29 May
2015
29 May
'15
12:14 p.m.
As a person who was diagnosed PDD-NOS at a young age, which was changed to
Asperger Syndrome as a teenager, and has a variety of mental illness
issues, I'd like to clarify the difference between an excuse and an
explanation.
Let's say I did something to hurt someone. I have two options:
"Well, that's just how my brain works."
"Wow, I'm really sorry I hurt you. My brain doesn't work like everyone
else's. Knowing that, and how I hurt you, what can we do to make sure it
doesn't happen again?"
Choice 1 is an excuse, where I try to deny culpability for the way I treat
other people. Choice 2 is an explanation, so we can use my neuroatypicality
as a framework for explaining the behavior that caused the hurt, and then
keeping it from happening in the future.
Choice 1 acts like neuroatypical folks have no agency, which is, in my
opinion, fucked up, infantilizing, and a huge disservice to folks like me.
Let's make a comparison:
Someone with a movement disorder that causes spastic behavior keeps
accidentally hitting someone. Should they a) do nothing and keep hurting
people because "it's not their fault" or b) try to find a place where they
can take part of the activity where other folks are out of their movement
range?
(the answer is b)
We actually had an instance of something similar happen. A member who was
dealing with serious physical health issues was undergoing treatment that
made their mood very unstable. On the days of their treatment, they often
participated in extremely damaging behavior, usually specifically towards
women. When they were asked to leave, they brought up wanting accommodation
for their disability.
We came to the conclusion that "reasonable accommodation" does not allow
people hurting other folks.
On Fri, May 29, 2015 at 9:52 AM, Edward B. Rippy <ed.rippy(a)mindspring.com>
wrote:
On 05/28/2015 04:09 PM, Autonomous wrote:
Consider the case where cognitive problems arise from traumatic brain
injury.
-- OK, yes, there are such cases. But I'm saying that scientists often
jump to conclusions abt this kind of thing. But what's worse is a whole
bunch of non-scientists who jump to conclusions & claim that "research
shows" this or that when they don't even understand the research. I shd
mention that I have an MS in educational psychology, a special certificate
in statistics, & have presented 4 times @ the Int'l Conference on Critical
Thinking in Education. I studied the philosophy of science as part of my
degree. I've done my homework, including speaking to the UC Broccoli prof
who "proved" that people of color have slower neurons & so cannot benefit
(@ least not much) from educational assistance.
Again, yes, there are cases where brain injury causes cognitive
problems. I do not mean to belittle anyone's injury of any type. I do mean
to puncture snap judgements based on research that doesn't reveal the whole
picture.
My best friend had a stroke, & now he can hardly talk. He can pronounce
words fine, but his brain often can't find them or string them together.
Autonomous wrote: >> As a small child I received a severe concussion and
was unconscious for some time after the accident... facial expressions...
Adam replied:
As a small child who recovered from getting tossed 6 feet in the air by
a car, completely KO'd, and had to relearn similar things, I can say, the
brain is *really, really freakin' adaptable*.
-- I wuz born 2 months prematurely, had to be pulled out of my mom w/
tongs, & the Drs said that I would prolly not survive 24 hrs. Even if I did
(they said), I would be physically & mentally stunted for life. When I was
eight y/o, I fell 40 ft from a tree, stopped my heart (it started up
again), wuz in a coma for 2 days (in hospital for 9 days), had severe
concussion. I know this shit's not a joke. I also know that fatalism
injures the spirit/soul far worse than any brain injury, & that "science"
is often used as an excuse to write people off.
If there is anything I can do to support you, pls lemme knw.
Ed
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