I don't believe I ever saw this story about Tony Snell on the forum before. If it has been, mods please delete. https://blog.theautismsite.greaterg...29.764346038.1690034150-1310603137.1482040823
Stereotypes about autism prevent people being diagnosed for a lot of reasons. I would not be surprised if several NBA players could meet a diagnosis. Kawhi? And I always suspected Harold Miner. Also possibly LaMarcus?
that one Boston point guard who was so good… there a lot of players who I see and think “he’s probably like me yeah”
Good on him! I volunteer and work with autistic kids and adults every so often and they are misunderstood a lot of the time. Can function quite well as long as people are patient with them and they take their medication.
The story about Tony Snell broke a few months ago. I think more people are on the spectrum than we'd expect. I'm glad people are becoming more aware of how people adapt with these issues and have productive lives. The stigma around it usually evolves around the panic attacks, etc but not the brilliance of focus some autistic people have...I had a student who was very autistic who went on to graduate college before most people graduate high school..the kid absorbed books like most people breath air and he retained the information..amazing young man that I watched grow up.
It's positively brain-dead how often autism is misdiagnosed and how quick people are to throw this diagnosis around like bird-seed or rice (in days long past) at a wedding. Someone has a more reserved personality-type: HEY, that fucker is Rain Man!!!! Someone doesn't express themselves verbally very much, doesn't express emotions often or markedly: get that autistic MF some medication!!!! Hey, that guy is kinda quiet! He must be a closet-autistic!!!! Yank him out and drug him up PRONTO or his brand of keeping-to-himself will spread!!! I know someone who certain people have tried to label as a possible spectrum-boy and it's absolute bulllllllllllshit. When he talks to them in certain circumstances, he guards his feelings and doesn't really want to talk to them and gets quiet and removes a lot of emotion from his voice, but other times he's not like that at all. Totally outgoing, expressive, emotionally active and capable, etc.. You don't flip autism on/off like it's a switch. You either have it or you don't. All the talk about autism is whack-a-doodle nonsense. It's the flavor of the month, hip thing to do (diagnosing people or using the spectrum card).
Domination has a point. There is such a thing as autism just as mental illness is real but gets thrown at anyone with doesn't fit in. How dare you not think/act/feel/react the way someone else says you should? You aren't different, you're diseased! That said I applaud anyone who speaks out clearly about issues.
Whats with the random bump about Snell? It's not like he self diagnosed it. Such a weird and random take. Ooh wait, I see who posted it. Nevermind, they know Dame!
Kind of curious why a "global moderator" makes such posts as this. The "they know Dame" thing sounds like an elementary school kid's attempt to belittle others and draw attention off themselves to hide their insecurities and shortcomings. Rather childish behavior, is it not?
To Dominhatin’s point (and maybe this discussion needs to move into the OT forum) there is a social instinct to pathologize behaviors that are functionally harmless because they ask society to shoulder slightly more patience and compassion. People hate accommodating others in general; they’d rather spend billions and decades to eradicate these harmless behaviors than change anything about their own behaviors.
Sure but calling it whack a doodle, pulling a spectrum card, and the flavor of the week is super damaging. Instead of doing that people should try to understand others more. Not just make fun. It is harder to build up understanding than it is to tear it down.
Oh I definitely didn't agree with how he presented that point; I have the guy on ignore for a reason. But despite his delivery, there is a nugget of something meaningful in there. I just wanted to elevate that to others who also despise his posts.
