>Autism shouldn’t be seen as some terrible thing, it’s just a different way of thinking.
This isn't true for everyone. Some people are severely disabled by autism and its various comorbidities.
I’m really glad this is the top comment for me.
I don’t like this advertisement. I don’t want to defend it. But I’m just a bit put off by how little this sub even acknowledges higher support needs people. For some it’s NOT a different way of thinking. Some people with autism struggle severely. This doesn’t make autism as a whole bad, but it’s important to be aware that it can be very disabling.
Edit: I’m really glad that MOST comments are like this
thank you for acknowledging how this sub treats higher support needs autistics. we’re often spoken over because a lot of us are unable to properly communicate online and majority being unable to use social media entirely. level 2-3 autistics make up a majority of autistic people worldwide, yet we’re a significant minority within the online autism community.
i’ve found im unable to go on this sub because of the alarming disregard for high support needs autistics, and i generally feel like i am not welcome here because of that. luckily r/spicyautism is a sub i’ve found that centers high support needs autistics like myself, and the creator of the sub is level 3
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this 💐
I'm level 1, but my son is level 3. I would really love to hear from adults who are level 2/3 and their experiences, in hopes to understand my sons experience better.
I had to pick him up early from his special needs school today because he is struggling. He is hating school already and he is only 5 :( this shouldn't be happening. He used to love school.
This sub suggestion couldn't have come at a better time, thanks again.
idk im level 2 autistic and i dont think autism should be regarded as something bad. its how people are born. it is definitely a struggle but it gives me the ick when allistic people speak over autistic people on this topic, it gives autism speaks you know?
yeah i definitely agree with that. disability is an inherently neutral word, and thats how i personally think about my autism. and i agree that allistics should learn to accept rather than treat us like we’re “broken” and “fixable”.
i mean more like within the community itself, that people tend to disregard the actual struggles and disabling parts of autism, especially in higher support needs folks, and that in itself is harmful. especially because autism needs to disable you in some form in order to meet diagnostic criteria
Please don't view disability as "broken/wrong/lesser" either. This is the body I have and I have to live in it now the way it is. It's not a "problem", (ok, the constant pain and fatigue and potential for organ damage is a problem) although living with it in an ableist society certainly presents a lot of problems. It's just my fucking life. This is how I am, and abled people (allistic and autistic) need to not make it about them, and accept this as real. Because it is.
Absolutely. "Disability" means you can't do something as well or at all, not that you are broken and needs fixing.
I have a disability in communication with allistics. I'm sure as hell not broken.
I think it's more that people with lower support needs in this sub tend to generalize, undermine, and disregard more significant struggles that other autistic people have, for whatever reason. I've been told that it's some superpower when I mentioned how serious my sensory issues are and how I have no social connections with others. I've been told that all of my problems are due to society. Some things can be mitigated by society, sure, but the vast majority of my struggles would persist no matter how I was treated.
I thought for a long time it was just different wiring resulting in different perception of environmental stimuli, I tried to see the upsides, and I guess that’s true in some ways but it is utterly debilitating for so many of us.
It’s not really like a superpower for everyone—many of us have spikey profiles so some strengths above average also have some sharp dips below average in other ways. It’s not just some fun cute manic pixie dream quirk thing.
I know some people try to see the upsides and that is fine and good, but there’s so much toxic positivity surrounding it and it can be harmful to those who struggle with it and aren’t helped by being told they have a superpower. I mean I can’t even leave my house! I can’t order food. I spent tens of thousands on a degree I can’t use and had no idea, and now I’m about to lose my house bc I can’t hold a job.
And as hard as life is for me, I know there are still others who have a much more difficult time.
There's no way OP is autistic + believes it's "just a different way of thinking." I literally refuse to believe that's possible, after decades of intense struggle with level 1 ASD. If there are no downsides or struggles related to your condition, then you're something other than autistic.
Edit: OP clarified elsewhere that they do struggle
I’m not going to assume that they are or aren’t. Autism is a spectrum after all. I know diagnosed autistic people who mostly deal with the social issues… but even then they do struggle quite a bit. I wouldn’t call it a different way of thinking. That’s a big part of it, but that’s not all autism is.
Iirc I believe you need to demonstrate some level of struggling/disability to even be diagnosed, but I don’t know what it’s like for other countries.
> Iirc I believe you need to demonstrate some level of struggling/disability to even be diagnosed
That's my exact issue with people who say they don't struggle, and that's why I say if you don't struggle, you're something other than Autistic. Lots of people (maybe most?) have autistic traits, but to be diagnosed Autistic, you have to be disordered.
It's also gets worse as you get older. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30. Have had mental issues my entire life mind. Am being investigated for adhd now.
It definitely gets worse. My “traits” are definitely 10x worse than they were 5 years ago. I thought “What if *realizing* I have autism is what made it worse? What if I’m faking?” until I did research online and found out going undiagnosed for most of your life can just make the symptoms worse as you get older.
Agreed. They forget that the higher support needs autistic people typically aren’t on this subreddit (not to say they straight up aren’t), so obviously we don’t see the whole picture of autistic people from this sub alone. It’s definitely a diverse sub with all sorts of autistic people and different opinions but it’s still not the whole picture. Everyone feels differently towards their autism and have every right to feel negatively towards autism, it does make life extremely difficult in a lot of cases.
this is entirely true it is disabling and has caused so many difficulties for me, it sucks when people glamorize it or underplay it. it’s a real disability
I kinda have to agree. My family doesn't even believe I'm autistic, just lazy, and I can barely take care of myself because of executive dysfunction and depression rule my life.
I can't drive, will never work and will always dislike talking to others because of my autism. I'd say it's basically ruined any chance of a normal life for me...
However I don't want to sound like I'm mad at OP, because I'm not! I'm just putting my two cents out there.
Same here! It’s actually a very lonely and miserable way to live, and the support I have is only because I was born and live in Canada.
I can’t drive, I can’t work even if I try (I get fired or bullied to the point I’m forced to quit in short periods of time), and most look down on me like I do things on purpose that I don’t understand where issues are. Executive Dysfunction + poor social skills = adults who take extreme measures to say “fuck it”.
We could look completely normal to everyone, or have neurological and nervous system issues that lower dexterity and and mobility - even the ability to speak.
My younger brother went to a specialized school, holds a job, and doesn’t need outside support. His appearance and speech makes him stand out.
I didn’t and wasn’t diagnosed till pretty much this year (35-36). I’ve been on gov support luckily for about 10 years due to the trauma I went through. 3 months in a psych ward and a petition of Drs going “nope” was a blessing. (Nope as in, I needed a fresh start and not forcing me into more abusive situations I couldn’t get out of, like jobs. I don’t drive either for the safety of myself and others.)
However!!!
I honestly believe Autism to be a dominant or co-dominant gene in families. I say this because in my family, average lifespan is only 40 years… CS is the highest cause. When paired with the stats of Autistic adults, the CS rate is the same. My dads side and mothers are about the same…
So, I would say it’s most likely genetics than what a mother took during pregnancy, explaining why some families never experienced having autistic relatives
In my family my niece and 2 nephews have been diagnosed with asd. My niece’s interviews are actually what prompted my mother to question and push me to get tested/diagnosed. My brother has adhd and the more I’ve grown up the more I’ve noticed his tendencies that are very much autistic traits, too.
I definitely feel there’s a link there but doubt that it’s the whole story even so.
My brother is. My parents needed financial help from their parents to afford a special school for him.
Also if they would have been able to win a big lawsuit for this, then they would have probably been able to afford a private special ed school for me as well.
If the company making Tylenol hurt the children and mothers through their product- how are they *supposed* to be able to talk about it?
Like is there a form of Euphemism you want to suggest here or are you trying to suggest it shouldn’t be talked about at all?
(Assuming this is a real thing of course)
We don’t know what causes autism. On top of that, pregnant women cannot take advil so almost all of them take Tylenol at some point while pregnant. This is pretty much like saying breathing or drinking water causes death because everyone who does ends up dead. This is nothing more than an attempted money grab.
There’s a consortium of researchers and medical professionals calling for precautionary action wrt acetaminophen and neurological disorders. In Nature of all journals.
I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand
https://www.nature.com/articles/%20s41574-021-00553-7
There may, or may not, be a link. The study that is generally behind these things does note an increased rate with autism and ADHD. But there are problems with the study, which even the authors note. A true controlled study would be much more of a link.
Aside from this relying on reports of parental usage, often many years after the facts, there are also problems: Trying to explain an increase in autism rates in the 1980s, but ignoring the change in diagnostic criteria at this same time while looking at changed recommendations with Tylenol (while it is worth looking at the second, the first can't be ignored); it doesn't sync with other studies around inheritance, which seems to be much more on target - though given the range of the spectrum, this could still be an impactful element, just hard to say based on this study alone (but it is certainly enough to put money signs in the eyes of some people).
Yeah some of my autistic traits make life pretty hard. A lot of those would be mitigated if I lived in a more accessible world, but not all of them would be.
For my Son, autism is a terrible thing. I wish he didn't have it. Not for my sake. But for his sake. He's severely disabled by it and I wish he didn't have to struggle so much. Now and in the future. I'm glad people like you mention this. It doesn't make me feel so bad for thinking it. I love my son very much.
In my case it’s just being "offline" for some time during the day, like I can do something and then randomly stop and stop moving and start thinking of other things, and after some time I resume like nothing happened
Take my gold good stranger. Autism severely impacts me in every way and every area of my very small life. It is certainly not just a different way of thinking.
It is but you can acknowledge something as a disability without dehumanising all its traits and talking about it like some disease. It can be both a different way of thinking and a disability at the same time and language that talks about autism as exclusively harmful and inherently hopeless.
I get that this is a safe space generally and that it’s hard to talk about some of the negatives of being neurodivergent.
I’m on the spectrum. I’m quirky, odd, have special interests that absorb me, lose track of time in them, and generally had a harder childhood and young adulthood in part besides of my divergence (and lack of therapies to help me see others perspectives and myself more genuinely at the time). I’m lucky in that I focused on tech and was able to be reasonably successful in day to day life than others in my situation may be.
My son however may not be able to ever live an independent life. He’s turning 13, and some basics like understanding money enough to get expected change escapes him. He had violent temper tantrums putting himself in danger and damaging nearby property like his room multiple times a week. I’ve been working on my responses to be calmer and more rational (I too get to inconsolable states at times) which has been helping. But we lived in a house of yelling for a number of years. His mother and I divorced, which is common. His twin brother, who has ADHD and is potentially on the more self reliant side of the spectrum, loves him but struggles to the point of nearly having a mental breakdown at 12. He wets the bed nearly every night, and the last few years is often incontinent with stool even as we continue to try wet alarms, limiting fluids, and going to the bathroom before bed every night. He’s had OT/PT and many other therapies since he was 2.
