If an ASD cure was made would you use it?

No. Being autistic is who I am, it is part of me and I wouldn’t give that up. Also we live in a society where those who are different are often ostracized  and are made to feel that they are the ones that must change. I refuse to be part of this mentality. However I do at times wish things could be easier and being autistic does create so many challenges and barriers- but a lot of these are because society is not accommodating and not made for people who are different. I hope things will eventually change though my hopes are not high. 

I do wish sometimes I didn't have to spend so much time going through things before I do them, as it's exhausting. I do wish I could go into a social situation that I need or want to be in without so much difficulty. However I have now got so used to how I am, I am not sure I would cope with doing so much or enjoy it.

As someone else said though, I would like others to really understand what it is like and except how we need to do things. I am currently reading some books by Luke Beardom which were recently recommended by someone on here and are finding them very helpful.

No. Although it would have made some things easier, it wouldn't have been so interesting - I'd have missed out on all those "deep dives" into information and experiences.

I've found most of the autistic adults I have met here to be more interesting than most people I've met in "real life".

I would say yes for the following reasons:
1 - it would remove the root causes of most of th discomfort and pain that I deal with daily through my heightend senses.

2 - it would allow me to socialise without discomfort / distress and be able to integrate more seamlessly and not stand out as a weirdo.

3 - I would no longer need to mask as much to be able to get things done day to day, saving energy.

4 - a few of the other traits (emotional connectivity especially) require significant amounts of effort to manage and being able to do this naturally would help my life a lot.

It is all academic of course because even if there was a cure, we would have to learn so much of what we missed out on when growing up and the chances to learn would be limited, leading to most of us remaining deficient in those skills.

Also, how long would it take to reprogram ourselves f
from a lifetime to coping techniques?

An interesting thought experiment though.

IF IT WAS MINE. My executive "functioning" (dysfunctions) don't always work well with this site. 

Edit: I accidentally delete things all time! Haha

There are quite a few good philosophies out there interrogating psychoanalysis and what is "Typical". I used to wish I was more like everyone until I started becoming irritated with how many are content to live life. 

My summary is this: Autistic thinking can escape majority programming (even if immediately swept into mass hypnosis, things don't tend to 'stick'). Autistic and ADHD hyper-sense should help bring a balance to technology. Though we can have added disabilities further hindering growth. 

The ability to predict a social atmosphere, and therefore somewhat project expectations of others through a learned social response by being "wired" for this also has a downside. Severe social anxiety, even if experiencing daily fluidity. You know the game, how it's played and at any moment you could 'fall from the graces of others'.  "I wish I was authentic AND I am terrified to do anything too unique" Or being pushed to extremes: "what can I get away with, how can I manipulate the social system I feel driven by". Using fluid words to play with meaning and even shape what is moral. In certain cases one relates with everyone, hates what they relate with, and might use word-play and social-play as a mechanism to dominate. 

Desensitisation is thought to go hand-in-hand with Repression of... motives, drives, or instinct. Contrast this from engaging a survival mode of withdrawal for safety or shutting down from overwhelm. It's a habitual practice turned intuitive and a sort of internal gaslighting. The psyche intentionally displaces a problem so the solution is 'fixable' creating a sense of resolution. "Something smells off, adverts have reminded me it's probably a lack of scented things which smell good". So instead of cleaning or professionally checking a room for VOCs or other harmful smells one buys candles and incense, plug-ins and such which might contain formaldehyde or other toxic chemicals. Cutting oneself on repeat ends with a plaster rather than blunting the sharp object. Headaches require a prescription rather than exploring potential stress or too much of a vitamin / mineral producing a warning signal in the body. And so on.

I've spoken with those who feel this is an evolutionary advantage. I disagree. It may be evolutionary but not an advantage. 

We can desensitise through prescriptions, but all magic has a price. I'm not sure the degree of re-wiring which may be possible for social codes and linguistics, as it's not even explored because no one is asking the right questions. Anyone taking a type of substance which can rewire the brain might say they've actually found a momentary freedom from social anxiety which goes part and parcel with being NT. 

