Autism society

[HDDD]

I was just on their website for something else and noticed their autism and gender identity page so clicked through....www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/autism-and-gender-identity
"Gender identity and biological sex are different things. People are usually assigned a gender at birth according to their genitalia – male or female. "
NOT HELPING ANYONE THIS ASSIGNED BUSINESS!

[Fluffypastelslippers]

@AvaCallanach

What is autism?

Autism is an atypical neurodevelopmental condition in which the brain systems respond differently to sensory stimuli, and have communication differences compared to typically wired brains. This manifests in differences that can be observed during development in social interaction and communication skills, and in the ability to respond flexibly to situations or information.

In part this is because of the different experiences of the sensory world, which can appear too bright/ too busy/ too noisy in the way it is set up for the neurotypical majority, especially in the modern world of electric lights, cars etc. On the other hand that sensory world can bring immense joy to many autistic people for example in exploring textures, smells etc in a way that passes most neurotypical people by (and is pathologised - eg saying an autistic child shouldn't sniff items or run their fingers gently over and through textures).

In part this is because of the communication differences which mean that navigating the social world is hard. For example neurotypical people "parse" language a lot; they are very imprecise or inaccurate and don't even notice; this can cause bewilderment. For example telling a class of 5 year olds to write about "what they are going to do at Christmas". Strictly speaking, until they have done it, none of them knows what they are going to do at Christmas. They can probably predict with some degree of confidence based on past experience, conversations they have had etc. But this is the kind of parsing of language that can cause confusion to an autistic child because they can't answer that question. They could answer if they were given an accurate task such as "write about some things you think you might do this Christmas". This is a disablement caused to a certain extent by the vagaries of neurotypical language use which NT people use in a more flexible, less accurate way.

So autism is indeed about being wired differently. The only common features are differences in communication and interaction, and difficulties with flexibility of thought in comparison with NT people. Evidence of areas of deep focus - and consequent fascination and knowledge - is also usual (again pathologised and often described as 'obsessional interests').

Is this a quote? And opinion? A combination?

It's quite tricky to separate

[AvaCallanach]

It's not a quote

[Fluffypastelslippers]

Ah, I thought the first part was an official answer to the question.

[Tibtom]

BPD is a mental health issue and not a neurological condition.

On what basis have you determined this? It is thought to be genetic and linked to differences in the brain. There is no cure. A 'neurological condition' is any condition that affects the brain, spinal cord or nervous system so this would apply.

[AvaCallanach]

It's my official answer
Gavel

[WarriorN]

Coming back to the op, that's horrific of the NAS.

I teach primary age pupils with autism. Each and every one is both fantastic and unique.

Some of our most academically and socially able children are very affected by the way autism causes extreme anxiety. Life is incredibly hard as a result, especially as they hit puberty. They are also most vulnerable to this ideology, are more aware of the world and their own place in it.

The children who are less able to communicate / socially communicate or even have any interest in social interaction are also much less likely, if at all, to have any concept of a "gender identity."

Which for me is what blows the whole idea of any link between autism and transgender as a biological fact into the water as it's clearly all about gender-sex social stereotypes. And the NAS is stupid and negligent not to see this.

I'm also seeing a number of children who spend a lot of time drawing cartoons and characters getting drawn to anime and furry characters. Which concerns me due to the links to fetish, trans ideology, pornography etc.

[Fluffypastelslippers]

It honestly reads like you posed a question, quoted an answer then reached your conclusion based on the answer. If it's just your own opinion you can't present it as fact.

[Tibtom]

So autism is indeed about being wired differently.

This does not follow from the rest of the text. What do you mean by 'wired differently'?

[WarriorN]

I always feel this is a brilliant way to autism with regards to the concept of a "spectrum" that's frequently misconstrued as a linear progressive idea. Which is ableist in itself.

the-art-of-autism.com/understanding-the-spectrum-a-comic-strip-explanation/

[SusannahHolmes]

@Fluffypastelslippers

It honestly reads like you posed a question, quoted an answer then reached your conclusion based on the answer. If it's just your own opinion you can't present it as fact.

It's not my own opinion. It's based on 20 years in the field, the diagnostic criteria for autism, and the dyad of impairments.

[SusannahHolmes]

Ah, changed names there sorry. I am AvaCallanach.

[Fluffypastelslippers]

It's not my own opinion. It's based on 20 years in the field, the diagnostic criteria for autism, and the dyad of impairments.

I was meaning another poster.

But the huge text of not a quote or official information that can be linked is absolutely opinion, even if the person who posted it does work with autistic people.

[Fluffypastelslippers]

Cross posted.

[AvaCallanach]

@Tibtom

So autism is indeed about being wired differently.

This does not follow from the rest of the text. What do you mean by 'wired differently'?

The brain responds differently to sensory stimuli and the communication centres work differently.

[AvaCallanach]

@Fluffypastelslippers

It's not my own opinion. It's based on 20 years in the field, the diagnostic criteria for autism, and the dyad of impairments.

I was meaning another poster.

But the huge text of not a quote or official information that can be linked is absolutely opinion, even if the person who posted it does work with autistic people.

No, it was me. I was trying out a new name and had a name change fail.

