I've seen a fair amount of that stuff, but I didn't write the article itself. I agreed with the general gist of most of it and have wished I could have said some of the same things sometimes. It's been revised for clearer wording by the way (just now).
I also scored (last time I got my scores back at least) some combination of above and below on those tests, although I believe (and scientists are finally starting to catch up with these concepts) that the tests don't even measure what people think they measure.
And the whole idea that retarded = valueless or even retarded and/or "LFA" = kind of autistic person who needs to have (insert awful thing here) done to them so they can become more like us other kinds of autistic people... argh. Glad Joel wrote about it so I don't have to. (Actually the Oak Manifesto was partially about that come to think of it, but it's not nearly as direct as Joel. I ended up having to write it that way because I couldn't write it the way Joel did.)
Wow. I don't know where to start...he's put many things into words that I've been trying to figure out how to say for months. (The problem with most of the autism essays I try to write seems to be that someone else can always say it more concisely and more intelligibly than I can.) I was trying to write something about my frustration with the way some people who identify with the Asperger label are quick to say that Aspies are not a disorder but a special kind of genius, make lots of contributions to humanity, are logical and clear-thinking, etc, while those who are non-Asperger autistics are still considered on some level to be 'sick'-- they don't have a special kind of genius, they're the ones who can't communicate, they're the ones who need help so it's ok to put them in ABA and instititions, not like us. This is part of why I tend to isolate myself from any kind of autism community, along with the constant fights over the defining line between Asperger syndrome and autism, the "NTs are so horrible!" rants from people
( ... )
I still want to be an advocate, but it's frustrating when many in the community don't seem to share your ideals. I've run into the same thing in the multiple community-- very few people seem to want the things I want, or if they do, they're not speaking up about it.
Yeah.
I think (and I'm pretty sure Joel thinks) that there are actually a number of people who do notice this stuff and are fed up with it but aren't very vocal. I am very glad that Joel finally wrote about it, though, because I've had a lot of trouble trying to write similar things myself.
high IQ is overrated. I score ridiculously high, embarassingly high, even, on the IQ tests, but I just spent ten minutes in a dark kitchen turning around in circles because I couldn't remember how to turn on the light. I have lived here for months and months and turn that light on and off multiple times a day.
bah
more coherant opinions later, I just didn't want to forget that lovely illustrating vignette in my life
Broken link. I wish there were some way in the world that a browser could, upon loading, check it's own links and visually cue people as to the link's effectiveness. An link down alert system / email would be nice but ah, such a vain thing to be ranting about the web.
Comments 8
Which is not to say I agree with it either.
Overall I haven't seen so much of it, but you also are way move involved than I am so have a much better perspective. Interesting article in any case.
Reply
Reply
Reply
And the whole idea that retarded = valueless or even retarded and/or "LFA" = kind of autistic person who needs to have (insert awful thing here) done to them so they can become more like us other kinds of autistic people... argh. Glad Joel wrote about it so I don't have to. (Actually the Oak Manifesto was partially about that come to think of it, but it's not nearly as direct as Joel. I ended up having to write it that way because I couldn't write it the way Joel did.)
Reply
Reply
Yeah.
I think (and I'm pretty sure Joel thinks) that there are actually a number of people who do notice this stuff and are fed up with it but aren't very vocal. I am very glad that Joel finally wrote about it, though, because I've had a lot of trouble trying to write similar things myself.
I get really sick of elitism.
Reply
bah
more coherant opinions later, I just didn't want to forget that lovely illustrating vignette in my life
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment