@sirgalahad, Good day to you! So what I gather is that some people are referring to you as ableist? Is that right? Or that you are not Autistic, by reading something you wrote? I did look at your brilliant Doctor and it appears that he is associated heavily with Autism Speaks, the "Light It Up Blue" folks. The ones who employ the puzzle piece symbol. The ones that many of our actuallyAutistic speakers, authors, and advocates are kind to but gently steer away from. Bad grammar, but you get the picture, and I haven't had my coffee. No one can deny that they get the word out there. But just what words are they? To be fair, I put myself on their mailing list last night so I could see for myself the sort of things they espouse to be true about us Auties. I have been told, and I have read multiple examples, about the kinds of things their way of thinking leads to. Autistics get blamed for their conditions, instead of helped. Parents of Autistic children complain - a lot - about how difficult it is to care for a child with Autism. When a parent kills their Autistic child, then shake their heads and grieve for the parent, not the dead child. A common complaint is that there are no actual people with Autism on their Board of Directors. This was true awhile back, but I haven't checked lately so I honestly could not tell you if they do or if they don't. I have heard of the polio virus being used to treat a very aggressive type of brain cancer. Amazingly, the woman not only survived the treatment but survived the cancer as well. As for this idea of being injected with HIV to "rewire" my brain circuitry, no thanks. I like the circuits I have just fine! Besides, we know now that positivity can re-wire some negative brain circuitry. And just think, there are no needles involved! I am sure we will talk on this more. I will try as best I can to help as I understand more. Peace, Mamacitalucita

the dropkick from Florida was basing his diagnosis on the way i write medically and the language i use when i am discussing medical and Autism . i am a high functioning autistic level 3 as diagnosed at the brain and mind institute at Sydney university .I was actually being a victim research guinea pig for Sleep apnea as i have sleep apnea and stop breathing 69 times per hour .Anyhow we had to go through a battery tests and deep brain screening .i failed it and they were discussing my results when the good professor Ian Hickie and prof max bERNADI CAM E BY .THEY took me away and finally confirmed i was Autistic and HFA and was misdiagnosed as badly behaved at 5 and disabled but not why .Myfather as a socio path and narcisst wouldn't have a disabled son and often hid me away and beat me to keep quiet and beat mum and my sistyer s.my mother had paranoid schitsophrenia brought on by the emotional and physical abuse .i am most definetly autistic and not able bodied and he accused me of being able bodied and abelist

i also wanted to know from Mayo and yu guys how to talk to this bloke and his opinion and how can one diagnoise someone by their written comments and i told him his comments confirmedto me that he is a sociopath and a narcisst and a fraud a has zero connection ASD .i checked his page and he had zero connection with autisim .i merely try ing to find ways of helping to medically understand as an autistic not a cure how to manage how to promote that we are whom we are and not to BLOODY CURE but to end peoples issues with deliberately not understanding what life is like as an a person who is on the spectrum

Dear @sirgalahad, I want you to take a deep, long breath. Breathe in and out, as you close your eyes. Now, I want you to take seriously what I am about to tell you. You are worthy. You were treated terribly in the past when you were an innocent little boy. You did nothing to deserve the treatment you were given. You should have been protected by the adults in your life, but they were human and made mistakes. Terrible mistakes. Your poor Mother did not have much choice because back then, there were so few options for a single mother and her children. I still remember my childhood. My Mother was mentally ill and did not want to be a mother at all. I cannot change my past, and neither can you change yours. I, too, am on the Autism Spectrum, with anxiety and depression, amongst other conditions. I have sleep apnea, and stop breathing close to 60 times per hour. We cannot change our pasts, but our pasts have made us who we are. At some point in time you decided you would not be anything like your father whatsoever. You are a kind and gentle person, with a great understanding of people and how they think. You and I were friends before we signed up here, and so I know these things to be true. It does not matter what anyone says to you or about you. You are a brilliant soul who is an asset to our community. Just because someone has a string of letters after their name, doesn't mean a thing. You make a difference in people's lives, every day. You are important. Hugs and hope, mamacitalucita

thanks and bearhugs mamacitalucita

Hello, @sirgalahad! Those are good questions. It sounds as though you have had some unfortunate encounters with him in the past. I was wondering if perhaps he is someone who works with you, even perhaps a Supervisor? Or have you possibly had contact with this person through e-mails, letters, and phone calls? You mentioned that he had a page, and that you checked it, and found that he has no connection at all with Autism. I am thinking that if this person has no credentials, no experience, and is not Autistic himself, then that individual does not have anything to offer me. As far as advising me or correcting me on how I should behave, he would be out of line to try to counsel me. So, dear friend, he is out of line to counsel you. Check out Actually Autistic, the Autism Society of America, or books by Jeanette Purkis Au. Please continue to visit with us, as we want to understand your situation better. We want answers, just as you do. To be continued. Blessings, mamacitalucita

We will talk more tomorrow. It is very late. I am beginning to see what has happened. We will work on this issue. It is a very important one. This mother fears for her child She wants answers, and she needs answers. She needs Samantha Craft and Judy Endow and Jeanette Purkis Au. Hugs and hope, mamacitalucita

If you would like to try a lsupport group you can look under NAMI (Natl Assoc of Mental Illness) in your area for groups. An off shoot to also consider is DBSA (Depression BiPolar Support Association). You don't have to have bipolar to be a part of this. Many of the attendees have anxiety/depression etc.

Thank yoy,@calypso, for your thoughts, for posting here, and for recommending groups! What a dear you are! I am fairly new to this, and I appreciate all the help I can get! I do connect with those who are familiar with depression, anxiety,panic attacks, OCD, suicidal ideation, chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, Diabetes, IBS, Diverticulitis,RLS, Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Allergies Asthma, and Thyroid Disease. Is it any wonder that new doctors look at me and wonder how I am even alive?!! Ha! Yet, with all of these things and more cropping up from time to time, I consider myself to be in the healthiest state I have been in a very, very long time. I am grateful and blessed. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for helping. As Mr. Rogers always said, "Look for the helpers." By your step of reaching out here, at just this time, you have made a difference in an untold number of lives. Not everyone posts on here, but many, many read. Until next time,
Mamacita

@mamacita I just love to hear a Mr. Rogers' quote! Thanks for that. He was one of the wisest of all TV personalities.

Teresa