AITA for telling my neighbor that I hope science finds a cure for autism?

YTA

1. autism isn’t a DISEASE, it’s a disorder
2. We understand more today than we did yesterday and will understand more tomorrow.
3. She loves her child and you implied that he was “less than” which you also did multiple times in this post. He’s different and has challenges - that doesn’t make him less lovable or awesome or something that has to be fixed.

Just to recap - the mom was appalled, your daughter was appalled , you know your wife will be as well and yet you double down and come in here trying to convince yourself they’re all delusional and you’re the only sane one.

So here’s a take - you don’t have ASD but are also clearly damaged yourself and yet, people still love you. Think on that one.

YTA. A medical breakthrough so they could make friends? Are you okay?

Plenty of us autistics have friends, being autistic doesn’t mean we will never have friends or romantic partners, etc.

Being autistic isn’t a disease, It is just a difference in how our brains are wired and handle things. And not everyone needs some “special talent” like you think he should have, tf.

You are not a voice of reason, your the voice of the jerks who want us to not exist

Yes. YTA. I hope everyone in the neighborhood hears about what an bigoted twit you are.

Educate yourself on autism before you open your ignorant pie hole again.

Yta I'm Autistic. I'm not sick. That's just how my brain works. Society is the problem most of the time and people like you especially.

You do realize your line of thinking is part of why there's still so much widespread stigma? Why Autistics still get denied organ transplants?

But hopefully, society, some day finds a cure for the horrible disease of allism since the biggest danger to Autistics right now is ignorant allistic people like you.

YTA. Autism isn’t a disease.

YTA

this autistic hopes you change your thought process and stop being such a bigot

So, do you ever fidget in public? Ever spin a pencil? Bounce a leg? Run your hands through something? Or so you sit perfectly still?

Because guess what, those are the same as flapping hands. You choose to look on them in a negative light, instead of accepting they help us function in the real world.

Meltdowns happen. I’ve had to learn to cope with mine. They suck, but I’ve learned to make do and recover from them.

We don’t need “special talents” any more that ableist jerks. And I have news for you! There js a cure for a horrible disease called ableism. It’s called shutting up and listening. It’s called accepting that brains are different and that’s okay. Are you willing to accept the cure?

Autism is who I am. It’s the filter I view the world with. And it’s not a horrible disease. Sure, it makes life difficult but if your concern is flappy hands and meltdowns, so what? Shit happens. YTA.

ayo yeah… you’re the asshole!!

Well, I'd say you were successful in making certain she never uses you to vent at again.

YTA maybe educate yourself a little

... scientists theorise that autism is the next step in our evolution.

Yeah, YTA. It's not a disease. A massive amount of people with autism are better at problem solving, mathematical equations and a whole range of other things the average neurological person isn't so good at. The stimming and "weird hand flapping" is an energy direction. Just know that while this child seems weird to you, he will likely go on to do smarter things than yourself.

Not surprised the coward deleted his profile…

YTA, maybe it was unintentional, but Autistic Eugenics programs were a thing of the not so distant past, and people wanting a cure are basically saying that they want the Autistic person in question to have a complete personality overwrite.

It’s dehumanizing and rude, and I don’t blame Hannah for walking away

YTA , I’m surprised you didn’t get a punch in the mouth . Your view of autism is way off. I’m a teacher and a number of colleagues have autism and none are on minimum wages, most are maths teachers . Would you say the same about Down syndrome or someone with a really short person . You are born with autism it’s not a disease . You are crazy level insensitive. Listen to your daughter and spend some time on google , you owe that lady and her child a major apology

Dude, you are SO TA. Everything went downhill from the minute you wrote, “there really wasn’t much I could do.” Every word from that sentence on was so ridiculous and unnecessary and IGNORANT that you should just stay home for the rest of your life. Don’t leave your house again. She didn’t want you to do anything other than listen. She didn’t ask you to solve anything, she didn’t ask for your opinion, and she definitely didn’t need to hear the garbage that came out of your mouth. Man, just stay home and away from people.

Again, I feel like this is fake because who tf even talks like that, so YTA for saying that if it’s real, or for trolling so crappily if it’s not.

Yes yta

Signed a mom with an autistic teen

FA... WOW.

