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This fact ought to be too obvious to be worth mentioning:
Psychologists are not our friends.
They are responsible for maintaining a vicious diagnostic regime
that classifies autistic neurological differences as an inherently disordered, impaired, and defective state of being.
Whenever an autistic child is excluded from a mainstream classroom because his needs are allegedly too difficult to meet,
drugged with dangerous medications to make him appear "more normal," or subjected to abusive behavioral "interventions," you
can be sure that a psychologist or psychiatrist is to blame. In order to ensure a steady demand for such "work," they
have created a brutal self-fulfilling prophecy that declares autistics to be hopelessly mentally disabled, of no value to
society, and in need of extensive (and expensive) lifelong psychological services. That description often causes governments,
schools, and parents to treat autistics accordingly. Major depression, extreme anxiety, and other completely preventable
disabling conditions are the inevitable result of such treatment.
Because of the widespread abuse of autistic people by psychologists
over several decades, it has even been suggested that an Autism Truth and Justice Commission should be established to expose the depths of their crimes against humanity. (Note: this link may be
temporarily unavailable because of site changes at autistics.org.)
Friends or enemies? It's not a hard call.
And yet, some autistic adults who were fortunate enough to avoid
the diagnosis and its resulting stigma as children are now voluntarily deciding to visit psychologists for the purpose of
being diagnosed with "Asperger's Disorder." Apparently they have been persuaded that this shiny new label, with its
stereotyped list of "impairments," will somehow validate their life experiences and establish them as full-fledged members
of the autistic community.
In a word: Bullshit.
To make myself completely clear on this point, I am not talking
about those of us who have made the practical decision to seek a diagnosis in order to obtain services or accommodations.
That is a rational response to a woefully irrational and label-obsessed society that is stingy as all hell when it comes to
providing services. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
But there are some autistics who, for reasons I can't fathom, have
chosen to flaunt their diagnosis as if it were a badge of membership in an exclusive social club. These twerps act like
teenage girls comparing rock-star autographs, proudly posting on the aspie boards, "I got my diagnosis from [insert name of
well-known autism expert] personally!" Often they will follow this up by posting snide comments suggesting that their
opinions as "real" autistics are more valid than those of the undiagnosed barbarian hordes. A few of them have even
scanned their letter of diagnosis into their computer and posted it on their website.
Here's what I have to say to the Diagnosis-Fan-Club-Twerps: Whatever
you're smoking, dudes, it's gotta be powerful stuff. I don't know what sort of status you think you've acquired, but
here's a news flash: Society's "beautiful people" are not lined up around the block waiting to be officially diagnosed as
mentally impaired. If you are not in need of services or accommodations, the only thing you're likely to get as a result
of an autism diagnosis is a nice cozy spot on a permanent government database registry of diseased citizens. (And if
you think that's a paranoid exaggeration, take a look at this thread on Aspies for Freedom. Our good buddies the psychs are no doubt responsible for the passage of that charming bit of Nazi-esque legislation,
too.)
Let's put this in historical perspective. Other minority groups
that were oppressed by psychologists acting as agents of social control, such as homosexuals and feminists, had the good sense
not to treat their demeaning diagnostic labels as reflecting some sort of validation of their identity. Back when homosexuality
was listed as a disorder in the DSM, you didn't find gays flocking to psychologists and bragging to others in the gay community
that they had an officially diagnosed psycho-sexual disorder. And you didn't find feminists at consciousness-raising
group meetings declaring giddily, "I got my hysteria diagnosis from Dr. Freud himself!" Both of these groups understood
quite well that the diagnostic labels did not reflect neutral scientific truth but were instead deliberately biased instruments
of social oppression.
I suggest an act of political protest in the same spirit as feminist
bra-burning: Use your letter of diagnosis as an asswipe. Then mail it to your favorite autism "charity" in an envelope
marked "contribution."
(Edit and clarification: A few people thought this might be a
serious suggestion. Actually, I was just being sarcastic. Please don't really harass anyone through the mail.
The postal inspectors would be very unhappy, and I don't want any of my readers getting in trouble with the law.)