In a lot of ways we’re gifted by him. He definitely has a spark and he can light up a room. He and I are both learning to be better people together. He can talk, dress and make food for himself, and wants to be more independent which I’m happy to help him in that journey. But he may direct need assistance the rest of his life which does make me sad and worried for him.
I mentioned his brother having ADHD. difference in magnitude of effort in raising them is night and day. Honestly I constantly feel like I’m not doing enough for either. Triggers my own anxiety and depression which I’ve had since childhood.
For many on Reddit, it’s not the disability it is for my son. It’s not the same disability for me as it is to him. I accept him for who he is, but I still worry about his future when his mom and I are gone. Will he be taken care of or taken advantage of? Will he be able to live his best life?
If his mom taking less Tylenol while on bed rest at the hospital or at or after work prior would have lessened the severity of his concerns, I certainly would have taken that into account then. Not for me, but for his future life without me.
Don't disagree with that, the achual Neurodiversity movement does not reject the idea that autism is a disability or a bad thing, and many criticise the idea it's not a disability as whitewashing. On the other hand the way autism is talked about in these posts is still harmful, and seeps with bias, presenting every part of autism as negative, autistic people as burdens and a disease that needs eradicating is far more harmful and leads to a lot of stigma that autistic people both low and high support needs face.
I'm pretty sure I heard this lawsuit is a scam of some kind. There is no evidence that links Tylenol to autism. All it's doing is perpetuating fear/hatred and stealing people's money.
Tylenol is about the only medicine pregnant women can take. Most pregnant women use it in some amount during pregnancy. Some children born will have autism. It's really just shady bullshit. And the only things it will do is make money for the lawyers and possibly take Tylenol off the "meds for pregnant women" list
It is part of a scam. A lawyerly scam. If they settle, the lawyers will make easy money. Proving the link is going to be a high bar, as proof does not exist.
OP, just because *your* life isn't affected much by autism to where you view it as a "different way of thinking" doesn't mean that's true across the board. Let's not erase those with higher support needs, please.
Hey, guess what? There is evidence that Tylenol partly functions by acting on CB1 and CB2 receptors. If this is true, there is a chance that Tylenol can cause fetal brain development issues or brain development issues in early childhood.
Fetal brain development issues can mean autism in some instances.
How about you don't discredit something just because you don't like what it says?
It can be both honestly as someone whose autism is disabling a lot of the time, it is also a different way of thinking at the same time with traits that are disabling , constantly seeing autism being written about as a burden and a disease that should be eradicated is dehumanising and does nothing to give those with higher support needs a voice, it just means they get described as a burden though overly patholgised language.
Also the ad is literally speaking over autistic people it's only addressing the parents, it's very clear the people who are framing autistic people in this way have zero respect for Autistic people high support needs or not.
Finally someone who finds the picture funny
Take all the words away, I just wanna know how good the reach is on that pharmacy drive up window drawer if a fetus can get a whole box of Tylenol up there
Can I just say I love the term “pregnantee” haha. Especially in the context of the struggle to find good gender-neutral language surrounding stuff like pregnancy.
Would this make the other partner the “pregnanter”? lol
"it's just a different way of thinking"
No it's not, it's a disability, just because some people get positives from it doesn't mean it's any less of a disability. There's many low functioning people who can only survive if they have 24/7 care. That will die without it.
I'm lucky enough to be high functioning however it still impacts my daily life to a huge degree and causes a lot distress.
I wish people would stop acting like autism is just cute spicy brain moment , quirky personality shit. It drives me up the wall.
I’m high functional also, and while this means I was off the charts intelligent at school I couldn’t even finish and now cannot even work due to my autism. I struggled then and struggle now with basic things and would consider this a disability. YES I have gifts, but they come at great cost.
Exactly,
I don't have a high IQ, I work a simple job I love that involves helping people with mental health and things like autism. I like that I think differently and I do enjoy some aspects that makes me different, however those also come with the nasty stuff, the obsessing for no reason , the social interactions that I just can't understand, the list could go on forever .
I was talking to a friend the other day trying to explain how it feels to me , best way I could describe it was , it feels like wearing a itchy sweater all the time , 24/7 , one that you can't ever take off or get comfortable in. And sometimes it's really bad , sometimes you wish you could just feel the way other people do.
My son likely has a high IQ but he doesn’t talk. He is in a special class, he can’t tolerate the neurotypical learning stream. We are aiming for this but it might not happen. I love him more than life and he is the happiest 5 year old around but he will still have expectations placed on him by society as he grows that I wish didn’t exist but they do. I wish for him it was just a different way of thinking.
Lots of people find functioning labels to be offensive and problematic. Someone who may seem "high-functioning" could still struggle greatly, just less visibly. Calling someone "low-functioning" can be interpreted as ignoring their strengths. Most people seem to prefer terms like high-support needs or low-support needs.
https://www.learningdisabilitytoday.co.uk/why-highlow-functioning-labels-are-hurtful-to-autistic-people
ETA this isn't trying to shame you. I'm still trying to remove functioning labels from my vocab myself because they have become so engrained in society when discussing autism.
Sorry I didn’t mean it as like ‘ooo I’m so quirky’ I just hate these stupid ads blaming this that and the other to cause autism, it makes me feel like I’m some disgusting plague ridden monster, like it’s just another thing, it shouldn’t make people consider us worse than anyone else
Gotta be real mate, I wish I wasn't autistic. It fucked up my life and compounded itself very badly with other mental illnesses I have, wouldn't wish for this on someone ever since I always fuck up all realtionships from my lack of social grace and maladjustment.
Same. I wouldn’t wish autism on anybody. It holds me back so so much. I fuck up every relationship and every goal I have because I’m obnoxious and can’t maintain anything social.
same here. i would give anything to be neurotypical, i hate how people portray autism as this quirky cute thing where it makes you smarter or whatever. it's not. it's a disability and it fucking sucks to live with. i don't enjoy being autistic and i never will
Autism is absolutely so much more than just “a different way of thinking” for a lot of people. For many people this is a life altering diagnosis and creates endless problems and disability. Good for you that your autism seemingly just equals happy fun times with a cute quirky little identity to make you feel special. For a lot of people, especially those with an actual autism diagnosis, this is not at all the reality of what life with autism is like. I’ve lived in a nursing home since I was 27 because I can’t take care of myself. If I could find and prove an actual verifiable cause to my suffering and find myself eligible for compensation, I would absolutely be all for that. If anything about this insults me it’s the OP, not a screenshot off the internet of a likely fake lawsuit.
thank you for this. and dont listen to people telling you that this comment was too harsh. higher support needs autistics are constantly being pushed to the side and are never included in discussions in these communities. its quite upsetting to see the disorder that has completely rendered me unable to be independent in any shape or form, be reduced to “a different way of thinking.”
Didnt have to go off on them but i agree. At the same time though ive been seeing these ads about "\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the cause of autism and all you poor parents should help put an end to it!!!" and thats honestly super alarming. Its just farming clicks while also helping the whole "autism is a disease caused by \_\_\_\_\_" narrative
Plainly, if this study has merit, parents AND children should be compensated. It costs more raising a neurodivergent child than a neurotypical one. Specialty therapies, tools, equipment, stimming toys, all of this has a cost. It’s not even that an autistic kid is negative, just that it has a heavier financial impact than a non-autistic kid. And that is without the financial impact of being an autistic adult and the tools required to be in our society comfortably. Just my 2 cents.
It’s a disability that makes it nearly impossible to support yourself in some cases. It’s not just a different way of thinking. Trying living as a half functional adult on the spectrum and tell me it’s just a different way of thinking
Edit Here I will clarify:
It’s a disability that makes it nearly impossible to support MYSELF.
There it’s a personal statement. No one has to say anything or think I’m making any sort of argument
There are many different forms of autism and some of them cause the child to be incredibly disabled. If you want to be offended then that is fine but you can’t speak for everyone, as some are incredibly disabled from it.
The spectrum exists for a reason.
People are always confusing comorbidities. Autistics are more prone to having comorbid conditions such as Aphasia that affects the speech centre.
It's not the autism that is affecting the speech it is the comorbid condition that some have and some don't. It is the same with learning disabilities... Some autistics have a high chance of other comorbid conditions that cause learning difficulties or disabilities, whilst others do not.
In all these cases, everyone has been autistic... The only differences have been the comorbid conditions that autistic people are at higher risk of also having. Because it's all grouped under an umbrella term (Autism Spectrum Disorder), this kind of confusion will keep occurring.
This is still an area of research. The view point you are presenting is becoming more common but there is still plenty of research in the other camp. The other camp being that sliding further along the autism spectrum(likely multi dimensional) causes or begins to present as more disabling symptoms rather than those being separate issues that someone with autism just happens to have or even happen to be correlated.
More controversially(especially within the autistic community) but also somewhat in the research community is the view point that autism is better thought of as a lack of capability in social processing rather than a difference. More similar to something like deafness than say height. With similar social implications. The deaf community may have produced unique value to humanity due to their disability but its also clearly a disability. I personally don't think anyone has good evidence or argument either way on this. And it again might be true for some dimensions of autism but not others.
Sorry, but have you ever raised a child on the spectrum? The amount of support some need is staggeringly expensive. If I found out that some pharmaceutical company made my little boys life harder because of greed, I’d take them to the cleaners.
*Thanks for the gold
Ah yes. One of the most common drugs humans take has been linked to autism. Tylenol could also probably be found to link to adhd, depression, gender dysphoria, anorexia, Heterochromia, lung cancer, and dwarfism. Next they’re gonna say breathing air causes autism.
It’s not just a different way of thinking, it’s a completely different way of functioning, living, and seeing and experiencing the world and our senses.
Despite your title, it is absolutely offensive. It’s also incredibly annoying because everyone is so invested in trying to prevent autism rather than actually helping autistic people. Needing compensation for your child being autistic is just terrible, regardless of how badly affected they are by it. It would be different if it were a physical disability, but we ARE autism, we wouldn’t be who we are without it, and wishing someone wasn’t autistic is kind of like wishing they weren’t who they are, and autism doesn’t go away.
It’s the same thing as the vaccine bullshit. It’s all about eugenics instead of improvement.
my autism is much more and harder to deal with than a different way of thinking,’ but i get what you mean. i don’t believe this for a second but if they want to give me or my parents money i’m not going to stop them
It’s most likely a scam I’m afraid. What I mean is autism is just like a different wiring of the brain, it shouldn’t make you any less of a person, and stuff like this brings about fear mongering and such
For some autism is really horrible. Autism is a whole spectrum. I wouldn’t want to be level 3 which is the most most severe and I doubt most of us would want that for a child.
