Psychologists/students prodding and poking people with AS

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Sometimes I feel like this place is used as a hot spot for people with a career in psych to come and take notes on their clip boards.

As much as I wish them the best with their findings, secretly in my heart I think that this medical system will not serve AS people, nor ultimately those that observe us and report back to their masters.

At times I feel ambivalent toward sharing, fearful that what is learnt here, may be used negatively by medical corporates.

Are we consolidating and contributing to our enslavement in an NT world? Or am I delusional and paranoid from too much surfweed?

Last edited by Surfman on 15 Sep 2010, 3:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

It could happen. Support the Neurodiversity movement; remove the possibility!

Thanks, where is this movement found? Here? http://www.neurodiversity.com/neurodiversity.html


"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet

I heard a rumor that WP is secretly owned by Autism Speaks....sooooo the possibility is possibly possible

lol... It isnt

I dont think medical knowledge really hurts in the long run, the more the better.

Is the person poking and prodding you doing so for your benefit, their benefit or the benefit of the university or medical corporate which employs them? Generally it's the latter.

I'm not inclined to be a guinea pig.

I am not enslaved and I don't care if doctors are reading my posts. At least here they will get accurate information about me.

I'm not an experiment, I'm a person.

It would certainly be a bit of each, though often it is for their benefit due to the fact that a lot of people are drawn to research on condition/disorders/traits etc. that they possess themselves. Or know someone who does, etc.

I think it would be hard (or, at least, unprofessional) for a scientist to use forum discussion to "learn", as the reliability of the info obtained couldn't be guaranteed. Maybe it could form a basis for developing hypotheses though...

This thread wonders if we are being analyzed by psychologists in order to take notes, etc.

With almost 40,000 members it is probable that there are a few analyzing us with AS/autism. The interesting thing is the reason I came to WP was to learn about myself with AS. I joined after my diagnosis of AS in Nov. of 2008. I was curious about other AS people's lives and management of it. I have learned a vast amount of information here. And I am still learning. But it is more than that---I have come to find the WP a place of companionship for those like me with AS.

But what about NTs who belong here? Many of them have family members with AS/autism. So they are learning from us. And there are some who are curious. I am fine with that so long as respect for all is maintained (AS and NT alike). They can learn about autism from us.

Psychologists lurking??? Well, I bet there are a few. This is a prime place to study us. Is it a bad thing? Probably not. But I don't think it is ethical if they were to disguise themselves as us in order to learn. There have been several occasions where we have seen threads started by students of psychology working on projects that ask us to help them. Again, there is a lot to learn here.

Given such a large number of members here, there are bound to be some that are not who they say they are---that's just the nature of the internet. I would think those people would tire eventually and begin lurking someplace else. This means there could be stalkers, trolls, etc. But again, that's just the nature of the internet.

So I don't think the OP is delusional---it's just an unfortunate probable fact. We must always be cautious anytime we communicate in cyberspace.

And just a thought---I think most of us are aware that there are probably some relatively famous people that belong to the WP too, such as authors. WP in itself is famous and has been featured in numerous types of media.

Hey thanks Glider for such a broad review of the situation, I'm impressed!

If I may add, I guess there are also times when a lurking psych sees an opportunity to correct, mediate(must happen a lot) or inform, and contribute to discussion in a positive way.

Kind of reminds me of actual AS meetings I've been to, where an extremely pleasant and bubbly NT floats around and shares some love and warmth among the frustration and desperation.