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Thread: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

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    Default The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    I've noticed this weird trend where autism is suddenly viewed by the public and various media outlets as some kind of disease that confers mystical powers onto the afflicted person. I do understand that some autistic people have certain talents, but the shifts in public perception that I've been observing has gotten a bit too reverential towards this disease. It seems like suddenly autistic people are perceived as beings who can tap into the mysteries of the universe with their magical and inscrutable powers. In various media outlets, I keep hearing about individuals who are supposedly experts about stuff, who are described as having autism as an apparent means of bolstering their credibility or discouraging you from questioning their insights (because, I suppose, they are privy to information that 'normal' people aren't).

    Has anyone else noticed this? What the fuck is going on here?

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Disease du jour.

    Every couple of years there's some new diagnosis, some new "disease" that is not fully defined (at least in the public mind) and becomes a catch all for all sorts of problems. A wonderfully bulletproof label that you can slap on a problem and not have to defend, explain or even control, because quite obviously, no one else knows what they're talking about. Harumph!

    "Poor dear, he has (disease du jour). He can't control himself, it's not his fault, no one knows how to treat it, we can't do anything about it."

    This is NOT to say that it isn't real. This is only to say that they each in turn become grossly over-diagnosed and used as a catch-all excuse for all sorts of stuff.

    A few years ago, it was ADHD. Now it's "Autism".
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    I agree with Chimera. In a few years, people will be fascinated with something else.
    Nothing is impossible! Not if you can imagine it. That's what being a scientist is all about!

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    What Chimera said. Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means it'll explain away any bizarre behavior. It's not easily quantified, but a label will guarantee all sorts of special accommodations for the child when he is in school. It's an easy, almost safe way to game the system and to deflect responsibility away from the parents. The kid's a total shithead? Well, it's not our fault, he has autism.
    There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches. -- Ray Bradbury's "Coda"

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by MsRobyn
    Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means it'll explain away any bizarre behavior.
    This, exactly. It's become very easy for parents to explain away bad or bizarre behavior by saying, "Well, he's on the spectrum."
    It's become so commonplace, that just what spectrum your kid is on doesn't even need explaining.

    It makes me feel all smashie.
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    When I was in high school, it was little kids with ADD. And ADHD. Special little snowflakes who needed all sorts of attention and extra programs and stuff. Y'know, I kinda tend to think some of them were just brats.

    And I see above Chimera already mentioned ADHD. So, yeah, pretty much.
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    It's true that autism is the disease du jour, but that doesn't answer the OP's question. The public hasn't conferred mystical powers on ADD kids.

    I think any obsession over autism and special powers is a result of the fact that the idea of strange abilities is very compelling, and some (though very few) autistic individuals are indeed savants.

    The tendency to link all autism with savant syndrome probably started right around the movie "Rain Man." Also, Temple Grandin's interesting life story, as popularized by Oliver Sacks and her own writings, have doubtless contributed.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by fsghjvdhkjschks
    I've noticed this weird trend where autism is suddenly viewed by the public and various media outlets as some kind of disease that confers mystical powers onto the afflicted person. I do understand that some autistic people have certain talents, but the shifts in public perception that I've been observing has gotten a bit too reverential towards this disease. It seems like suddenly autistic people are perceived as beings who can tap into the mysteries of the universe with their magical and inscrutable powers. In various media outlets, I keep hearing about individuals who are supposedly experts about stuff, who are described as having autism as an apparent means of bolstering their credibility or discouraging you from questioning their insights (because, I suppose, they are privy to information that 'normal' people aren't).

    Has anyone else noticed this? What the fuck is going on here?
    There is a definite rise in the incidence of autism, and autism isn't one of those diseases that completely obliterates your ability to think and reason. Autistic people do have minds in there, and some of them are quite brilliant.

    With that being the case, whenever you hear of some behavior that inevitably seems to favor special treatment of some group of children, do you ever need to look any further than parental activism? Yes, I get that autism is terrible and cystic fibrosis is terrible and cerebral palsy is terrible and there are so many terrible things that happen to children. No, I'm not putting a dumb ribbon on my car for all of them. My car would be covered with dumb ribbons. I have to save a space for whatever my future kid ends up having.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by CairoCarol
    It's true that autism is the disease du jour, but that doesn't answer the OP's question. The public hasn't conferred mystical powers on ADD kids.