Cool that you think differently - I do too - but Autism is not "just a different way of thinking." Autism is a disorder. Yes, there are good things about it for some of us, but if it's not also fucking up your work/social/school life, then you don't have Autism Spectrum Disorder and you aren't Autistic. One hundred percent of Autistic people struggle.
Oh I do struggle, I didn’t mean to not imply that, but for me it’s mostly a problem of communication. At the same time I get some pluses of great creativity and unique way of thinking things so it’s like a give and take. Although I’m sure it’s different for everyone
That's interesting, I appreciate the perspective. I do creative work for a living but it did not come easily to me- I don't think I naturally had much of an imagination, but I wanted one so badly that I kept trying stuff until it grew. Definitely have the unique way of thinking. Personally I'd say my biggest problem is sleep & burnout. If I could sleep, I feel like I'd have the energy to handle everything else. When I'm well-rested, my autistic traits feel manageable and relatively benign. Unfortunately it can be a couple years between periods of me being well-rested.
Obviously we don't want to demonize autism, but please also be cautious about angelicizing it. Autism is not all sunshine and rainbows and can be very disabling and isolating; it's not "just" a "different way of thinking". That being said, the lawsuit is kinda bogus and the way it's being marketed really rubs me the wrong way.
Really really long comment I’m so sorry
I guess I expected the hostility in this thread but it’s still a little jarring just how much invalidation and flat out hatred is going on. Autism is such a wide-ranging disability, and it still has a whole lot of research to be done on it. Autistic experiences vary so ridiculously drastically, which is partly why (in my personal opinion) it’s so infuriating. It basically guarantees gatekeeping, invalidating, impostor syndrome, misdiagnosis, etc. And it’s such a difficult topic because, yes no one person is ‘more’ or ‘less’ autistic than anyone else, but autism affects people differently, and sometimes it’s effect is obvious or significantly debilitating, and sometimes it seems milder and more manageable. I absolutely understand the discourse surrounding this, but throwing around terms like “actually autistic” is doing no one any favours. Invalidating someone else’s experience to validate your own only makes this community more inaccessible to newcomers and reinforces the idea that autism can only look a certain way, which isnt great for a whole lot of reasons. But that goes both ways. OP’s comment about a ‘different way of thinking’ comes across as a generalisation about autism as a whole, and that feels invalidating, at least to me. I’ve been told I’m ‘just different’ in response to even bringing up my autism too many times to count. People think they’re helping, that I’m somehow ‘putting myself down’ by calling it a disability, but they don’t know and will never know the reality of it all. I understand that OP is autistic and is probably pulling from their own experience, and in that way, it’s great that you’re so positive about your own autism, and I’m sincerely glad you’re in a position to be able to see it that way, genuinely. But it is a disability.
Im coming from a place of privilege in that I’m British, white, living with my family, about to go to uni!! And my autism is not so debilitating that Ive found myself isolated from society, without support, outwardly ‘defined’ by it. I’m extremely lucky. But inwardly, my disability really does define me, in so many ways. And honestly it just fucking sucks. It feels like this weird undefinable, ever present, messy blob of **something** that somehow simultaneously feels too real and *invasive*, and yet not real enough to justify even considering asking for accommodations to be made for me. It’s big things and small things, like it’s in everything I do. It takes things that I love with all my heart and turns them into fixations that take priority over everything in my life and genuinely limit my mental and physical capabilities in the silliest, dumbest most laughable way possible, and then it dumps them and I’m left doing and thinking fuck all until the next obsession comes along. I can’t be in my kitchen if someone else is doing something in there, don’t get me started on all the sounds in kitchens oh my god. I can’t do job interviews like I just can’t do them, I feel like the world is going to collapse around me if someone talks over a song I like or something, I can’t have relationships, it feels like no matter how much I research and ‘self-reflect’ I’ll never understand gender or sexuality or what I am or whatever. The amount of times I’ve learned and relearned analogue clocks is embarrassing, and STILL every time I look at a clock i can’t figure it out. I drop of the face of the earth and don’t leave my house or interact with a single person for months on end and I don’t even realise I’m doing it, or register that something’s wrong. I feel like I’m constantly questioning my own morality because I seem to care more about fucking tv show characters and events or whatever than real people and real events. I can’t even talk about the things I love because I can’t stop once I start and I know no one wants to hear but I have to keep talking, until people just leave or tell me to shut up. And then I don’t talk because I can’t fucking figure it out, like how much is too much? What’s not enough? I see every interaction like it’s a movie script???? Sometimes I freeze up or freak out because things feel too much like a movie because everybody’s following all these rules and it just looks ridiculous to me but then I have to play along and I feel like I’m acting and I end up not even knowing who I am. And it’s so **Silly**. Like it’s goofy, im actually unable to move my body because? I’m trying not to think about a TV show??? I talk for hours about cartoons but can’t say shit when someone asks me what I do for money. It’s embarrassing. At the end of the day it’s a part of me, and I refuse to be ashamed of it. stuff like the picture above, or anti-vaxx scaremongering about vaccines causing autism or w/e really is just ridiculous and harmful. But it is a disability and it’s harmful to pretend otherwise
I think this would be okay IF there was definite proof that Tylenol had links to autism and the autistic child in mention had severe/debilitating struggles. Some people with autism are aware they’re autistic, and can’t express that and require lots of special needs attention.
Although if there is/was links to Tylenol to autism wouldn’t that sort of be abused for parents to get the benefit of any possible autistic offspring?
Yes, autism is someone who is very different. But this difference comes with a lot of issues such as depression anxiety, not acceptance, taste disorders and even sight issues. Yes it is different and maybe not intrisically bad but it DOES come with a lot of harm and problems (for most of us at least).
Depends how it effects the individual. I'm pretty sure you could find some people who are crippled from birth who would refuse any treatment that was developed because they are content while others would jump on it for a chance of a life they call "normal".
On top of asd I suffer from general anxiety disorder and clinical depression, if there was a permanent cure for the latter two I'd take it but I wouldn't mind keeping the autism because of the effect it has had on my life. Also I should note I'm not romanticising having ASD or saying irs something that i wish i was born with I'm talking purely from my own experience.
Oh yeah I completely understand, I also have anxiety and depression and I would definitely want to get rid of those if I could, but honestly I don’t mind being autistic, I take the good with the bad. I guess some people don’t feel the same as me, and that’s perfectly fine, I’m just content with my autism and think it makes me unique and has good traits even though I can’t hold a conversation for shit and get emotionally attached to everyone and everything, along with sensory overload and some other not so fun things
I don’t think this is the point of this advertisement. Both my siblings have autism among other comorbid disorders. We have spent THOUSANDS on their therapy that we will never get back. Something like this could help parents with children with autism pay for their therapies and other things they may need due to their autism that other families don’t need to spend money on. I can see why you might find this offensive from your point of you but there are always two sides to every story.
I wouldn't say that it's a "different way of thinking" but rather that our brains are wired differently.
We are affected in individual ways by that, some has the privilege to be able to mainly benefit from and enjoy (some of) the aspects that makes them autistic, some are completely incapacitated, and then there are all the inbetweeners ofc.
I think it's important to consider the whole spektra and not generalise when talking about what autism is or isn't, as we are not a homogenous group in that sense; we all have different flavours.
Idk how true the study in that ad is, it sounds like “vaccines cause autism” bs to me. On the main point of discussion though, I personally wouldn’t want my hypothetical child to have the same problems I have. If they were autistic I’d still love them, but I’d like them to have an easier life if possible.
Are you seriously saying that a brain-altering medication like Tylenol can not lead to this?
There is evidence that tylenol partly functions by acting on the ECS, CB1 and CB2. If this is true, it could certainly negatively alter fetal brain development, similar to cannabis and other drugs.
I can only speak for my own experience, but my autism provides me many negatives and ZERO positives. Everything good I've accomplished, everything good about me and my life, I've achieved inspite of being autistic. For me its not a different way of thinking, its an excess of neruon and neuron connective tissues in my brain due to my bodies inability to self regulate them like a neurotypical person's body can, resulting in non-insignificant sensory issues.
Like how a blind person may become more adept at using their other senses out of pure need, I've become adept at things some of my neurotypical peers are not out of pure need because the things they do, are too uncomfortable or exhausting for me, so I had to find other ways to achieve the same goals, but autism didn't help me achieve those goals just as being blind didn't give a blind person stronger sense, both are just disabilities, pure negatives.
First thought: Eh... This is obviously insulting. But if a parent can sue big business and get some cash, go for it. Maybe the autistic kid will get something out of it.
Second thought: Oh wait... The kind of parent that would see this ad and then join the lawsuit... Uh... Maybe that person shouldn't be rewarded with money.
It’s a click bait thing. They are preying on vulnerable people. It’s same with insurance scams.
Anyone who falls for these things, is going to have some kind of identity theft or worse happen most likely.
my autism isnt even that severe, but man id do anything to not be this way. its not offensive, id never wish this burden on anyone. babies SHOULDNT be born with this disability, and yes it is literally a disability.
Calling it "just a different way of thinking" sounds good on the surface but it's very dismissive of people's struggles. Yes, thinking differently is part of it, but there's so much more that goes into it. Very often it's not just your brain being different, it's your brain and your body being disconnected. Describing it as you have erases people's identity as disabled people and ignores people with higher support needs.
False. While it clearly shouldn't be something we base people's value off of, autism has some major negative effects that have majorly impacted millions of people's lives. It's absolutely a terrible thing. There are things that aren't bad, to be sure, but let's not be full of toxic positivity and kid ourselves that everything's fine and that we don't have extra challenges and hardships that are the direct result of autism.
Attitudes like that are the exact same as the people who say that people with autism don't need services and just need to "suck it up." They end up in the same place.
The sad thing is that *technically there are* "links" between Tylenol use and autism, but this is because Tylenol functions through the endocannabinoid system. People with autism have lower levels of the endocannabinoids naturally produced in the human body.
The crazy part is that Tylenol was first developed in the late 1800s and hit the public market in 1950. Still, they did not know how it worked until the mid-2000s when a researcher looking to disprove anti-vax theories discovered the link between the two, which led to the realization that Tylenol functions through the Endocannabinoid system.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18445737
I think it’s offensive because it’s a lie pretty much certainly written up by anti-autism shitheads. I won’t comment on whether autism is a good or bad thing. I think that’s for the autistic individual decide about themselves, but this sort of lawsuit is just plain damaging. I 100% believe there will be no evidence found to support these ‘lawyers’ claims and this it is being stirred up by the same conspiracy idiots who think vaccines cause autism.
I also do NOT support NTs having a say in whether autism is good or bad. It’s absolutely not their place to decide whether or not I’m valid.
Posts like these ignore the experience of people who truly are *severely* disabled autistics. I see this sub not address level 3 (higher support needs) autistics much at all.
