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Comment by spazx | Hacker News Reader

It's not so black and white. Most autistic people aren't distinctly "low" or "high" functioning like that. They are otherwise fairly average people with a few traits that make things difficult, and appear "high" or "low" functioning depending on the environment they are subjected to.

Why don't you ask an autistic person if they want to be cured? Go ahead. Jump on r/aspergers and ask them. They will tell you to go fly a kite.

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It's possible that people so invested in the identity of having Aspergers that they hang out on /aspergers would tell you to fly a kite. That's hardly a representative sample of people with the condition. Most are probably living their lives and not hanging out on /aspergers.

Nice goalpost scoot. I'm telling you that if you ask any autistic person, they may express dissatisfaction with their autistic troubles, but they would tell you they would not want to be "cured" or "changed", because they would no longer be themselves.

GP's point isn't to move goalposts, it's that your example is not indicative of the autistic community at large - it's a biased sample and, in line with GP's reasoning, I suspect there is a substantial proportion of (especially high functioning) autists who would strongly consider a cure. Imagine having normal, innate desires for friendship and companionship, but being unable to form such relationships and being crushingly aware of this fact. It's a miserable, deeply lonely existence and some of us would consider giving up "ourselves" in order to have a chance at a more socially fulfilling life.

I'm not trying to move the goalposts. I'll try responding in a different way.

I don't know why you have stated everyone would provide identical answers if asked about a cure for austism. A simple reddit search which I just did confirms there is a thread where some have been asked this question and said they would in fact sign up for a cure. Other answered "maybe". Many said "no". Nobody said "go fly a kite".

I will concede the majority of people appear to have answered no, but, again, that isn't a representative sample of the general population. More data would be needed to make a more general conclusion.

> Nice goalpost scoot.

Please edit snarky swipes out of your comments here. The rest of this post would be just fine without that first bit.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

I am sure most nonverbal low functioning autistic people would want to be “cured” if they could answer.

I agree there is no need to treat autistic people who get along in society mostly fine, but people who can’t work, talk, or live on their own is probably where I would draw the line of those people needing actual treatment if it ever exists

Yes, but there is a difference between helpful therapies and treatments, and "a cure".

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