    I think any obsession over autism and special powers is a result of the fact that the idea of strange abilities is very compelling, and some (though very few) autistic individuals are indeed savants.
    Exactly! It's not just that it's the "in" disease-- it's the idea that somehow autistic people are more qualified in their assessments of things, which I think totally fallacious and damaging to the understanding and treatment of this disorder. I understand that some autistic people are very talented, but it irks me that autism is being used as a measure of expert qualification and a means of authoritatively quieting disagreement about a subject (e.g. in a dialogue between a non-autistic expert vs. an autistic expert, the autistic expert automatically wins because the latter is perceived to have access to a trove of hidden information that the non-autistic guy doesn't have).

    To draw another analogy, just because a synesthete sees Tuesday as green doesn't mean that 1) non-synesthetes should accept that Tuesday is green, 2) that other synesthetes see Tuesday as green, or 3) Tuesday really is green.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    But don't the remarkable abilities of some of these autistic savants hint at the potentiality of the human brain? Some of them certainly fill me with wonder.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

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    Oliphaunt featherlou's avatar
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by fsghjvdhkjschks
    <snip>
    To draw another analogy, just because a synesthete sees Tuesday as green doesn't mean that 1) non-synesthetes should accept that Tuesday is green, 2) that other synesthetes see Tuesday as green, or 3) Tuesday really is green.
    Well, duh - everyone knows Tuesday is blue.

    You raise an interesting question, fsgh. I think it probably is the savantism that has people treating autism differently than ADD or ADHD, and perhaps people with autims who don't have any degree of savantism are riding on the savant coattails.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by ivan astikov
    But don't the remarkable abilities of some of these autistic savants hint at the potentiality of the human brain? Some of them certainly fill me with wonder.
    In a way, I agree. In fact, I read a fascinating story in Harper's a few years ago about a guy with Asperger's who knew everything there was to know about the NY subway system-- he had literally encyclopedic knowledge about everything, practical and historical. However, instead of the city taking advantage of this incredible resource, they instead banned the guy from coming anywhere near the subway. It was fucking tragic and a waste.

    However, I see this case as somewhat different. I see Asperger's as the trigger for the guy becoming an expert, but I would argue that the guy's expertise was derived from actual effort and interest, not from some magical hand that bestowed omniscience onto him. I'm not saying that autistic people actually make the claim that they have magical insights, but I feel like that's the romantic yarn being spun by media these days. It's grating.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    I also think it's just disease du jour, plus perhaps a slight morbid fascination with those who suffer autism that develop incredible abilities, the autistic savants.

    That's not to say that cases of autism are inflated and not as numerous as reported, just that we focus in this disease more than others.

    I'm going to bet that the next fad is going to be: Cerebral Palsy. In two years it will seem like every other kid and his bully has it.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by CairoCarol
    It's true that autism is the disease du jour, but that doesn't answer the OP's question. The public hasn't conferred mystical powers on ADD kids.

    I think any obsession over autism and special powers is a result of the fact that the idea of strange abilities is very compelling, and some (though very few) autistic individuals are indeed savants.

    The tendency to link all autism with savant syndrome probably started right around the movie "Rain Man." Also, Temple Grandin's interesting life story, as popularized by Oliver Sacks and her own writings, have doubtless contributed.
    I remember articles back in the 90s that said that ADD would have been a beneficial trait to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, that it is only a drawback in our modern society full of repetitive tasks, and that ADD kids were more perceptive and brighter than those without on average.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    I remember articles similar to what Badtz Maru mentions. There were lists that tried to claim pretty much any genius in history as being ADD as well.

    Also, I can remember people making claims that ADD kids were actually the Indigo Children.
    So now they are just dirt-covered English people in fur pelts with credit cards.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Caerie
    I remember articles similar to what Badtz Maru mentions. There were lists that tried to claim pretty much any genius in history as being ADD as well.

    Also, I can remember people making claims that ADD kids were actually the Indigo Children.
    My brother-in-law sent my wife a bunch of links once that he felt proved that my stepdaughter was an Indigo Child. Luckily, he's a dumbass sometimes but willing to admit when he is being stupid, and he's embarassed over the whole episode now.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Alien Crouton
    Quote Originally posted by fsghjvdhkjschks
    There is a definite rise in the incidence of autism
    I believe I heard this explained on.. NPR was it? That we test for it more now. The same way nobody was allergic to peanuts but now there's peanut bans in schools. In 1920 the kid had a fit and came down ill. Sometin's wrong with that boy. Nowadays we can test to see what it is and likely lessen the chance of them dying of it while in the past they might've just died and been taken off the list of people with the problem, lessening the figures.

