Because there are people out there who are autistic, who like to share what it’s like to be autistic with other autistic people, and who like to talk (or type) about experiences of being autistic.

An easy parallel is deaf culture, or blind culture, wheelie culture or crip culture. Despite having a (now) blind sister (with blind husband) I thought condition related identity was crap too. Then I actually spent some time looking into it. You are way behind the times.

Without realising it, you’re actually contributing to autistic culture by your actions of speaking about – and putting value to – your experiences as an autistic person.

“I really think you are full of it.”

Not sure why you think this, as you failed to explain yourself again. I find it incredible that you seem to believe disability advocates have always been given a platform, and that you seem to think the long term cultural shifts towards self-determinism and inclusion (as well as the shift towards autistic friendly mediums) have had nothing to do with the increase in autism advocacy.

If you’re going to start resorting to insults rather than reasons, at least make sure they make your opponent – and not youself – be the one that looks bad.

I apologise for the tone of my earlier posts, but not the content, if you honestly only have autism preventing you from reaching your particular life goal, then you are certainly from a more privileged background than most autistic people I know.

Medical Interventions for Autism Annual Tax Returns 2004

http://www.casewatch.org/990/index.shtml record how $735,000.00 was donated to “Thoughtful House-funds startup costs of organization in Austin TX to conduct scientific research, clinical services and education in order to cure individuals with autism”.

It’s worthy of note that the President of MIA at that time was Dr Andrew Wakefield who went on to be Chief Executive Officer at Thoughtful House.

There’s nothing more to be said!

It is not the case that Neurodiversity is OK for high functioning autism and Asperger’s Syndrome but low functioning people with autistic disorder need a cure. From my point of view Neurodiversity means valuing the whole person and identifying their strengths as well as their difficulties. It does not mean ignoring the problems or painting a too rosy picture of the autistic condition.

For autistic people I imagine, for I cannot know for certain, that Neurodiversity entails coming together with other autistic people in order to strengthen yourself in your personal and political life. Culture describes what happens when people come together on a shared basis. This could be aesthetic or scientific or ideological etc. Autistic culture is what happens when people come together on the basis of their autism.

It does not preclude them belonging to other cultures at the same time. Nor does it preclude differences within autistic culture. We need to embrace pluralism as a necessary adjunct to Neurodiversity.

Check “autism” Big story on new incidence figures.

Then separately check “MMR”. Nothing, but UK confidence restored.

The incidence coverage either entirely ignores the vaccine, or makes passing reference to the debunking.

It’s quite clear that the US isn’t going to see what they saw in the UK.

Ain’t gonna happen.

I was aware of being socially disadvantaged well before my diagnosis, but then I was a carer, and having been unavailable for employment ruined my future chances somewhat.

However what I learnt was that Disability Culture exists. My mum severely impaired by any account was able, after she had been forced to give up her work because of disability to make a significant impact on the disability environment both locally and nationally, being part of a movement that led to real changes over time.

This is what Disability Culture has achieved and this is why Autistic culture is necessary. It gives us something positive whilst we are awaiting a “cure” if you like, or in my case awaiting those radical changes in society which I believe will be of benefit to a great many other communities besides Autism.

In fact Autistic culture like any other culture has a lot to give outside of the culture never mind within it.

Sure my life can be crap sometimes, especially at this time of year as I see others indulging in the socially oriented festivities at Christmas. But that isn’t the point, I have a mission, and I am earnestly working on it all the time.

A “cure” for autism (which I define as removing all autistic traits, both visible and invisible, from an individual) would not be something trivial like a pill. Some of the neurological atypicalities involved, such as atypical connectivity, would almost certainly not be changeable with anything short of highly destructive surgery. Also, many of the cognitive effects of autism, such as atypical sense of self, or increased compartmentalization, are integral to the individual. “Curing” autism would be the equivalent of reformatting a hard drive, and would more properly be described as a “brain transplant” rather than a “cure”. Now, lessening the impact of some of the deficits of autism might be possible to do nondestructively in some cases, but that is quite different from removing all traces of autism from a person, and should not (in my opinion) be called a “cure”.

And my take on abuse: The problem is not the autistics. The problem is psychotics, sociopaths and low-grade opportunists who favor them as targets. As far as I’m concerned, something like “restraint and seclusion” SHOULD be used against these kinds of abusers (that, or just expel them all).

I’m not accusing anyone of anything.