Psychology Today: Biased Asperger's Article!

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Yes, the man is a bigot. He put his hatred in a veil disguise of wanting to help. At least Stormfront makes no bones about who they are and at least they're in your face.

How is this article offensive, everything he wrote is right.

Disjointed monologues: check
Many are clumsy, with poor eye-hand coordination: check
They may have such mannerisms as odd posture, arm flapping, and body twisting: check
They can be socially naïve and unable to recognize humor: check
Some have unusual habits, for example, even scavenging through garbage cans to bring home used food scraps: I don't have this one, but I'm sure there are those that do.

And high levels of unemployment? check

The autism is a difference activists are even more annoying than Autism Speaks. These people are trying to re-define the criteria to their view, and use the "it's a spectrum" excuse. If you don't have many of the symptoms and are that mild, are you sure you're even autistic??

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Acedia, it's not that these things aren't true. It is the attitude of the author. The article is not designed to be helpful, but rather to gently mock autistics. In an article for Psychology Today, I would expect more accepting and enlightening insights into the issue.

Like most life coaches (who are the latest reincarnation of new agers), he has a complete lack - even at moron level - of political awareness. What he experienced was the legitimate anger of an oppressed group. He was incapable of understanding that, and chose to stigmatise and further oppress them with his ignorant and arrogant "I am superior to them because they are different from me" attitudes.

If I had been then I would have been tempted to advise him to take some immediate procreative travel (which is a polite way of telling someone to Fk off!)

If you check out his yelp reviews, you'll get a different take: the guy's not just a charlatan, he's a total narcissist with bizarre behaviors. Anyway - the way to handle this one is not by going to Marty, but to the online editor for PT and their editorial board, with a screenshot of Marty's talk about people with disabilities in that blog post, and a polite explanation of how Marty's done many people with ASD a disservice in the PT post but doesn't seem to be able to recognize that. Say you're sure that PT doesn't want to be associated with people who would try to help employers evade ADA, and who'd deliberately avoid helping disabled people find work, and that you would like for them to remove the offending post. If they refuse, the next stop is other journalists, twitter, etc., with the story about how PT is hosting this guy and his startling views on disabled/autistic people.

That blogspot paragraph of his is a little gem, right down to the bit about how ethical he is not to help these people get jobs.

Tarantella, I love your style and the way you think. You are awesome.

I just looked up his yelp and it seems like he has a mostly positive rating.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/marty-nemko-oakland

Good points: check

There are people arguing in the comments under that article that autism is not a disability, that it is a difference. Sorry it may be a difference, but it's still a disability. Whether it is classic autism or high functioning ASD almost always has a major impact on people's lives. The unemployment and underemployment numbers for people on the spectrum are truly horrific. There are many people who have no problem proudly taking on the label of Asperger's or autism yet for some reason want to completely deny that it is by definition a pervasive developmental disability. Having pride and positive self-esteem is great, but not if they are built on a foundation of denial.

Well you know I can't deny these facts. Do you believe the majority of us are incapable of employment whatsoever except for sheltered workshops? Can the majority of us be made employable whatsoever in your opinion?

Honestly, I want to work somewhere in which I can be myself, pursue my own dreams, and spin my own straw into gold and I don't have to twist and contort myself to fit some paradigm in which I have to pretend to be something I'm not. Do you understand?

Maybe in the factual sense he is right but he has this air of superiority about him that turns me off. This is my issue with a lot of people in American society. They project this smug and superiority attitude about themselves and I simply do not vibe with that. I felt disrespected. I really do try to look at the facts over the emotional content but sometimes it is difficult for me to do so.

In fact, I don't vibe with our American hustling culture whatsoever. Do you get where I am coming from?

This is why I feel I have to go my own direction which is what I'm attempting to do. I do not feel I could put up with someone who talks to me like I'm s**t. I would try but it would be difficult. I would not vibe with that and I know I would not vibe. I don't vibe with the whole projecting confidence, hustling, team-player type atmosphere in which one is forced to play sophistry games and be dishonest. His logic maybe sound but honestly I don't vibe with Marty.



What is wrong with this anyway?



Maybe I don't find their humor, humorous?



Disjointed? By who's standards? Who is the ultimate definer of what is considered being on point or not?



True, because we don't fit a certain mold put forth by society.



America is a Christain nation right? This is to American society. Why not be Christ-like and loving and help those with poor eye-hand coordination see a physical therapist and put up your own money to help mitigate this. Oh Noes, it would be considered a hand out.

If this doesn't impair one in doing the job money then why care?



and we're to be punished??? Why?



I don't either.

