Very interesting perspective Laurentius Rex. I agree that it is all neurodiversity, but some people need aid, meds, or services that are only available to people with a certain label. Too bad the labels usually come with a stigma attached.

Autism, on the other hand, is continuous from birth and is not going to go away with treatment, though certainly finding ways to improve coping would be a good idea, in order for us to contribute to society rather than acquire mental illness on top of the neurological difference.

I think this is something that people feel on an instinctive level, so it’s rather hard to argue effectively with people who feel differently.

I’m going to go check out the rest of what she wrote.

You see when you look at things from the perspective of the social model of disability you see, that we are indeed part of this same continuum of labelled and stigmatised people.

Now the real mental illness that I see, is delusion, that is to say the ignorant and prejudicial state of those who consider themselves so mentally and physically perfect that they can create the categories of difference and essentially piss on us all from a great height, and it smells no less for there hauteur.

It is all very confusing and like you say, there are so many viewpoints and experiences out there about that and about whether or not efforts should be made to find a “cure.” That is a very personal thing. All I know is that there needs to be even more support for and awareness about people on the spectrum and that it’s so important for their (and your) voices to lead the way with what is needed for service provision as well as politically and socially.