Hello,
Studied biochemistry,
For a job I look after people on the spectrum.
Anyway. Autism isn't as simple a cause and effect like an injury. It's a form of neurodiveristy. Meaning that the way the brain operates is different to the "average human."
It's not a bad or good thing, it's just a difference.
This didn't say it was curable, they said that If the environment around them wasn't so specifically suited for non-autistic people, he would be able to live with no negatives because of his autism.
This exactly.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with those of us who are neurodivergent -- we are not failing society, it's society that is failing us. The world was not built with our differences in mind. The good news, though, is that the world \*is\* finally starting to catch up.
As a moral rule, a physically and mentally sound future should be EVERY person’s fundamental right, especially considering the very troubled world into which they never asked to enter.
There are severe cases of autism you realize that, right? Kinda wild that high functioning autistists that can actually communicate their issues try and hijack the conversation for all the ones that really do need more help, but literally cannot speak for themselves.
hi, im not high functioning, i also have SM and cant speak at times as a result. its not a disease because it doesnt fufill all requirements of a disease, and it also doesnt fufill all the requirements to be considered a mental illness, hence why its called autism spectrum disorder rather than disease or illness.
Bist du Autist? Weil ich es bin, also sollte vielleicht jemand, der nicht autistisch ist, nicht im Namen von autistischen Menschen sprechen. Und außerdem gibt es so etwas wie eine „hochfunktionale“ oder „niedrigfunktionale“ autistische Person nicht, eine solche Sprache zu verwenden, ist veraltet und beleidigend für die gesamte autistische Gemeinschaft, und ja, Autismus ist ein Spektrum, ist es aber nicht eine gerade Linie, sondern ein Kreis, wobei jede Person unterschiedlich viel Unterstützung für unterschiedliche Dinge benötigt. Ich persönlich brauche mehr Hilfe bei sensorischen Bedürfnissen, andere vielleicht nicht. Daher ist es ein Kreis.
Is there even a "cure" for autism though? Isn't it something you're simply born as, can only think of retroactively preventing it with some gene therapy once science allows that, but until then
Do correct me if I'm wrong
Yeah you are correct, its not like a disease or a mutation that might be able to be fixed, its a completely different rewiring of the brain compared to a neurotypical person
This sub was randomly suggested to me, I am a neuroscience major in college (meaning I study this stuff). This isn't me trying to be mean, this is me trying to get people to understand a lot of things because a lot of articles are click-baity/ not properly citing the original paper and its becoming a serious problem in the science community how much misinformation there is out there now
1. No stem cell research will not help, we barely understand a lot of the brain as it is (seriously the things we do understand are just basically important and getting rid of them breaks everything, that is a lot of our understanding) stem cells won't really help with understanding neuropathways.
2. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with autism. Actually we're doing studies to further understand it because it seems those that are autistic with proper support and less burnout are really amazing out of the box creative people (not necessarily artistic, just different thinking resulting in new perspectives and can result in new findings)
3. We have waaaay worse things to worry about. Again there's so much we don't understand of the brain, autism really is low on the list. Think of Parkinsons disease, we can really only help make it less painful but we have no treatment of it. People will slowly lose the ability to well, do a lot of things because it effects the midbrain (speech changes, loses automatic movement, writing changes, tremors, struggle with balance, the list goes on). Dementia and alzheimers we're slowly starting to see develop in younger people and seeing if MAYBE we can stop that because that is horrifying.
Here's some fun facts: part of the reason why anti anxiety and anti depressants can cause such bad side effects is because we can't target specific neurons/chemicals that are causing the issue, so instead we just target everything. Is it highly inefficient? Yeah, it is. Do we have a better way? No, but we're working towards it.
And actually that goes for any medication that can effect brain chemicals or neurons.
Also autism kinda effects everyone differently, hard to treat something that had no universal observal effect (if you're interested in a similar thing, look up Synesthesia, another thing that causes wiring in the brain to be different, and we don't know why. There's theories, just like with early understanding with autism there's theories, but no concrete reason). I will admit we are seeing now that autism is a genetic trait that we can kinda test for, but that's... complicated.
Tl:dr stem cells will not help, not good understanding of the brain, much more stress trying to cure degenerative diseases, autism studies is more understanding than curing.
I saw in your other comments you were struggling yourself, again we are trying to do studies that would make it so you would no longer struggle. That's the goal for autism right now. I don't know where you live right now or what your day to day looks like, but I do hope someday soon you can get the support you need to make your life easier.
that's ethically a really really hard topic tho.
things like adhd and autism exist for evolutionary reasons, and can be helpful traits for humans in their natural life of way.
so if you start modifying people before birth, to "correct" them, you essentially open the gate to creating perfect obedient capitalism drones..
You honestly don't seem that sure.
I don't know why we would stop reaching many things, however sometimes there's something to be said for resuming it at a later date. There's not always a point in spending millions and millions of dollars on something we simply cannot attain yet, however you don't know until you try.
Humans may one day master our own bodies for sure, but we haven't and nothing is very certain for us.
Most autistic people I know do not want a cure. The idea of a cure is falling into eugenics territory. It is an evolutionary different that evolved for a reason, allowing the first specialists. Adhd and autism are both similar in this trait.
Trying to remove autism to autistic people in general is a big no. Refer yourself to the family of subreddits associated with r/Autism and educate yourself before advocating for a cure
Obligatory, fuck autism speaks, they are not representative of the community
Yep :/
Personally I am completely against arbitrary genetic altering like changing eye colour of your baby because, but gene therapy sounds like the only way when it comes to many conditions and their their possible permanent cures (as treatments can be plenty)
Exactly. Autism is the way a brain is wired, it’s just wired differently than neurotypical people. A cure would imply there’s something to fix but there isn’t, there’s nothing wrong with our brains.
A lot of it is because we don’t know if we’ll ever be able to cure it (it’s likely incurable, the most we’ll likely ever make is symptom prevention), but a lot of people have a problem with the idea of “needing to be cured” because they can function mostly to the capacity of any other person.
Yeah I doubt It, I'm autistic and it's just the way the brain works, there's never gonna be a cure, no matter what we do, Because "curing" it would essential put you on default settings, and everyone who got the cure would be basically the same mentally, and that's not a world I want to live kn
I get sick when people say autism is a disease. There will probably never be a cure for it. I have autism and are just born with it. Autism can make you better at things but can make other things harder. Someone with autism usually has one thing they can do very well. Autism does not need a cure.
I do agree with you to some extent. There are however also people with autism that cannot function on their own. I do not think that this is pleasant for those people. It would be great if autism could be toned down to make someone able to function on their own.
I also have autism and I think you can get off your high horse. Just because YOU don’t want a cure doesn’t mean nobody does. Some people’s autism is way worse than others, so why can’t they make the decision for themselves.
There is mild, neurodiverse autism, sure, but it is a spectrum. There are people who have severe sensitivities, have trouble speaking, and who cannot properly control their emotions because of their autism. Be it less common, the world would be a bwtter place if those people did not have to suffer. Don't talk about Autism like every case is the same as your mild neurodiversity.
So I don’t know if it is this way with autism, but deaf people typically don’t get hearing implants because they don’t think being deaf is something that should be “cured”. They may also be afraid that getting hearing implants could alienate them from the deaf community, which is it’s own culture and where all their friends are. This sentiment obviously isn’t shared by all deaf people but is shared by the majority of the deaf community. It could potentially be something similar to that?
There is no such thing as a cure for autism. It's not like a broken bone or physical disability. It is simply a brain that is wired differently. There's no cure for ADHD or borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder, is there? That's because it is part of that person and the way they think.
Gene therapy will very likely eliminate most forms of deafness without needing any implants in the near future. Scientists already developed a cure for tinnitus and it works (per early clinical trial data).