It's not opinion.
Autism is defined as differences in social interaction, social communication, flexible thinking and sensory differences. This is called the Triad or dyad of impairments. All I have done is extrapolated some examples of how this manifests.

[Fluffypastelslippers]

Ok ok I just felt your huge text read as something it wasn't.

[WarriorN]

I'm fuming that the NAS is clearly being guided by this individual

www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/stories/stories-from-the-spectrum-wenn-lawson

[AvaCallanach]

Yes I appreciate that I didn't make it very clear, sorry.

[Tibtom]

Officially...

ICD 11
6A02 Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder is characterised by persistent deficits in the ability to initiate and to sustain reciprocal social interaction and social communication, and by a range of restricted, repetitive, and inflexible patterns of behaviour, interests or activities that are clearly atypical or excessive for the individual’s age and sociocultural context. The onset of the disorder occurs during the developmental period, typically in early childhood, but symptoms may not become fully manifest until later, when social demands exceed limited capacities. Deficits are sufficiently severe to cause impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and are usually a pervasive feature of the individual’s functioning observable in all settings, although they may vary according to social, educational, or other context. Individuals along the spectrum exhibit a full range of intellectual functioning and language abilities.

[AvaCallanach]

That official text is immensely ablist of course.

[Cabinfever10]

This shit really pisses me off both my ds and I are autistic and have co-morbidities.
I'm lucky enough to be classed as high functioning which just means my asd doesn't effect others very much it didn't make school or life any easier infact it made it worse because it wasn't recognised (was told it couldn't be asd as I was a girl🤬) and I was labelled as a "difficult problem child who must have BPD" I didn't get an official diagnosis until after my ds got his (couldn't miss it in him) and that was only because the team assessing my ds picked it up in me and referred me to the adult team.
The fact that people are now self identifying as autistic doesn't help us any but infact makes it more difficult for us.
It would seem that the same tras who have co-opted dsd (intersex ) are trying to do the same with ASD only its much more dangerous for us as a group because we are particularly vulnerable to the gender bs as teenagers due to our asd and its common for us to be gender non conforming which often leads to all types of body dismorphia but with watchful waiting and therapy and coming out the other side of puberty normally goes away. But now you have people telling you that all your problems are caused by being trans and if you transition everything including your asd will go away
Whilst doing and saying all of the above they are taking actual science about the visible difference between a neuro-typical brain and an ASD brain such as the underdevelopment of structures in the brain that controls your emotions and overdevelopment of areas that deal with sensory input all of which can be seen on an FMRI and are trying to use this to bolster the lady/man brain claims of the gender identity cult, because if autism is just another identity it's the same as being trans and if you can see asd on a FMRI then they will be able to see being trans too. It also allows TRAs to claim that being trans is just another neuro diversity.
@Franca123 I know that this is a bit difficult to follow (as is anything to do with queer theory) bit I hope it helps explain what is going on

[Tibtom]

ICD = International Classification of Diseases (World Health Organisation)

[Whatsnewpussyhat]

@JulesRimetStillGleaming

The modus operandi is to equate diagnosis with privilege and play on the fact that some groups of people genuinely find it harder to be diagnosed, hence requiring a diagnosis to identify as autistic is inherently unfair and prejudiced. If you don't take someone at their word and accept their autistic identity then you are in effect racist and ableist and a supremacist. Then they link it all to Nazism because Hans Asperger (according to them) was a Nazi who promoted the idea of killing autistic people.

Anyone dissenting from this narrative in any way is then piled on.

So exactly like gender identity ideology.

Don't need a dysphoria diagnosis, just self identify, transexuals are scorned, women told their oppression is a privilege and anyone who disagrees is a Nazi?

Sounds very familiar.

[Franca123]

Thanks for that cabinfever10

[Sickoffamilydrama]

It's alarming as a parent of an autistic girl who has just started main stream secondary school, I'm constantly thinking of ways to reinforce that she's not "born in the wrong body"

Thanks for the heads up OP I'll stay away from the NAS.

I said on the other thread I experienced this ^superpowers, and puritanical policing of how you're allowed to phrase/refer to people. It mirrors the trans ID situation in some ways and of course as we know can often affect the same people.

Some people who have relatives with severe autism have raised objections that it ignores and sidelines the negative aspects of that,^

I posted my first ever comment about my daughter on a FB site it was something about all autistics have hidden supper powers, which I think is so dismissive and I basically said my daughter is extremely vunerable to abuse, manipulation and is negatively affected daily by her autism.
I got piled on by a couple of people who just kept going, even when I clarified that I 100% support her and push her forward to achieve her full potential. A few parents supported me but in the end after about 200 comments I deleted my comment as it was starting to stress me.

Most were from these two telling me my daughter was probably better off without me that stung even though I knew they were being nasty and them trying to re-educate me that I must never talk/advocate for my daughter whose a fucking child therefore that is my role as her parent or say "my daughter" as she's not a possession...it did think FFS that is normal language of course I know she's not a fucking possession the my denotes that I am her mother 🤦‍♀️ oh and I'm holding her back by saying she doesn't have a super power, she's absolutely amazing and I'm a better person because of her. But she's doesn't need to have a superpower to be special or important to others.

Anyway I'm angrily rambling now!