Wow. You are an awful person. My younger son takes meds to help his stimming not be so severe, but he still stims. I wouldn't change Jhim further world.

My older son is autistic and his daughter is a mute autistic. We wouldn't change any of them.

Autism has been around for many, many years. People with the same mindset as you would have shipped anyone not deemed "normal" to an insane asylum. Or in a truly horrifying time in our history tortured them until they died expecting a fairy to give back the real version.

Just because someones brain works differently doesn't mean they are broken. We need people who see new solutions to problems in our world. That is how inventions happen, that is how medical breakthroughs happen.

Just because you heard something a certain way doesn't mean you can't learn from life around you and be a decent neighbor.

While it would be nice if there was a cure, you called it a horrible disease, that was uncalled for. My granddaughter has autism and if someone stated to me that she has a horrible disease I wouldn’t have taken it kindly either.

Jesus wept you ignorant twat

My brother is communicative which is beyond all of us since he’s so far in the spectrum it’s amazing he can speak. He gets very overwhelmed, we’re adults, I’m his person, and he says it’s because I’m his older sister and I was always the boss. So we live states away now, but if he has a “meltdown,” I get called.

We are quite proud that he is even ABLE to communicate since my parents were told early on he probably wouldn’t be able to speak. He comes off a little hyped up, he speaks fast, and that’s not even mentioning all his “quirks.” We are absolutely proud of all of his accomplishments. The bad parts don’t matter.

I’d have taken serious offense to that being said to me. This awful disease? REALLY??? That’s her SON!!! She LOVES her child. Regardless of anything. And that absolutely insensitive, uneducated, awful response has shown just how ignorant you are. If you have an ounce of empathy in you, you’ll eat crow, and apologize-SINCERELY. Jfc. You should really be ashamed of yourself.

Please be rage bait. Ugh

Autism at low or medium levels isn’t some horrible condition. The “weird hand flappy” and meltdowns are because society stresses him out and he deals with that differently. Society wasn’t built for him, that’s all.

Like ADHD, individuals with Autism are actually better at some jobs/roles. A well balanced society can have a sprinkling of neurodivergent people- the key is to actually just make things better and less stressful and let is live our lives.

I’m autistic and you are an ah. I’m a psychologist and you are also an ah.

Autism isn't a disease.

Autism isn't a mental disorder.

Autism isn't something someone "has".

Autism isn't something to be sorry about.

Autism is a neurological disorder, it's the brain working and developing in a different way to an allistic brain. There is nothing wrong with that.

We're born autistic, it doesn't develop at a later stage in life, the way things like depression does. We can't take a pill to make it better. We're either autistic or we're not, there's no in between. And, that's okay. Being Autistic isn't a curse or a bad thing, it has many positives.

Autistic people can make friends. They can get good jobs. They can get married and have kids. They can have PhDs. They can do all the same things allistic people can do.

Just because autistic people have meltdowns and stim (the hand flapping you mentioned), it doesn't make them weird or less than allistic people. Many allistic people have meltdowns and stims too, they just aren't looked at in the same ways.

I wish there was a cure for people like you. You're part of the problem, not part of any solution. You're the reason autistic people, like me, don't want to out themselves publicly. You need to educate yourself more and then apologise to your neighbour.

I'm going to cut you some slack here; you don't know this person well, you are not a professional educator, you don't know much about the condition, not your fault, many people don't. You don't have any answers and she chose to talk at you when you were busy in your own yard and couldn't get away from her.

You were not intentionally mean, but since she was complaining about the lack of support for her child how were you supposed to know how much she would be offended? All you did was say something intended to basically commiserate with the issues she was tossing your way. Insensitive and not currently acceptable yes, but I won't go so far as to say YTA. You can learn from this... Just keep on gardening and don't comment when random neighbors come by to dump their concerns on you.

My oldest is autistic. I’d attempt to educate you, but frankly I find “adults” like you exhausting and prefer to avoid you wherever possible. You’re an ableist bigot, and the worst possible punishment for you is the fact that you have to look yourself in the mirror every day for the rest of your life. You’re exactly the kind of person who will make my child’s life infinitely harder because you simply can’t conceive of the world having enough space for everyone.

I will say this, though- hopefully, one day science will find a cure for people like you.

YTA.