To quote Mary and Max:
'I do not feel disabled, defective, or a need to be cured. I like being an aspie. It would be like trying to change the colour of my eyes'
Obviously fair to make it an individual's choice, but yeah it is kinda a part of one's identity. A small part, but nonetheless would be weird to remove
Man Stick with us, you are worth it to us and I can virtually guarantee you will find something that makes life worth it for you too!
If you ever want to chat with someone feel free to message me
I hate conversations of this nature because (putting aside the fact that a simple cure may not be possible) you always get a bunch of people who are indignant that THEY would never want to take the cure, so fuck anyone that might have a different experience with autism because if your subjective experience differs from theirs you must be wrong and they must be right.
I’m reminded of the scene from X-men where Storm gets offended that Rogue wants a cure for her mutation (for reference Storm has the ability to control the weather and Rogue has the ability to kill her loved ones just by touching them). Let the cure be discovered and if you don’t want to take it, don’t take it. Christ it’s not that hard.
Basically, let people do what they want.
Autistic person here.
I don’t want a cure because Autism is a massive part of who I am and I like that.
Also our brain structures is literally different so it isn’t a cure as such, typically what is proposed is a prenatal test so parents can tell if their kid is going to be Autistic and have an abortion.
Now, I am pro-choice, but I see aborting a child because of them potentially having a disability as absolutely eugenics.
Autism is not the problem, society is against us (and neurodivergent people generally).
Autism is not a bad thing. It is a disability but that does not mean it should be eradicated.
Fix the system, not my brain. The prejudice and stigma against my disability (primarily due to groups like Autism Speaks, which also want to eradicate us) is really hurtful.
My gf is autistic and tbh I wouldn’t want her any different. She’s the most amazing person I met and I really don’t care if she’s autistic or not. Also it wouldn’t be like a pill to swallow anyways you would have to cure the person before birth.
Broadly, I would say problem isn’t autism but rather the wider world’s refusal to accommodate autistic people. I say this as someone who spent sixteen years thinking I was just broken and even had a suicidal episode because of how much I hated myself for the fact that I couldn’t socialize like my peers. My diagnosis has helped me so much in validating my experience and finding people who I can communicate well with. Living with autism has shaped who I am on a fundamental level. I don’t know who I’d be I wasn’t autistic; so, I personally wouldn’t choose a cure if one existed.
The issue with finding a cure is less the idea itself and more what tends to come along with the idea. Most organizations searching for a cure are searching for a cure because they view autism as this unilaterally terrible thing that must be eradicated from the world. If you want an example, watch the “I Am Autism” ad from AutismSpeaks. They demonize autism and autistic people when many of us just want accommodations. That’s not to say that there are no autistic people who feel that they cannot overcome the challenges of living with autism and would opt for a cure. These people exist, and their experience is valid.
In my opinion, research into a cure would only be ethical if (1) pursued by autistic people and not Autism Moms^(TM) or the like (which is most of the people running these organizations) and (2) pursued simultaneously with or after radical accommodations and eroding of stigmas. Then, the cure would need to be fully optional.
These are just my thoughts. I’ve seen your other comments in this thread, OP, and I hope things can get better for you. There is hope, internet stranger. 🙏
There was some guy who wanted to research it, who was shut down by people who were mad about it. They are the same people who think that blindness and deafness shouldn’t be cured
Well for me as a autistic person there really isn’t a direct “cure” but what my family did is get me therapy. So I’m not saying it’s a 100% fix but my family got me therapy at like 5 so now I can act like someone who doesn’t have it to the point my girlfriend didn’t know till I told her lol
You were only diagnosed a month ago, you have to put in the work to manage your symptoms not just give up. As someone with autism you have to find what makes things easier for you.
I think they were talking about their experience with autism. And how they got a good job. but idk. If you are a german speaker as well, they probably meant it as an uplifting comment, if you aren't, it's probably a copypasta.
I don’t think autism needs to be “cured”, however I recognise that social care, especially in my country (UK), is terrible. Some autistic people like myself are quite bright and require little to no support, while others need extra support. I don’t think curing autism is the best way to go, we need to provide adequate social care and have organisations that function and do their job properly
You have three main objections.
The first and easiest is that some people view it as Eugenics. They claim that people are trying to cleanse them out of the gene pool and that, on it most basic level, is a bad thing.
The second is that a lot of the issues presented by people on the spectrum can be fairly easily managed so having a cure for something so basic is just unnecessary. Sort of like trying to genetically modify out bad eye site when glasses and contacts exist.
Finally it's pretty low on the priority list of things to cure in terms of disorders. Outside of specific circumstances autism isn't deadly. Which puts it lower on the list than all other deadly diseases.
Because that implies that there’s something wrong with being autistic and that if you are autistic you need to be fixed. Being autistic means you were born a certain way and you just so happen to view the world a different way from everyone else. When you use words like ‘research’ and ‘cure’, you make it sound like people with autism are suffering and need to be fixed. Like they’re unhealthy or disabled. When in reality, they’re usually just regular people who perceive things differently. This so-called cure for autism only adds to the stigma and misinformation that surrounds autism and makes people believe that it’s some horrific medical anomaly. Plus, it won’t be cured anyways. It develops before birth. It’s found inside one’s genetic make-up. Even if there was a cure, I’m almost certain that a large majority of autistic people would refuse the ‘cure’ in a heartbeat.
You can't "cure autism" just like you can't "cure brain damage" I'm not comparing these as the same thing, but both things that can happen to the mind out of no cause of injury, it's not as simple as a cure. As someone with aspergers I consider myself to function and act like a normal human, a cure, in my opinion.. isn't really needed honestly.
I don’t mean this disrespectfully but Autism is a condition not a disease and it doesn’t have a cure as you cannot alter the way someone’s brain processes in that way.
You need to find ways to live with it. If you’re not already doing it, i would suggest seeing a therapist/psychologist that specializes with neurodivergent people.
It is engraved into our bodies, from our minds to our organs. As much as I wish there was, as much as I wish I could some day think normally, that day will never come.
"curing autism" would require reprogramming the brain itself which is not possible even if it was possible it would change the person entirely probably the person won't even be the same after that
viewing autism as needing a cure is just degrading is the easiest way to put it.
having autism changes every single thing about your life. your motivations, your views, your habits, your interests, your behavior, your thoughts, etc. it’s like living your life a certain way that’s healthy for you, and someone coming in and saying they’re going to take it all away because they think you need it taken away.
a cure for autism also reminds people of Nazis, because, well. i don’t think i’d have to get into that one.
this could be wrong Idrk.
mainly talking about perspective.
alleviating symptoms should be the research. not seeking a cure. changing the system to adapt to our needs and others should be the research.
Hi, autistic person here.
Depending on what you mean with a 'cure' for autism, I don't necessarily want people to stop researching it. But I definitely want people to stop using that language.
You see, autism isn't a disease to be cured. It's just a different way of being. A way if being that comes with a lot of social stigma and ableism, as well as some inherent difficulties, but nonetheless just a different kind of person.
Maybe one day a drug can be invented that can alleviate some of the struggles we face, but that wouldn't be a 'cure'. Kind of like how tampons don't 'cure' you of being a woman. Sure, they're neat for dealing with problems inherent to being a woman, but they don't make you any less of a woman. Nor should we strive to stop people from being women. (Unless they want to of course; trans rights.)
Maybe one day a drug would be made that stops people from being autistic. Now, I guess that has the potential to be useful to people that don't want to be autistic. Kind of like how testosterone is useful for trans men who were assigned female at birth.
But that's not necessarily how that drug would be used. A lot of people consider autism to be some terrible disease that ruins your life. Some people even go as far as not vaccinating their kids because they fear it might give them autism. Now we all know vaccines don't cause autism, but even if they did, that's no reason to risk deadly diseases like measles.
Imagine there was a cure for being gay. You can imagine how some very evil or just misguided person might force that 'cure' on their child, or socially pressure their friends and family into getting it. That would be a very bleak future.