What's wrong with having unusual habits unless they present a danger to others or yourself? If one did scavenge through garbage cans like that and ate food scraps I would be concerned with that and with them. That is a health hazard.

Some things about autism like executive function deficits are true disabilities. Being horrible at organizing is true lack of skill that causes poor functioning in any situation.

Other things about autism like working better in small groups, by oneself, or in quiet areas do not cause poor functioning by themselves. People whose brains are wired that way function poorly in society because we are a small minority and the vast majority rejects this. That is the "difference" wording that the neurodiverse movement is trying to point out.

I don't scavenge through garbage but I still hear people complain all the time about our throwaway society. Yet most of us consider somebody doing something about it and there own needs by "dumpster-diving" "wrong" . That is a moral judgement by us that for the most part nothing to do with skills needed by employers.

Yeah the reviews were mostly positive. From what I see the Mr. Nemko's style will work for most and his blunt style is what a lot of people who are stuck or lazy need to hear. But the same style is toxic for most people with disabilities. He has in some form realized this and went back to what he is familiar with. If one is not started I will start a petition on change.org calling for article removal.

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 22 May 2014, 6:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.

^^This is the main thing I would like to work on and I believe we autistics should work on. This is my top priority. I agree here. Executive dysfunction sucks and this is one thing about my autism I would love to diminish,



Agreed



Agreed!



Please! Go Ahead!

I think it's great this Nemko fool has articulated what many Neurotypicals think. I think it's even better that people on the spectrum have piled on to him and torn him to pieces in his comment thread.

Anyone who posted a critical comment on his blog, give yourselves a pat on the back!

Dumpster diving isn't something that's exclusive to those on the spectrum see: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... ody%20link

This form of dumpster diving seems like a good idea. I'd be too squeamish to try it though!

The reviews are mostly positive because they're mostly put-up jobs. That's why so many of them are hidden -- they don't meet yelp's criteria for "real". Guy's a con artist, that's also why he's so prickly.

I looked up the term put-up jobs. How do you figure he is being deceptive?

Yeah, I get it. Because that's how I feel too. But let's talk reality for a minute. It's not about feelings. I have gone to some of the AACEND meetings in San Francisco that revolve around employment. The people that attend these meetings are high functioning, but visibly have some serious issues. These are not people that have a great career, a loving spouse and children, in 2 great kids. The people who attend these meetings, the ones that Marty has met, have chronic employment problems and life problems in general, specifically because of ASD. These are people who don't have the luxury of spinning their own straw into gold because they are desperate to get any sort of work in order to have a roof over their heads and food in the stomach. Maybe you and a lot of other people on the spectrum would find the types of jobs that Michael at AASEND is finding for people on the spectrum demeaning but he is trying to find the types of jobs that these people can get into immediately so they at least have some sort of income to live on. The vast majority of people in the United States hate their jobs and do it simply because it pays the bills. my sister is as NT as it gets and she hates her job. as for sheltered workshops, I don't know. I do know that all of the data available suggests that there is a 60 to 80% unemployment rate in ASD. I do know that most people on ASD cannot hold normal jobs. I mean, you just can't deny that. Does that mean that the 60-80% of us who are unemployed can only work it shelter workshops? Maybe. From what I have read we have a higher unemployment rate than blind people and people with cognitive disability. considering the rate of unemployment in our community is his comments so offensive? I know people are going to comment to this and say well that's because we are not accepted by society. well no s**t. why would society change for us? We represent the poorest 1% of the population. How do you treat Asperger's? You teach people how to integrate into society.

You know, a lot of people here are offended by what Marty wrote, but they have no idea what his experiences have been in terms of working with autistic people. I'm sitting here reading the comments under that psychology today story and it's full of a bunch of people saying to the effect, "I'm autistic and I have a great career and a great life, don't talk about us as though were disabled". Well I'm glad for them. If they have a great life, but they represent a minority of people on the spectrum. Why are people pissed off at Marty and saying nothing about the people who try to portray the entire ASD population as not needing help? I'm thinking ' guys, most of us are fighting a desperate battle for services that we desperately need while you're trying to convince people that life is just peachy on the spectrum'. Man, I just don't know how high functioning some of these commenters are, but if you're not rocking ,and flapping your hands, and walking on your toes, and making odd noises, and are able to get a job, and can hold a job more than a few months, you are probably not the person that the psychology today article was addressing any way. I guess what really pisses me off the most about this entire whatever it is regarding this article is that it seems to me the most high functioning people are just brushing aside lower functioning people as if they just don't exist. Is autism a disability? f**k yes, it is. Is it sometimes ugly? f**k yes, it is. But it seems to me that people just want to sweep the ugly under the rug and pretend autism is just glitter, creative thinking, misunderstood genius, and rainbows.

