I originally posted the following information and statement onto my Facebook wall…
Aspie Quiz:
http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php
My Chart:
My Results:
My Aspie score: 162 of 200
My neurotypical score: 36 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie.
These results are not at all surprising, as I was officially diagnosed as Autistic over three years ago, at 26 years of age.
The following correspondence originally took place upon the Facebook wall of my friend, Claudia C…
Claudia: That is good article!
Narcissistic Disorder to be Eliminated in Diagnostic Manual:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/health/views/30mind.html
Rayn: Hmmm… This will be happening in 2013. Meanwhile, the DSM will be doing the same thing to Asperger’s Syndrome in 2012.
A Powerful Identity, A Vanishing Diagnosis:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03asperger.html
With all of this restructuring taking place, it would appear that there is a major paradigm shift underway in the field of psychiatry. I wonder which corporate agenda is being served this time… Probably the pharmaceutical industry, again…
Claudia C.: it seems that the only entity benefiting from these changes are indeed the pharmaceutical companies who are not capable to admit that the drugs they are producing are not safe. If they have an altered dsm to this point they can easily claim that the drugs are efficient as opposed to dangerous and inadequate.
The following correspondence originally took place upon the Facebook wall of an ex-acquaintance…
Daniel Sz.: A Facebook friend and I have been coming up with T-shirt slogans supporting neurodiversity. Here are a couple of mine:
“I may be autistic, but I can still tell when I’m not welcome.”
“I’m autistic. How many apologies are enough for one lifetime?”
I invite people to help me come up with more.
Rayn:”Neurodiversity is the Spice of Life.”
Rayn: “Allergic to Small Talk.”
Claudia C.: I am Aspergian, not stupid.
Gerald N.: I am autistic. Get over it.
The following article was inspired by a correspondence I had with my friend, and fellow Autistic self-advocate, Jason Ross, here, on his website, which I also shared in my post, “Discussing the Organization, ‘Autism Speaks’…“…
Listen to the Tax Returns, that is…
The officially-stated mission of Autism Speaks is “to fund research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.” While their mission may sound noble, does this organization truly represent the interests of the Autistic community? Being on the Autistic spectrum, myself, and somewhat interested in the possibility of becoming more actively involved in the Autism Speaks organization, I decided that I would venture to discover the answer to my question by doing some much-needed research. I found a well of information on the internet, beginning with the following controversial Autism Speaks video, released on Sept. of 2009, entitled, “I Am Autism”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDdcDlQVYtM
(note: sadly, all traces of this video have since been scrubbed from YouTube)
Update: here is a version of the video that recently popped up on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/20692567
Click here to download a copy, in case it disappears, again!
(note: sadly, all traces of this video have since been scrubbed from Vimeo)
Update: here is yet another version of the video that recently appeared on YouTube:
I Am Autism – Autism Speaks Ad:
This completely tasteless and offensive video seems to perfectly illustrates what Autism Speaks is REALLY all about: IRRATIONAL FEAR-MONGERING FOR PROFIT through promotion of a very disingenuous “disease/cure” paradigm, with no regard for the DAMAGE they cause to the MANY groups that are aimed at the currently pressing issues of garnering AUTISM ACCEPTANCE and facilitating SELF-ADVOCACY.
The following correspondence originally took place on my Facebook wall, upon my post, “Asperger’s Syndrome to Be Phased Out of DSM-V and Folded Into ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’“…
The drawings of Daniel Tammet, above, who wrote the 2007 book “Born on a Blue Day,” about living with autism, show how he visualizes some numbers
Rayn: A Powerful Identity, A Vanishing Diagnosis:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03asperger.htmlAccording to this article, “though [Asperger’s syndrome] became an official part of the medical lexicon only in 1994, the experts who are revising psychiatry’s diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate it from the new edition, due out in 2012. If these experts have their way, Asperger’s syndrome (AS) and another mild form of autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (P.D.D.-N.O.S.), will be folded into a single broad diagnosis, autism spectrum disorder — a category that encompasses autism’s entire range, or spectrum,” from mild to severe.
While the diagnostic manual’s task force claims that “the proposed changes to the autism category are part of a bigger overhaul that will largely replace the old ‘you have it or you don’t’ model of mental illness with a more modern view — that psychiatric disorders should be seen as a continuum, with many degrees of severity,” the article reveals the fact that “some experts worry that the loss of the label will inhibit mildly affected people from being assessed for autism. ‘The general public has either a neutral or fairly positive view of the term Asperger’s syndrome,’ said Tony Attwood, a psychologist based in Australia who wrote ‘The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome’ (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006). But if people are told they should be evaluated for autism, he went on, ‘they will say: ‘No, no, no. I can talk. I have a friend. What a ridiculous suggestion!’ So we will miss the opportunity to assess people.”
I believe that this article, and these experts, are overlooking the fact that Asperger’s syndrome is, in fact, a neurological syndrome, and, therefore, never should have been added to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental *disorders* (DSM-IV) in the first place! In reality, what professionals call “Asperger’s syndrome” is just a group of signs, symptoms and traits that occur together in a single individual, forming an identifiable pattern, and characterizing a particular condition. It is simply a way of classifying a specific type of neurological difference that is evidently present in a small minority of individuals, using the standards of a predominantly “neurotypical” society. In other words, Asperger’s syndrome is simply a label for a less-common, yet functional, form of neurodiversity, located far-from-center on the spectrum. In and of itself, it is not a disability, nor a disorder. Therefore, Asperger’s syndrome doesn’t require a “cure.” The differences defined by this condition do not really disturb an individual’s “regular” and “normal” functions; instead, they redefine what “regular” and “normal” functions are! This is the essence of Neurodiversity, which I embrace, wholeheartedly, as an Individual on the Autistic Spectrum!
Don’t get me wrong. While Asperger’s syndrome is not a disorder, the majority of Aspergians are, in fact, suffering. So very many of us struggle daily with social anxiety disorder, panic attack disorder, clinical depression, avoidant personality disorder, and/or schizotypal personality disorder, all of which are REAL illnesses! Anyone dealing with such debilitation should have full access to psychological assistance, as they would greatly benefit from treatment!
Angie G.: Aide and Abet. Preach it.
Rayn: No doubt! If you’re interested in learning more about the PSEUDO-SCIENCE known as “PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE,” check out the wealth of knowledge compiled by the “Citizens Commission on Human Rights” at http://www.cchr.org
For a free DVD copy of their VERY INFORMATIVE documentary, “Making A Killing,” go to: http://www.cchr.org/freedvd/orderform.html
I got my copy in the mail just a few weeks after I ordered it!
