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Subject: Why autistics are SO different...from each other! Newsgroups: gmane.culture.autism Date: Sunday 2nd December 2007 15:13:16 UTC (over 10 years ago) One concept that keeps coming up again and again, and that is the concept that there must be something "common" to autistics--that they must have an area of concern, idea, perspective, outlook, or basis of thought that is common to all of them. Nothing could be further from autistics. In all the groups that I have encountered, the most flagrant opposition to my ideas and descriptions have come from (you probably guessed it): persons on the autistic spectrum. Each one is so unique, so different in outlook, wants, needs, emotional attachments, communication methods, timing, interests, etc., etc., etc.... That is why, so far, I have had no oppotunity to enter a group of autistics (even in the online forums) and find any type of comraderie anywhere. When I describe things that are important to my life, the sparks begin, as others say that they find something completely unrelated to be of importance to them, and many of these autistics have used disparaging language (such as "you sound like you are 'superior' to others") to downplay anything that I have posted. While I try to respect the personal views of each of these autistics, I am still lost as to why they feel that I am "out to get them"? Why do they feel that, by describing how, my life, as an autistic, has developed over the years, that I am, in any way, trying to hurt them or damage their reputation, as an autistic? For example,when I described using sleep to help alleviate feelings of depression at times, another autistic claimed that I was using sleep to escape from challenges, and that it is not advisable to hide from these challenges--it is manditory to face up to one's challenges. I tried to say that sleep was not one of ignoring the challenge of depression, but allowing the processes within me to help lead me through the depression, processes that take time (hours of sleep) to formulate, but once these processes have formulated the means of handling the depression, the processes, themselves take over, and the depression is handled without conscious effort the following day. To that, this autistic responded that I was displaying a "superiority complex" in my replies, which I had no idea of what this autistic was referring to--as I was only describing my own means of handling depression. I was not stating or implying that this would work for others. Why do other adult autistics take such offense at any ideas that are "different" than their own? That is the puzzle that I would like discussed more openly. Is it their upbringing, the way their parents and teachers made them feel as though their own methods of detailing their three "R's" where far more important than anyone else's methods? Could it have been the constant support their received during their adolescent years about their educational needs (while ignoring their social needs)? This is just a few questions that might be brought forward to try to figure out why autistics are so adamant, at times, that anyone who perceives any concept in life differently than they do is just "patently wrong" in their way of seeing these aspects of life. Does anyone on AUTISMLIST have any ideas or hints???? |
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