Do you also think that homosexuality is a 'horrible disease'? I wouldn't be surprised, i mean its just how you grew up right? No need to reevaluate your ignorant, harmful and uneducated views.

YTA

YTA, I am autistic and have a growing career and studying for my Masters. Autism is just the brain being wired differently. You are one of the many assholes who make our life a living hell with your constant judgement and "pity"

I have a late diagnosed family member that is a kick ass business person. I work with incredible students that bring so much joy to their families and teachers. I’m sure there are some autistic people that might like help with some aspects of autism that are difficult for them like I’d like somebody to give me a magic cure for some aspects of my adhd. We should not want to eliminate actual people! Many autistic people are perfectly happy with their lives and some do have struggles they would like support for. One of the things we can do is to work to understand that differences aren’t bad and there are many ways to communicate and be happy in life. Autistic people and neurotypical people can learn from each other and develop effective communication. I personally don’t think you’ve really lived unless you’ve had a thorough explanation of an autistic person’s special interest. Of course there are autistic people that use AAC and may have limited expression and I have the pleasure of helping people develop those skills. We can’t know everything and we can’t be well versed in all topics , but what we can do as humans is to know when to shut the F up and not say harmful things. Take this opportunity to learn from actually autistic people. Your communication in this situation left a lot to be desired and I could make a case that you have poor social / pragmatic language skills.

People in your life told you that you were being offensive and instead of listening to people you’re supposed to respect, you came here and wrote this high and mighty post for internet sympathy points. Do I have that about right?

Yta

OK...it's early and my coffee hasn't kicked in yet, but isn't it like...a federal LAW that disabled kids (no matter what disability) have to get the help they need in school? Like, isn't that part of the ADA? And if he's not getting help due to school budget cuts, fuck them right in the ass with a pineapple. He needs and deserves all the accomodations to make things as easy for him as possible with disabilities like ASD. (Source: Am mom to ASD person, that's why I'm bringing this shit up and I've seen this shit happen multiple times including my own son and it pisses me off no end)

I said "Hopefully, modern science will find a cure for this horrible disease."

O.O That truly was an asshole thing to say. Autism isn't a mental disorder...it's having your entire brain rewired in a way that makes things incredibly fucking difficult at times. As an ASD person, you might learn coping skills to overcome some of those difficulties, but you can't fix what ain't broken. And ASD brains aren't 'broken', FFS. They are just different from yours or mine.

I have a son (who is an adult now) who is ASD and I've said since he was a child that even if a cure were available TODAY, I wouldn't give it to him or make him take it against his will. It would have to be HIS choice (even more so now that he's an adult who can make his own damn choices about medical care). If he wanted to be "normal", then great. But if he chose to NOT get the cure and stay autistic, I would love the shit out of that for him as well.

I am also most likely neurodivergent (never been tested, but I do weird ass things like think in music at times) and I wouldn't want to be 'cured' either, tbh, because that would take away something that is very special to me and something that has been a part of my life my entire fucking life.

Yta...hopefully modern science finds a cure for your ailment of being a dickhead

Someone please put this on am I the devil

YTA. Also are you sure you’re not autistic? It seems like you didn’t read the room at all.

Holy shit yeah YTA. What a horrible and outdated thing to say and believe. You are a wildly offensive and insensitive person. Please educate yourself on what autism actually is. Autistic people do not need to be “fixed” or “cured” and it is not a disease.

YTA you are woefully uneducated on this topic.

Dude... YTA. Autism isn't a disease, I don't need to be cured. Oh and we can make friends and have above minimum wage jobs. He's a frickin kid! Ofc he hasn't learned his coping mechanism yet. You suck

YTA. You're not the "voice of reason" you're the voice of ignorance. Educate yourself and stop acting like a victim.

INFO: Why are you a little bitch?

YTA. Your post really point out your severe lack of intelligence.

Let's be honest, you are a bigot, plain and simple.

Yes YTA and an ableist one at that. There is NO need for a cure. Autism isn't a "terrible disease", we're not sick, there's nothing wrong with us. You absolutely need to educate yourself.

