I often talk to my cats and they often answer, I try and work out what they're trying to say. Boris my tuxedo cat has a good range of swear words, especially when I put any flea or worm drop on him, it sounds to me like 'FILTH, FILTH, HASSOCKS!' I can get the filth bit as hte stuff does smell a bit, but hassocks!?
He says milk, and if he dosen't it or dosen't get it fast enough, he stretches up and digs his claws in a bit just under your bum cheek and then tries to pull down your trousers!
Seeing as we're all supposed to be adults here, then I think then I think the AI bots that control what we are and are not allowed to say, should be reprogrammed to be more relaxed
This site makes it clear that it's for adults only, so we should be able to use the word in a gentle sense of fun without offending anyone.
In my view, the NAS's approach helps to ensure that this forum is welcoming, suitable, and age appropriate for all autistic adults, not just those who don't also have learning disabilities.
Autistica:
Autistica - Learning disabilty and autism
Patient.info:
"The WHO classifies severity of an intellectual disability as:
- Mild: approximate IQ range of 50 to 69 (in adults, mental age from 9 to under 12 years).
- Moderate: approximate IQ range of 35 to 49 (in adults, mental age from 6 to under 9 years).
- Severe: approximate IQ range of 20 to 34 (in adults, mental age from 3 to under 6 years).
- Profound ((below 0.003 percentile): IQ under 20 (in adults, mental age below 3 years)."
In my view, the NAS's approach helps to ensure that this forum is welcoming, suitable, and age appropriate for all autistic adults, not just those who don't also have learning disabilities.
There is a paradox here though.
To be welcoming to those with a lower mental age or who are easily triggered then we have to be "nice" and not use bad words yet for the high functioning adults they want to be able to talk about adult stuff, use some rude words and cover contentious issues which probably upsets those at the other end of the range.
Can we cater for all? It seems not and this is the crux of the issue - the "older" adults feel gagged.
There is a paradox here though.
Can we cater for all? It seems not and this is the crux of the issue - the "older" adults feel gagged.
I fear that any dissatisfaction with the NAS's approach might be fuelled, at least in part, by a combination of internalised / unintentional ableism, coupled with a lack of awareness of the issues faced by those whose difficulties are different and/or greater.
This is intended to be a forum in which all autistic adults can participate - and it's also open to everyone (including children) to view / read.
It might help to regard using it as being similar to choosing to watch a U-rated (Universal, suitable for all) or PG-rated (Parental Guidance) film, which can - for example - feature only "very mild" or "mild bad language".
We know what to expect when we choose to watch films with these ratings, can all still enjoy them, and should rightly feel alarmed to find anything stronger featured in them.
It's not a perfect analogy, but I feel that the same general principle rightly applies here, and it might help some people to reframe how they view this forum's rules and practices.
Bunny, I think you are very far off the mark in asking us if we have internalised ableism, I think most of us are aware of the differences in understanding, in mental ages as opposed to how many years we've been on this planet. I actually feel quite insulted that you feel the need to say this, you may be looking at statistics, and NAS may want to be as inclusive as possible, but its efforts to do so are alienating more and more users. This has been going on for the year or so that I've been here and hiding behind statistics and being an appologist for poor systems whether human or artifical does none of us any favours, maybe we need a fora for under 14's or something?
I'd liked to be included in the group that you think are missing the point please. This is an inclusive place, after all?
Perhaps we are not missing the point, but perhaps you are unwilling to entertain a perspective that is different to your own assertions?
How do ther sites get people to confirm thier age? Would that be the right approach here
Even the dreaded social media asks people to confirm they are at least 13 before opening an account. Here - no safeguards.
If I'm writing a post in a forum section called "autistic adults" I'd expect my posts to be able to be read only by adults.
I’m afraid you’re all continuing to miss the point. For example, working from the stats that I posted above:
100% of autistic adults in the 50-59 age group would be “adults”, per the terms of this forum. Regardless of whether any age verification measures were in place, that would not change the fact that around 40% of them would have a maximum “mental age” of 12.
This place should be - and rightly is - inclusive, not discriminatory.
How do ther sites get people to confirm thier age? Would that be the right approach here
Even the dreaded social media asks people to confirm they are at least 13 before opening an account. Here - no safeguards.
If I'm writing a post in a forum section called "autistic adults" I'd expect my posts to be able to be read only by adults.
I’m afraid you’re all continuing to miss the point. For example, working from the stats that I posted above:
100% of autistic adults in the 50-59 age group would be “adults”, per the terms of this forum. Regardless of whether any age verification measures were in place, that would not change the fact that around 40% of them would have a maximum “mental age” of 12.
This place should be - and rightly is - inclusive, not discriminatory.
I'd liked to be included in the group that you think are missing the point please. This is an inclusive place, after all?
Perhaps we are not missing the point, but perhaps you are unwilling to entertain a perspective that is different to your own assertions?
