Comments on: What’s so funny?

By: Julie

Julie — Sat, 13 May 2006 03:48:23 +0000

wow, I say things like that right now and I’m 23. then again, I’m sort of childish… but I don’t think it’s the same thing. I am definitely a “babe,” though

I think if the article was slanted to appreciate the unique way in which autistic people see the world it would be more appropriate, but you’re right, this is a bit insulting to those people whose anecdotes are sent in… a chuckle at their expense.

By: Camille

Camille — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:13:58 +0000

If I thought that ASA was actually interested in the lives of the 1 million autism spectrum adults in this country that they state exist, then I could cut them some slack, maybe, but they pretend autistic adults don’t exist so they don’t have any business calling us “babes”. The ASA stands accused of treating their autistic adults advisors as “clients.” I won’t be laughing at anything they publish until they care. That might require that they get rid of the members of the cult of Bernie “wants to send a ballistic missile into the heart of autism” Rimland on their boards. Not likely.

By: Kassiane

Kassiane — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:04:33 +0000

I think it’s annoying that they imply that autistics are KIDS. We grow up.

And we think they say some funny-weird/funny-haha stuff too. I think it’s hilarious in a bad way that parents and professionals think they’re the “autism community”. It’s funny-scary when they say their kids got autism from a shot (I really did laugh the first time I heard that). The social behavior of NTs is hysterical. Baffling, but pretty funny.

But say that to them, or laugh at the utter BS of it all, and they burn you as a witch or something.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 01:09:39 +0000

I also wonder, if the examples are funny to the autistic kids or adults. I could see why each story (and there were a few more in the ASA magazine) could evoke a “chuckle,” but it is humor at someone’s expense.

By: Wade Rankin

Wade Rankin — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:58:56 +0000

Although I suppose any human condition occasionally leads to a “laughing to keep from crying” attitude, I can’t help but think that these examples you give can be better labeled as gallows humor. That denotes a feeling of hopelessness that should be offensive to all autistics and parents of autistics, whether we fall in the “curebie” or “neurodiversity” camps.

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 22:36:02 +0000

What bugs me about stuff like this is that it makes autistics, especially kids, out to be different from everyone else. And, yes, they are different, but in so many ways they are the same – they’re just KIDS!!!

And kids say the darndest things, autistic or not. All a part of the joy of parenthood.