lildictator comments on Activists relieved but wary to learn B.C. naturopath ending pricey fecal transplants for autism

[–] lildictator@feddit.nl 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

Autism isn’t something that needs to be cured

My cousin suffers autism. He is in his forties and is entirely nonverbal. He depends on his aging parents to survive: he can't go grocery shopping, he can't bathe himself, he has never had a romantic partner, and I don't have to explain that he can't get a job either.

His mother abandoned her career decades ago to become his full-time caretaker. She hasn't had a real vacation ever since because my cousin only feels comfortable around his parents.

Autism isn’t something that needs to be cured

I sincerely hope life doesn't force you to become the caretaker of an autistic child.

permalink

fedilink

source

parent

hideshow 2 child comments

[–] SourCreamAndGarlic@lemmy.ca 1 point 3 years ago

Autism isn't curable because it's not a disease. It's a difference in brain development. You can no more cure it than you can cure ADHD or being transgender.

What you can do is provide a child support. Autism is a spectrum, and some children will need more support than others. Early-childhood behavioural and communication therapies can make a massive difference in the long-term prognosis for a child with autism. Different educational approaches can also help quite a bit. This isn't going to solve the problem for every single child, but the outlook for people with autism is significantly better than it was in the 80s.

I sincerely hope life doesn’t force you to become the caretaker of an autistic child.

I absolutely refuse to put another human being on a dying planet, so no need to worry about that. Regardless, if I do somehow end up with a child, I'm fully on-board to support them no matter how they turn out.

permalink

fedilink

source

parent

lemmy:	0.19.20
mlmym (mschae):	26.3.4