I Am Autism by Alfonso Cuarón and Billy Mann

The first part of this video is....different. I think AIDS, cancer and diabetes are usually worse than autism. The video completely ignores that autism is a spectrum, and that there's such a thing as High-Functioning Autism, and that's a step backwards in awareness.

The second part has good intentions but it seems to completely ignore the fact the people with autism. You can't fight or cure autism, because the child is who they are and autism is a part of them.

Ted, no amount of empathy with this video will solve the problems you speak of. In fact, empathy will this video is a BAD thing. The last thing Autism needs is exploitation of this. Creation of fear. What is needed is understanding and acceptance and this video does neither.

Raw emotion MUST be kept out of the picture. Completely. As long as you even give it a minor thumbs up - that makes you dangerous to Autistics.

Said, I completely acknowledged your perspective. If my son never loses his diagnoses (he probably won't) I will STILL love him for who he is. Most individuals with autism will need support throughout their lives. Figuring out how to provide that, battling school districts for services, and dealing with the prejudices of others are battles that cause much of the distress this video captures for me

Cont. Do you know how offensive the ideology this video spreads when saying we cause our parents' marriage to fail. Especially when I am Autistic and my parents are divorced, this makes it easier for people to assume when people know I'm Autistic and have divorced parents, that it was because I'm Autistic. I love my dad, he is one of my favorite people in the world, but he is an asshole, a moron, a loser, and that's why my parents got divorced before they even noticed anything different with me.

There's nothing wrong with emotions being captured by this. Seeing nude girls wrestling in mud for crack captures dirty emotions inside me, which there's nothing wrong with, but it is wrong if I think this being done is ok. This video is saying if someone's Autistic the only way for them and loved one's to be happy is they not have Autistm, which is false, despite the initial emotions felt right after diagnosis and it is WRONG to say these things like divorce and money problems are our faults.

I have a tremendous amount of emotion related to this and did not find it "a piece of crap." If this video capture my feelings who are you to suggest I am wrong?

I completely understand how this video can be demeaning to those with autism. BUT, as a parent with a son diagnosed a year ago I believe it captures the raw and profound emotion we have faced. People not in the community simply have no sense of what we go through and this video helps them begin to empathize.

As to this video itself, everyone with a twinge of emotion knows this is a piece of crap. It doesn't even deserve a response.

Posting here as John Best probably won't reply for a month or so to my responses to one of his own videos. I don't know why I'm poking the troll, beyond curiosity.

As I said to you a few minutes ago, foresam, go and try to attempt "curing" me of Asperger's. I was diagnosed this year, at the age of 44, after suspecting as much for years due in large part to my inability told down jobs caused by communication errors.

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By the way, I have worked for most of my life and do not plan to stop working. I do not do well in many work environments, but I am a private tutor (with three different degrees) and I have found more work starting in January after an extended maternity leave. Before you call me an irresponsible welfare mother, I have a husband who works.

I was called "minimally brain damaged" in my youth.

The autism spectrum runs in my family. I have nephews and nieces diagnosed autistic.

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