For a while now, I've been thinking that a "code" based on the now-ancient Code of the Geeks, except focusing on the autism spectrum, would be really cool. It could be a shorthand for identifying traits like stimming, social delays, relationships, gender identity, strength of perseveration, and so forth that have been inaccurately associated with different "types" of autism -- so we can continue having an individual-group identity without using the one-dimensional criteria that so many hate.
So today I'm going to begin compiling a list of traits/qualities for the ever-evolving Autistic Code. I'll also start looking for a Code Generator (would Quizilla somehow work?) so people can create their personal codes without going manually through a huge list of traits.
If you have a suggestion for likely categories, please put it in the comments area! :)
Posted by moggy at August 29, 2003 01:35 PM | TrackBackThere are people on alt.support.autism that use their own version of it:
Maybe you could improve on it.
Posted by: Matt on August 29, 2003 06:26 PMOh, perfect! I haven't been to a.s.a. in a very long time, and last I was there, people were too busy fighting to make up a code. :-(
I miss all of the people I used to talk to there, though. I'd return, but the curebies are a bit hard to handle...wish that the other auties were on YahooGroups or had blogs or something!
Posted by: Moggy on August 29, 2003 09:58 PMThe fighting tends to go in cycles - it has been peaceful for a while, but now people are starting to argue about the autistic boy that was sat on by the preacher and killed in an exorcism.
As far as I can tell, most of the curebies left during the last big blowup, but every week or two there is a new parent coming on asking for help, so there are fresh 'recruits', and smaller arguments once or twice a month.
I never read everything there - you have to have a good killfile. I am more sensitive to all the intrusive advertisements on Yahoo than the negativity and fighting on ASA. Each time I get an ad page instead of an article, it really grates on me. :(
Posted by: Matt on August 30, 2003 09:52 AMThey're arguing about him? What on Earth is there to argue about? *looks bewildered*
Have you looked into getting some kind of spam-protected web-based email account (or a spam-protected email client with free addy) and just signing that up to read certain Yahoo groups? I agree that the web interface is hideous -- that's part of why I just have everything dumped in a spamproof box and categorized into folders by group/subject. :) Between that and having HTML turned off in my email browser, I never see ads at all!
Posted by: Moggy on August 30, 2003 11:15 AMHey - thank you! I hadn't thought of doing that. I've been meaning to get a spamcop address for a while now.
The argument is a continuation of the long running battle about autistics getting angry about parents/caregivers killing autistics and not getting punished, and the parents of autistics getting angry that they aren't getting any sympathy for the difficulties of raising an autistic child. As you can imagine, it gets pretty nasty. I was involved too for a while, and got stressed out by it.
Right now, auties are angry that he is only charged with physical abuse of a child, not manslaughter, and sooner or later, someone will say something that will get the parents going, and we will be 'off to the races'. I saw a segment on CNN last night discussing the severity of the charges, and was very glad to see the publicity about it.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/26/autistic.boy.death/index.html
Posted by: Matt on August 30, 2003 12:29 PMI'm just browsing around your site for the first time, interesting read
Posted by: Andrew Lace on November 5, 2004 05:25 AM
