the opposing view

[GarethNelson]

http://as4freedom.proboards32.com/index.cgi

http://www.aspergia.com/whatisas.htm

http://www.aspergia.com/letter.htm

http://www.rdos.net/eng/asperger.htm

http://isnt.autistics.org

http://www.rdos.net/eng/asperger.htm

 

if you can refute all these then feel free to label autism a disease.

remember that mankind would still be running around outside caves without autistics.

 

you may focus on the negative traits and consider this reason to label it a disease but a few points:

1.lower-functioning autistics can become higher-functioning autistics if helped to develop properly (i've seen living proof of this)

2.the negative traits are not shared by all.

3.black people suffer from sickle cell more often. is blackness a disease? do we cure blackness or do we cure sickle cell?

[Sheila]

Hi, Gareth. Thank you for those interesting links. I agree there is now a tendency to label a lot of people with Aspergers who do not "have a disease," as you say.

 

For cases with the label autism, it seems there should be a breakdown into sub categories that provide useful information we can work with. Some with the regressive autism seem to have biological problems that can be treated (as a disease) in addition to benefits from working on language, behavior, etc. Do you agree? Sheila

[GarethNelson]

black people suffer from sickle cell

we cure the sickle cell, not the blackness

 

with autism, we help lower-functioning autistics develop and we work on the negative traits.

 

"the autistic mind is a beautiful thing"

[Mysterious_Creature]

I certainly disagree that Austism is a disease. It really makes me angry when people call it a disease.

[GarethNelson]

AFF (http://as4freedom.proboards32.com) is my organisation

take a look at it