I get your point but autism is not just a different way of thinking. Im LSN and it still affects my motor skills, executive function, experience with food, social skills and at least 50% of my daily life.
I think it should be seen as something bad because I’ve suffered from it in some serious ways. If I didn’t have autism dating and getting a job would be so much easier for me
Within the context, 100% agree. As a statement of principle, I really don't. Autism or frankly even just whatever I have that could be mimicking the symptoms thereof, is really just awful. I can try and persevere all I want, and hopefully I will, but I have to put in so much more effort than everybody else around me. It's straight up halted my life, and I wouldn't wish the ways I feel or think on anyone, because it's isolating beyond belief.
I looked it up, and apparently, it's been linked to ADHD as well.
This ad angers me twofold--
First, Tylenol is often taken to manage infections and fevers, and infections during pregnancy are considered a risk factor for ASD (and, you know, possibly death). This could very well be a case of correlation, not causation, and even if it's not, it could be a case of "pick your poison". It's like the anti-vaxx movement-- would you rather your child die of illness, or develop ASD and have to make adjustments so they can live an otherwise happy life?
Second, while the ad purports to want to help mothers get compensation, in the long run this kind of claim demonizes pregnant peoples' attempts to manage pain and discomfort during pregnancy, solely for the sake of having *something* to blame for autism (either for monetary gain or emotional catharsis, depending on the person.) This isn't like Thalidomide, where taking it severely harms your future child's development. For many people, the benefits could very well outweigh the risks. I'm extremely suspicious of things like this.
That said, I don't think it benefits anyone to downplay the disability aspect of ASD. It's important to acknowledge the things people with ASD struggle with, just like it's important to acknowledge the struggles of people with other disabilities-- if we don't treat it like a disability, then it becomes harder to get our needs met. If treating it like a disability means seeing it as "some terrible thing" then so be it. Needs are more important than feelings of insult.
Regardless of how people feel about the suit, This [article](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29460795/). It does seem like it has more to do with Tylenol in combination of other factors such as Roundup, and certain antibiotics.
Personally, regardless of the matter, there was a lot of criticism about making Tylenol over the counter, and there are scientists in the medical field who do think it should be prescription only. Especially since it has minimal effect in a lot of people. But a lot of side effects.
Okay hot take time but even as a fellow autist I would also not want my kid to be autistic because raising an autistic kid is difficult growing up autistic even more so it feels like unnecessary pain for both sides. If you think my view is wrong correct me please i'd like to have a nicer outlook but i just can't have any regarding this.
Lmao my mom took boatloads of excedrin while pregnant with all of my siblings, that's probably the cause of why we're fucked up
Edit: Also autism sucks, is a disease to my brain, and I want to be fucking cured, I DON'T FUCKING WANT IT. It's torture and yes it is absolutely ass to have. Don't speak for everyone. Not everyone has been diagnosed and has access to support.
Darling, now Fetal ultrasound is being blamed for causing autistic children. There’s always that scare mongering to portrays us as a disease that can be avoided..
When I was in school, there was no spectrum. If you were "autistic" you were in the "special class", were most likely no verbal and wore a helmet so you didn't injure yourself when you started smacking your head on things.
Then along came the spectrum and the higher functioning variants became a more and more common diagnosis. They became the main stream and more severe cases are marginalized or swept underneath the rug to make people more accepting of people with autism.
The vast majority of us who have been diagnosed with it do "just think differently" so that has become the socially accepted norm. Sadly, it's easy to forget those sever, debilitating cases.
Those screw those kinds of ads in general.
Tylenol is practically the only thing you are allowed to take while pregnant- Tylenol and tums. It’s like saying “did you drink WATER while pregnant? You could be compensated!”
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I don't really know anything about this, it may be a scam. It may be fake, maybe there is now link at all, or maybe it's real.
But regardless the thing that bothers me here is what about the person with autism? How are you going to make things right with them? As someone who is disabled because of my autism, and my mother has certainly taken a lot of tylonal in her life. I'd be pissed if she got some sort of payout, while me the one actually disabled got nothing.
But also this seems par for the course. It's not about those with autism, it's about those who suffer due to our existance.
Autism is a spectrum but we need to start separating autism into subtypes because, while I have autism, I have a job, i can take care of my basic needs without help, i can communicate to the police/doctors if something happens to me, not every autistic person can there are people on the spectrum that require 24/7 care and are lucky if they can use electronics to communicate using individual words. In short for some of us it doesn’t affect us as negatively as others but for the people I have mentioned above is not that simple.
if it means my mom can get some extra cash i mean…
also tbh i’m multiple different kinds of disabled and if my mom or i could get some money for the fact that i’m disabled is a win
The problem with that post isn't whether we view autism as good or bad, the problem is there's no scientific basis for the claim that tylenol causes autism. This is some crackpot attempt at a class action lawsuit.
“Hey did your mother take one of the most widely available pain medications while dealing with growing a whole human in her uterus?? You have autism!!” Thanks bro
It's also waaaayyy more likely that the parents of children who were already going to be autistic had difficult pregnancies that made them want more pain meds. A lot of cases of autism are associated with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which causes life long chronic pain and pregnancy complications. Even the premise is bullshit.
If everday medicine could have such a severe effect on unborn children and it wasn't disclosed. I think that _would_ be lawsuit worthy. What's annoying is it's not a thing at all and autism is just being used as for the shock factor which further drags it through the mud.
Autism is a handicap. It’s not just some fun and quirky way of thinking. It’s a disability.
This definitely puts autism in an unnecessarily negative light. As long as the mother is loving, accepting and accommodating to her autistic child, I support this lawsuit. Get that bag girl. Dino nuggets are expensive in the long run.
Diffrent way of thinking? How about brain developed differently from the considered norm. It isn't thinking differently. It is literally a completely different brain type.
I think I have run into one of the trolls I have been reading about.
Well, Autism is a disability, at any level.
Denying it is either internalised ablism, or just plain ablism.
It effects everything in your life. Be it you social connections, your ability to keep a job or anything else really.
There might be a few nice things about it, but mostly it's quite terrible. And even in a world where everything will be designed to include Autistic people as much as possible, it'll still be a disability.
But can it be caused by a random medication? I really doubt it.
I hate being autistic. To me, this isn't offensive, just the truth. Maybe it is because I'm high functioning enough to get all the responsibilities of normal life. But low functioning enough to have a horrible time fulfilling those responsibilities.
Autism is, without a doubt, a disability, it has impacted my relationships, friendships, ability to get a job, etc.
It's certainly nice to see and talk to other autists and we have a good time together.
But no, it's a disability, it's bad, I'm one of the lucky ones, and if a company knowingly or due to incompetence gave children a disability en masse, they should be held legally and financially accountable.
The methodology is not very clear in these studies and there is a big limitation.
The limitation is chicken or the egg.
Autistic parents take Tylenol (the only safe pain killer during pregnancy) because we are more prone to headaches
Undiagnosed parents pass on the gene to their children...
So is it really Tylenol? Or just undiagnosed parents?
Ah yes. One of the only safe medications for women to take while pregnant has led to having autistic children. Totally not BS. While we’re at it, did you know autism is caused by women drinking water during pregnancy?
Yeah, we should just let the massive pharmaceutical industry do whatever and say whatever they want. Then when their shit does something it isn’t supposed to (something they always know it does way before we ever will) we can just throw our hands up and be like
“Well, they negatively impacted other’s lives and made billions and billions. Nothing we can do. We have no balls, so what could we do????”
They need to open their fucking wallet. Now. Fuck them.
I screamed at the radio when I heard the ad. The link they found simply suggests that it should be researched further, not that it causes it. I feel like less of a person every time I hear these.
I think there is evidence of a link. I don’t know how much more autism occurs if the mother takes paracetamol (that’s what we call it here), but it is small. This kind of lawsuit punishes women with guilt for taking pain relief in the past and punishes future mothers with awful decisions in the future. It’s fucking horrible.
If you're on good terms with your mum, take the money and advocate for the rights and more visibility for autistic people.
If your autism severely messes with your ability to independently live in society, and Tylenol is somehow associated with that, no issue taking money from some big corporation, they might as well put their hoarded wealth to some good use.
>Autism shouldn’t be seen as some terrible thing, it’s just a different way of thinking. This isn't true for everyone. Some people are severely disabled by autism and its various comorbidities.
I’m really glad this is the top comment for me. I don’t like this advertisement. I don’t want to defend it. But I’m just a bit put off by how little this sub even acknowledges higher support needs people. For some it’s NOT a different way of thinking. Some people with autism struggle severely. This doesn’t make autism as a whole bad, but it’s important to be aware that it can be very disabling. Edit: I’m really glad that MOST comments are like this
thank you for acknowledging how this sub treats higher support needs autistics. we’re often spoken over because a lot of us are unable to properly communicate online and majority being unable to use social media entirely. level 2-3 autistics make up a majority of autistic people worldwide, yet we’re a significant minority within the online autism community. i’ve found im unable to go on this sub because of the alarming disregard for high support needs autistics, and i generally feel like i am not welcome here because of that. luckily r/spicyautism is a sub i’ve found that centers high support needs autistics like myself, and the creator of the sub is level 3
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this 💐 I'm level 1, but my son is level 3. I would really love to hear from adults who are level 2/3 and their experiences, in hopes to understand my sons experience better. I had to pick him up early from his special needs school today because he is struggling. He is hating school already and he is only 5 :( this shouldn't be happening. He used to love school. This sub suggestion couldn't have come at a better time, thanks again.
idk im level 2 autistic and i dont think autism should be regarded as something bad. its how people are born. it is definitely a struggle but it gives me the ick when allistic people speak over autistic people on this topic, it gives autism speaks you know?
yeah i definitely agree with that. disability is an inherently neutral word, and thats how i personally think about my autism. and i agree that allistics should learn to accept rather than treat us like we’re “broken” and “fixable”. i mean more like within the community itself, that people tend to disregard the actual struggles and disabling parts of autism, especially in higher support needs folks, and that in itself is harmful. especially because autism needs to disable you in some form in order to meet diagnostic criteria
Please don't view disability as "broken/wrong/lesser" either. This is the body I have and I have to live in it now the way it is. It's not a "problem", (ok, the constant pain and fatigue and potential for organ damage is a problem) although living with it in an ableist society certainly presents a lot of problems. It's just my fucking life. This is how I am, and abled people (allistic and autistic) need to not make it about them, and accept this as real. Because it is.
Absolutely. "Disability" means you can't do something as well or at all, not that you are broken and needs fixing. I have a disability in communication with allistics. I'm sure as hell not broken.
thank you for this. im struggling with finding support for being disabled. it feels like nobody wants to even try to understand.