Another autistic here. You probably know a lot of autistic people and don’t even realize it, the “weird hand-flapping” doesn’t happen to all of us. Imagine if I said “I hope they find a cure for old white men, I’ve seen that Bernie Sanders and trust me, it’s something no one wants to be.” That’s how you sound. But I don’t expect someone who measures a person’s worth by how much they’re paid or how publicly they melt down to understand what an asshole he is in this situation. Because it wasn’t just this situation, it’s about how you view people. Being an asshole about this means being an asshole in real life, 24/7. And you won’t accept that.

YTA, but also a very short-minded and pretty dumb one as well. Your reasoning is so far off, I don't even know where to begin. There is no use in explaining how my brain works to you, because you are too far gone I can see. But let me turn the roles around: is everything that you do so normal? Sitting there judging people doing there thing not harming anybody. That's nothing to be proud of. I hope they find a cure for that bitterness of yours.

AH pure and simple

Nice ragebait bro

YTA. What they need is to find a cure for being an ignorant dick like you.

MEGA YTA!! Autism is not a disease or something that can be cured. It is a lifelong disability. Fucking jackass!! Of course she got offended, you aren’t a voice of reason, you’re a bigoted twatwaffle! My god.. and her son has meltdowns and hand-flaps as a result of his autism.

He cannot help meltdowns, these are entirely different from tantrums or normal upset moments. Your body is literally trying to fight back against full body overload. You try having your skin, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, fuckit even LUNGS be felt so vividly, you would get so overwhelmed and overstimulated you’d have a meltdown too. Then try having a minot inconvenience while that is happening. Like dropping your garden trowel, boom. Huge meltdown that can take hours to even weeks to recover from.

Hand flaps are called stims. Or stimulating behavior. These are for emotional regulation. Allistics (people without autism) might get upset and go journal, but Autistics (people with autism) might have to flap their hands, or twirl their pen, to regulate a bit before they could realistically get to journaling. Their emotions may be too much, like anxiety, and they need to physically release it.

And autism is a spectrum. Her son may fall somewhere into the Medium Support; Low Masking range. He had a therapist to help him out, so I would safely assume such. I am a person who was diagnosed with ASD when I was 4. I am medium support; low masking. I struggle to mask my autism and need a bit more help with keeping regulated, but I can also do that on my own as easily with another safe person. Based one what you have said about her son, that’s what I assume. But I can’t entirely know as I haven’t met neighbor and neighbors son.

To reiterate. MEGA YTA op. Ffs

what the shit is wrong with you? Seems like ate too much garbage and decided to make it come out on this post. Absolutely garbage. YTA like wtf. You sound horribly passive aggressive and wish you never have any children under your care.

The comments here are wild, but that's reddit I guess. You all well know that some conditions require specialised care which can be expensive, might be needed for a lifetime and some people are unable and will never be able to take care of themselves. I am glad all of you here are high-functioning enough but it's not the case for everyone. Sure, maybe OP's terminology wasn't quite precise and it's not a "disease" but it's still disorder as you yourselves said.

Having a special needs child is not for everyone and that is why there are screenings for some "disorders". Not everyone is willing and able to take on such a responsibility and expense

YTA - I'm sure also during your time growing up, being gay was considered a "mental disease". If Amanda told you her son came out, were you going to tell her "Gee, I hope you can fix his mental disease?" Autism isn't something to be "fixed," man, come on.

Autism isn’t a mental disorder, you judgemental twat.

Holy fuck why do people like you still exist. I have autism. My IQ is 132. I’m a fully capable adult. A good many people in my family have autism as well, and they also have very high IQs. One of my nephews is in the navy and my other nephew is currently getting his doctorate in biology. My sister, also with autism, works for NASA. She has two masters and a doctorate in fields you most likely don’t know the first thing about.

You are seriously lacking in intelligence and are ignorant. If you don’t know anything about a certain disorder you should keep your mouth shut. Google is your friend. Use it and then go profusely apologize to your neighbor.

I hope science cures the allistics one day ❤️

I smell another Reddit brigade coming on!! Make this post all about yourselves, people!

YTA. hi, person with autism here. it is not a horrible disease that requires a cure. i don’t want to be “cured”. i don’t need to be cured. you’re the one who needs the breakthrough and i hope you get it fast. 