Yes, I get it. Everybody wants fulfillment in life. Everyone wants her dream job and everyone wants a perfect spouse. But if you're about to lose your home or your apartment, or you cant afford food, or clothes, you take what you can get. Was Marty talking about menial jobs for people on the spectrum? Yes, he was because he hooked up with an organization whose leader will not pass getting an autistic person a job as a file clerk, even though that person may be way overqualified for the job. Marty's experience with people on the spectrum as related to jobs is with people who have moderate to severe impairment (yes, people, high end of the spectrum can be moderately to severely impaired) and are often in a crisis situation. And believe me when I tell you that the people that go to AASCEND for support are happy when they get jobs as file clerks, proofreaders, data entry clerks, etc,. It often means that they don't become homeless or it's a step towards independence for them.

As for someone digging out the garbage can for scraps of food... You go to any city anywhere in the world and you will see people digging through garbage cans for scraps of food. So this guy mentions a story he was told about someone on the spectrum digging that through a dumpster for scraps of food and some horrific insult? No big deal if you're just plain homeless, but if it's ASD 'Them's fighting words'?

In the end, what really matters is that this guy didn't try to intentionally insult or hurt anyone. He's not one of those guys that call us psychopaths and baby killers after some shooting is reported in the news. But whether you like his personality or not he has clearly helped people, whether those people were on the spectrum are not doesn't really matter to me, as long as he is doing good for people. I will tell you he has had some clients on the spectrum and he taken the initiative to connect with AASCEND. The sad thing is, this was an opportunity for us as a community. If people had politely educated him in the comments he would have been better for it and maybe taken a more active role in raising awareness and finding jobs for people on the spectrum. What is wrong with telling someone they are misinformed and then educating them? What is wrong with giving somebody a chance to learn. But what happened was most of the comments were so nasty that they immediately closed all doors and minds. This was so self-destructive. Is this what our community is? Just being nasty to anyone that says anything that can be taken as remotely offensive? Is that how we want to present ourselves to society? What's even worse is that people have taken it beyond psychology today. They are going to the yelp and his website. People are trying to destroy this man's career. For what? not only are they not educating him they are trying to ruin him. Seriously, what the f**k!? He didn't even deserve the nastiness of the comments on psychology today, let alone people trying to undermine his ability to provide for his family.as for his comment about employers would be turned off by the comments being left him, I agree. We often talk about what a disservice autism speaks does to our community, but the thing is they spread their BS with honey, while in this case and some others we try to beat the truth into people with the stick. Society seized the honey in the stick 1st. They make a judgment call based on the honey and the stick 1st. they say to themselves, while autism speaks is very reasonable and they say to themselves while these people leaving comments are kind of scary. Whether it's right or wrong, that things often work in this way it is what it is and we have to be cognizant of that. Do you think the aggressiveness and nastiness many of the comments on that article would make the NT people reading them more or less likely to believe in the nasty stereotypes that exist about us? I believe the answer is more. As a community we have to learn to become aware of how we present ourselves to society because that is important to people who make up the majority society. as a community we have to learn to take these opportunities to convert the uninformed into allies rather than pushing them into becoming bitter against us. As a community and a minority segment of the population we don't have numbers on our side, we don't have money, we don't have political power. The only thing we have to sway society is our words. If we continue to present ourselves in the way of those nasty comments ours is a lost cause. Do you get where I'm coming from?

I don't have a career, or a family, or any friends, for that matter. You guys are the closest thing to friends and family that I have. I will defend my brothers and sisters on the spectrum without hesitation, but I don't see what happened with that psychology today article as people defending our community, I just saw it as self-destructive to our community. After how this whole thing went down I haven't felt so alone in a long time.

Time to stop talking and start doing something about this
This is a online petition I created to have Psychology Today remove this blog. I myself do not have a big enough network for this to be effective but maybe with enough of us together can get somewhere. If you are afraid to use your real email create one specifically for Autism related issues and use that. While I frankly have my doubts about this but I know just more talking about this will accomplish nothing. I am using ipetition instead of change.org petition software because change.org is associated with the progressive movement and that might turn off for conservative/tea party autistics or distract them from the issue at hand for them

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/peti ... -a-hurtful

A lot of the lyrics to this old hair metal song seen relevent.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H41sseCNILI[/youtube]

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 22 May 2014, 6:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Reminds me of the old saying: "With friends like him, who needs enemies?"

And I think the same of his defenders and sympathisers.

Sorry about that..