What are the disadvantages of advocacy?

Do you believe in advocacy for those with Asperger Syndrome?

• Don't take this as an anti-asperger and anti-autism comment because it is not. But I am a 20 year old male living with asperger syndrome and I think the whole advocacy and pride thing is BS because I don't really believe in advocating for such a trivial difference in brain functioning. For example, one of the comments I receive is that autism profiled people tend to be more well-behaved by advocacy suck-ups. Behavior should transcend beyond neurology, remember. Also, stop getting in the way of research and treatment. I believe if a severely autistic person doesn't want to eventually die from a lack of care, they should be able to have a cure. Beware the aggressive "advocates" out there.

• Answer:

  i agree that there are a lot of militant pride idiots out there that act like they are in an army against neurotypicals and that they are the only righteous ones, but what i do not agree with is being against advocacy. advocacy and pride are not the same thing. group pride however as you pointed out NEVER works and is often counterproductive. to give an example is within the gay community. in the modern world today most people are tolerant and at least neutral about such individuals. society adapted because they got educated about the issue not because of " pride mongers" so that is where i agree with you. I beleive that advocates of tolerance of autistic people should focus on educating people with the truth about autism. The main problem with the view of autism today is that it is seen as a clinical thing which in many cases it is, but this leads to the creation of negative stereotypes which fuels pride movements, and the pride movements often infuriate the mainstream who views this type of behavior as elitism and either start to disbelieve or minimize the struggles of individuals who the pride movements represent thus not only creating more negative stereotypes but also causing others to think that ASDs are fad or fake disorders which further detriments the movement.