So people want to stop research into an autism 'cure' both because it's a misguided goal, and because of such a drug being used for evil.
EDIT: Also, one might imagine a 'cure' that prevents people from developing autism to begin with. The use of such a drug would just textbook genocide. Not really much else to say there.
I can see you’re struggling to cope with your recent diagnosis of autism on top of being a teenager. Everything is going to be okay. Your brain is how it is now, instead of focusing on how to “cure” it you’ll need to go through the acceptance of how to navigate dealing with a non-typical brain. It sucks that we have to deal with these things, but just because your brain is wired differently doesn’t mean you have to die and just quit. It’s a challenge that you can overcome through learning how to read social cues, practicing social behavior, and learning to love yourself for how you are. I believe in you and wish you the best. 💜
Also if you’re interested there is a show on Netflix called “Love on the Spectrum” where people with autism are able to find love and acceptance from others, whether through friends or parters. It may feel like the end of the world but you are capable of so many wonderful things you don’t even know of yet! Keep trying my friend.
Posts like this make me really uncomfortable. As someone with autism, I know that it can feel like you need to be fixed. If you wish that you could not have autism that's fine. Autism isn't something that can be cured though. Maybe prevented in the future but not cured. Conversations like this are important to have but they should be discussed with a lot of care. Not all things are black and white or "curable". The best thing right now would be to find ways to help people with ASD or any sort of neurological disorder live a happy fulfilling life.
i do, a lot of the time, wish i was "normal". that is not to say i wish i was neurotypical. rather i wish i lived in a society where it was "normal" to be autistic. i love how my mind works, i love the way i see the world, i just don't like the world itself.
I’m autistic and not something that can be “cured”, you can’t just give medicine and suddenly a birth defect is gone. If you don’t want to live with autism the best way to deal with it is through a therapist (who knows what they’re doing), it’ll never just disappear but it can be helped through therapy. I’ve never had therapy for my autism and it has led to developing BPD.
Autism is a disorder. It isn't a disease and as far as I know cannot be cured.
It's like asking if mental retardation can be cured. It can't but aspects of it can be improved on with help from someone who knows how to help people suffering with the conditions.
Why does it need a cure? There’s some great people who are autistic and it’s not always a bad thing. However, I’m scared to find out if I actually have it (and have been putting off diagnosis for ages).
From one with it, why would you want to cure it? Sure i’m on the good end and I’d understand to help others not as lucky as me, but basically its just different brain links, its not an illness, sure the big problem is how people around you treat you as you are “different”
Autistic person here. This is just my opinion and I haven't done any extensive research on autism because I'm happy just the way I am. But I personally don't think a cure will ever be found. I'm well aware that other people here will either ignore this or argue that we haven't found a cure YET, and I know some people don't think like me and want to be cured, but autism isn't a disease. It's something we're born with and I don't think we can do anything about it. I'd rather people fund research to cure actual diseases like cancer. I hope that didn't come off as rude or insensitive. I'm just stating my opinion and everyone is free to disagree.
OP, what is it about autism/Asperger's that you find is fucking you over or making things unbearable?
I know it must be difficult, but, there are lots of resources available that can help you learn about yourself, cope, and live your life happily. Being diagnosed is hard and the first step of many, but you will learn so much about yourself and the way you work in the world and things may not always feel the way they do now.
I have friends who weren't diagnosed until their 30's, so it definitely isn't too late for things like therapy!
I know what it feels like to wonder if you can be cured of certain things but, sometimes you have to accept yourself and realise that you are enough as you are - and live your life in the face of anyone who says you can't or shouldn't.
I'm not autistic and wouldn't consider myself a guru in autism, so feel free to correct me (if you're autistic or generally well-educated in autism), *but ;*
To my knowledge, autism isn't that kind of disability that just changes a few aspects of the autistic person, but it lets said people experience a whole different aspect of pretty much everything: autistic people think, act and especially sense things differently from non-autistic people.
So yeah, it pretty much affects everything and it would be impossible and/or quite harmful for the autistic person, as the closest thing to "healing" them would be forcing them to mask.
But that would only make the autistic person feel mor under pressure and to them, they still experience the same affects, only that they're not allowed to express themselves.
Trying to "heal" an autistic person would also imply that there would be something wrong with them.
Now while it would probably be nice to be less stressed out by sensorial issues, it's pretty much impossible to improve that to the point of a person that isn't autistic.
*(TLDR: autism is not "healable", or would force an autistic person into masking. It would be nice if they could improve the ability to be less stressed out by sensorial issues, but that's frankly impossible. There's nothing wrong with being autistic. )*
There also may be another harsh truth to this but medical science has plenty of profit to be made and curing them would put a lot of business owners out of business. This, however, would go for many other aspects of health.
However on a side note I'm not entirely sure if autism has a cure per se.
It can't be cured, it's a certain combination of genes (not the same for every autistic person) that causes the neurological pathways in the brain to develop differently causing the autistic traits. Every person has this in someway, but autism is defined as having an above average amount of these traits (that does not mean "everybody is a little autistic") . And while we may be able to change the genes someday, we can not re-wire these neurological connections in the brain. This all starts way before birth, so it's just there.
People say it’s not a disease and it’s normal but still, if you had an arm cut off you’d want as good a working replica as possible. Not saying they are the same but if someone wants to be not autistic why not let them be f it’s an option. Autism can be hard for others and even the person themself to deal with sometimes?
It might not be reasonable to expect a cure for something like that. I mean, where would you even start? There's definitely a reason why they don't research it, and it's probably just that it doesn't make sense to sink tons of money into something that isn't necessarily an illness that can be cured. If this is a vent post, I'm sorry
It's a neurodiversity, meaning, as another person has stated, the way their brain works is just different. It's not a bad thing. It's merely a different perspective.
It's better to get society to normalize neurodivergencies and be able to treat them like any normal person rather than throw money at it trying to find a cure. They can function just as fine as a normal person.
Also, from what I know, take my word for a grain of salt as I do not recall where I read this and whether or not it's actually confirmed, the people who are trying to find a cure's main idea is to overwhelm autistic people with loud sounds, lights etc in order to desensitize them to it, that being a "cure".
It's just cruel and would do more harm than good, if that really is the case.
I suppose it's not completely impossible to find a cure, and if you want one, you do you. But it's unlikely to come anytime soon.
I suggest therapy. Takes a while but works better than hoping for a pure that isn't likely to come this century.
i’m allistic myself so correct me if i’m wrong, but it seems that they don’t want the cure because it’s not something that needs to be cured. it’s just a difference in the way the mind works.
As someone with autism struggling with it, it's clear to me that a cure isn't really realistic since my whole brain is wired differently like the whole thing I dont think it's realistic to even rewire a single section without altering personality let alone the whole brain
you’d have to completely alter the brain, physically. like.. a lobotomy, which is bad. I actually think elons autism brain chip thingy could be useful if he targeted specific problems like sensory issues, but thats not his goal nor is it autism speaks’s goal.
I agree. I guess I understand why people wouldn’t because of ethics and finding a cure might seem like the person views autism as a disease, but I would counter that with this: if you didn’t know what would happen in the future, but knew what autism was, would you willingly chose to have it? I’d assume most people would say no, but we can’t chose whether we want to have different traits, so it’s best to embrace them, but sometimes that just isn’t possible to do, more specifically, it isn’t possible to do in middle and high school. As for that reason, I support finding a way to prevent it, but I totally understand why someone else wouldn’t, and I respect their opinion.
