Comment Re:Urban myth (Score 1) 861
I disagree quite a bit about autistic people being perceived as "retards." Admittedly my experiences with autism are from interacting with a child, but I think that's still valid.
My 12-year old brother has autism. To the untrained observer, he looks, talks, and acts like a "regular" kid, with a few strange deviations. To someone who lives with him, he's definitely not a "regular" kid, but he doesn't seem "retarded" using the stereotypical definition of that word.
It's important to remember that autism is a spectrum disorder--from severe learning and language, and social impairments to mild high-functioning impairments (read: interacts with others mostly "normally" but is somewhat weird and usually has a few learning disabilities). So, no, if you meet a person with autism, you may just think he's weird if he's high-functioning like my little brother. Also, not all people with autism are anti-social. My brother is very social, he enjoys being with people. He has a hard time making friends because other kids think he's weird, not because he doesn't try or isn't approachable. This is the standard school-yard cruelty most geeks encounter, only it's worse because he doesn't understand why kids act this way. Social cues like this are lost on him.
I also object to your use of the word "retard." It's very subjective, and not very descriptive. Children with Down's Syndrome (who suffer from mild to moderate retardation) are usually quite friendly and open to social interaction. The same is true for other causes of mental retardation. It should also be pointed out that retardation doesn't equal stupid--retarded children can be taught and are as eager to learn as "normal" children.
My 12-year old brother has autism. To the untrained observer, he looks, talks, and acts like a "regular" kid, with a few strange deviations. To someone who lives with him, he's definitely not a "regular" kid, but he doesn't seem "retarded" using the stereotypical definition of that word.
It's important to remember that autism is a spectrum disorder--from severe learning and language, and social impairments to mild high-functioning impairments (read: interacts with others mostly "normally" but is somewhat weird and usually has a few learning disabilities). So, no, if you meet a person with autism, you may just think he's weird if he's high-functioning like my little brother. Also, not all people with autism are anti-social. My brother is very social, he enjoys being with people. He has a hard time making friends because other kids think he's weird, not because he doesn't try or isn't approachable. This is the standard school-yard cruelty most geeks encounter, only it's worse because he doesn't understand why kids act this way. Social cues like this are lost on him.
I also object to your use of the word "retard." It's very subjective, and not very descriptive. Children with Down's Syndrome (who suffer from mild to moderate retardation) are usually quite friendly and open to social interaction. The same is true for other causes of mental retardation. It should also be pointed out that retardation doesn't equal stupid--retarded children can be taught and are as eager to learn as "normal" children.
