Even that can be bad if the interest itself isn't something that can be particularly helpful or useful.

For example, outside of bragging rights and some minimal pride, what would the good be in having an intense focus in video games to the point where you're really good at them? I guess there are things like tournaments with cash prizes and all, but...

Wow, I would never have guessed. Is it a fairly mild case (even for Asperger's)?

Seems to be, because I've never had any problem recognizing sarcasm or picking up subtle social hints or other miscellaneous things that are ridiculously apparent in people with more severe cases. I'm just odd, reserved, and not very good at speaking.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Having autism, as Chev and Riel said, definitely isn't something to be proud of, nor is it something to be mocked of either.

 

[Random Queen]

Sombre: You don't have to be proud of it if you don't wanna be. I'm really not one to tell you what you should or shouldn't be proud of it, but for those of those who are proud to have autism like my brother, should not have to be condemned for being proud.

There are alot of people within the autism society that do go very far in life. And some people with autism are 10 times better at things then "normal" people can be. Take my brother for example, he loves video games and has beaten alot of them within the past 2 years. Granted there are some games he can't play very well, but he's excelled pretty far with them.

 

[Roa]

Autism isn't a good thing and people shouldn't feel proud about having it. All it means is you're weird and probably have trouble functioning properly in society without help. It doesn't mean you're special, you're just an oddball.

I have to highly disagree with you. Infac,t i'm going WTF at the moment. :O

Yes, it does cause social disfuction sometimes. (Some people more than others.) But, as random queen said, there are plently of people with Ausitm that have done great things.

It's even believed by some that Albert Einstien had Aspergers sydrome. (damn I should know how to spell that correctly. >:d) which, I can see that.

I don't think it's something to be ashamed of. No not at all. Even though they might be looked down upon by other people for it, they still are people. They still have things that make them unique. And the. . symptoms (or whatever you'd like to call it) is just who they are. If they like learning about. . . let's say Garbage (heard of one kid who autism who was obsessed with it, but idk) well then, that's what they like to do. It's just them. And hell, maybe they would even solve a lot of the worlds garbage problems or make a breathrough. If they didn't have austism, or never became obsessed with Garbage then, that wouldn't have happened at all.

*sorry for rambling then*

So no, its' not something to be ashamed of, if you look at the bright side of things. Some people, as dogen said, have incrediable memory and intellienge, that's a good thing.

I'm not saying hte social disfunction is good by any means, but it's their hand of cards. Dont' call them an oddball for And all they can do with the bad, is work on getting better on that stuff.

But either way, I should stop rambling on here. <:

 

[Siren]

Even that can be bad if the interest itself isn't something that can be particularly helpful or useful.

For example, outside of bragging rights and some minimal pride, what would the good be in having an intense focus in video games to the point where you're really good at them? I guess there are things like tournaments with cash prizes and all, but...



Seems to be, because I've never had any problem recognizing sarcasm or picking up subtle social hints. I'm just odd, reserved, and not very good at speaking.

That isn't really saying too much; I've got some of the same behaviors but I've never been diagnosed with any form of mental disorder. Is misdiagnosing an illness/disorder as prevalent in Brazil as it is in the United States?

If you don't mind me asking, and before a million people ask the same thing: like Nevermore said, it's very hard to tell. Does this mean that you simply find yourself uncomfortable with face-to-face interactions and function better on a forum where you have a certain degree of anonymity, or do you have to 'keep yourself in check'; look out for odd mannerisms, etc. ?

but for those of those who are proud to have autism like my brother, should not have to be condemned for being proud.

Then I'm forced to ask if your brother would be proud if he were born with six fingers, or missing a limb; a disorder is a disorder, and being proud of something like Autism simply doesn't make sense to me. To each his own, I suppose.

Edit:

To Roa: Aside from the number of issues making your post very confusing, I'd like to say that your point is fairly invalid. While there are some good 'side-effects', as has been pointed out, most of these abilities would still be present if the person were not living with Autism. One of the defining characteristics of the disorder is that of social dysfunction, and often times it's to the point that it is dangerous to have someone with autism in a normal setting (see: a school).