I just read a post before it was deleted.  Regardless of the reasons for this fact - to this member - you are an EXTREMELY valued member of this place. By myself and most likely, others.

There are quite a few good philosophies out there interrogating psychoanalysis and what is "Typical". I used to wish I was more like everyone until I started becoming irritated with how many are content to behave and live life. 

My summary is this: For the most part, Autistic thinking can escape majority programming (even if immediately swept into mass hypnosis, things don't tend to 'stick'). Autistic and ADHD hyper-sense could help bring a balance to technology. 

***As a reminder: everything is in a sort of degree or intensity, so nothing is really an absolute, but a soft polarity. We can have added disabilities further hindering growth. 

The origin of Neurosis (previously said to be the Typical State of Being Human) had to do with being better suited to send and receive information with the majority in a collective, to be able to predict a social atmosphere, and therefore somewhat project expectations of others through learned social response.

When this perception is skewed by trauma or a lack of discipline / maturity, it might create social anxiety, presuming to know what others are thinking and feeling, projecting into their words and expecting others to also read my mind. At another extreme, it can cause a sense of feeling 'too much' like everyone else along with a fear of being too different and marginalised. I wish I was authentic AND I am terrified to do anything too unique. At yet another extreme, one might find irritation with hierarchies and revolt in small obscure or even rather dark ways which render ethics useless: what can I get away with, how can I manipulate the social system. Using fluid words to play with meaning and so on. In certain cases, neurosis can become a psychosis. One empathises with everyone and lacks compassion using their ability to relate as a mechanism to dominate. 

It's beens suggested this social wiring is Left-hemisphere stuff. And at the expense of critical thinking to the degree it can more easily override bias (with the correct instruction)

What is also Typical historically speaking, is Desensitisation or Filtering Out unwanted 'noise' (noise can include scent, sight, and on. It can be the opposite of Active Listening)

Desensitisation is thought to go hand-in-hand with Repression of... motives, drives, or instinct. Contrast this from engaging a survival mode of withdrawal for safety or shutting down from overwhelm. It's a habitual practice turned intuitive and a sort of internal gaslighting. The psyche intentionally displaces a problem so the solution is 'fixable' creating a sense of resolution. "something smells off, adverts have reminded me it's probably a lack of scented things which smell good". So instead of cleaning or professionally checking a room for VOCs or other harmful smells one buys candles and incense, plug-ins and such which might contain formaldehyde or other toxic chemicals. Cutting oneself on repeat ends with a plaster rather than blunting the sharp object. Headaches require a prescription rather than exploring potential stress or too much of a vitamin / mineral producing a warning signal in the body. And so on.

I've spoken with those who believe desensitisation is an evolutionary advantage to get along in our society. While I understand this, I 100% disagree. It may be a necessary evil, and some people are better wired to filter out harmful frequencies, but it seems to me natures way of "weeding" out danger at an elevated pace. In other words, not an advantage but perhaps evolutionary.  

Which doesn't imply we're not all susceptible. It simply means the ability to notice can advocate for a human approach to life which is compatible with our Mother Earth. For instance, One reason I try to buy natural fibres, including wools is due to microfibres in forms of water: Ocean and Air, and toxic waste. Wool is highly sustainable and more temperature regulating for humans than most other fibres, and requires a working-with/caring for nature. But we're also finding the negative effects of toxic agents in polys being absorbed by our skin.

The real issue here is the ability to pay attention to our sense-response needs to be Valued by our mentors and care-takers, so to help teach how to listen to this information and how to further investigate why or how, so to be better prepared and equipped to protect oneself from harm.

Being Autistic can come with all sorts of issues. But there are advantages which have simply become MORE ignored in our present reality due to a change of values in society. 

We can desensitise through prescriptions, but all magic has a price. I'm not sure the degree of re-wiring which may be possible as it's not even explored. No one is asking the right questions and... anyone taking a type of mushroom capable of messing with brain wiring and signalling are saying they've found a momentary freedom from Neurosis. 