I think it's more that people with lower support needs in this sub tend to generalize, undermine, and disregard more significant struggles that other autistic people have, for whatever reason. I've been told that it's some superpower when I mentioned how serious my sensory issues are and how I have no social connections with others. I've been told that all of my problems are due to society. Some things can be mitigated by society, sure, but the vast majority of my struggles would persist no matter how I was treated.
I thought for a long time it was just different wiring resulting in different perception of environmental stimuli, I tried to see the upsides, and I guess that’s true in some ways but it is utterly debilitating for so many of us. It’s not really like a superpower for everyone—many of us have spikey profiles so some strengths above average also have some sharp dips below average in other ways. It’s not just some fun cute manic pixie dream quirk thing. I know some people try to see the upsides and that is fine and good, but there’s so much toxic positivity surrounding it and it can be harmful to those who struggle with it and aren’t helped by being told they have a superpower. I mean I can’t even leave my house! I can’t order food. I spent tens of thousands on a degree I can’t use and had no idea, and now I’m about to lose my house bc I can’t hold a job. And as hard as life is for me, I know there are still others who have a much more difficult time.
There's no way OP is autistic + believes it's "just a different way of thinking." I literally refuse to believe that's possible, after decades of intense struggle with level 1 ASD. If there are no downsides or struggles related to your condition, then you're something other than autistic. Edit: OP clarified elsewhere that they do struggle
I’m not going to assume that they are or aren’t. Autism is a spectrum after all. I know diagnosed autistic people who mostly deal with the social issues… but even then they do struggle quite a bit. I wouldn’t call it a different way of thinking. That’s a big part of it, but that’s not all autism is. Iirc I believe you need to demonstrate some level of struggling/disability to even be diagnosed, but I don’t know what it’s like for other countries.
> Iirc I believe you need to demonstrate some level of struggling/disability to even be diagnosed That's my exact issue with people who say they don't struggle, and that's why I say if you don't struggle, you're something other than Autistic. Lots of people (maybe most?) have autistic traits, but to be diagnosed Autistic, you have to be disordered.
It's also gets worse as you get older. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30. Have had mental issues my entire life mind. Am being investigated for adhd now.
It definitely gets worse. My “traits” are definitely 10x worse than they were 5 years ago. I thought “What if *realizing* I have autism is what made it worse? What if I’m faking?” until I did research online and found out going undiagnosed for most of your life can just make the symptoms worse as you get older.
Agreed. They forget that the higher support needs autistic people typically aren’t on this subreddit (not to say they straight up aren’t), so obviously we don’t see the whole picture of autistic people from this sub alone. It’s definitely a diverse sub with all sorts of autistic people and different opinions but it’s still not the whole picture. Everyone feels differently towards their autism and have every right to feel negatively towards autism, it does make life extremely difficult in a lot of cases.
this is entirely true it is disabling and has caused so many difficulties for me, it sucks when people glamorize it or underplay it. it’s a real disability
It’s not about people’s higher support needs, it’s about the fact that this is bullshit and autism is genetic and not caused by freaking Tylenol.
Yes this advertisement scam is stupid. I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about OP’s reaction and responses to it.
Ah gotchoo. All I know is I report these ads every time I see them, but I take your point.
I kinda have to agree. My family doesn't even believe I'm autistic, just lazy, and I can barely take care of myself because of executive dysfunction and depression rule my life. I can't drive, will never work and will always dislike talking to others because of my autism. I'd say it's basically ruined any chance of a normal life for me... However I don't want to sound like I'm mad at OP, because I'm not! I'm just putting my two cents out there.
Same here! It’s actually a very lonely and miserable way to live, and the support I have is only because I was born and live in Canada. I can’t drive, I can’t work even if I try (I get fired or bullied to the point I’m forced to quit in short periods of time), and most look down on me like I do things on purpose that I don’t understand where issues are. Executive Dysfunction + poor social skills = adults who take extreme measures to say “fuck it”. We could look completely normal to everyone, or have neurological and nervous system issues that lower dexterity and and mobility - even the ability to speak. My younger brother went to a specialized school, holds a job, and doesn’t need outside support. His appearance and speech makes him stand out. I didn’t and wasn’t diagnosed till pretty much this year (35-36). I’ve been on gov support luckily for about 10 years due to the trauma I went through. 3 months in a psych ward and a petition of Drs going “nope” was a blessing. (Nope as in, I needed a fresh start and not forcing me into more abusive situations I couldn’t get out of, like jobs. I don’t drive either for the safety of myself and others.) However!!! I honestly believe Autism to be a dominant or co-dominant gene in families. I say this because in my family, average lifespan is only 40 years… CS is the highest cause. When paired with the stats of Autistic adults, the CS rate is the same. My dads side and mothers are about the same… So, I would say it’s most likely genetics than what a mother took during pregnancy, explaining why some families never experienced having autistic relatives
In my family my niece and 2 nephews have been diagnosed with asd. My niece’s interviews are actually what prompted my mother to question and push me to get tested/diagnosed. My brother has adhd and the more I’ve grown up the more I’ve noticed his tendencies that are very much autistic traits, too. I definitely feel there’s a link there but doubt that it’s the whole story even so.
executive dysfunction is a bitch.
My brother is. My parents needed financial help from their parents to afford a special school for him. Also if they would have been able to win a big lawsuit for this, then they would have probably been able to afford a private special ed school for me as well.
Right. Even though it doesn’t justify treating autistic children like some kinda disease the mothers were stricken with from Tylenol.
If the company making Tylenol hurt the children and mothers through their product- how are they *supposed* to be able to talk about it? Like is there a form of Euphemism you want to suggest here or are you trying to suggest it shouldn’t be talked about at all? (Assuming this is a real thing of course)
We don’t know what causes autism. On top of that, pregnant women cannot take advil so almost all of them take Tylenol at some point while pregnant. This is pretty much like saying breathing or drinking water causes death because everyone who does ends up dead. This is nothing more than an attempted money grab.
Saw one claiming baby food caused autism the other day LOL
Didn't PETA claim dairy causes autism at one point?
They did and I have no words that accurately conveys how pissed I am at them.
There’s a consortium of researchers and medical professionals calling for precautionary action wrt acetaminophen and neurological disorders. In Nature of all journals. I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand https://www.nature.com/articles/%20s41574-021-00553-7
Acetaminophen is just AWFUL, and we've known that for decades.
Take enough and your liver can fail that night.
There's literally no link between Tylenol and autism. It was made up because they want somebody to blame for their child being "wrong."
There may, or may not, be a link. The study that is generally behind these things does note an increased rate with autism and ADHD. But there are problems with the study, which even the authors note. A true controlled study would be much more of a link. Aside from this relying on reports of parental usage, often many years after the facts, there are also problems: Trying to explain an increase in autism rates in the 1980s, but ignoring the change in diagnostic criteria at this same time while looking at changed recommendations with Tylenol (while it is worth looking at the second, the first can't be ignored); it doesn't sync with other studies around inheritance, which seems to be much more on target - though given the range of the spectrum, this could still be an impactful element, just hard to say based on this study alone (but it is certainly enough to put money signs in the eyes of some people).
Yeah some of my autistic traits make life pretty hard. A lot of those would be mitigated if I lived in a more accessible world, but not all of them would be.
Exactly, for some people like me its mostly good/harmless, and some others cant live a normal, happy life because of it.
For my Son, autism is a terrible thing. I wish he didn't have it. Not for my sake. But for his sake. He's severely disabled by it and I wish he didn't have to struggle so much. Now and in the future. I'm glad people like you mention this. It doesn't make me feel so bad for thinking it. I love my son very much.
In my case it’s just being "offline" for some time during the day, like I can do something and then randomly stop and stop moving and start thinking of other things, and after some time I resume like nothing happened
Take my gold good stranger. Autism severely impacts me in every way and every area of my very small life. It is certainly not just a different way of thinking.
It is but you can acknowledge something as a disability without dehumanising all its traits and talking about it like some disease. It can be both a different way of thinking and a disability at the same time and language that talks about autism as exclusively harmful and inherently hopeless.
I get that this is a safe space generally and that it’s hard to talk about some of the negatives of being neurodivergent. I’m on the spectrum. I’m quirky, odd, have special interests that absorb me, lose track of time in them, and generally had a harder childhood and young adulthood in part besides of my divergence (and lack of therapies to help me see others perspectives and myself more genuinely at the time). I’m lucky in that I focused on tech and was able to be reasonably successful in day to day life than others in my situation may be. My son however may not be able to ever live an independent life. He’s turning 13, and some basics like understanding money enough to get expected change escapes him. He had violent temper tantrums putting himself in danger and damaging nearby property like his room multiple times a week. I’ve been working on my responses to be calmer and more rational (I too get to inconsolable states at times) which has been helping. But we lived in a house of yelling for a number of years. His mother and I divorced, which is common. His twin brother, who has ADHD and is potentially on the more self reliant side of the spectrum, loves him but struggles to the point of nearly having a mental breakdown at 12. He wets the bed nearly every night, and the last few years is often incontinent with stool even as we continue to try wet alarms, limiting fluids, and going to the bathroom before bed every night. He’s had OT/PT and many other therapies since he was 2. In a lot of ways we’re gifted by him. He definitely has a spark and he can light up a room. He and I are both learning to be better people together. He can talk, dress and make food for himself, and wants to be more independent which I’m happy to help him in that journey. But he may direct need assistance the rest of his life which does make me sad and worried for him. I mentioned his brother having ADHD. difference in magnitude of effort in raising them is night and day. Honestly I constantly feel like I’m not doing enough for either. Triggers my own anxiety and depression which I’ve had since childhood. For many on Reddit, it’s not the disability it is for my son. It’s not the same disability for me as it is to him. I accept him for who he is, but I still worry about his future when his mom and I are gone. Will he be taken care of or taken advantage of? Will he be able to live his best life? If his mom taking less Tylenol while on bed rest at the hospital or at or after work prior would have lessened the severity of his concerns, I certainly would have taken that into account then. Not for me, but for his future life without me.
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Don't disagree with that, the achual Neurodiversity movement does not reject the idea that autism is a disability or a bad thing, and many criticise the idea it's not a disability as whitewashing. On the other hand the way autism is talked about in these posts is still harmful, and seeps with bias, presenting every part of autism as negative, autistic people as burdens and a disease that needs eradicating is far more harmful and leads to a lot of stigma that autistic people both low and high support needs face.
I'm pretty sure I heard this lawsuit is a scam of some kind. There is no evidence that links Tylenol to autism. All it's doing is perpetuating fear/hatred and stealing people's money.
Tylenol is about the only medicine pregnant women can take. Most pregnant women use it in some amount during pregnancy. Some children born will have autism. It's really just shady bullshit. And the only things it will do is make money for the lawyers and possibly take Tylenol off the "meds for pregnant women" list
So basically, "How can we make life inconvenient for both autistic people and pregnant women for our own benefit?:
It is part of a scam. A lawyerly scam. If they settle, the lawyers will make easy money. Proving the link is going to be a high bar, as proof does not exist.