 

[Wehrmacht]

Sombre: You don't have to be proud of it if you don't wanna be. I'm really not one to tell you what you should or shouldn't be proud of it, but for those of those who are proud to have autism like my brother, should not have to be condemned for being proud.

Being incapable of picking up on the finer points of social interaction isn't really something to take pride in.

That isn't really saying too much; I've got some of the same behaviors but I've never been diagnosed with any form of mental disorder. Is misdiagnosing an illness/disorder as prevalent in Brazil as it is in the United States?

I really couldn't tell you.

If you don't mind me asking, and before a million people ask the same thing: like Nevermore said, it's very hard to tell. Does this mean that you simply find yourself uncomfortable with face-to-face interactions and function better on a forum where you have a certain degree of anonymity, or do you have to 'keep yourself in check'; look out for odd mannerisms, etc. ?

For me AS seems to mostly manifest itself in odd habits (i.e: walking around in zigzag, talking to myself, walking around aimlessly in the house, sitting oddly, etc). I have experienced a degree of social inefficiency and discomfort in face-to-face social interactions in recent years, but considering how I'm told I was fairly happy and sociable as a kid, I assume that's something that created itself rather than something I was inherently born with.

I do find it somewhat easier to express myself on something like a forum, but that might be because where I live the tongue I have to speak to get messages across isn't one I'm very comfortable with, despite it being my native tongue.

 

[Silh]

COME HERE SKITTLES

 

[Orion]

Some autistic kids are amazing at some things. There's a painter with photographic memory who can get on a roof and look at a city's skyline for 5 minutes, go into his basement and paint an exact replica of what he saw from memory.

And this is where we move into the area of the savants. These are the more unique/lucky ones who's shortcomings are outweighed by the great gift they present to the world.

Autism can be a good thing. There a people with Autism that can become famous.

The ones with 'gifts' like the savants is what makes them famous. Most ordinary autistic people won't become any kind of famous. Most people don't even like to think it exists.

Alot of them do have short tempers, but despite the short tempers they are very kind people. And they can be very good at things. My brother is a pretty good gammer. He might get frustrated with the games but he's beaten more video games within two years then I'll ever beat in my life time.

Reactions of anger emerge from autistic people when their environment changes. They need a stable, regular, even time-tabled life to function well, because there's the security. When you remove that, they react badly. Similarly, your brother, in playing many varieties of games, will have been met with challenges that could not be solved with his method of thinking. Because of that, he had to change his methods and way of thinking, which would have brought out anger.

b) when people usually admit to having AS on the internet it's usually as an excuse for dumb behavior (to the point where you're usually considered a laughingstock if you admit to having it), and I find that unacceptable.

Didn't Karutomaru say he had Asperger's?

An interesting hypothesis in relation to autism and/or asperger's syndrome was the 'hypersensitive' theory. The brains of most autistic - as well as some asperger's - are physically wired in a fashion similar to normal people, but the number of connections between neurons and portions of the brains is 150% that of normal or more. It's an interesting and convincing way to look at things.
Their lives would be difficult enough. Throw in an element as confusing and complex as human relations, and the barrage of sensory input they usually get is then piled on top of trying to manage human interaction, which is a complex business for most normal people.
While this part isn't necessarily part of the hypothesis, it's my own speculation that it's a possible branch of human evolution, trying to give the brain more 'space' and processing speed and power, but so far it has only really led to hypersensitivity in most people who possess it.

 

[Random Queen]

So no, its' not something to be ashamed of, if you look at the bright side of things. Some people, as dogen said, have incrediable memory and intellienge, that's a good thing.

Okay...the intelligence is a very good thing, but the memory, I have discovered isn't always a good thing.

We've had quite a....dramatic past and some of the things my brother brings up is from those...erm...bad things that happened in our past. Memory can serve as a bad thing because if something leaks out from our past, it can end badly. Just saying...

Edit: You do bring up some very valuable points. My brother does react different when he plays harder games like Final Fantasy, which I told him that I don't want him playing anymore because he got too overwhelmed and Halo, which we don't have anymore. Actually I can pretty much say it's mostly T rated games he gets more annoyed with. But he is pretty good at other games like those lego video games and Kingdom Hearts.