    Same for.. Well.. Latex allergies, asthma, heart conditions, any sort of cancer, especially for those in childhood, diabetes (not too many diabetics in the 1920s.. they all.. well.. died. Long before being counted).

    Other sudden "rises" are of societies doing. Back injuries. Try and sue for one in the 40s. They weren't counted because they weren't considered important. Once they're considered important (hell.. Two people I know at work are out on extended leave because of them) people realize there's funding for people with those issues. And especially for the issues that are hard to disprove.

    The gays are rising in number because of changes in society... Or... from chemicals from our industries changing the ways their minds are wired. Achems Razor, anybody?

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    The gays are rising in number because of changes in society... Or... from chemicals from our industries changing the ways their minds are wired.
    Or, gay numbers have been relatively fixed but changes in society are now allowing them to express their sexuality.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Ah, thanks Ivan, I think you put it more clearly than I, that's what I meant in the first part of that.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    So am I the only person who doesn't know what the OP is talking about? If anything, I think I've heard less about autistic savants lately; with all the furor over vaccines/mercury/et cetera as possible causes of autism, it seems like people generally are pretty aware that autism is not exactly something to hope for.

    Don't let me get in the way of the nice bandwagon you guys are building there, but I'm wondering if the OP knows of any examples of people imputing quasi-mystical traits to autistic kids. I've seen plenty of mysticism surrounding autism, but only in terms of people claiming magical cures for it.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Excalibre
    So am I the only person who doesn't know what the OP is talking about?
    Nope. I was hoping for some cites to get a better idea.

    I don't doubt that there is some public attention on the idea that autism can be positive. I'm sure some of this is due to the misperception that autism = savantism. However, some of it is also put out there deliberately by autistic people and their allies to counteract what they consider to be the dangerous and offensive views that autism is a disease that must be cured, that autistic people are more importantly "autistic" than "people," that having an autistic child is nothing but a tragedy for parents, etc.

    For example, Autism Speaks is an organization whose goal is "to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals."

    However, another autism advocacy organization has this to say:
    -Autism Speaks advertising is highly offensive to autistic people and our families, with ads that compare a life on the autism spectrum to a car accident, being struck by lightning, a terminal illness and other fatal situations. Rather than work to decrease stigma and increase respect for autistic people, Autism Speaks' advertising fosters pity, shame and fear, suggesting that our very lives are mistakes and burdens.
    Here is another perspective on this kind of "advocacy."

    Autism is a complex disorder, and how it is experienced depends on many factors. I agree that it is irresponsible to say that autistic people are necessarily more XXX than any other group (because most are not); however, a lot of this is meant to specifically counteract all of the messages saying that autistic people are less human.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    There seems to be a certain segment of the population that links this concept of "Indigo" people with Autism, Excalibre, and Jenny McCarthy has been talking about it a lot. Not sure I get it...she claims that her son's autism was caused by vaccines, but she also thinks he's something called a "Crystal child." I THINK what she's getting at is that due to his extreme sensitivity (a hallmark of Crystal Children), he had a bad reaction to the vaccines, and that's why he needs some special diet or some such. Anyway, here are a couple cites:

    An interview McCarthy did with some Psychologist on the subject.

    A website about Crystals and Indigos, which claims that many of these children are diagnosed with ADD/Autism/etc.

    Mind you, I am not endorsing this theory in any way. Just confirming that there is a connection between autism and some kind of mysticism in the minds of some people.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Thanks, Sarah and Cowgirl. I have seen so much hysteria about autism lately that I assumed the alterna-crowd was all against autism (because it is, like so many evils, caused by Western medicine) -- I didn't realize there was another segment that was into autism.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by fsghjvdhkjschks
    What the fuck is going on here?
    I don't know, but I do know this: my mother-in-law has got neighbors that have a12-year-old autistic son, and the kid is a fucking menace. He's always running around the neighborhood unsupervised. Last weekend he drove his bicycle full spped into the side of my sister-in-laws car - fortunately she was parked and hadn't yet gotten the baby out. Also last week, my mother-in-law heard a loud banging sound and found him in her back yard, hitting her air conditioner with a fucking baseball bat. WTF???

