| What do you think about the decision to exclude people with Asperger's from the US military? |
| I think it is a good decision. |
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14% |
[ 21 ] |
| Overall, I think it's good, but there should be an examination or something similar to that effect. |
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12% |
[ 18 ] |
| Overall, I think it's a bad decision. People should only be excluded for physical disabilities or severe mental disabilities. |
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41% |
[ 59 ] |
| This is a terrible decision. This is discrimination! |
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31% |
[ 45 ] |
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| Total Votes : 143 |
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aspiegirl2
Aurtistic Rainwoman
Joined: Feb 24, 2005
Age: 24
Posts: 1461
Location: Washington, USA
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 Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 2:59 am Post subject: |
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I tried going out for Army ROTC at my college a couple years ago but the DoDMERB denied me. This was well before this April 2010 notion. After that I was told by the ROTC office that the only way I could get in was to get someone to say that I was misdiagnosed as a child, so then I would be going around lying about myself, and I couldn't live with that. I don't think that the military should deny people based on reported disabilities. They should have a standardized test of some sort that gives a set standard of what kind of people they want to be working for them, and if someone doesn't fit the bill, then they would have a set reason. It's much more of a "don't ask, don't tell" scenario than anything. No one would have known about me being an aspie if I hadn't have told them. I exceeded all of their physical requirements and aced their classes, while some of their so-called more "qualified" people failed to do as such. Many of them held low GPAs and didn't meet these physical requirements, and some were even more socially awkward than I was and couldn't adapt as well to some of the pressure they were putting on us. It's funny the way things work in the military.
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I'm 24 years old and live in WA State. I was diagnosed with Asperger's at 9. I received a BS in Psychology in 2011 and I intend to help people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, either through research, application, or both. On the “Pursuit of Aspieness”. |
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glider18
Supporting Member
Joined: Nov 09, 2008
Posts: 6700
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 10:32 pm Post subject: draft |
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| GreySun369 wrote: | Well speaking personally, I'm happy with the decision. It means I can't get drafted!  (I know that's selfish of me)
But for my unbiased opinion, I think it's a logical choice. I mean like it's been pointed out, Aspies would have trouble adjusting to the millitary due to their inability to work in teams very well and the fact that most Aspies don't do too well under stress. Like it or not, Aspergers is a mental disability and has limits, and the millitary needs strong and able-minded individuals.
That's just my opinion though. |
I was always afraid of the possibility I could be drafted---I could not imagine fitting in with the military.
Now---I don't consider AS a disability for me, but I do agree that working in teams is not good for me---and I am AS. And, I don't like stress. I agree, this seems true to most Aspies---me included.
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"My journey has just begun." |
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MicroChip
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Aug 28, 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:35 am Post subject: |
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I think it's a good decision to keep Aspies out of the military. It will save lives.
Most Aspies have sensory issues and the military environment is very sensory provoking. |
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Tory_canuck
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 09, 2009
Age: 27
Posts: 1373
Location: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:09 am Post subject: |
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| nodice1996 wrote: | | Damn. Wish I didn't have a diagnosis. |
You can always try the Canadian military
_________________
Honour over deciet, merit over luck, courage over popularity, duty over entitlement...dont let the cliques fool you for they have no honour...only superficial deceit.
ALBERTAN...and DAMN PROUD OF IT!!
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LP0rc
Raven
Joined: Aug 27, 2009
Posts: 114
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:29 am Post subject: |
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I did my 4 years active duty with few issues.
It's all a live action role play game.
Had no problems filling an E7 slot as an E4(p). The Full Birds and up came to me when others told them something could not be done because that was my specialty, making the impossible possible by sheer audacity. Mission oriented. Hoo-ah. |
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glider18
Supporting Member
Joined: Nov 09, 2008
Posts: 6700
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 6:47 pm Post subject: military |
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Although I am a firm believer in equal rights for all of us, if I were at risk for being drafted (being right age, etc.) I would be most grateful for this military rule banning us with autism from being in the military.
I cannot think of many occupations (if any) that would have been worse for me than the military. To have a drill sargeant screaming in my face and trying to make me feel like a piece of crap would definitely have sent me into meltdown mode. I am not the type to take orders in this manner. I also would feel like I was in prison---loss of my freedom. I need a lot of "my time" without the interference from others. So the military would have been a personal hell for me.