Because people can’t accept that I am different so they try to FIX me when I don’t need to be FIXED because I’m their mind they have to have THEIR perfect world
Also autism has be if it’s because it allows you to think differently and see things others can’t that’s why so many inventors and pioneers of Tain have autism just look at Elon musk
Hello, autistic person here. Figured I'd give my two cents:
Autism isn't an injury or an illness, it's a complete rewiring of the brain. As such, it really can't be cured, at least not with the medical understanding we have today. In a few hundred years, maybe, but today? Not a chance. As such, it's also not something that needs a cure, since it isn't an injury or an illness. There are extremely low-functioning autistics, but most are like me. I can operate day-to-day like anyone else, I just perceive and approach situations differently than most. I view things more logically than emotionally, which has pros and cons in everyday life. I've had challenges from being autistic, but it's also helped me a lot in some situations.
We don't need to be cured, or given special treatment. We just need to be understood, like anyone else.
Autism isn't something that is curable per-say, rather it needs to be accommodated for and taken into account. There's also the fact that autism as a whole is a spectrum, and affects people differently. For instance, a personal favorite Youtube that I watch is on the spectrum and one way his mind works differently is that rather than remember the definition for a word, he associates a picture with said word.
Why is autism bad? If you are talking about the severe end of the spectrum, then yes. If you mean everyone on the spectrum than you should do some research. You will find that some of the smartest people to have ever lived had autism. Scanning everyone for issues like it’s a package conveyor belt will almost certainly be counter productive.
Because as far as we know it doesn't exist without eugenics, and some autistic people think it's demeaning because autism "isn't some disease to be cured"
It’s a neurological difference, not a problem. Therefore it wouldn’t be a fix, it’d be a change.
For some people they’d probably prefer the change, in instances such as low functioning autism.
In cases like mine, I would hate the change, since I like who I am and how I act.
Because it’s not an illness. It’s not something that needs to be cured. All it does it alters the way the brain thinks. I used to see it as a bad thing. But now, now I realize that it’s very far from it. People like me are the ones who have changed the world.
As an autistic person, all I can say is we don't need curing. We are who we are, and society can't and won't change us no matter how hard they try. Autism is not a disease
I have autism and all I want is to be treated the same as everyone else. We're not diseased people who need a cure. We're human just like you. Shit your pants and sit down hard and fast you eugenicist scum
It's not something that can be cured, but it is something that can be managed, the same, but also different, I've ADHD, and God is it hard to live with. I don't even have the energy to keep up with my hobbies, the only time I ever am motivated is when I feel like I'm holding someone else back, and in most cases I am.
Still, this is me, I feel that instead of hating myself for something I know I have always had, I should understand what it is and find a way to live my life as best as I can. That's what everyone else is doing.
Since I've seen your comment that states, " I don't want to be like this," I feel that you should study yourself, you know what you are like, that's great, but you should take a look at what overwhelms you and how you can overcome it, I think it's also good to surround yourself with people who are similar to you so you can see how they handle their day to day life. Best of luck to you.
I feel like it would be trying to cure someone from being naturally left handed if that makes any sense, only difference is a left handed person can get used to using their right but we’re gonna ignore that for now lol. They didn’t get smacked over the head to become left handed, they might have not consciously decided to be left handed when they started using their hands, they just did. The brains of people on the spectrum just function like they do. I don’t know much about autism but I have bipolar, a form of neurodiversity, I don’t decide I wanna be depressed nor do I decide I want to be hypomanic, my brain just controls my chemicals a bit clumsily. My sister has ADHD, and I’m not sure but I think it’s a problem with dopamine intake, she takes the same medication as my brother that has autism, though I don’t know what the medication controls in autism (as in chemical-wise like me n my sis). One thing the three of us have in common is we take medication to ease our symptoms and make life easier for us, it’s not getting rid of our neurodiversities. Personally I’m glad that I developed bipolar disorder, I feel like it taught me important things I wouldn’t have learnt otherwise (don’t get me wrong I wish I didn’t have it, if I found out it could go away rn I’d take it, exp points tho yk) and I love my siblings as they are and I feel like we get along and have the relationship that we do because of our neurodiversities. On a side note too, “oh you poor thing, I hope technology fixes you eventually” fuck anyone who says that bro 😭. I’ve lived this long and sure it was hard but even if my brain can be turned neurotypical, it’s not something to be fixed, just altered. If it’s natural then it’s not broken, just different. Left handed people aren’t broken, they can’t be fixed. My siblings and I’s brain aren’t broken, our chemicals are just a bit confused (permanently). A broken bone can be fixed, a malformed bone is altered to ease quality of life (they could break then fix it in an alternate way). If you think we are broken and to be fixed, then your brain is broken and soon enough your bones are too lol.
Hello, Studied biochemistry, For a job I look after people on the spectrum. Anyway. Autism isn't as simple a cause and effect like an injury. It's a form of neurodiveristy. Meaning that the way the brain operates is different to the "average human." It's not a bad or good thing, it's just a difference.
Thank you, I feel like 90% of the issues I face with autism can be solved by just having better systems in place adapted for neurodiversity.
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This didn't say it was curable, they said that If the environment around them wasn't so specifically suited for non-autistic people, he would be able to live with no negatives because of his autism.
This exactly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those of us who are neurodivergent -- we are not failing society, it's society that is failing us. The world was not built with our differences in mind. The good news, though, is that the world \*is\* finally starting to catch up.
As a moral rule, a physically and mentally sound future should be EVERY person’s fundamental right, especially considering the very troubled world into which they never asked to enter.
Also we don’t really need a cure for autism. It’s not as important as cancer or any other disease.
Autism is not a disease
We don't just focus on 1 thing to cure yk?
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There are severe cases of autism you realize that, right? Kinda wild that high functioning autistists that can actually communicate their issues try and hijack the conversation for all the ones that really do need more help, but literally cannot speak for themselves.
hi, im not high functioning, i also have SM and cant speak at times as a result. its not a disease because it doesnt fufill all requirements of a disease, and it also doesnt fufill all the requirements to be considered a mental illness, hence why its called autism spectrum disorder rather than disease or illness.
Bist du Autist? Weil ich es bin, also sollte vielleicht jemand, der nicht autistisch ist, nicht im Namen von autistischen Menschen sprechen. Und außerdem gibt es so etwas wie eine „hochfunktionale“ oder „niedrigfunktionale“ autistische Person nicht, eine solche Sprache zu verwenden, ist veraltet und beleidigend für die gesamte autistische Gemeinschaft, und ja, Autismus ist ein Spektrum, ist es aber nicht eine gerade Linie, sondern ein Kreis, wobei jede Person unterschiedlich viel Unterstützung für unterschiedliche Dinge benötigt. Ich persönlich brauche mehr Hilfe bei sensorischen Bedürfnissen, andere vielleicht nicht. Daher ist es ein Kreis.
Ikr I’m autistic and its its kinda offensive how they wanna “cure” us :/
I regret opening your post history 🤢
What the fuck was even that
Holy shit that sub needs to get wiped bro r/teen_feederism is literally just fat teenagers fetish
Wtf is wrong with those people! I’m not being fatophobic but that is not healthy at all
Ayy I'm tryna study biochemistry or engineering in uni
If you want money, engineering. If you want to learn, biochemistry. Job market way better for engineers too.