    It's a nice quiet cul-de-sac and all, but I think they need to watch him a little more closely before he gets hurt or causes some serios property damage. Or both. I can't imagine the mayhem that he'd commit if he ever found some hedge trimmers, or an axe. Jeez.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Excalibre
    Thanks, Sarah and Cowgirl. I have seen so much hysteria about autism lately that I assumed the alterna-crowd was all against autism (because it is, like so many evils, caused by Western medicine) -- I didn't realize there was another segment that was into autism.
    Here is a better cite for you. It seems to claim that these "Crystal Children" are misdiagnosed as autistic, when in fact they are apparently just misunderstood. It's all pretty woo woo, and I don't quite get the dichotomy you pointed out...that autism seems to be a evil plot by the vaccine companies on the one hand, and evidence of higher evolution on the other hand, but I'm sure someone like Jenny McCarthy can make sense of it all where I can't.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Winston Smith
    I don't know, but I do know this: my mother-in-law has got neighbors that have a12-year-old autistic son, and the kid is a fucking menace. He's always running around the neighborhood unsupervised. Last weekend he drove his bicycle full spped into the side of my sister-in-laws car - fortunately she was parked and hadn't yet gotten the baby out. Also last week, my mother-in-law heard a loud banging sound and found him in her back yard, hitting her air conditioner with a fucking baseball bat. WTF???

    It's a nice quiet cul-de-sac and all, but I think they need to watch him a little more closely before he gets hurt or causes some serios property damage. Or both. I can't imagine the mayhem that he'd commit if he ever found some hedge trimmers, or an axe. Jeez.
    To me, this really demonstrates the need for positive representations of people with autism.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by cowgirl
    Quote Originally posted by Winston Smith
    I don't know, but I do know this: my mother-in-law has got neighbors that have a12-year-old autistic son, and the kid is a fucking menace. He's always running around the neighborhood unsupervised. Last weekend he drove his bicycle full spped into the side of my sister-in-laws car - fortunately she was parked and hadn't yet gotten the baby out. Also last week, my mother-in-law heard a loud banging sound and found him in her back yard, hitting her air conditioner with a fucking baseball bat. WTF???

    It's a nice quiet cul-de-sac and all, but I think they need to watch him a little more closely before he gets hurt or causes some serios property damage. Or both. I can't imagine the mayhem that he'd commit if he ever found some hedge trimmers, or an axe. Jeez.
    To me, this really demonstrates the need for positive representations of people with autism.
    The question remains: is the child in Winston's example actually autistic, or is he merely a little hellion? IMO, too many people are ready to explain away the latter, citing the former.
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by danceswithcats
    IMO, too many people are ready to explain away the latter, citing the former.
    What is your opinion based on?

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Excalibur
    Quote Originally posted by danceswithcats
    IMO, too many people are ready to explain away the latter, citing the former.
    What is your opinion based on?
    Observation.
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Excalibur
    Quote Originally posted by danceswithcats
    IMO, too many people are ready to explain away the latter, citing the former.
    What is your opinion based on?
    I agree with danceswithcats, and my opinion is based on 12 years of teaching preschool. I've had kids whose parents claim are 'on the spectrum,' or are Indigo Children or a subset of Indigo, called "Highly Spirited Children."
    Crystal Children is a new one on me; I'll have to go look it up.

    IMO, Indigo Children and Highly Spirited Children are kids who are spoiled beyond belief, but not just with material goods, i.e., getting every toy and game they want, but that's part of it. These kids are indulged, are never told "No" and have no limits.

    I had a student a few years ago, and his mother made sure we knew he was on the spectrum for autism and was an Indigo as well. We were not to tell him "No" or tell him he was doing something wrong. Apparently, his brain could not process being denied anything, or being told he could not do something. He was to be allowed to explore as he wished, play with toys any way he wished (which meant breaking them on purpose), do art projects any way he wished, and use art supplies any way he wished (which meant he would paint the floor and walls and sometimes us).
    Telling him "No" or trying to get him to do a puzzle the right way (as opposed to flinging the pieces at classmates) or an art project was too constrictive for his growing brain. It would squash his natural creativity and evolving talents. She brought in special snacks just for him, because she knew he wouldn't like anything we served (pretzels, graham crackers, fresh fruit, etc.). She'd send in candy bars and cupcakes and other sugary snacks. He'd sometimes eat it, and other times would just play with it or grind it into the floor and throw it. He was also not supposed to be made to sit at the table for snacktime - we were supposed to lay it out for him, and make sure he knew it was there when he wanted it. She claimed at home, he refused to eat at the table, and would just graze as he wanted while playing or exploring his world.
    (oh, and he'd been tested and his IQ was at genius level, too! )

    The mom's instructions to us got a big, "Well, we'll see how things work out." She ended up pulling him out just after Christmas.