No I wouldn't, I'm 63 and having been this way all my life, I can't imagine life as a non autistic person, would this wonder pill/cure mean that all the social cues and thier meaning would suddenly pop into my head? Would I suddenly understand the world through NT eyes without having to have months of therapy to deal with sudden new understanding? Now if someone found a cure for arthritis I'd take it, thats far more limiting for me than ASC.

I'd love to get rid of some of the difficult parts. I'd love to naturally fit in better. But what would a "cure" look like when it's a condition that impacts my whole brain and being. Would I also lose my joy for my special interests and my really logical brain? Most likely! What else would I lose? What else would change? Yes autism can be really really hard and sometimes I really do wish I didn't have it. But me without wouldn't be me.

Yes. Although in reality I would want to make sure that the diagnosis is accurate and that said cure doesn't have any unwanted side effects.

No. No. No.

I would like to have know how to cope better earlier in life.

There are already plenty of "not me"s in this world without adding another by changing who I am.

Maybe a better approach would be learning to like who you are.

I don't fancy a massive leap into the unknown assuming a different version of "me" would be better than the current one. I'll keep my bipolar, dyslexia, alexithymia and autism thank you. I'm comfortable with myself and all my differences even if they make certain things harder. Being NT might have all sorts of problems I don't even know about and the change could turn me into a right ***...

I'd quite like to get rid of my tinnitus though.

School is an unpleasant and difficult for lots of people, NT or ND. Adulthood is slightly different in that you have more power to change things. Focus on what you can do and are good at, and maybe things will improve.

Berlusconi said:

no one wanted to know me

Well, we want to know you, and we might not have had the opportunity of getting to know you if your Autism hadn't helped be part of bringing you to this community.

I don't believe I would be the quite the person I am today; had I been a Neurotypical person across the decades of my life.  For all my "other-ness" or "outsider-ness" of Autism, I do feel that there are some things which I am able to contribute to NT people (and hopefully ND people too), including in dire situations, which a NT version of myself might not have been suitably equipped to achieve, deploy or share.

You might not feel so right at this moment, however, I suspect there might well be unique and beneficial things about you, valued by decent people who have met you, and your Autism may have had a part to play in shaping some of their positive experiences of "you".

At first, it is not always easy (or comfortable) to discover, explore, acknowledge, capitalise upon, and become generous with sharing our personal worth-while-ness with other people.  I feel this forum could provide a safe space within which you could choose to practice that process of worthwhile-ness discovery.  An opportunity, waiting for you, when you are ready.  On your own terms.  Without judgement (as it is your personal choice and journey).  Others may encourage you along the way, but the development is your personal achievement to gain and your own credit to award.

All people are worthwhile.  Welcome to being worthwhile.

This is a hypothetical. 

A cure?  Being ASD isn't a disease though.  I think it's important to remember that, and I am not so sure I want to be 'normal' and accepted in their world, if their world is run & dominated with NTs.  I don't want to be a NT.  

I'm done with masking.  Masking probably cost me highly when I think about it, and the thought of taking a substance to go down that route - permanently - no.  

How about they make a cure for NT's to be more Neurodiverse?   Why do 'we' need to join them, why not the other way about?  

Each to their own but personally IMHO, I see nothing to cure.

Am I diseased and dying from it? No. I am autistic. I see and react to the world and certain things differently to non-autistic people. I have zero social skills, yes, but I can learn and try to improve on them. Changes to my routine really upset me, it isn’t something that can be cured but I can try and take steps to ensure my routine doesn’t get interrupted and if it does, I take other steps to try and make sure I don’t get too overwhelmed by it. I have meltdowns and shutdown when things get too much for me. I try to avoid things that causes these to occur.

That’s the problem with a lot of people who don’t understand us – they don’t understand autism.

They spend so much time trying to cure us BUT if they took the time to get to know us they would understand what autism is, what it is really like and then they would see that there’s really no need for a cure.

We don’t need curing. What we need is more understanding.

Some understanding would go a long way. It would lead to more support for autistics young and old.

Maybe one day.