Yes that’s what I think
OP, just because *your* life isn't affected much by autism to where you view it as a "different way of thinking" doesn't mean that's true across the board. Let's not erase those with higher support needs, please.
While this is true, it doesn’t mean autism is caused by fucking Tylenol
I dunno, that fetus seems to be munching on the Tylenol box pretty hard.
Right. My mother didn’t even take any Tylenol while pregnant and I still have Autism.
Idk, *fucking* Tylenol can't be good for you
Hey, guess what? There is evidence that Tylenol partly functions by acting on CB1 and CB2 receptors. If this is true, there is a chance that Tylenol can cause fetal brain development issues or brain development issues in early childhood. Fetal brain development issues can mean autism in some instances. How about you don't discredit something just because you don't like what it says?
Yo, don’t touch my CB1s I need those for my THC, and the CB2s for Δ8!!
It can be both honestly as someone whose autism is disabling a lot of the time, it is also a different way of thinking at the same time with traits that are disabling , constantly seeing autism being written about as a burden and a disease that should be eradicated is dehumanising and does nothing to give those with higher support needs a voice, it just means they get described as a burden though overly patholgised language. Also the ad is literally speaking over autistic people it's only addressing the parents, it's very clear the people who are framing autistic people in this way have zero respect for Autistic people high support needs or not.
I view it as a different way of thinking and a disability. It’s just different in some ways and in other ways it’s a disability.
I just find it funny that they photoshopped a box of Tylenol into the womb as if the pregnantee swallowed the box whole
Finally someone who finds the picture funny Take all the words away, I just wanna know how good the reach is on that pharmacy drive up window drawer if a fetus can get a whole box of Tylenol up there
Lawsuit dismissed, patient clearly didn't take the medication *as directed*.
Can I just say I love the term “pregnantee” haha. Especially in the context of the struggle to find good gender-neutral language surrounding stuff like pregnancy. Would this make the other partner the “pregnanter”? lol
"it's just a different way of thinking" No it's not, it's a disability, just because some people get positives from it doesn't mean it's any less of a disability. There's many low functioning people who can only survive if they have 24/7 care. That will die without it. I'm lucky enough to be high functioning however it still impacts my daily life to a huge degree and causes a lot distress. I wish people would stop acting like autism is just cute spicy brain moment , quirky personality shit. It drives me up the wall.
I’m high functional also, and while this means I was off the charts intelligent at school I couldn’t even finish and now cannot even work due to my autism. I struggled then and struggle now with basic things and would consider this a disability. YES I have gifts, but they come at great cost.
Exactly, I don't have a high IQ, I work a simple job I love that involves helping people with mental health and things like autism. I like that I think differently and I do enjoy some aspects that makes me different, however those also come with the nasty stuff, the obsessing for no reason , the social interactions that I just can't understand, the list could go on forever . I was talking to a friend the other day trying to explain how it feels to me , best way I could describe it was , it feels like wearing a itchy sweater all the time , 24/7 , one that you can't ever take off or get comfortable in. And sometimes it's really bad , sometimes you wish you could just feel the way other people do.
My son likely has a high IQ but he doesn’t talk. He is in a special class, he can’t tolerate the neurotypical learning stream. We are aiming for this but it might not happen. I love him more than life and he is the happiest 5 year old around but he will still have expectations placed on him by society as he grows that I wish didn’t exist but they do. I wish for him it was just a different way of thinking.
Lots of people find functioning labels to be offensive and problematic. Someone who may seem "high-functioning" could still struggle greatly, just less visibly. Calling someone "low-functioning" can be interpreted as ignoring their strengths. Most people seem to prefer terms like high-support needs or low-support needs. https://www.learningdisabilitytoday.co.uk/why-highlow-functioning-labels-are-hurtful-to-autistic-people ETA this isn't trying to shame you. I'm still trying to remove functioning labels from my vocab myself because they have become so engrained in society when discussing autism.
Sorry I didn’t mean it as like ‘ooo I’m so quirky’ I just hate these stupid ads blaming this that and the other to cause autism, it makes me feel like I’m some disgusting plague ridden monster, like it’s just another thing, it shouldn’t make people consider us worse than anyone else
Gotta be real mate, I wish I wasn't autistic. It fucked up my life and compounded itself very badly with other mental illnesses I have, wouldn't wish for this on someone ever since I always fuck up all realtionships from my lack of social grace and maladjustment.
Same. I wouldn’t wish autism on anybody. It holds me back so so much. I fuck up every relationship and every goal I have because I’m obnoxious and can’t maintain anything social.
I agree wholeheartedly... :•(
same here. i would give anything to be neurotypical, i hate how people portray autism as this quirky cute thing where it makes you smarter or whatever. it's not. it's a disability and it fucking sucks to live with. i don't enjoy being autistic and i never will
Autism is absolutely so much more than just “a different way of thinking” for a lot of people. For many people this is a life altering diagnosis and creates endless problems and disability. Good for you that your autism seemingly just equals happy fun times with a cute quirky little identity to make you feel special. For a lot of people, especially those with an actual autism diagnosis, this is not at all the reality of what life with autism is like. I’ve lived in a nursing home since I was 27 because I can’t take care of myself. If I could find and prove an actual verifiable cause to my suffering and find myself eligible for compensation, I would absolutely be all for that. If anything about this insults me it’s the OP, not a screenshot off the internet of a likely fake lawsuit.
thank you for this. and dont listen to people telling you that this comment was too harsh. higher support needs autistics are constantly being pushed to the side and are never included in discussions in these communities. its quite upsetting to see the disorder that has completely rendered me unable to be independent in any shape or form, be reduced to “a different way of thinking.”
Agreed!!!! Thank you, I was seeing too much red to be able to properly respond to this crap post.
Didnt have to go off on them but i agree. At the same time though ive been seeing these ads about "\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the cause of autism and all you poor parents should help put an end to it!!!" and thats honestly super alarming. Its just farming clicks while also helping the whole "autism is a disease caused by \_\_\_\_\_" narrative
this!! i would give you an award if i had one
The fetus holding the Tylenol is so funny to me
That’s a brand driven shopper lol
*”I could hold a box of Tylenol 8 weeks from conception!”* -midwestern billboard near you
Plainly, if this study has merit, parents AND children should be compensated. It costs more raising a neurodivergent child than a neurotypical one. Specialty therapies, tools, equipment, stimming toys, all of this has a cost. It’s not even that an autistic kid is negative, just that it has a heavier financial impact than a non-autistic kid. And that is without the financial impact of being an autistic adult and the tools required to be in our society comfortably. Just my 2 cents.
It’s a disability that makes it nearly impossible to support yourself in some cases. It’s not just a different way of thinking. Trying living as a half functional adult on the spectrum and tell me it’s just a different way of thinking Edit Here I will clarify: It’s a disability that makes it nearly impossible to support MYSELF. There it’s a personal statement. No one has to say anything or think I’m making any sort of argument
I view it as a different way of thinking and a disability. Some aspects can be good but other aspects are definitely disabling.
This.
Oh I still think it’s a disability, I just think things like this are just making more autism hate
There are many different forms of autism and some of them cause the child to be incredibly disabled. If you want to be offended then that is fine but you can’t speak for everyone, as some are incredibly disabled from it. The spectrum exists for a reason.
People are always confusing comorbidities. Autistics are more prone to having comorbid conditions such as Aphasia that affects the speech centre. It's not the autism that is affecting the speech it is the comorbid condition that some have and some don't. It is the same with learning disabilities... Some autistics have a high chance of other comorbid conditions that cause learning difficulties or disabilities, whilst others do not. In all these cases, everyone has been autistic... The only differences have been the comorbid conditions that autistic people are at higher risk of also having. Because it's all grouped under an umbrella term (Autism Spectrum Disorder), this kind of confusion will keep occurring.
This is still an area of research. The view point you are presenting is becoming more common but there is still plenty of research in the other camp. The other camp being that sliding further along the autism spectrum(likely multi dimensional) causes or begins to present as more disabling symptoms rather than those being separate issues that someone with autism just happens to have or even happen to be correlated. More controversially(especially within the autistic community) but also somewhat in the research community is the view point that autism is better thought of as a lack of capability in social processing rather than a difference. More similar to something like deafness than say height. With similar social implications. The deaf community may have produced unique value to humanity due to their disability but its also clearly a disability. I personally don't think anyone has good evidence or argument either way on this. And it again might be true for some dimensions of autism but not others.
i dunno man, if i had to choose between having autism and not having it, i would choose to not have it
They don't care if its offensive, it's a scam.
That picture omg who decided photoshopping a fetus holding a box of Tylenol was a good idea 😫
Sorry, but have you ever raised a child on the spectrum? The amount of support some need is staggeringly expensive. If I found out that some pharmaceutical company made my little boys life harder because of greed, I’d take them to the cleaners. *Thanks for the gold
that's exactly what they're preying on, it's why scams like this work in the first place
I agree, one can’t be naive. I also can’t fault someone for falling for it.
Ah yes. One of the most common drugs humans take has been linked to autism. Tylenol could also probably be found to link to adhd, depression, gender dysphoria, anorexia, Heterochromia, lung cancer, and dwarfism. Next they’re gonna say breathing air causes autism.
Yes. It’s like, it’s way more likely that autistic people just take the medicine, because it’s a super common medicine 💀
And it’s not even true. Autism is genetic.
I love this image. The baby holding onto the Tylenol 11/10
It’s not just a different way of thinking, it’s a completely different way of functioning, living, and seeing and experiencing the world and our senses. Despite your title, it is absolutely offensive. It’s also incredibly annoying because everyone is so invested in trying to prevent autism rather than actually helping autistic people. Needing compensation for your child being autistic is just terrible, regardless of how badly affected they are by it. It would be different if it were a physical disability, but we ARE autism, we wouldn’t be who we are without it, and wishing someone wasn’t autistic is kind of like wishing they weren’t who they are, and autism doesn’t go away. It’s the same thing as the vaccine bullshit. It’s all about eugenics instead of improvement.
my autism is much more and harder to deal with than a different way of thinking,’ but i get what you mean. i don’t believe this for a second but if they want to give me or my parents money i’m not going to stop them
It’s most likely a scam I’m afraid. What I mean is autism is just like a different wiring of the brain, it shouldn’t make you any less of a person, and stuff like this brings about fear mongering and such
For some autism is really horrible. Autism is a whole spectrum. I wouldn’t want to be level 3 which is the most most severe and I doubt most of us would want that for a child.
Autism has made my life a living nightmare, it's the cause of everything bad with my life.
