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Spectrumites β Neurodiversity Stamp
Published: 2008-10-25 06:42:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 5354; Favourites: 129; Downloads: 0
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Description
Neurodiversity stands for the idea that different neurological wiring is a natural part of human diversity.The most common use of the word Neurodiverse is in the Autistic Rights movement. The idea is to try to spread awareness and have people accepted as they are and helped in their real daily struggles, rather than to be changed or 'cured' in order to be acceptable.
Note: - the sign has two sides.
The side with the puzzle piece crossed out is a protest against Autism Speaks, which channels donation money that should go into treatment and support into finding a non-existent cure.
The other side is called The Autfinity Symbol, which is the symbol for Autistic Rights.
For more information see -
Wikipedia Article on Neurodiversity
Spectrumites - An Autistic Rights Forum
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Thanks for reading...
Hope it's all useful in understanding something from a different perspective.
STAMP TEMPLATE USED IS FROM - at [link]
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Comments: 46
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"non-existent cure" *angel noises* -alleluia!Β Β
somebody say it! and clairely! NO EXISTENTΒ
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"natural part of human diversity." YES! NOW THEY SAY IT'S A MUTATION X'DΒ Β
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I for one think this is very cute and useful. I will put this on my page.
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This has to be one of the saddest stamps I've ever seen. Sure, people aren't always 100% intelligent, it's unavoidable. But this is one diversity that we don't need to celebrate.
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I actually disagree. I do believe that it does nothing for me to be pitied by all the "normal" people who wish to see me as some hopeless little 'special ed' on whom Lifetime will make a movie about. But if I just 'accept' it, and not look for a recovery, then it's almost like giving up. I mean, I wouldn't be who I am without my Aspergers Syndrome, but I've had to overcome quite a bit, many times feeling like there was a wall between me and others. I don't feel like saying that being hunched over in a ball near the corner and not talking to other people is just a 'part' of who I am.
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As far as i know, autism is a condition caused by a multiple things. Probably it's combination of some rare mutations in genes. But actually nobody knows for sure.
So in my humble opinion, at first we should understand what causes it and only after that we should decide what to do with it. So if it's a disease it should be cured but if it's just a deviation/variation of how human brain can work - let them live as they wish.
PS
Could you please explain in short words what neurodiversity is? I've read the article but English isn't my native language so i'm not sure if i understood it correctly.
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Neurodiversity. Basically how it's used here is a big word for a difference in how a human brain functions in comparison to others. For example; someone with Autism is Neurodiverse.
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Awesome stamp! For years I've always been made fun of for befriending the 'Special Ed', when I myself wasn't. But you know what, I may not have any wrong with me, but I learned one thing in my life....that Autistic/Aspergers/ect people are some of THEE best people to know. I have never been mistreated, backstabbed, gossiped about, or taken advantage of, by them. I prefer their company over any so called 'normal' people. What's normal about being jerks? I'm proud to support autistic rights and proud to support this stamp.
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I've been made fun of aswell for befriending people in Special ed, or, as it's called more commonly where I am, the CVC class. Don't as what it stands for; I haven't a clue. I know a good friend of mine is in Special ed. I got to know him well when we went to occupational therapy together. It still bugs me that the "OT" Teachers tried to help me, but not him. I don't think he has Autism though. But really, there's nothing wrong with befriending people that need a little more help. I've never met a kinder individual than him. Eventually they split us up, but we still talk. Usually the conversation is a little one sided on my part though. He doesn't speak well.
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Since I have Aspergers, that's going right to my fave. I'm sick of everybody hating autistic people. One day we will show those assholes who we really are!
Sorry, I was angry when I wrote that.
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Agreed! Agreed! AGREED!
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AMEN BROTHER I'M WITH YA!
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so am i many people who were geniuses in history were autistic i say we are superiour to non-autistics.
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You know there is plenty are smart people who AREN'TΒ autistic. When it comes to learning or just having a high IQ it just depends on the person. Why set a label on what someone has? No human should be consideredΒ superior, some people might have to work harder then others. I consider this just being ignorant, so for beingΒ superiorΒ I would think you would take that in to consideration.Β
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i guess your right its just that we got the shaft from NTs for years.
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agreed they do not know our ways and unconventional routes of thought. but in the end we triumph.
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they can't accept ththave to pave the way for us Fuck the NTs
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i meant that they have to pave the way for us
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yes most definitely.
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I have Aspburgers, so, I thank and respect you for your support 
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Autistics are superior we are the next step in the evolution of the human brain.
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have you ever just taken a look at yourself and regretted everything??? cause you should.
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That's.. as much as I respect a fellow Autist that believes we're not inferior, I don't believe we're superior either. We're just different with the way our brains function, and I think we're all equals.
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I can understand of you being proud of who you are, and rightly so, everyone should have that right. But whatabout the parents or relatives who have Low functioning autistic people in their families, who cannot do ANYTHING for themselves, surely they would wants a cure, In fact I know there are some parents out there that want a cure for this "disease"/disability.
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Maybe they should focus on making their lives easier?
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There's two myths that are assumed by this response - the first being that autism can easily be divided into "high-functioning autistics that have no real problems" and "low-functioning autistics that cannot do ANYTHING for themselves". In reality, while there are many differences in speaking ability, sensory integration and movement range, all autistic people are capable of living meaningful lives in the right environment and with the right support. In fact, many people that you would refer to as "high-functioning" probably were considered to be "low-functioning" as children.
