Quote From: hylton I get so frustrated when I see yet another show about autism. You see autism shows typically show one of three things about autism:
1. The Savant autistic who is brilliant in one and only one area of their life and very few people with autism fall into this.
2. The violent autistic person. Who maybe is violent but it is because they cannot deal with all the input from daily life. The need compassion and understanding. They thrive on routines and low levels of sensory input.
3. I cured my autistic child with a special diet or my child got autism from vaccinations.
My son was diagnosed with aspergers last spring. He is not brilliant in one area he is bright in many areas, he is not violent although has been known to have a temper tantrum and I don't believe he got aspergers from a vaccine nor can he be cured with a special diet.
But all the majority of society will see is those three things. What about the thousands of other children and adults who are on the autism spectrum who are not that way?
My child is really quarky for lack of better words. His deficits impact how he deals with people. He does not read non verbal cues such as body langueage, tone and proximtiy. He has sensory issues that impact clothing choices and food. He thrives on routines and sameness. He struggles with peer relationships.
Autism is not a cookie cutter disorder. Everyone on the spectrum presents differently.
dani
All these shows do is present Autism as a "freak show" type of disorder. Nobody wants to discuss how we're planning to genocide everyone on the Autism SPECTRUM, because of the children who have difficulties. It seems these days, even the slightest parental inconvenience is portrayed into a horrible nightmare.
You know, "normal" children can through "nightmarish" tantrums too. Why aren't they paraded out on TV, like freaks? Where are the shows about the "martyr" parents, who whenever they go out in public expect everyone to drop everything, cause they have chillllddreen..and their little annngeeeellls never do wrong? They can't tell their little prince or princess, you have to be quiet out in public. Why doesn't Dr. Phil have them on TV, and explain to them that having children, doesn't mean you're now entitled to expect the world to serve you.
The point I was trying to make with the above paragraph, is that the problem isn't the Autistic children. It's people who don't want to put in the effort of being parents anymore. Having a kid, is not the same has having a cat or a dog. You have to put time into taking care of them, and nobody is guaranteed to have a perfect Barbie or Ken doll for a child. How about Dr. Phil, tells the parents of their normal kids to stop complaining. He should also show the full spectrum of Autism.
That it's not all bad. Now I know that reality doesn't get the same raitings, it certianly doesn't play into the raitings of the "martyr" parents out there. The fact is, we're in a time now where people are deciding wether or not Autistic children should be on the list of kids who would be better off aborted. If we continue down this path, this path where parents feel they shouldn't be inconvinenced by less-than-perfect children. Where will it stop, already we're in a society that demonizes anyone who's fat.
Where will it end? Children only being born blonde haired, blue eyed? Do you want to live in a society where people are no longer respected for their uniqueness, instead where parents discuss who knows the best geneologist. Who sells the most perfect child? Have you read Brave New World, or seen the movie Gattaca? That is where we are headed if we buy into this martyr mentality. I have friends who are parents with Autistic children. I'm not claiming it's a bed of roses. However, they love their child. They don't see their child as a problem, or as some object they can drag on to TV so they can talk about how much THEY suffer. How THEY are cursed by having a child that actually requires time and effort. A child they can't just kick out onto the streets the moment they turn 18.
Even the children who are "normal" who are sent into the world just after high school, end up doing drugs and having problems. Maybe we should say parenting isn't something that has a strict timeline. That being a parent is more important, than just having the social status of a child for people to ooh and ahh over. It means taking care of another human being, and having undevoted unconditional love for that being. Unconditional love means just that, it does not mean that we should choose to make the assumption to abort first and ask questions later. It means that you love your child without condition, you love them even if they do throw tantrums, even if they aren't perfect, even if they have Autism. If you can't handle that, the answer isn't that we should get rid of Autistic children. We should hold who should be parents to a higher standard.