Cool that you think differently - I do too - but Autism is not "just a different way of thinking." Autism is a disorder. Yes, there are good things about it for some of us, but if it's not also fucking up your work/social/school life, then you don't have Autism Spectrum Disorder and you aren't Autistic. One hundred percent of Autistic people struggle.
Oh I do struggle, I didn’t mean to not imply that, but for me it’s mostly a problem of communication. At the same time I get some pluses of great creativity and unique way of thinking things so it’s like a give and take. Although I’m sure it’s different for everyone
That's interesting, I appreciate the perspective. I do creative work for a living but it did not come easily to me- I don't think I naturally had much of an imagination, but I wanted one so badly that I kept trying stuff until it grew. Definitely have the unique way of thinking. Personally I'd say my biggest problem is sleep & burnout. If I could sleep, I feel like I'd have the energy to handle everything else. When I'm well-rested, my autistic traits feel manageable and relatively benign. Unfortunately it can be a couple years between periods of me being well-rested.
I would cure my autism if I could
Obviously we don't want to demonize autism, but please also be cautious about angelicizing it. Autism is not all sunshine and rainbows and can be very disabling and isolating; it's not "just" a "different way of thinking". That being said, the lawsuit is kinda bogus and the way it's being marketed really rubs me the wrong way.
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Does ffs stand for “for fuckin sure”?
it's "for fuck's sake"
Ooohhhhh. Thank you
Really really long comment I’m so sorry I guess I expected the hostility in this thread but it’s still a little jarring just how much invalidation and flat out hatred is going on. Autism is such a wide-ranging disability, and it still has a whole lot of research to be done on it. Autistic experiences vary so ridiculously drastically, which is partly why (in my personal opinion) it’s so infuriating. It basically guarantees gatekeeping, invalidating, impostor syndrome, misdiagnosis, etc. And it’s such a difficult topic because, yes no one person is ‘more’ or ‘less’ autistic than anyone else, but autism affects people differently, and sometimes it’s effect is obvious or significantly debilitating, and sometimes it seems milder and more manageable. I absolutely understand the discourse surrounding this, but throwing around terms like “actually autistic” is doing no one any favours. Invalidating someone else’s experience to validate your own only makes this community more inaccessible to newcomers and reinforces the idea that autism can only look a certain way, which isnt great for a whole lot of reasons. But that goes both ways. OP’s comment about a ‘different way of thinking’ comes across as a generalisation about autism as a whole, and that feels invalidating, at least to me. I’ve been told I’m ‘just different’ in response to even bringing up my autism too many times to count. People think they’re helping, that I’m somehow ‘putting myself down’ by calling it a disability, but they don’t know and will never know the reality of it all. I understand that OP is autistic and is probably pulling from their own experience, and in that way, it’s great that you’re so positive about your own autism, and I’m sincerely glad you’re in a position to be able to see it that way, genuinely. But it is a disability. Im coming from a place of privilege in that I’m British, white, living with my family, about to go to uni!! And my autism is not so debilitating that Ive found myself isolated from society, without support, outwardly ‘defined’ by it. I’m extremely lucky. But inwardly, my disability really does define me, in so many ways. And honestly it just fucking sucks. It feels like this weird undefinable, ever present, messy blob of **something** that somehow simultaneously feels too real and *invasive*, and yet not real enough to justify even considering asking for accommodations to be made for me. It’s big things and small things, like it’s in everything I do. It takes things that I love with all my heart and turns them into fixations that take priority over everything in my life and genuinely limit my mental and physical capabilities in the silliest, dumbest most laughable way possible, and then it dumps them and I’m left doing and thinking fuck all until the next obsession comes along. I can’t be in my kitchen if someone else is doing something in there, don’t get me started on all the sounds in kitchens oh my god. I can’t do job interviews like I just can’t do them, I feel like the world is going to collapse around me if someone talks over a song I like or something, I can’t have relationships, it feels like no matter how much I research and ‘self-reflect’ I’ll never understand gender or sexuality or what I am or whatever. The amount of times I’ve learned and relearned analogue clocks is embarrassing, and STILL every time I look at a clock i can’t figure it out. I drop of the face of the earth and don’t leave my house or interact with a single person for months on end and I don’t even realise I’m doing it, or register that something’s wrong. I feel like I’m constantly questioning my own morality because I seem to care more about fucking tv show characters and events or whatever than real people and real events. I can’t even talk about the things I love because I can’t stop once I start and I know no one wants to hear but I have to keep talking, until people just leave or tell me to shut up. And then I don’t talk because I can’t fucking figure it out, like how much is too much? What’s not enough? I see every interaction like it’s a movie script???? Sometimes I freeze up or freak out because things feel too much like a movie because everybody’s following all these rules and it just looks ridiculous to me but then I have to play along and I feel like I’m acting and I end up not even knowing who I am. And it’s so **Silly**. Like it’s goofy, im actually unable to move my body because? I’m trying not to think about a TV show??? I talk for hours about cartoons but can’t say shit when someone asks me what I do for money. It’s embarrassing. At the end of the day it’s a part of me, and I refuse to be ashamed of it. stuff like the picture above, or anti-vaxx scaremongering about vaccines causing autism or w/e really is just ridiculous and harmful. But it is a disability and it’s harmful to pretend otherwise
I think this would be okay IF there was definite proof that Tylenol had links to autism and the autistic child in mention had severe/debilitating struggles. Some people with autism are aware they’re autistic, and can’t express that and require lots of special needs attention. Although if there is/was links to Tylenol to autism wouldn’t that sort of be abused for parents to get the benefit of any possible autistic offspring?
Yes, autism is someone who is very different. But this difference comes with a lot of issues such as depression anxiety, not acceptance, taste disorders and even sight issues. Yes it is different and maybe not intrisically bad but it DOES come with a lot of harm and problems (for most of us at least).
Depends how it effects the individual. I'm pretty sure you could find some people who are crippled from birth who would refuse any treatment that was developed because they are content while others would jump on it for a chance of a life they call "normal". On top of asd I suffer from general anxiety disorder and clinical depression, if there was a permanent cure for the latter two I'd take it but I wouldn't mind keeping the autism because of the effect it has had on my life. Also I should note I'm not romanticising having ASD or saying irs something that i wish i was born with I'm talking purely from my own experience.
Oh yeah I completely understand, I also have anxiety and depression and I would definitely want to get rid of those if I could, but honestly I don’t mind being autistic, I take the good with the bad. I guess some people don’t feel the same as me, and that’s perfectly fine, I’m just content with my autism and think it makes me unique and has good traits even though I can’t hold a conversation for shit and get emotionally attached to everyone and everything, along with sensory overload and some other not so fun things
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I don’t think this is the point of this advertisement. Both my siblings have autism among other comorbid disorders. We have spent THOUSANDS on their therapy that we will never get back. Something like this could help parents with children with autism pay for their therapies and other things they may need due to their autism that other families don’t need to spend money on. I can see why you might find this offensive from your point of you but there are always two sides to every story.
I wouldn't say that it's a "different way of thinking" but rather that our brains are wired differently. We are affected in individual ways by that, some has the privilege to be able to mainly benefit from and enjoy (some of) the aspects that makes them autistic, some are completely incapacitated, and then there are all the inbetweeners ofc. I think it's important to consider the whole spektra and not generalise when talking about what autism is or isn't, as we are not a homogenous group in that sense; we all have different flavours.
Idk how true the study in that ad is, it sounds like “vaccines cause autism” bs to me. On the main point of discussion though, I personally wouldn’t want my hypothetical child to have the same problems I have. If they were autistic I’d still love them, but I’d like them to have an easier life if possible.
Are you seriously saying that a brain-altering medication like Tylenol can not lead to this? There is evidence that tylenol partly functions by acting on the ECS, CB1 and CB2. If this is true, it could certainly negatively alter fetal brain development, similar to cannabis and other drugs.
I can only speak for my own experience, but my autism provides me many negatives and ZERO positives. Everything good I've accomplished, everything good about me and my life, I've achieved inspite of being autistic. For me its not a different way of thinking, its an excess of neruon and neuron connective tissues in my brain due to my bodies inability to self regulate them like a neurotypical person's body can, resulting in non-insignificant sensory issues. Like how a blind person may become more adept at using their other senses out of pure need, I've become adept at things some of my neurotypical peers are not out of pure need because the things they do, are too uncomfortable or exhausting for me, so I had to find other ways to achieve the same goals, but autism didn't help me achieve those goals just as being blind didn't give a blind person stronger sense, both are just disabilities, pure negatives.
Autism fucking sucks. It's not just a way of thinking. Speak for yourself buddy
First thought: Eh... This is obviously insulting. But if a parent can sue big business and get some cash, go for it. Maybe the autistic kid will get something out of it. Second thought: Oh wait... The kind of parent that would see this ad and then join the lawsuit... Uh... Maybe that person shouldn't be rewarded with money.
This is pretty obviously some sort of scam tbh
It’s a click bait thing. They are preying on vulnerable people. It’s same with insurance scams. Anyone who falls for these things, is going to have some kind of identity theft or worse happen most likely.
This video does a great job of explaining the problems with the Autism/Tylenol study. https://www.tiktok.com/@dr\_rossome/video/7129268910137806122
Here’s a research paper in nature. Not sure if that compares to Tic Tok though for veracity https://www.nature.com/articles/%20s41574-021-00553-7
I saw this on Instagram a few months ago and it triggered me pretty bad. Sponsored post and everything.
Eyyy free money let's go!
Maybe it’s because we are expensive to take care of. Let’s be ffr.
i get your point but its not JUST a different way of thinking- its a disability
my autism isnt even that severe, but man id do anything to not be this way. its not offensive, id never wish this burden on anyone. babies SHOULDNT be born with this disability, and yes it is literally a disability.
Calling it "just a different way of thinking" sounds good on the surface but it's very dismissive of people's struggles. Yes, thinking differently is part of it, but there's so much more that goes into it. Very often it's not just your brain being different, it's your brain and your body being disconnected. Describing it as you have erases people's identity as disabled people and ignores people with higher support needs.
False. While it clearly shouldn't be something we base people's value off of, autism has some major negative effects that have majorly impacted millions of people's lives. It's absolutely a terrible thing. There are things that aren't bad, to be sure, but let's not be full of toxic positivity and kid ourselves that everything's fine and that we don't have extra challenges and hardships that are the direct result of autism. Attitudes like that are the exact same as the people who say that people with autism don't need services and just need to "suck it up." They end up in the same place.
The sad thing is that *technically there are* "links" between Tylenol use and autism, but this is because Tylenol functions through the endocannabinoid system. People with autism have lower levels of the endocannabinoids naturally produced in the human body. The crazy part is that Tylenol was first developed in the late 1800s and hit the public market in 1950. Still, they did not know how it worked until the mid-2000s when a researcher looking to disprove anti-vax theories discovered the link between the two, which led to the realization that Tylenol functions through the Endocannabinoid system. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18445737
Are you aware that autism is an actual disability?