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"My journey has just begun." |
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Kenani
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Dec 01, 2007
Posts: 53
Location: California
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Does anyone know the position of the Israeli military? |
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danandlouie
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 28, 2010
Posts: 795
Location: rainbow bridge
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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the israelis have a procedure......if you can breathe, you're in for 2 years at age 20. you have to be seriously insane to get out of serving.
thanks to all of you that think going in the military shows how 'stupid' you are. how special you are for such insight.
i joined at 17, as soon as i finished high school because i was completely alone. no one to help me in any way. not a penny to my name. homeless. not a genius like you guys are but smart enough to join mensa as an adult. at 25 or so took act test...av 31 or something like that. long time ago. obviously i'm so dumb my memory is just pathetic.
i'm fairly certain i have a.s. 158/200. i rose rapidly through ranks because many of the other members were, to my estimation, out to lunch. a.s. should not disqualify a person for military service if they can handle the stress.
sorry, my white trash background requires me to attend to my reading assignment, 'bobby finds a shell'. |
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ruveyn
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 22, 2008
Age: 76
Posts: 29318
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 5:59 am Post subject: |
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| Kenani wrote: | | Does anyone know the position of the Israeli military? |
Everyone fights except for a certain deferred group of Orthodox Jews and Druse.
Even the physically disabled serve within the bounds of their physical disability.
ruveyn |
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Samarium
Butterfly
Joined: Aug 31, 2010
Age: 38
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| I have a friend whom served in the original gulf war. He has HFA (not diagnosed until years later). He is a decorated war hero and highly intelligent. |
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Brianm
Blue Jay
Joined: Aug 24, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 83
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd never want to be in the military unless maybe I worked on their computers. I don't think I could stand being startled by the sound of gunshots. I think overall it's a good decision. |
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aspiemom1
Blue Jay
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Joined: Jan 23, 2008
Posts: 75
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| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| so seriously, speaking as one who was "enlisted", um yeah, this kind of sucks. speaking as a mother of 2 aspie sons, nope, right no, keep my kiddos at home. speaking from experience, if the gov is going to make this a rule (as they appear to have done), then they best get their happy butts to DLI (Defense Language Institute) and oh any other intel school, as well as all units who have any type of troops supplied by said schools and start kicking people out. seriously, DLI, really there were more aspies there when i was there, than you could count. um yeah way to go... lets kick out all the intelligent people. |
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aspiemom1
Blue Jay
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Joined: Jan 23, 2008
Posts: 75
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| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| so seriously, speaking as one who was "enlisted", um yeah, this kind of sucks. speaking as a mother of 2 aspie sons, nope, right on, keep my kiddos at home. speaking from experience, if the gov is going to make this a rule (as they appear to have done), then they best get their happy butts to DLI (Defense Language Institute) and oh any other intel school, as well as all units who have any type of troops supplied by said schools and start kicking people out. seriously, DLI, really there were more aspies there when i was there, than you could count. um yeah way to go... lets kick out all the intelligent people. |
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Squirrelrat
Velociraptor
Joined: Sep 24, 2010
Age: 21
Posts: 448
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| Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:25 am Post subject: |
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| Being neurotypical, from what I've seen, is pretty much a disorder by itself. It just isn't counted as a disorder because neurotypical people are the majority. Just because they can't be diagnosed with anything doesn't mean that they are immune to all mental/emotional problems that come with just being a human. Not allowing people with Asperger's to join will hurt the military, not help it. People with Asperger's tend to have the valuable, nerdy type of personality that is great for intellectual work. My father was an x-ray technician for the military, and he had all of the symptoms of Asperger's (though he wasn't diagnosed). |
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pumibel
is always a Raven
Joined: Mar 04, 2010
Posts: 1477
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| Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: No Aspies in the military? |
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| ryanms92 wrote: | I can't believe I didn't see this until now. I'm not sure if this has been discussed on the forums before. I didn't see anything.
Anyways, on April 28 of this year (2010) the US military announced that people with Asperger's were no longer qualified to serve.
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this to be honest. On the one hand, it is the responsibility of the military to pick the most able-bodied men possible. And let's face it, people with Asperger's will face problems doing something like this. On the other hand, I don't feel that the United States should just exclude all the people with Asperger's without an examination. For example, my case is fairly mild, and if I wasn't diagnosed, the military probably wouldn't notice or care.
What do you think? |
Did it say if members who were diagnosed while serving were to be discharged? I was in for 12 years, and I found that people who were diagnosed with disqualifying illnesses while serving were not always discharged. They had to meet a medical board to see if this would happen. If you are medically retired you receive a monthly pension, but not for a regular medical separation. It depends on how long you served whether you get the retirement or separation. |
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