    IMO, it's a way to explain away bad behavior that should have been nipped in the bud as a toddler. This kid was a brat beyond belief.
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Excalibur
    Don't let me get in the way of the nice bandwagon you guys are building there, but I'm wondering if the OP knows of any examples of people imputing quasi-mystical traits to autistic kids. I've seen plenty of mysticism surrounding autism, but only in terms of people claiming magical cures for it.
    I had a personal experience where a woman who works with special needs children, and specializes in working with children with autism, told me that she believes autism was the next step on the ladder of human evolution. She believes that these children are ahead of the evolutionary curve, and that they can show us where the human race will end up. She believes that they are more highly evolved in all aspects, but that their adaptations are so advanced we don't understand them and label them.

    I really did not bother trying to have any sort of conversation with her about why human evolution is headed toward a point where being self-sufficient and interactive with one's environment have evolved OUT of the human species.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by kolga
    I had a personal experience where a woman who works with special needs children, and specializes in working with children with autism, told me that she believes autism was the next step on the ladder of human evolution. She believes that these children are ahead of the evolutionary curve, and that they can show us where the human race will end up. She believes that they are more highly evolved in all aspects, but that their adaptations are so advanced we don't understand them and label them..
    That's pretty much what Sarahfeena's link said. The belief is that Indigo and Crystal children are above everyone else, evolutionarily. Sounds like a load of bunk, to me.
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by BiblioCat
    The mom's instructions to us got a big, "Well, we'll see how things work out." She ended up pulling him out just after Christmas.
    Here's a child who is not being prepared for the Real World. When he meets it, it's going to break him; like an egg shot out of a cannon hitting a mountain.

    Then he'll run back to Mommy, or retreat into Academia. :wink:
    I reserve the right to be bothered by things that don't faze you,
    and to cheerfully ignore things that bug the shit out of you.
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by BiblioCat
    Quote Originally posted by kolga
    I had a personal experience where a woman who works with special needs children, and specializes in working with children with autism, told me that she believes autism was the next step on the ladder of human evolution. She believes that these children are ahead of the evolutionary curve, and that they can show us where the human race will end up. She believes that they are more highly evolved in all aspects, but that their adaptations are so advanced we don't understand them and label them..
    That's pretty much what Sarahfeena's link said. The belief is that Indigo and Crystal children are above everyone else, evolutionarily. Sounds like a load of bunk, to me.
    Of course it is. It shows they don't know anything about evolution, for one thing. They claim that these so-called "Crystal Children" all started showing up after 1990, was it? Evolution is a result of genetic mutations. How could all the same mutation show up at once in thousands of people? Makes no sense.

  35. #35
    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Clearly, they learned everything they needed to know about evolution from X-Men comics.
    So now they are just dirt-covered English people in fur pelts with credit cards.

  36. #36
    Elephant
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Sarahfeena
    They claim that these so-called "Crystal Children" all started showing up after 1990, was it? Evolution is a result of genetic mutations. How could all the same mutation show up at once in thousands of people? Makes no sense.
    But it's the Aliens and and and Crystals and New Age Mysticism and and and Evolution and Spiritualism and and and...

    Not having the brains or courage to be an Adult and Parent to your child.

    We need to secretly replace their new age crystals with Folger's crystals so they can wake up and smell the coffee.
    I reserve the right to be bothered by things that don't faze you,
    and to cheerfully ignore things that bug the shit out of you.
    I am not you.

  37. #37
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Chimera
    Here's a child who is not being prepared for the Real World. When he meets it, it's going to break him; like an egg shot out of a cannon hitting a mountain.

    Then he'll run back to Mommy, or retreat into Academia. :wink:
    Or he'll spend his entire life claiming he's special and autistic and Indigo, thereby absolving him, in his mind at least, of any responsibility for his actions.
    I'm not good at the advice. Can I offer you a sarcastic comment instead?

  38. #38
    Sophmoric Existentialist
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Indigo? Crystal children? WTF? Are people really that nutz? The world is already overful of over-indulged nitwits with a huge sense of entitlement. Well, the teen years of the Indigo Child must be a joy. The parents deserve every miserable minute of what they will experience.
    Sophmoric Existentialist

  39. #39
    Elephant
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    My boss assures me that my child is at least indigo, if not crystal. In all other ways, I like my boss.