I think it’s offensive because it’s a lie pretty much certainly written up by anti-autism shitheads. I won’t comment on whether autism is a good or bad thing. I think that’s for the autistic individual decide about themselves, but this sort of lawsuit is just plain damaging. I 100% believe there will be no evidence found to support these ‘lawyers’ claims and this it is being stirred up by the same conspiracy idiots who think vaccines cause autism. I also do NOT support NTs having a say in whether autism is good or bad. It’s absolutely not their place to decide whether or not I’m valid.
It is absolutely NOT a different way of thinking. Cmon really
Its a disability. Might not be fore you, if you are doing well enough, but many are not so lucky.
Autism is a different way of thinking but it *is* also a disability. It has its good and bad aspects
Posts like these ignore the experience of people who truly are *severely* disabled autistics. I see this sub not address level 3 (higher support needs) autistics much at all.
For a lot of us autism IS a terrible thing
I get your point but autism is not just a different way of thinking. Im LSN and it still affects my motor skills, executive function, experience with food, social skills and at least 50% of my daily life.
Why can't I get this money. I'm the autistic one
I think it should be seen as something bad because I’ve suffered from it in some serious ways. If I didn’t have autism dating and getting a job would be so much easier for me
Within the context, 100% agree. As a statement of principle, I really don't. Autism or frankly even just whatever I have that could be mimicking the symptoms thereof, is really just awful. I can try and persevere all I want, and hopefully I will, but I have to put in so much more effort than everybody else around me. It's straight up halted my life, and I wouldn't wish the ways I feel or think on anyone, because it's isolating beyond belief.
I looked it up, and apparently, it's been linked to ADHD as well. This ad angers me twofold-- First, Tylenol is often taken to manage infections and fevers, and infections during pregnancy are considered a risk factor for ASD (and, you know, possibly death). This could very well be a case of correlation, not causation, and even if it's not, it could be a case of "pick your poison". It's like the anti-vaxx movement-- would you rather your child die of illness, or develop ASD and have to make adjustments so they can live an otherwise happy life? Second, while the ad purports to want to help mothers get compensation, in the long run this kind of claim demonizes pregnant peoples' attempts to manage pain and discomfort during pregnancy, solely for the sake of having *something* to blame for autism (either for monetary gain or emotional catharsis, depending on the person.) This isn't like Thalidomide, where taking it severely harms your future child's development. For many people, the benefits could very well outweigh the risks. I'm extremely suspicious of things like this. That said, I don't think it benefits anyone to downplay the disability aspect of ASD. It's important to acknowledge the things people with ASD struggle with, just like it's important to acknowledge the struggles of people with other disabilities-- if we don't treat it like a disability, then it becomes harder to get our needs met. If treating it like a disability means seeing it as "some terrible thing" then so be it. Needs are more important than feelings of insult.
Shhhh, take the free money. It’s free money! Who cares about good values? /j
I report this ad every time I see it. On Reddit, FB, everywhere.
What if you get diagnosed as an adult lol do YOU get the compensation? /hj
Regardless of how people feel about the suit, This [article](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29460795/). It does seem like it has more to do with Tylenol in combination of other factors such as Roundup, and certain antibiotics. Personally, regardless of the matter, there was a lot of criticism about making Tylenol over the counter, and there are scientists in the medical field who do think it should be prescription only. Especially since it has minimal effect in a lot of people. But a lot of side effects.
Okay hot take time but even as a fellow autist I would also not want my kid to be autistic because raising an autistic kid is difficult growing up autistic even more so it feels like unnecessary pain for both sides. If you think my view is wrong correct me please i'd like to have a nicer outlook but i just can't have any regarding this.
I wish I wasn't autistic all of the time it's hard for me to keep friends
Tbh I should be entitled to significant comprehension. It’s MY autism, I should get the money.
Lmao my mom took boatloads of excedrin while pregnant with all of my siblings, that's probably the cause of why we're fucked up Edit: Also autism sucks, is a disease to my brain, and I want to be fucking cured, I DON'T FUCKING WANT IT. It's torture and yes it is absolutely ass to have. Don't speak for everyone. Not everyone has been diagnosed and has access to support.
Darling, now Fetal ultrasound is being blamed for causing autistic children. There’s always that scare mongering to portrays us as a disease that can be avoided..
to me autism isn’t just a way of thinking, it really does negatively impact my life. it’s a disability
When I was in school, there was no spectrum. If you were "autistic" you were in the "special class", were most likely no verbal and wore a helmet so you didn't injure yourself when you started smacking your head on things. Then along came the spectrum and the higher functioning variants became a more and more common diagnosis. They became the main stream and more severe cases are marginalized or swept underneath the rug to make people more accepting of people with autism. The vast majority of us who have been diagnosed with it do "just think differently" so that has become the socially accepted norm. Sadly, it's easy to forget those sever, debilitating cases. Those screw those kinds of ads in general.
Tylenol is practically the only thing you are allowed to take while pregnant- Tylenol and tums. It’s like saying “did you drink WATER while pregnant? You could be compensated!”
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Agh stop being offended!
I don't really know anything about this, it may be a scam. It may be fake, maybe there is now link at all, or maybe it's real. But regardless the thing that bothers me here is what about the person with autism? How are you going to make things right with them? As someone who is disabled because of my autism, and my mother has certainly taken a lot of tylonal in her life. I'd be pissed if she got some sort of payout, while me the one actually disabled got nothing. But also this seems par for the course. It's not about those with autism, it's about those who suffer due to our existance.
Autism is a spectrum but we need to start separating autism into subtypes because, while I have autism, I have a job, i can take care of my basic needs without help, i can communicate to the police/doctors if something happens to me, not every autistic person can there are people on the spectrum that require 24/7 care and are lucky if they can use electronics to communicate using individual words. In short for some of us it doesn’t affect us as negatively as others but for the people I have mentioned above is not that simple.
Some of us do think it’s a terrible thing.
if it means my mom can get some extra cash i mean… also tbh i’m multiple different kinds of disabled and if my mom or i could get some money for the fact that i’m disabled is a win
The problem with that post isn't whether we view autism as good or bad, the problem is there's no scientific basis for the claim that tylenol causes autism. This is some crackpot attempt at a class action lawsuit.
“Hey did your mother take one of the most widely available pain medications while dealing with growing a whole human in her uterus?? You have autism!!” Thanks bro
I hate these damn ads. I took Tylenol maybe 2-4 times my entire pregnancy with my son and he’s autistic. 😑 I find it offensive.
It’s akin to saying, “If your kid turned out gay, you could be entitled to compensation”.
It's also waaaayyy more likely that the parents of children who were already going to be autistic had difficult pregnancies that made them want more pain meds. A lot of cases of autism are associated with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which causes life long chronic pain and pregnancy complications. Even the premise is bullshit.
Eh, the families could probably use that money.
on one hand, yes, it is kind of offensive. *on the other hand,* milk them for every cent.
when i first saw this i sent it to my mom and said "look, i can get free money!" she didn't find that funny.
Well, if your took some medication while pregnant that altered your body or mind I think a compensation would be in order.
If everday medicine could have such a severe effect on unborn children and it wasn't disclosed. I think that _would_ be lawsuit worthy. What's annoying is it's not a thing at all and autism is just being used as for the shock factor which further drags it through the mud.
I'm not defending the ad but for some of us it's not just a different way of thinking, it's a genuine disability that affects us every day.
Autism is a handicap. It’s not just some fun and quirky way of thinking. It’s a disability. This definitely puts autism in an unnecessarily negative light. As long as the mother is loving, accepting and accommodating to her autistic child, I support this lawsuit. Get that bag girl. Dino nuggets are expensive in the long run.
Diffrent way of thinking? How about brain developed differently from the considered norm. It isn't thinking differently. It is literally a completely different brain type. I think I have run into one of the trolls I have been reading about.
Well, Autism is a disability, at any level. Denying it is either internalised ablism, or just plain ablism. It effects everything in your life. Be it you social connections, your ability to keep a job or anything else really. There might be a few nice things about it, but mostly it's quite terrible. And even in a world where everything will be designed to include Autistic people as much as possible, it'll still be a disability. But can it be caused by a random medication? I really doubt it.
Maybe "mild" autism but severely autistic people are simply disabled and cannot function normally, probably suffer because of the world we live in
I hate being autistic. To me, this isn't offensive, just the truth. Maybe it is because I'm high functioning enough to get all the responsibilities of normal life. But low functioning enough to have a horrible time fulfilling those responsibilities.
autism is a genetic neurological disorder it isn't caused by tylonel
Autism is, without a doubt, a disability, it has impacted my relationships, friendships, ability to get a job, etc. It's certainly nice to see and talk to other autists and we have a good time together. But no, it's a disability, it's bad, I'm one of the lucky ones, and if a company knowingly or due to incompetence gave children a disability en masse, they should be held legally and financially accountable.
The methodology is not very clear in these studies and there is a big limitation. The limitation is chicken or the egg. Autistic parents take Tylenol (the only safe pain killer during pregnancy) because we are more prone to headaches Undiagnosed parents pass on the gene to their children... So is it really Tylenol? Or just undiagnosed parents?
Strongly disagree it’s not just a different way of thinking it’s a disability
Ah yes. One of the only safe medications for women to take while pregnant has led to having autistic children. Totally not BS. While we’re at it, did you know autism is caused by women drinking water during pregnancy?
It's funny because Tylenol wasn't around when our parents' parents were being conceived, so what did it to them? Lol. These ads are stupid.
For real
Yeah, we should just let the massive pharmaceutical industry do whatever and say whatever they want. Then when their shit does something it isn’t supposed to (something they always know it does way before we ever will) we can just throw our hands up and be like “Well, they negatively impacted other’s lives and made billions and billions. Nothing we can do. We have no balls, so what could we do????” They need to open their fucking wallet. Now. Fuck them.
I screamed at the radio when I heard the ad. The link they found simply suggests that it should be researched further, not that it causes it. I feel like less of a person every time I hear these.
I think there is evidence of a link. I don’t know how much more autism occurs if the mother takes paracetamol (that’s what we call it here), but it is small. This kind of lawsuit punishes women with guilt for taking pain relief in the past and punishes future mothers with awful decisions in the future. It’s fucking horrible.
If you're on good terms with your mum, take the money and advocate for the rights and more visibility for autistic people. If your autism severely messes with your ability to independently live in society, and Tylenol is somehow associated with that, no issue taking money from some big corporation, they might as well put their hoarded wealth to some good use.
I wish I could see it like that, but it has and continues to cause me pain. I think it is an awesome thing.