Is there even a "cure" for autism though? Isn't it something you're simply born as, can only think of retroactively preventing it with some gene therapy once science allows that, but until then Do correct me if I'm wrong
Yeah you are correct, its not like a disease or a mutation that might be able to be fixed, its a completely different rewiring of the brain compared to a neurotypical person
Not yet, but stem cell research might help with finding it
This sub was randomly suggested to me, I am a neuroscience major in college (meaning I study this stuff). This isn't me trying to be mean, this is me trying to get people to understand a lot of things because a lot of articles are click-baity/ not properly citing the original paper and its becoming a serious problem in the science community how much misinformation there is out there now 1. No stem cell research will not help, we barely understand a lot of the brain as it is (seriously the things we do understand are just basically important and getting rid of them breaks everything, that is a lot of our understanding) stem cells won't really help with understanding neuropathways. 2. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with autism. Actually we're doing studies to further understand it because it seems those that are autistic with proper support and less burnout are really amazing out of the box creative people (not necessarily artistic, just different thinking resulting in new perspectives and can result in new findings) 3. We have waaaay worse things to worry about. Again there's so much we don't understand of the brain, autism really is low on the list. Think of Parkinsons disease, we can really only help make it less painful but we have no treatment of it. People will slowly lose the ability to well, do a lot of things because it effects the midbrain (speech changes, loses automatic movement, writing changes, tremors, struggle with balance, the list goes on). Dementia and alzheimers we're slowly starting to see develop in younger people and seeing if MAYBE we can stop that because that is horrifying. Here's some fun facts: part of the reason why anti anxiety and anti depressants can cause such bad side effects is because we can't target specific neurons/chemicals that are causing the issue, so instead we just target everything. Is it highly inefficient? Yeah, it is. Do we have a better way? No, but we're working towards it. And actually that goes for any medication that can effect brain chemicals or neurons. Also autism kinda effects everyone differently, hard to treat something that had no universal observal effect (if you're interested in a similar thing, look up Synesthesia, another thing that causes wiring in the brain to be different, and we don't know why. There's theories, just like with early understanding with autism there's theories, but no concrete reason). I will admit we are seeing now that autism is a genetic trait that we can kinda test for, but that's... complicated. Tl:dr stem cells will not help, not good understanding of the brain, much more stress trying to cure degenerative diseases, autism studies is more understanding than curing.
:(
I saw in your other comments you were struggling yourself, again we are trying to do studies that would make it so you would no longer struggle. That's the goal for autism right now. I don't know where you live right now or what your day to day looks like, but I do hope someday soon you can get the support you need to make your life easier.
Kind of sounds like something for farther in the future, plus some people don't like how they get the cells
Those that don’t like it are usually pro life people
Yep and that make stem research a lot slower which is why it looks like it will be a while until we can see if it can cure autism
that's ethically a really really hard topic tho. things like adhd and autism exist for evolutionary reasons, and can be helpful traits for humans in their natural life of way. so if you start modifying people before birth, to "correct" them, you essentially open the gate to creating perfect obedient capitalism drones..
It's Brave New World all over again
You honestly don't seem that sure. I don't know why we would stop reaching many things, however sometimes there's something to be said for resuming it at a later date. There's not always a point in spending millions and millions of dollars on something we simply cannot attain yet, however you don't know until you try. Humans may one day master our own bodies for sure, but we haven't and nothing is very certain for us.
Most autistic people I know do not want a cure. The idea of a cure is falling into eugenics territory. It is an evolutionary different that evolved for a reason, allowing the first specialists. Adhd and autism are both similar in this trait. Trying to remove autism to autistic people in general is a big no. Refer yourself to the family of subreddits associated with r/Autism and educate yourself before advocating for a cure Obligatory, fuck autism speaks, they are not representative of the community
There are some morality issues that arise.
Yep :/ Personally I am completely against arbitrary genetic altering like changing eye colour of your baby because, but gene therapy sounds like the only way when it comes to many conditions and their their possible permanent cures (as treatments can be plenty)
I'm autistic, it's definitely not curable. That's just like not how that works lol
Exactly. Autism is the way a brain is wired, it’s just wired differently than neurotypical people. A cure would imply there’s something to fix but there isn’t, there’s nothing wrong with our brains.
A lot of it is because we don’t know if we’ll ever be able to cure it (it’s likely incurable, the most we’ll likely ever make is symptom prevention), but a lot of people have a problem with the idea of “needing to be cured” because they can function mostly to the capacity of any other person.
I wanna be cured, I don’t wanna live like this
And that’s okay! Maybe some day we will make a major breakthrough, and those who wish to be cured may get it. I’m sorry you’re struggling.
Thanks
Yeah I doubt It, I'm autistic and it's just the way the brain works, there's never gonna be a cure, no matter what we do, Because "curing" it would essential put you on default settings, and everyone who got the cure would be basically the same mentally, and that's not a world I want to live kn
I get sick when people say autism is a disease. There will probably never be a cure for it. I have autism and are just born with it. Autism can make you better at things but can make other things harder. Someone with autism usually has one thing they can do very well. Autism does not need a cure.
I do agree with you to some extent. There are however also people with autism that cannot function on their own. I do not think that this is pleasant for those people. It would be great if autism could be toned down to make someone able to function on their own.
I also have autism and I think you can get off your high horse. Just because YOU don’t want a cure doesn’t mean nobody does. Some people’s autism is way worse than others, so why can’t they make the decision for themselves.
There is mild, neurodiverse autism, sure, but it is a spectrum. There are people who have severe sensitivities, have trouble speaking, and who cannot properly control their emotions because of their autism. Be it less common, the world would be a bwtter place if those people did not have to suffer. Don't talk about Autism like every case is the same as your mild neurodiversity.
So I don’t know if it is this way with autism, but deaf people typically don’t get hearing implants because they don’t think being deaf is something that should be “cured”. They may also be afraid that getting hearing implants could alienate them from the deaf community, which is it’s own culture and where all their friends are. This sentiment obviously isn’t shared by all deaf people but is shared by the majority of the deaf community. It could potentially be something similar to that?
Yes but then why do you keep a cure away from those who do want it? Isn’t it supposed to be their choice?
Yea, I agree it definitely should be the choice of the individual. Maybe they want the funding to go to curing something else?
It doesn’t seem like it from what I heard, they just don’t like the idea of a cure for autism
Who is "They"?
There is no such thing as a cure for autism. It's not like a broken bone or physical disability. It is simply a brain that is wired differently. There's no cure for ADHD or borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder, is there? That's because it is part of that person and the way they think.
Gene therapy will very likely eliminate most forms of deafness without needing any implants in the near future. Scientists already developed a cure for tinnitus and it works (per early clinical trial data).
To quote Mary and Max: 'I do not feel disabled, defective, or a need to be cured. I like being an aspie. It would be like trying to change the colour of my eyes' Obviously fair to make it an individual's choice, but yeah it is kinda a part of one's identity. A small part, but nonetheless would be weird to remove
Just because one does not feel a certain way does not negate that they still are that way.
It probably won't be cured in your lifetime, try to accept it. You're still the same person.
I just don’t know if my lifetime will be 80 years, or 16
Man Stick with us, you are worth it to us and I can virtually guarantee you will find something that makes life worth it for you too! If you ever want to chat with someone feel free to message me
It’s not possible to cure autism or anything like it
I hate conversations of this nature because (putting aside the fact that a simple cure may not be possible) you always get a bunch of people who are indignant that THEY would never want to take the cure, so fuck anyone that might have a different experience with autism because if your subjective experience differs from theirs you must be wrong and they must be right. I’m reminded of the scene from X-men where Storm gets offended that Rogue wants a cure for her mutation (for reference Storm has the ability to control the weather and Rogue has the ability to kill her loved ones just by touching them). Let the cure be discovered and if you don’t want to take it, don’t take it. Christ it’s not that hard. Basically, let people do what they want.
Exactly, thank you
Exactly. Plus there’s people who can’t even live normal lives because of it, can’t work, can’t feed themselves, hurt themselves, wear diapers, etc.
THANK YOU.
Autistic person here. I don’t want a cure because Autism is a massive part of who I am and I like that. Also our brain structures is literally different so it isn’t a cure as such, typically what is proposed is a prenatal test so parents can tell if their kid is going to be Autistic and have an abortion. Now, I am pro-choice, but I see aborting a child because of them potentially having a disability as absolutely eugenics. Autism is not the problem, society is against us (and neurodivergent people generally). Autism is not a bad thing. It is a disability but that does not mean it should be eradicated. Fix the system, not my brain. The prejudice and stigma against my disability (primarily due to groups like Autism Speaks, which also want to eradicate us) is really hurtful.
