Im a WHAT?
O.K. Ill have to admit this is one post where being more descriptive with my language without cursing is difficult. Im trying to find better words than some of the old ones Ive learned....emotions seems to impede progress in that area sometimes....this is one of those times. If it helps you to understand what Im saying here or it just helps you to realize that this is written with alot of emotion, feel free to imagine a **** inserted in which ever sentance you need to to help it make better sense.
O.K. whats a yahoo group? What is yahoo 360? Is the problem with discussing autism as a neurodiversity, the fact that people are stuck between the extremes. Has autism become such a pathological diagnosis that people can only see it in terms of treatments that are either waste of money or dangerous or what is seen as the other extreme, which some people see as acceptance that some equate as doing nothing? I thought it had been caught up in the realm of pathology, fixes, and cures all along and the term or concept of neurodiversity was meant to liberate people as in: some needing supports, but "normal" too confining of a term or concept and by using such a term, it is further creating the negative stereotypes of autism.
I was thinking that labels can unite or labels can divide, therefore labels can be useful depending on whos using them and how and why. Maybe Im overgeneralizing now. Is that a neurodiversity? Like OGD Over Gerneraliztion Disorder?
Im not new to autism at all. Im just real new to all the ways that people are describing it. AND Im real new to computors....and I dont read well but thats beside the point....sort of....
I just read a list of all the things that were being described as neurodiverse. I related to lots of criteria to lots of them. I can see how describing these things and using these terms can help people understand how to help me accomplish alot of my goals. What Im not sure of is what is the goal of the people who are describing all these terms is. Is it to unify or divide? Is the goal to take away negative stigma or add to it? Are my questions too broad or am I understanding anything yet at all?
There is definitly one term on the list that I cannot see any practical use for at all. It is called ODD. Whats the point of calling anybody that? The letters stand for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I must draw the line at being refered to as that. It has no practical application whatsoever in my opinion. Furthermore, I am in total opposition to ever being associated with that term. I dont see how anyone could profit anything from being associated with such a label. So, I am opposed to it....I am defiantly opposed to it.... I can only see how such a label would create nothing but disorder for anyone using it to describe another person. I will continue to be oppositionally defiant (and even disorderly if necessary) about the use of this term to catagorize humans with such an obviously negative stereotype. Such uses of labels are not productive.
posted by Ed @ 10:38 AM
7 Comments
7 Comments:
Now that's the font size for me!
Best wishes from bifocaled person
http://whitterer-autism.blogspot.com
Hi Mcewen, Actually Id use a larger font if there was one. :)
I completely agree that we shouldn't make lists of psychological diagnoses and call that "neurodiverse." Instead, we should be questioning the authority of the psychologists to classify people according to negative criteria.
Neurodiversity is like racial diversity or religious diversity. It acknowledges the fact that there are many varieties of human beings, and it doesn't just refer to minority groups.
ABFH,
Im trying to understand this better.
Heres what Im thinking.
First is that the way I really need to start using blogging is to be more direct and ask questions rather than some of the other methods Ive been using that arent working. This is a question but I dont know how to ask it without starting with explaining what Im thinking.
First of all, all diversity should be acknowleged and accepted.I guess its my veiws about minorities that is where Im getting of track.
Im thinking that the movement of neurodiversity is meant to empower people such as the civil rights movement.
For instance, some people thought that bussing was a bad way of dealing with the racial segregation of schools.I dont know.Ultimately truth decides everything so acceptance of all diversity is eventually realised. However, it does require work. Right?
The worst thing I saw bussing do was lead more rich parents sending their kids to private schools.Then tax money went toward public schools but there was an apathy about the idea that public schools couldnt get fixed.There is no less intelligence amongst the black race or any other but public schools need to be made to accomidate everyone in order for everyrone to have *real* equal opportunity.
If people leap to the conclusion that the minority has not existed *as* a minority and been treated inappropriatly as such, we exclude by the way of inclusion.
People of different races (for instance) may indeed need more support. Not because they are any less capable.Quite the opposite.They are equally capable.
Because of the way that the U.S. has dealt with racial differences in the past, certain extra supports need to be in place to meet people where they are in order to meet the ultiate goal of inclusion. Not pity. Not more seperataion. But acceptance of where people are and why they are there.
In other words if the racial and cultural bias had never existed then we *could* make a leap to inlusion without the accknowlegment of meeting people where they are in order to level the playing feild.However, if we just act like it never happened,inclusion is described as something it really isnt.It ultimately excludes when people dont measure up and then its blamed on reasons that are not the *real* reasons. I could explain further and Id be glad to but do you know what I mean?
Now,if a person wants an education or job, the supports should meet them where they are.The U.S.is too rich and powerful to ignore this responsibility.I could be much worse off in another country. Ive been much worse off in this one. My point is that now for many years the government pays to keep me and others like me quiet and I(and some others like me) work to not let them do that.
"Sure youre one of us" they say. Then as soon as I dont fit in or fail to meet the criteria, its blamed either on my not trying or directly to the other extreme of the pitiest"Its too bad you just cant."Exclusion is the ultiamte result."
If the methods of inclusion are too conveinient then the result which is ultimately exclusion by way of inclusion, is also conveinient.
I am a hard worker. I will not be denied.There are homeless people who work hard for 15 cigerettes a day and eat at a soup kitchen every night where the coffee and the beef stew get watered down based on the number of people in line.I believe these people work harder than CEOs making 7 figure incomes.The problem (as I see it) is not the lack of inclusive methods.The problem is instead that what is called inclusion, ultimately excludes because they fail to acceppt the problem as it is, so they therefore fail to meet people where they are.
I feel very strongly about this.However, my veiws are not stagnet. Im willing to listen to what may be wrong with my logic.
Thanks, Ed
By the way, that last remark of mine probably shouldnt have been desribed as a question or statement that specficlly asked anyone in particular to respond.Anyone, please feel free to respond or ignore it while I continue my lessons in blogger protocol....
You know I just realised that people may be more likly comment or help me figure stuff out if I didnt comment back like Im doing. That just dawned on me. Sorry no disrespect intended. Ill keep that in mind in the future.I dont know how to delete comments yet or Id delete the last two I wrote instead of trying to explain....Sometimes I forget that people may actually be reading this stuff.Im glad that they are so Ill try to respond to things better.
Ed, if you want to delete a comment, you'll see a garbage can icon at the bottom of the comment when you are logged in to Blogger. Just click on the garbage can, and it will take you to a screen where you confirm that you want to delete.
But I think your last two comments are just fine, and you should leave them. You have a very good point about racial minorities needing extra help in schools to make up for past inequality, and how it's important to understand that many problems of autistic students are a result of being in the minority, rather than being less capable.
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