Having discussed this IRL I have found there to be much disagreement in this area, what are your thoughts?

Clarification: This is a hypothetical so imagine it is one pill (or your preffered method of taking a medication) with no side effects.

  • Danacus
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    42 years ago

    What would curing autism entail precisely? Are we talking about anything in particular? The way I see it autism is just a classification of people who’s brain works differently in certain ways. Changing the way your brain works would inevitably change who you are. So curing autism would meaning killing yourself.

    • @OptimsticDolphinOP
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      22 years ago

      I suppose I meant it would you an NT. The reason I have found this question so hard is that it would fundamentally change who I am and I would be so different but also, I might end up having an easier life if I fit in better with everyone else - or would it just make me boring.

      • @OpulentDoorstop
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        42 years ago

        On the subject of how to word your question, perhaps this: “If you had the chance to permanently become neurotypical, would you take it?”

        I personally would not since I don’t see a reason too. Being NT wouldn’t get rid of my problems, it would just give me different ones. I may have to work to produce facial expressions, but neurotypical people have to work to control theirs. If I’m in a situation where it would be inappropriate to laugh and something funny occurs, I can just not. I once sat quietly through a hilarious funeral. Family told me I was “serious”, “respectful”.

        Anyway, being NT provides a “feel” for all the little rules of social interaction that I learn manually. But I’d still have to follow those rules or face the consequences of violation. I’m already autistic, may as well keep it that way.

        • BOMBSM
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          22 years ago

          look at Ms/Mr Knows-When-It’s-Not-Appropriate-To-Laugh over here 🙄 /j

      • Danacus
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        22 years ago

        I understand what you were asking and I agree, it would fundamentally change us. I think that you would become someone else entirely, and then the question boils down to: “Would you rather have been someone else?”, to which I would say no.

        Although there are things in life I don’t like, there are also things I do like, and I would not want to lose the good things.

    • @OptimsticDolphinOP
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      12 years ago

      I have changed the title slightly, even when I wrote it I knew cure wasnt quite the right term but I cannot think of a better choice