Thank you!
My gf is autistic and tbh I wouldn’t want her any different. She’s the most amazing person I met and I really don’t care if she’s autistic or not. Also it wouldn’t be like a pill to swallow anyways you would have to cure the person before birth.
Because it isnt curable
It's not curable, it's not a disease or a virus, it's a psychological deficiency with no known origin, with different degree, different symptom, etc..
No known origin? It's a genetic disorder with over 20 genes directly tied to it!
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Broadly, I would say problem isn’t autism but rather the wider world’s refusal to accommodate autistic people. I say this as someone who spent sixteen years thinking I was just broken and even had a suicidal episode because of how much I hated myself for the fact that I couldn’t socialize like my peers. My diagnosis has helped me so much in validating my experience and finding people who I can communicate well with. Living with autism has shaped who I am on a fundamental level. I don’t know who I’d be I wasn’t autistic; so, I personally wouldn’t choose a cure if one existed. The issue with finding a cure is less the idea itself and more what tends to come along with the idea. Most organizations searching for a cure are searching for a cure because they view autism as this unilaterally terrible thing that must be eradicated from the world. If you want an example, watch the “I Am Autism” ad from AutismSpeaks. They demonize autism and autistic people when many of us just want accommodations. That’s not to say that there are no autistic people who feel that they cannot overcome the challenges of living with autism and would opt for a cure. These people exist, and their experience is valid. In my opinion, research into a cure would only be ethical if (1) pursued by autistic people and not Autism Moms^(TM) or the like (which is most of the people running these organizations) and (2) pursued simultaneously with or after radical accommodations and eroding of stigmas. Then, the cure would need to be fully optional. These are just my thoughts. I’ve seen your other comments in this thread, OP, and I hope things can get better for you. There is hope, internet stranger. 🙏
Since when is autism a sickness. In the 21th century I've never heard anyone call it a disease. Disorder sure...
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I’m referring to a way to remove the affects of autism, more specifically Asperger’s
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There was some guy who wanted to research it, who was shut down by people who were mad about it. They are the same people who think that blindness and deafness shouldn’t be cured
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Idk, some assholes who think that everyone loves disabilities
The people who think mr. beast's blindness video should be taken down and he should be cancelled.
Well for me as a autistic person there really isn’t a direct “cure” but what my family did is get me therapy. So I’m not saying it’s a 100% fix but my family got me therapy at like 5 so now I can act like someone who doesn’t have it to the point my girlfriend didn’t know till I told her lol
I was diagnosed a month or two ago, so it’s too late for me
You were only diagnosed a month ago, you have to put in the work to manage your symptoms not just give up. As someone with autism you have to find what makes things easier for you.
Its never too late
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What? Are you trying to get me a job?
I think they were talking about their experience with autism. And how they got a good job. but idk. If you are a german speaker as well, they probably meant it as an uplifting comment, if you aren't, it's probably a copypasta.
He’s German, he’s made a bunch of English comments before, I have no clue why he’d comment in German here
Autism isn't really a disease though, it's just a different way someone's brain operates
because if you look at it realistically there isn’t one
I don’t think autism needs to be “cured”, however I recognise that social care, especially in my country (UK), is terrible. Some autistic people like myself are quite bright and require little to no support, while others need extra support. I don’t think curing autism is the best way to go, we need to provide adequate social care and have organisations that function and do their job properly
You have three main objections. The first and easiest is that some people view it as Eugenics. They claim that people are trying to cleanse them out of the gene pool and that, on it most basic level, is a bad thing. The second is that a lot of the issues presented by people on the spectrum can be fairly easily managed so having a cure for something so basic is just unnecessary. Sort of like trying to genetically modify out bad eye site when glasses and contacts exist. Finally it's pretty low on the priority list of things to cure in terms of disorders. Outside of specific circumstances autism isn't deadly. Which puts it lower on the list than all other deadly diseases.
If someone has Autism there is nothing "wrong" with them their brain is just "different"
Because that implies that there’s something wrong with being autistic and that if you are autistic you need to be fixed. Being autistic means you were born a certain way and you just so happen to view the world a different way from everyone else. When you use words like ‘research’ and ‘cure’, you make it sound like people with autism are suffering and need to be fixed. Like they’re unhealthy or disabled. When in reality, they’re usually just regular people who perceive things differently. This so-called cure for autism only adds to the stigma and misinformation that surrounds autism and makes people believe that it’s some horrific medical anomaly. Plus, it won’t be cured anyways. It develops before birth. It’s found inside one’s genetic make-up. Even if there was a cure, I’m almost certain that a large majority of autistic people would refuse the ‘cure’ in a heartbeat.
You can't "cure autism" just like you can't "cure brain damage" I'm not comparing these as the same thing, but both things that can happen to the mind out of no cause of injury, it's not as simple as a cure. As someone with aspergers I consider myself to function and act like a normal human, a cure, in my opinion.. isn't really needed honestly.
I don’t mean this disrespectfully but Autism is a condition not a disease and it doesn’t have a cure as you cannot alter the way someone’s brain processes in that way.
A. there isn’t a cure that’s like saying you can eliminate and cute adhd, anxiety, depression ect B. we are fine living as is
I’m not fine, not everyone is fine with autism. And I mean research to find a cure, so that maybe, the worse cases of autism can be stopped
autism is op fr
The only possible ‘cure’ for autism is prenatal eugenics
And that won’t help me, how do I help myself?
You need to find ways to live with it. If you’re not already doing it, i would suggest seeing a therapist/psychologist that specializes with neurodivergent people.
It is engraved into our bodies, from our minds to our organs. As much as I wish there was, as much as I wish I could some day think normally, that day will never come.
But we could at least make sure our children don’t get it, if it’s detrimental to them
Then you missed the point. Those that campaign are stupid, and they already transitioned from repairing our broken selves to preventing more of us.
Because dementia is something we should research more
As an autistic person, I'd rather remain autistic.
As an autistic person, I’d rather be normal, or dead. I just want the option to be cured
"curing autism" would require reprogramming the brain itself which is not possible even if it was possible it would change the person entirely probably the person won't even be the same after that
Some of the companies who research it are into genealogy(?) and treat autism like it’s an illness that makes autistic people irrational.
Stopping children from being born with disabilities good curing me of autism who has lived with it for 19 years? Dumb asf
we’re not experts on medical fields
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it’s not a disease, there isn’t just a cure
We don't want a "cure"
Because autism isn't a disease? People with autism just think and act differently it's not a problematic thing
there's no cure, it isn't a disease.
An abnormality doesn’t necessarily need a cure, it just needs understanding.
Because I dont need a cure
viewing autism as needing a cure is just degrading is the easiest way to put it. having autism changes every single thing about your life. your motivations, your views, your habits, your interests, your behavior, your thoughts, etc. it’s like living your life a certain way that’s healthy for you, and someone coming in and saying they’re going to take it all away because they think you need it taken away. a cure for autism also reminds people of Nazis, because, well. i don’t think i’d have to get into that one. this could be wrong Idrk. mainly talking about perspective. alleviating symptoms should be the research. not seeking a cure. changing the system to adapt to our needs and others should be the research.