The second myth is that only high-functioning people are against a cure. In reality, the neurodiversity movement has supporters from the entire autistic spectrum. And, if I'm going to be honest, it also has detractors from the entire autistic spectrum. To quote Cal Montgomery:
"I donβt believe you can meaningfully separate autistic people into βhigh-β and βlow-functioningβ in the first place, but if you can itβs not by comparing their political opinions"
Besides which, not wanting to be cured doesn't have much to do with what we're able or unable to do - it's about identity. Our autism is a part of who we are. It influences our personalities, our ethics, the things we enjoy, and every other facet of our lives - if autism was 'removed' from us, we would no longer be the same people. Essentially, a cure would delete our existence, and a new persons existence would take its place.
On another note, autism cure research is a multi-billion dollar industry. If that money was to go towards actually helping autistic people rather than trying to wipe us out, there would be funded speech therapy, life skills training, housing and support services, carer funding programs, employment support services, and plenty of other services to help people "who cannot do ANYTHING for themselves".
Here's a couple of links to someone who can explain things much better than I'll ever be able to:
[link]
[link]
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Thank you for putting this so well. I think there are some people who will really just never "get it" and ironically the technology and advancements they enjoy have soooo much dependency on... autistic people! Art and literature too. Somebody wants to "cure" that?
I'm not saying my life with AS has been a bowl of roses, in fact it's been quite the opposite... but most of the problems have been with the people around me, creating a downright abusive environment... is there a cure for those people?
*runs off hugging stamp happily*
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Thanks for replying in such depth, rather than the usual "u dnt no wat ur talkin about, i hate juuu" XD
Surely though, with autism hindering peoples existence, especially the low functioning folk, as an autistic, you'd want the disease to be "wiped out" so that noone else would have to suffer. Rather than keep it around in the population, to save your identities?
On a slightly different note, it actually emeregd recently to me that Dr's always thought I was a little on the Aspergers side of things when I was little, but we never actually pursuid the idea. I've taken a few spectrum tests at school and they always end up with me being on the lower end of the spectrum, but it doesn't really effect me too badsly so I don't consider myself to have anything. I do have quite a lot of social problems from it though, but no learning disabilities or anything. Thats why i've sort of been researching into it recently ^^
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No probs - I figure that if you can't defend a position properly, it's not a valid position. Besides which, I can understand people finding the idea strange if they're not familiar with the debate...
The thing is, neurology isn't like other forms of disability - if someone is in a wheelchair, and an operation allows them to walk again, then they're still the same person afterwards. With neurotypes, however, taking away 'autism' essentially changes every element of a personality - meaning that the person you're trying to 'fix' no longer exists. This is especially abhorrent when there are other (albeit underfunded) alternatives to develop skills, such as speech and motor therapy, life skills support services, etc.
To put it another way, your existence right now is probably 'hindered' by negative emotions. If someone offered to give you brain surgery to make you happy all of the time, you might have a 'less hindered' existence, but you wouldn't be the same person.
Besides which, the cure is pretty much a myth - autism is genetic in origin, which means that the more likely outcome of autistic 'cure' research is pre-natal testing and recommendations for abortion.
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Aye that is true, it would be very weird to take that part away from a person, i'd be interested to know what they turned out like at the end, whether they'd be a brand new normal person, or just an empty shell with no personality and probably worse off than what theywere in the first place. I know over here they can screen for Downs Syndrome and possibly autism, and they do reccommend abortions. I was actually debating this with my boyfriendf the other day, the fact that Drs can pick up disbailitys say MS which would put the person in a wheelchair for life, and the people still choose to bring them into the world knowing their gunna have pretty much no exisitence, its the peopole in the wheelchairs that can't speak, go to the toilet, feed or do anything for themselves that I feel most sorry for, what kind of a life is that for them? Why bring them into the world knowing their gunna suffer? What do you think on that kind of subject? (Off topic of autism I know, but still an interesting subject)
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Also, there is no screen for autism, because autism is not a genetic mutation like Downs Syndrome. Autism and Aspergers are passed on from the genes of the parents.
If you started screening the genes of fetuses to look for things like autism, you would have the debate of trying to make '
Also, I am not certain the genes for Aspergers and Autism would be different. Actually I think they wouldn't be. And you can't tell just by looking at someone's genes how high or low functioning they would be. There are people with Autism who lead lives where they give something back to the world, they create something or they just lead reasonably normal lives, just as there are people with Aspergers who do the same.
Maybe they will develop a screen for shyness and get rid of that as well. Don't worry about what the shy people might add to society.
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The Downs Syndrome test has a 1 in 200 chance of causing a miscarriage, which is usually higher than the chance of carrying a child with Downs Syndrome. Also, my mother works with Downs Syndrome children and adults and most of them can actually live fairly normal lives, they just look a bit different. It's only if the Downs Syndrome is actually mixed with retardation that they can't. And another thing is that the Downs Syndrome Test can give a false positive. There are people who have gone ahead with the pregnancy thinking they would have a Downs Syndrome child and it has turned out perfectly normal.
I am pregnant and I am not getting the Downs Syndrome Test, because I am simply not going to risk my baby just to try to control what type of baby I have.
Basically there are two tests for Downs Syndrome, the initial test is an ultrasound and blood test and it gives you a probability. If you get a high probability it is then recommended for you to do the internal test. It is the internal test that has the 1 in 200 chance of causing a miscarriage.
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I can't believe I found a neurodiversity stamp. Yaaay.
Are you autistic?
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My husband and I both have Aspergers.
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