Lol you're tired of being crapped on what a loser

As an autistic gay, I want to draw a little scenario for you. Imagine it's the early 1990s, you as an adult with a teenage child remember the panic of the AIDS pandemic of the 80s. A neighbor comes to you as you described but instead says her son has just come out to her as gay and you reply in the same manner "Hopefully, modern science will find a cure for this horrible disease" then are shocked and appalled when she is offended and your daughter calls you insensitive.

"But," you think self-righteously to yourself, "being gay is such a difficulty in this world! HIV is better managed now but still is devastating! Also those people can't even actually marry! And most jobs worth having can and will fire them for that as soon as they find out! Why can't anyone understand that I'm right? I'm just being the voice of reason here!"

In short, YTA but you can grow! You don't have to stay a bigot, or use the extremely stupid and porous shield of "this is just the rational way to view the world!"

YTA wow. You don’t understand what you’re talking about. Autism isn’t a disease. You can’t cure it. It is also deeply offensive that you would want to do so, everyone is different and everyone has special talents. Pretty sure if other people watched you they would find things you do that is odd to them too. People who can’t accept that neurodiversity is not a disease cause massive issues, by judging or not adapting or accepting differences. You are not telling it as it is or being honest, you are just showing how ignorant you are.

YTA, troll or not. Wow. Just. Wow.

Oh my🥲

If only there was cure for your personality

WTF??? Yeah, YTA. BIG TIME!! Autism isn’t a disease that needs to be cured, it’s a different neurotype that needs understanding, acceptance and accommodation. What you said isn’t just incredibly ableist, it’s hate speech.

NTA, lol, you came to the wrong place for judgment on this though, half the kids on Reddit are autistics.

Autistic here, major YTA. Autism is neurological it CAN'T be cured, saying that you want it to be and is a "disease" is so weird. Imagine someone saying a trait you have that you can't control needs to be fixed, autistic people for years have been trying to dismantle stereotypes associated with us, assholes like you that refuse to do any research make it hard for us to do. You should've just kept your mouth shut.

Wow, you're so socially inept and lacking self awareness that you've managed to offend at least 3 people within 24 hours? I hope science can find a cure for your awful condition soon! YTA.

If you’re ‘the only one speaking sense’, it usually means YTA.

As someone who has a brother with Autism. YTA.

First off, shame on you for even fake attempting to feel “sympathetic”.

Autism is not a disease, it’s a disorder. It doesn’t stop them from achieving anything in life. Their brains work differently, but they get to the same results that we do.

My brother works for our local hospital and gets paid very well AND also makes friends very well. People with autism are some of the most friendliest people you’ll ever meet. The only problems with his autism are emotional (stress, excitement, etc.).

If I were you, the only thing that I would be “praying” for is that you see the mistake that you have made.

Also, you’re the only one who thinks you’re the voice of reason. I can speak for all of us here and I think you’re the one with a disease.

YTA autism a disease it’s just a different way for brains to work….I think the way to you have expressed the same sentiment that didn’t other your neighbors child would be to say I hope with technology it can become easier for people to be in the world. Also just keep silent about other peoples life experiences because you clearly don’t understand how you were offensive. My daughters are both autistic and I would feel terrible knowing that the neighborhood is watching my girls monitoring their hand flapping and “meltdowns”…

NTA - You made an honest mistake. I just Goolgled it because I didn't know either. "Autism is not a disease or illness, but a developmental condition that affects how people see the world and interact with others."

Am I supposed to be born knowing that?

ig·no·rance/ˈiɡnərəns/noun: lack of knowledge or information. Every one of these condescending jerks with their fake outrage whose giving you a hard time will find themselves at some point in their lives in a similar situation and I hope they remember their incredulity when do.

Every person who was ever born will say or do something (at least once in their lives) that offends somebody because they didn't know any better. John 8:7-11  “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Yta yes you were

Are YTA? You'd better believe YTA.

I'm an autistic person and I barely even know where to begin with this. Let's begin

I'm not a psychological expert.

Then maybe you shouldn't sound so confident if you don't know jack about autism.

I said "Hopefully, modern science will find a cure for this horrible disease."

It's not a disease. Tom's brain is just wired differently. Just because Tom doesn't act the way you think he should act doesn't mean it's some horrible plague.

I had seen plenty of Tom's meltdowns and weird hand-flapping before.

