When I was younger, my father used to tell me, "Creigh, everyone has their own sacred cows." Being quite literal, I thought he was referring to actual cows for the longest time. Later I realized that he was referring to beliefs that people hold sacred and above reproach or question.* I hadn't even thought about that concept, much less the phrase, since then, until one day recently when I realized it perfectly describes discussions of autism.
I have been so careful in this website trying to avoid discussing topics of controversy, except in the most cautiously impartial sense representing both sides - and not indicating which I supported. This should not be seen as indicative of my own beliefs about autism. Actually, I have quite strong beliefs on the almost all the controversial subjects of the autism world, including treatments, cures, causes, and more. Why did I attempt to filter all but the least controversial of those beliefs out of the website? Out of fear.
My fear is that as soon as I say something in contradiction of a belief someone holds sacred (and you basically can't express an opinion either way on a subject without doing so) they'll write off the entire website. To use vaccines as an example, no matter if I came out as pro vaccine or as anti vaccine, there's a whole group of people that I would risk alienating. Because as soon as you disagree with someone on one of those 'sacred' subjects, it's almost like metaphorical walls go up in another person, and all your other words are tainted by that one disagreement.
That is the peak of foolishness. We can all learn from each other when it comes to autism. Even someone who believed exposure to rainbows caused autism (to use an example I'm sure will offend no one) might still have great insight into sensory issues, or a great idea for managing meltdowns or navigating the school system.
I guess what I'm saying is, we shouldn't write off someone's ideas just because they say something different from what we believe.** Who knows - they might have a point. Moreover, even if they were wrong about that one concept, it doesn't mean that they don't have other things of value to say.
So please, don't write off everything I say just because I have different beliefs from you (and I most likely do). As people who care about those with autism, whether we personally are autistic or love someone who is, we should stand together, not apart.
*And still later I realized that was probably not a terribly politically correct idiom.
**Although you should definitely check the evidence before believing them.
I have been so careful in this website trying to avoid discussing topics of controversy, except in the most cautiously impartial sense representing both sides - and not indicating which I supported. This should not be seen as indicative of my own beliefs about autism. Actually, I have quite strong beliefs on the almost all the controversial subjects of the autism world, including treatments, cures, causes, and more. Why did I attempt to filter all but the least controversial of those beliefs out of the website? Out of fear.
My fear is that as soon as I say something in contradiction of a belief someone holds sacred (and you basically can't express an opinion either way on a subject without doing so) they'll write off the entire website. To use vaccines as an example, no matter if I came out as pro vaccine or as anti vaccine, there's a whole group of people that I would risk alienating. Because as soon as you disagree with someone on one of those 'sacred' subjects, it's almost like metaphorical walls go up in another person, and all your other words are tainted by that one disagreement.
That is the peak of foolishness. We can all learn from each other when it comes to autism. Even someone who believed exposure to rainbows caused autism (to use an example I'm sure will offend no one) might still have great insight into sensory issues, or a great idea for managing meltdowns or navigating the school system.
I guess what I'm saying is, we shouldn't write off someone's ideas just because they say something different from what we believe.** Who knows - they might have a point. Moreover, even if they were wrong about that one concept, it doesn't mean that they don't have other things of value to say.
So please, don't write off everything I say just because I have different beliefs from you (and I most likely do). As people who care about those with autism, whether we personally are autistic or love someone who is, we should stand together, not apart.
*And still later I realized that was probably not a terribly politically correct idiom.
**Although you should definitely check the evidence before believing them.
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