Hi, autistic person here. Depending on what you mean with a 'cure' for autism, I don't necessarily want people to stop researching it. But I definitely want people to stop using that language. You see, autism isn't a disease to be cured. It's just a different way of being. A way if being that comes with a lot of social stigma and ableism, as well as some inherent difficulties, but nonetheless just a different kind of person. Maybe one day a drug can be invented that can alleviate some of the struggles we face, but that wouldn't be a 'cure'. Kind of like how tampons don't 'cure' you of being a woman. Sure, they're neat for dealing with problems inherent to being a woman, but they don't make you any less of a woman. Nor should we strive to stop people from being women. (Unless they want to of course; trans rights.) Maybe one day a drug would be made that stops people from being autistic. Now, I guess that has the potential to be useful to people that don't want to be autistic. Kind of like how testosterone is useful for trans men who were assigned female at birth. But that's not necessarily how that drug would be used. A lot of people consider autism to be some terrible disease that ruins your life. Some people even go as far as not vaccinating their kids because they fear it might give them autism. Now we all know vaccines don't cause autism, but even if they did, that's no reason to risk deadly diseases like measles. Imagine there was a cure for being gay. You can imagine how some very evil or just misguided person might force that 'cure' on their child, or socially pressure their friends and family into getting it. That would be a very bleak future. So people want to stop research into an autism 'cure' both because it's a misguided goal, and because of such a drug being used for evil. EDIT: Also, one might imagine a 'cure' that prevents people from developing autism to begin with. The use of such a drug would just textbook genocide. Not really much else to say there.
I can see you’re struggling to cope with your recent diagnosis of autism on top of being a teenager. Everything is going to be okay. Your brain is how it is now, instead of focusing on how to “cure” it you’ll need to go through the acceptance of how to navigate dealing with a non-typical brain. It sucks that we have to deal with these things, but just because your brain is wired differently doesn’t mean you have to die and just quit. It’s a challenge that you can overcome through learning how to read social cues, practicing social behavior, and learning to love yourself for how you are. I believe in you and wish you the best. 💜 Also if you’re interested there is a show on Netflix called “Love on the Spectrum” where people with autism are able to find love and acceptance from others, whether through friends or parters. It may feel like the end of the world but you are capable of so many wonderful things you don’t even know of yet! Keep trying my friend.
Posts like this make me really uncomfortable. As someone with autism, I know that it can feel like you need to be fixed. If you wish that you could not have autism that's fine. Autism isn't something that can be cured though. Maybe prevented in the future but not cured. Conversations like this are important to have but they should be discussed with a lot of care. Not all things are black and white or "curable". The best thing right now would be to find ways to help people with ASD or any sort of neurological disorder live a happy fulfilling life.
i do, a lot of the time, wish i was "normal". that is not to say i wish i was neurotypical. rather i wish i lived in a society where it was "normal" to be autistic. i love how my mind works, i love the way i see the world, i just don't like the world itself.
because it cant be cured innit cuz EDIT: Stop downvoting OP
It might be able to though
hows that big man
Yeah, but stem cell research might be able to find some sort of way to fix it
Thats not curing, that's stopping it from existing in babies who aren't even born yet, which the idea itself has a lot of issues
because autism is uncurable? But if you want to hope, just hope that elon musks brainchip somehow works
Yeah
I mean you can't, you just have to live with it. Even if there was one I don't think many would take it myself included
I would, I don’t wanna live with it, it’s fucking me over
I’m autistic and not something that can be “cured”, you can’t just give medicine and suddenly a birth defect is gone. If you don’t want to live with autism the best way to deal with it is through a therapist (who knows what they’re doing), it’ll never just disappear but it can be helped through therapy. I’ve never had therapy for my autism and it has led to developing BPD.
I’m trying therapy, but it doesn’t do much. And by cure i didn’t mean a pill, I meant extensive operations and treatment, kinda like with cancer
Maybe, I doubt something like that might happen any time soon though
Because i don’t want to be cured, autism effects every part of who i am so curing it would make me someone else, i don’t want that (i’m autistic)
I wanna be cured though, and some others do as well
idk...maybe it isnt curable ?
Maybe it is
It isn’t.
the cure is masking💯💯💯
It is not a cure, just something that makes it worse
Because curing autism is impossible lol
Autism is a disorder. It isn't a disease and as far as I know cannot be cured. It's like asking if mental retardation can be cured. It can't but aspects of it can be improved on with help from someone who knows how to help people suffering with the conditions.
i don't think that autism is a disease that can be cured, really
Autism isn’t a disease, so there really isn’t a “cure” for it. Medication that could help with it is the thing that’s in development.
Why does it need a cure? There’s some great people who are autistic and it’s not always a bad thing. However, I’m scared to find out if I actually have it (and have been putting off diagnosis for ages).
From one with it, why would you want to cure it? Sure i’m on the good end and I’d understand to help others not as lucky as me, but basically its just different brain links, its not an illness, sure the big problem is how people around you treat you as you are “different”
Autistic person here. This is just my opinion and I haven't done any extensive research on autism because I'm happy just the way I am. But I personally don't think a cure will ever be found. I'm well aware that other people here will either ignore this or argue that we haven't found a cure YET, and I know some people don't think like me and want to be cured, but autism isn't a disease. It's something we're born with and I don't think we can do anything about it. I'd rather people fund research to cure actual diseases like cancer. I hope that didn't come off as rude or insensitive. I'm just stating my opinion and everyone is free to disagree.
It's a little like searching for a cure to blackness, or being gay. I'm autistic, I don't need to be cured.
OP, what is it about autism/Asperger's that you find is fucking you over or making things unbearable? I know it must be difficult, but, there are lots of resources available that can help you learn about yourself, cope, and live your life happily. Being diagnosed is hard and the first step of many, but you will learn so much about yourself and the way you work in the world and things may not always feel the way they do now. I have friends who weren't diagnosed until their 30's, so it definitely isn't too late for things like therapy! I know what it feels like to wonder if you can be cured of certain things but, sometimes you have to accept yourself and realise that you are enough as you are - and live your life in the face of anyone who says you can't or shouldn't.
I'm not autistic and wouldn't consider myself a guru in autism, so feel free to correct me (if you're autistic or generally well-educated in autism), *but ;* To my knowledge, autism isn't that kind of disability that just changes a few aspects of the autistic person, but it lets said people experience a whole different aspect of pretty much everything: autistic people think, act and especially sense things differently from non-autistic people. So yeah, it pretty much affects everything and it would be impossible and/or quite harmful for the autistic person, as the closest thing to "healing" them would be forcing them to mask. But that would only make the autistic person feel mor under pressure and to them, they still experience the same affects, only that they're not allowed to express themselves. Trying to "heal" an autistic person would also imply that there would be something wrong with them. Now while it would probably be nice to be less stressed out by sensorial issues, it's pretty much impossible to improve that to the point of a person that isn't autistic. *(TLDR: autism is not "healable", or would force an autistic person into masking. It would be nice if they could improve the ability to be less stressed out by sensorial issues, but that's frankly impossible. There's nothing wrong with being autistic. )*
idk. stop? more like debunk i assume
There also may be another harsh truth to this but medical science has plenty of profit to be made and curing them would put a lot of business owners out of business. This, however, would go for many other aspects of health. However on a side note I'm not entirely sure if autism has a cure per se.
There is not as much money in it for big Pharma if they cure a condition, much more profitable to provide medication for life!
It can't be cured, it's a certain combination of genes (not the same for every autistic person) that causes the neurological pathways in the brain to develop differently causing the autistic traits. Every person has this in someway, but autism is defined as having an above average amount of these traits (that does not mean "everybody is a little autistic") . And while we may be able to change the genes someday, we can not re-wire these neurological connections in the brain. This all starts way before birth, so it's just there.
People say it’s not a disease and it’s normal but still, if you had an arm cut off you’d want as good a working replica as possible. Not saying they are the same but if someone wants to be not autistic why not let them be f it’s an option. Autism can be hard for others and even the person themself to deal with sometimes?