And? Are you the one having to deal with these meltdowns? No? Then why does it bother you so much? Why does the hand-flapping bother you so much? How does any of this affect you other than the fact that Tom exists? Why don't you build a wall, then you don't have to see Tom and his gross, weird self (/s) anymore.

Believe me, there is nothing to be proud of, and her attitude about his condition was beyond delusion.

Why are you taking this so fucking personally? Tom has meltdowns sometimes and flaps his hands and that's so awful that you call his mother "delusional"?

Tom had no special talents, as far as I could tell.

Who cares that his child you're not even responsible for doesn't have any "special talents"? How dare he not be the perfect child you think he needs to be. I think being happy is better than having 'special talents'.

It's hard to imagine him working, and if he does, it will probably be for minimum wage.

Again, how does this affect you? How does any of this have any bearing on YOUR life? So what if he ends up working minimum wage? I have autistic friends who work at grocery/retail stores and feel happy and fulfilled. A job is a job. Also, remember that these 'minimum wage' workers are the ones ringing up your groceries, serving your food, keeping public restrooms clean.

I really don't want another round of mistreatment.

You mean you don't like being called out. If your own daughter tells you you're being TA, maybe listen.

It feels like I'm the only one who's willing to be honest sometimes

There's a difference between being honest and being a dick. Nothing that you said will make any difference, anyway. Again, this won't make Tom un-autistic. It won't help his parents. Either be supportive or shut up.

If any of my kids had autism, I would be praying for a medical breakthrough

HOBOY. This is where it gets personal. I hope you don't have any more children, because if they end up autistic, they're in for a life of trauma. My father had the same attitude. That autism is something to be ashamed of and fixed. He made his resentment clear every day and tried to bully it out of me. Always mocking me or criticizing me for my autistic traits. Negatively comparing me to my neurotypical ("normal") siblings. Ripping me apart for what I couldn't do and ignoring everything I did accomplish. It made me hate myself. It made me feel like there WAS something wrong with me. That if I was "normal" my father would actually love me. His abuse, compounded with my own insecurities and depression, was a dangerous mixture. I thought about killing myself. I thought it would be easier to not exist than to feel like I was something broken and diseased. I got to the point that I needed therapy, and most of my sessions were talking about my father and his shit treatment of me.

If you don't want an autistic child, don't have (any more) children. Because I know while you're waiting for some miracle cure, you'll show them every day that you resent them and that they're disgusting and worthless. They'll know. They'll know they aren't loved and valued. They'll know their father is mourning the child you wanted them to be. But don't worry--if they don't end up completely hating and/or unaliving themselves, they'll cut you out of their lives as soon as humanly possible. I didn't even go to my father's funeral, because why would his "broken" child feel obligated to be there?

My youngest is supposedly on the spectrum, (like right on the border, but he definitely has ADHD). What you stated was beyond ignorant. Autism can affect people in many ways, and you'd be surprised by how "nornal" some on the spectrum are. Yes, my son has a near genius IQ. And, for the most part, functions "normally", plays sports, and while not Mr. Popularity, he has friends, is generally friendly, ect.. And, I agree with another commenter: Autism isn't a DISEASE, BUTA DISORDER

What you said is the truth. But its not something a mom wants to hear. Parents dont want children with a disease, especially not with a mental disease. They cant face the truth.

1 day I hope science will find a cure for you being a dick. YTA

NTA!!!!

Man... if this is real then you are TA! Not everything is about you!

[ Removed by Reddit ]

What are you retarded or something? Jesus. YTA. (I’m autistic dw)

YTA and since everyone else has given you a zillion reasons why I won’t pile on bit he isn’t mentally ill he has a disorder …

YTA

YTA Autism isn't a disease. It's not even rare for people to have, or new. In fact, I bet you interact daily with someone on the spectrum, but you'd never know.

Also autism is simply how a person's brain exists, it doesn't make them lesser. You saying that is the equivalent of someone telling you that they hope they find a cure for your face.

What usually makes autism difficult is that people are judgemental about it and that people who are neurotypical are often negative about people on the spectrum because they don't always act like most nuerotypical people would like them to. And the fact that so much of common life is about being polite by lying, not speaking about something even if you don't understand it, and acceptance of things and rules without being "allowed" to question it, etc. The world isn't always made for us and can have some very non intuitive rules because people think it's more acceptable somehow. And it can be hard on caregivers that have to unlearn some things, while teaching a child how to live in a way that doesn't come easily to them, so parents are often frustrated just trying to work out the balances and needs.

