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Autism is a developmental disability
4 years ago
I never thought that would be a controversial statement but here we are. Watching and observing from online has shown me that the profoundly autistic end of the spectrum has little to no understanding of how debilitating it can be. People in the neurodivergent movement tend to overlook the low end of the spectrum, claiming that it's only an abelist society that is making things difficult for them. This is a blatant lie.
My brother is 27 and on SSI for his autism because he CANNOT provide or take care of himself. This is not me saying that my brother is a problem, he isn't. He is a 27-year-old man with a severe disability. He cannot advocate for himself or answer questions. When he has a doctor's appointment my mom has to be the one to talk to the doctors. She and my dad went through the court system to be his legal guardians so they could continue to take care of him.
My brother is on a number of medications to manage certain symptoms but one that can be overwhelming for my family is the aggression. It's almost a daily occurrence in the house. My mom takes him to Walmart multiple times a week or even day because otherwise there would be a meltdown.
My parents worry about what will happen when they aren't around anymore. There isn't a way my brother can take care of himself. Simple things like taking a bath require a list taped to the wall with 'wash hair, wash left arm, wash right arm, etc' and someone to run the water for him and tell him when it's time for a bath.
There's a spectrum, right? That means we have those are the higher end of the spectrum but you also have those that are on the low end and profoundly disabled.
Autism is not part of who my brother is. It is a disability he has. My brother is a wonderful person who I love very dearly, this is why I speak up for him; because of the disability, he cannot have a voice of his own.
Here are some videos and articles about low functioning autism and what it entails:
A mother explaining what severely autistic behavior is like (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jr.....0d4A&t=32s)
A news story about the low functioning end of the spectrum being left behind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W732ZQQpcEc)
Jonathan Mitchell on the neurodiversity movement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9zD_RK6-sw)
An article by a man with Asperger's and a severely autistic brother: (https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/.....t-an-identity/)
Jonathan Mitchell, an autistic blogger writing about the neurodivergent movement (http://www.jonathans-stories.com/no...../neurodiv.html)
An article on low functioning autism and the impact it can have (https://www.autismparentingmagazine.....ioning-autism/)
My brother is 27 and on SSI for his autism because he CANNOT provide or take care of himself. This is not me saying that my brother is a problem, he isn't. He is a 27-year-old man with a severe disability. He cannot advocate for himself or answer questions. When he has a doctor's appointment my mom has to be the one to talk to the doctors. She and my dad went through the court system to be his legal guardians so they could continue to take care of him.
My brother is on a number of medications to manage certain symptoms but one that can be overwhelming for my family is the aggression. It's almost a daily occurrence in the house. My mom takes him to Walmart multiple times a week or even day because otherwise there would be a meltdown.
My parents worry about what will happen when they aren't around anymore. There isn't a way my brother can take care of himself. Simple things like taking a bath require a list taped to the wall with 'wash hair, wash left arm, wash right arm, etc' and someone to run the water for him and tell him when it's time for a bath.
There's a spectrum, right? That means we have those are the higher end of the spectrum but you also have those that are on the low end and profoundly disabled.
Autism is not part of who my brother is. It is a disability he has. My brother is a wonderful person who I love very dearly, this is why I speak up for him; because of the disability, he cannot have a voice of his own.
Here are some videos and articles about low functioning autism and what it entails:
A mother explaining what severely autistic behavior is like (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jr.....0d4A&t=32s)
A news story about the low functioning end of the spectrum being left behind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W732ZQQpcEc)
Jonathan Mitchell on the neurodiversity movement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9zD_RK6-sw)
An article by a man with Asperger's and a severely autistic brother: (https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/.....t-an-identity/)
Jonathan Mitchell, an autistic blogger writing about the neurodivergent movement (http://www.jonathans-stories.com/no...../neurodiv.html)
An article on low functioning autism and the impact it can have (https://www.autismparentingmagazine.....ioning-autism/)
I highly encourage you to do proper research before making a comment like this in the future, as clearly, you don’t have the slightest clue as to what your talking about.
Thank you, I appreciate that and I'm sure my family would say the same. It's not easy and it sucks sometimes but we just pull together and take care of things. Just how things ended up and we're doing what we can. :)
I just wanted to give more attention to the end of the spectrum that can't advocate for themselves.
If anybody sees this comment, please respect those around you, autism or otherwise. And don't listen to Autism Speaks, and don't take what you see in media that makes fun of autism as fact.
And I'm genuinely very thankful to people like you for helping me open up my mind every day. It means a lot to me. ^v^
Also, I have to agree with A_Kororaa_Named_ICE. I found this very touching and am happy to see that there are people out there that truly understand that not all of us on the spectrum are like what the media and Hollywood like to portray, which really irritates me.
Autism is a spectrum that means you have a high functioning end and a low functioning/severe end. My brother is on the low functioning/severe end. It's not a preference it just is what it is. We have to be able to communicate the level of his disability with his dayhab, doctors, etc. Science is hindered by ignoring the lower end of the spectrum.
It's a developmental disability as classified in the DSM V. They did a disservice in combining Asperger's Syndrome with ASD however you're trying to say a group of people doesn't exist. I'll admit I'm livid at the ignorance you're displaying. It's not like cerebral palsy or being LGBT.
Yes people do, the neurodivergent movement is an example of that.
Yes, I know what they are because I've lived around low-functioning autism for 27 years.
You don't get to decide if I should be upset or not.