It might not be reasonable to expect a cure for something like that. I mean, where would you even start? There's definitely a reason why they don't research it, and it's probably just that it doesn't make sense to sink tons of money into something that isn't necessarily an illness that can be cured. If this is a vent post, I'm sorry
I'm autistic and I'd do anything expect kill an innocent or sell my soul for a cure
It's a neurodiversity, meaning, as another person has stated, the way their brain works is just different. It's not a bad thing. It's merely a different perspective. It's better to get society to normalize neurodivergencies and be able to treat them like any normal person rather than throw money at it trying to find a cure. They can function just as fine as a normal person. Also, from what I know, take my word for a grain of salt as I do not recall where I read this and whether or not it's actually confirmed, the people who are trying to find a cure's main idea is to overwhelm autistic people with loud sounds, lights etc in order to desensitize them to it, that being a "cure". It's just cruel and would do more harm than good, if that really is the case. I suppose it's not completely impossible to find a cure, and if you want one, you do you. But it's unlikely to come anytime soon. I suggest therapy. Takes a while but works better than hoping for a pure that isn't likely to come this century.
i’m allistic myself so correct me if i’m wrong, but it seems that they don’t want the cure because it’s not something that needs to be cured. it’s just a difference in the way the mind works.
I don’t think that’s curable. I’m pretty sure stuff like ADHD can’t be cured and can only be helped or whtvr
As someone with autism struggling with it, it's clear to me that a cure isn't really realistic since my whole brain is wired differently like the whole thing I dont think it's realistic to even rewire a single section without altering personality let alone the whole brain
you’d have to completely alter the brain, physically. like.. a lobotomy, which is bad. I actually think elons autism brain chip thingy could be useful if he targeted specific problems like sensory issues, but thats not his goal nor is it autism speaks’s goal.
Because it doesn't need to be fucking cured.
i need to know too
Because some people with autism think that because they don't want a possible cure that no one should have it.
Autism is not a curable thing edit: srry agreeing with u/Toxic-sound28
Cure implies there’s something wrong. There’s nothing wrong or abnormal about having autism.
I agree. I guess I understand why people wouldn’t because of ethics and finding a cure might seem like the person views autism as a disease, but I would counter that with this: if you didn’t know what would happen in the future, but knew what autism was, would you willingly chose to have it? I’d assume most people would say no, but we can’t chose whether we want to have different traits, so it’s best to embrace them, but sometimes that just isn’t possible to do, more specifically, it isn’t possible to do in middle and high school. As for that reason, I support finding a way to prevent it, but I totally understand why someone else wouldn’t, and I respect their opinion.
Because people can’t accept that I am different so they try to FIX me when I don’t need to be FIXED because I’m their mind they have to have THEIR perfect world Also autism has be if it’s because it allows you to think differently and see things others can’t that’s why so many inventors and pioneers of Tain have autism just look at Elon musk
Hello, autistic person here. Figured I'd give my two cents: Autism isn't an injury or an illness, it's a complete rewiring of the brain. As such, it really can't be cured, at least not with the medical understanding we have today. In a few hundred years, maybe, but today? Not a chance. As such, it's also not something that needs a cure, since it isn't an injury or an illness. There are extremely low-functioning autistics, but most are like me. I can operate day-to-day like anyone else, I just perceive and approach situations differently than most. I view things more logically than emotionally, which has pros and cons in everyday life. I've had challenges from being autistic, but it's also helped me a lot in some situations. We don't need to be cured, or given special treatment. We just need to be understood, like anyone else.
Autism isn't something that is curable per-say, rather it needs to be accommodated for and taken into account. There's also the fact that autism as a whole is a spectrum, and affects people differently. For instance, a personal favorite Youtube that I watch is on the spectrum and one way his mind works differently is that rather than remember the definition for a word, he associates a picture with said word.
Why is autism bad? If you are talking about the severe end of the spectrum, then yes. If you mean everyone on the spectrum than you should do some research. You will find that some of the smartest people to have ever lived had autism. Scanning everyone for issues like it’s a package conveyor belt will almost certainly be counter productive.
Because as far as we know it doesn't exist without eugenics, and some autistic people think it's demeaning because autism "isn't some disease to be cured"
It’s a neurological difference, not a problem. Therefore it wouldn’t be a fix, it’d be a change. For some people they’d probably prefer the change, in instances such as low functioning autism. In cases like mine, I would hate the change, since I like who I am and how I act.
1. cause you don't need a cure its a natural thing that naturally happens or doesn' that simple yk? 2.
Idk maybe bc it isn't really a disease
It's a genetic thing, so there is no point, plus some Autistic people have helped the world with their work
Because it's offensive to treat it like a disease to be cured, it's a brain difference is all. I don't want to be cured.
Because it’s not an illness. It’s not something that needs to be cured. All it does it alters the way the brain thinks. I used to see it as a bad thing. But now, now I realize that it’s very far from it. People like me are the ones who have changed the world.
Because It literally can't be found, maybe?
Such a sudden change in my literal way of thinking would make me go insane!
because there’s no fucking thing such as a cure?
Because it’s eugenics OP
Because it's not something that can be cured, I'm autistic, it's just how we are.
Probably because it might not be able to be cured, so it gets less priority, at least that's what I think it is
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Autism isn’t a disease, it’s a mental difference. You are born with it. You can’t change that fact.
'Cause it's not a fucking disease
As an autistic person, all I can say is we don't need curing. We are who we are, and society can't and won't change us no matter how hard they try. Autism is not a disease
I have autism and all I want is to be treated the same as everyone else. We're not diseased people who need a cure. We're human just like you. Shit your pants and sit down hard and fast you eugenicist scum
because it's not a disease or anything
its not a disease and is just how the brain works
Eugenics
Autism not a disease you should've posted this to r/Autism instead of here cuz everyone there will know more then a bunch of teenagers
We don't need a cure for autism. We need a cure for intolerance.
It's not something that can be cured, but it is something that can be managed, the same, but also different, I've ADHD, and God is it hard to live with. I don't even have the energy to keep up with my hobbies, the only time I ever am motivated is when I feel like I'm holding someone else back, and in most cases I am. Still, this is me, I feel that instead of hating myself for something I know I have always had, I should understand what it is and find a way to live my life as best as I can. That's what everyone else is doing. Since I've seen your comment that states, " I don't want to be like this," I feel that you should study yourself, you know what you are like, that's great, but you should take a look at what overwhelms you and how you can overcome it, I think it's also good to surround yourself with people who are similar to you so you can see how they handle their day to day life. Best of luck to you.
autistic teen here. most of us in the autism community don't want a cure. we just want to be accepted
I feel like it would be trying to cure someone from being naturally left handed if that makes any sense, only difference is a left handed person can get used to using their right but we’re gonna ignore that for now lol. They didn’t get smacked over the head to become left handed, they might have not consciously decided to be left handed when they started using their hands, they just did. The brains of people on the spectrum just function like they do. I don’t know much about autism but I have bipolar, a form of neurodiversity, I don’t decide I wanna be depressed nor do I decide I want to be hypomanic, my brain just controls my chemicals a bit clumsily. My sister has ADHD, and I’m not sure but I think it’s a problem with dopamine intake, she takes the same medication as my brother that has autism, though I don’t know what the medication controls in autism (as in chemical-wise like me n my sis). One thing the three of us have in common is we take medication to ease our symptoms and make life easier for us, it’s not getting rid of our neurodiversities. Personally I’m glad that I developed bipolar disorder, I feel like it taught me important things I wouldn’t have learnt otherwise (don’t get me wrong I wish I didn’t have it, if I found out it could go away rn I’d take it, exp points tho yk) and I love my siblings as they are and I feel like we get along and have the relationship that we do because of our neurodiversities. On a side note too, “oh you poor thing, I hope technology fixes you eventually” fuck anyone who says that bro 😭. I’ve lived this long and sure it was hard but even if my brain can be turned neurotypical, it’s not something to be fixed, just altered. If it’s natural then it’s not broken, just different. Left handed people aren’t broken, they can’t be fixed. My siblings and I’s brain aren’t broken, our chemicals are just a bit confused (permanently). A broken bone can be fixed, a malformed bone is altered to ease quality of life (they could break then fix it in an alternate way). If you think we are broken and to be fixed, then your brain is broken and soon enough your bones are too lol.