    I still make the kid use her manners, brush her teeth and obey the rules of the house. I may be a cruel and terrible parent, who fails to recognise the special snowflakiness of my child, but I amthe one who has actually met her.
    There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes. - Doctor Who

  40. #40
    Oliphaunt featherlou's avatar
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Dammit, where was the idea of being Indigo or Crystal when I was a kid and getting spanked for being a huge brat?

  41. #41
    Oliphaunt featherlou's avatar
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Bibliocat, that actually sounds pathological on the parent's part to me - almost a "Munchhausen by Proxy" kind of thing. The parents of autistic kids that I know are working their asses off with therapists and anyone else who can help them get their kids to reach their full potential, not just letting their child have free run and blaming it on their condition.

  42. #42
    Prehistoric Bitchslapper Sarahfeena's avatar
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by Caerie
    Clearly, they learned everything they needed to know about evolution from X-Men comics.
    Seems likely.

    From what I've read about this (which admittedly isn't a whole lot), there is a strong implication that Crystals tend to be the children of Indigos. Jenny McCarthy believes she is an Indigo and her son is a Crystal, for instance. They definitely seem to think that the Indigos tend to be from my generation (around the Gen X age), and the Crystals tend to be from the next generation (not sure if that's more like the Gen Ys or more like the kids of the GenXers).

    Again, seems to indicate a little fuzziness as far as evolutionary science is concerned.

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Jenny McCarthy is pretty well known for farting for humorous value. What does this say about the future evolution of humanity? Will we be able to rapidly propel ourselves through sustained, high-pressure farts? Does this herald the end of humankind's dependence on fossil fuels?

  44. #44
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by featherlou
    Well, duh - everyone knows Tuesday is blue.
    Actually, that would be Monday :wink:

    Quote Originally posted by Chimera
    We need to secretly replace their new age crystals with Folger's crystals so they can wake up and smell the coffee.
    That's a great line. I may have to steal it someday.

  45. #45
    Elephant TheFlame's avatar
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by BiblioCat
    That's pretty much what Sarahfeena's link said. The belief is that Indigo and Crystal children are above everyone else, evolutionarily. Sounds like a load of bunk, to me.
    Is this "Indigo children" thing exclusively American? I've never once heard it mentioned other than on the Dope and other websites.
    I didn't make the world this way, it was like this when I got here

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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by TheFlame
    Is this "Indigo children" thing exclusively American? I've never once heard it mentioned other than on the Dope and other websites.
    It's not something super common in real life. I don't think I've ever heard of it except on the internet either.

  47. #47
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by TheFlame
    Is this "Indigo children" thing exclusively American? I've never once heard it mentioned other than on the Dope and other websites.
    I've heard it mentioned a fair bit the last few years, but I work with kids who are the prime age for being ... [air quotes] 'diagnosed.' [/air quotes]
    I'm not good at the advice. Can I offer you a sarcastic comment instead?

  48. #48
    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Quote Originally posted by BiblioCat
    Quote Originally posted by TheFlame
    Is this "Indigo children" thing exclusively American? I've never once heard it mentioned other than on the Dope and other websites.
    I've heard it mentioned a fair bit the last few years, but I work with kids who are the prime age for being ... [air quotes] 'diagnosed.' [/air quotes]
    When I was a teenager, I babysat for a woman who had several books on Indigo Children and had some really, really stupid ideas about childrearing. Her kids were little condescending jerks, too.
    So now they are just dirt-covered English people in fur pelts with credit cards.

  49. #49
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    Tonight I was at my monthly gaming session (that's about all I get these days) when the store manager comes over to our table (one of our players is the manager of another gaming store) and says "I was a real jerk tonight".

    Turns out some 13 year old kid wouldn't stop putting his hands all over other people and the merchandise. He was warned a couple of times, then outright told to knock it off. The kid responded that he had ADD and couldn't control it. The store manager then kicked him out of the store.

    Unanimous at the table that he was NOT a jerk, that he did the right thing in kicking out the kid who was using his "ADD" as an excuse to be an "ASS" and not control himself.
    I reserve the right to be bothered by things that don't faze you,
    and to cheerfully ignore things that bug the shit out of you.
    I am not you.

  50. #50
    Oliphaunt
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    Default Re: The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    That's it exactly, Chimera. People are using the excuse of ADD and autism for bad behavior. They can run wild and act like asses, and pull out the old, "But I have a condition!" and expect others to take pity on them.

    This is not to say that these conditions don't really exist. I know they do, just not to the extent that you would think.
    I'm not good at the advice. Can I offer you a sarcastic comment instead?

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