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Why Do We Need a Cure?

Damojo

Topical these days is finding the "cause" of Autism with, one suspects, the goal of "curing" it or eradicating it. Would that make the world a better place?

How different is that from finding the cause and cure for being gay, being Black, being deaf, being anything other than white and "normal"? Why do the powers that be have such a desire to eliminate anything that is different from them? It's not new, of course; Eugenics has been around for quite some time.

Parents
  • Damojo said:
    Would that make the world a better place?

    It would get a lot more of us off benefits and into work.

    Remember that only about 20% of autists are in full time employment so we are a net burdon on the state compated to NTs

  • in reply to Iain

    That is 20% of diagnosed autistic people though -I believe there are many more autistic adults who are not diagnosed and either self identifying or not aware of it, just believing they have mental health problems or are overly sensitive. So I think there are a lot more autistic people working than the statistics suggest. 

    Also, workplaces are mostly autism unfriendly. Why should people be medicated to enable them to endure the workplace when the workplace could be adapted to their needs? Autistic people often have unique skills that can bring value - if you eliminate the autism,  you eliminate those skills too.

  • in reply to Lotus
    Lotus said:
    That is 20% of diagnosed autistic people though

    We can only be sure of the stats for people identified as autistic (ie diagnosed) but the stats are pretty consistent. I can't imagine that a lack of diagnosis would affect the challenges for an autist though.

    There is a lot more detail here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_of_autistic_people

    Lotus said:
    Why should people be medicated to enable them to endure the workplace

    I'm not sure where the medication element comes from here. Can you explain please?

    Lotus said:
    when the workplace could be adapted to their needs

    I think the drive for this is from the 97% of the population who are not autistic. My take is that they don't want to have to change the way they work for such a small minority (we make up less than 1% of the working population).

    To them we are the outcasts, the weirdos and the ones prone to breaking down just because the lights are too bright (an exaggeration but makes the point) and they want us to all be like them and be less hassle.

    I rather suspect they don't care that they would be losing the tiny percentage who make significant contributions through our genious. 

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  • in reply to Lotus
    Lotus said:
    That is 20% of diagnosed autistic people though

    We can only be sure of the stats for people identified as autistic (ie diagnosed) but the stats are pretty consistent. I can't imagine that a lack of diagnosis would affect the challenges for an autist though.

    There is a lot more detail here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_of_autistic_people

    Lotus said:
    Why should people be medicated to enable them to endure the workplace

    I'm not sure where the medication element comes from here. Can you explain please?

    Lotus said:
    when the workplace could be adapted to their needs

    I think the drive for this is from the 97% of the population who are not autistic. My take is that they don't want to have to change the way they work for such a small minority (we make up less than 1% of the working population).

    To them we are the outcasts, the weirdos and the ones prone to breaking down just because the lights are too bright (an exaggeration but makes the point) and they want us to all be like them and be less hassle.

    I rather suspect they don't care that they would be losing the tiny percentage who make significant contributions through our genious. 

Children
  • in reply to Expecto_Patronum
    Expecto_Patronum said:
    I also wonder how they get to that statistic

    The article says NAS is the source:

    According to the NAS, in the UK, 79% (2009) to 77% (2017) of retired or unemployed autistic adults say they want to work.

  • in reply to Iain

    I think it's likely undiagnosed autistic people could make a difference to the stats. A lot of undiagnosed people will have "got through" life and masked and whatever else which has led to their autism not being picked up. Many of these people will have worked. I'm not saying it's going to make a huge difference to statistics but I think it would make a difference.

    I also wonder how they get to that statistic. How do the people that make these statistics know how many autistic people work? Not everyone discloses it. I have never been part of any kind of survey or anything to say I'm autistic and I work. How accurate is the statistic? I also actually though it was more like 30% that was quoted.

    I don't doubt there are lots of autistic people out of work though. And I think you're right that this is the kind of thing that makes them want to look for a cure. And I also agree they think a cure would be easier than actually making work places accessible.

  • in reply to Iain
    Iain said:
    I'm not sure where the medication element comes from here. Can you explain please?

    I was assuming that a "cure" for autism would be a drug. 

    I agree with your last 3 paragraphs, sad though it is.