I'd be terribly offended, in fact I am offended by the statement, but I recognize what you meant by it. It's just not something you should say. I'm a woman in her 40's and I've been autistic my whole life, all of my children also have autism. I wouldn't change any of it. We're just as likely to have very normal lives as anyone else.

Also, since you're not super familiar, a lot of us also don't like Autism Speaks because they don't ask those of us living with autism anything, and largely just treat us like a disease to be cured as well.

You owe her an apology, but give her some space as well.

Get fucked. YTA.

Autism is looked at differently these days and not as a mental disorder. You probably know a few people with autism (maybe yourself) because it is a spectrum. My spouse I am sure has Aspergers syndrome. He is brilliant. He can play any song after hearing it once on the guitar, he can design circuits and electrical panels, visualize things and make them come to life. So OP, you are "ableist" because you probably grew up in a time where an autistic person was looked at like Rainman. Please educate yourself - read Temple Grandin's book - and apologize to your neighbor. Be willing to learn new things.

YTA and really bad at creative writing

YTA YTA YTA.

Seriously, you're nothing but an ableistic ahole.

For one thing, autism ISN'T a disease. It's a developmental disorder. And SINCE it's a developmental disorder, there will NEVER be a cure no matter how much science may advance. What you said is essentially the equivalent of saying, "I hope one day scientists will find a way to cure being born with one arm."

There is no cure and likely never WILL be a cure. Sure, there are ways to deal with it, like getting a prothstetic or learning how to deal with and manage your condition, but that doesn't make you "cured."

YTA

I hope there is a medical breakthrough that cures the horrible disease of ableism.

Not everyone can be neurotypical.

Hand flapping isn’t a problem it’s just how many of us move our bodies. Meltdowns are pretty horrible to experience, but the answer is accommodations, advocacy, and prevention tools, not a cure.

I really dislike the “autism is a superpower” narrative, but there are many positive autistic traits as well. It’s important to have people who see the world differently.

Autistic people are human.

YTA and a complete jackass to boot. Autism isn't a disease and you're not a "voice of reason."

YTA eugenics isn't a good thing sweatie

YTA, hoooooly crap! Autism is not a disease, people like you are the reason autism is still widely misunderstood

You need to do some research. YTA.

YTA MASSIVELY autism is not a disease! Please read up on it. But apologise to your neighbour for being foolish.

I'm not interested in labeling you an asshole because I don't find it productive. But I sincerely hope you will learn more about neurodivergent folks.

I know that some autistic people would agree with you, that they wished there was a cure, but there is nothing we need to be "cured" from. It's just a difference in neural pathways, and that's not necessarily something that needs to be "fixed."

I would suggest that what does need to be fixed is giving people the support they need. It's a shame that her son is being denied support that will help him thrive in an upside-down world.

Just my two cents, and it ain't worth much these days.

My god you are a raging AH....

YTA

Autism is not a disease. It's a neurological divergence.

NTA it is a horrible disease

😂 Sorry, I needed a moment. I can't stop laughing. You sound so much like my dad. He was a big ol' teddy bear, give the shirt off his back, but couldn't figure out the tact thing to save his life.

Of course, most of us would love to see all ailments eliminated. But nobody wants to be called diseased. When in doubt, stick to the name of the aliment. Don't substitute your own words.

NTA I agree with you. There are far too many people with autism who will never be able to care for themselves. If someone's autism is minor and they don't want treatment, fine, their choice. But if I had a child who was profoundly autistic I would want something to help them to be able to care for themselves. Parents don't live forever.

Sigh.... You won't get a decent answer here. You're obviously confused. Reddit kind will attack.

NAH. Science is absolutely looking for a cause, treatments, and cure for autism. They don’t do that for things that aren’t undesirable. If someone can’t emotionally regulate themselves and cannot function/work through adulthood, I would consider that a horrible disease. As with most disorders, there is a spectrum of outcomes. One person success does not mean another success and one person’s suffering does not mean another’s suffering.

At the same time, his mom has come to peace with autism and was more upset he couldn’t get special interventions vs that he is autistic. Next time don’t engage.