My son is autistic. You're confusing low-functioning autism with all autism. You're also assuming that a low-functioning autistic can not function once given the proper tools (for example, he may not be able to say "I need to eat" nor drive to the grocery store, but give him an app that lets him order food whenever he needs to eat and he can live on his own just fine).
They can't function in the SOCIETY the unevolved people have created (well, until given the proper tools). However, with the rates of Autism increasing, it won't take long for society to be more suited to them.
Society is changing to interact less in person, and more via electronics - which Autistic people are great at. Having a teenage son (and by extension seeing many different teenagers) I have seen that you don't have to be unawkward and sociable in person to get laid anymore. Even if the "normal" people pay you no attention, the other Autistic people - where there are plenty of - will assist you in passing on your genes.
Actually, the social and language use issues are gauged purely through in-person interaction; many Autistic people are adept at social interaction and language use via electronic means.
There is a severely autistic girl who was thought to be completely incapable of social interaction and language use... until she went over to a computer and starting typing on it. Basically she was seen as severaly retarded based on in-person interaction, but with the use of electronics to communicate, she is now in gifted classes http://carlysvoice.com/home/ab...
Heck, as an adult I wish there were places I could experiment, woodwork, solder, etc. safely; I've got a small kitchen with no ventilation, and no garage. Some sort of public science lab and shop-class-like setup that I could pay a membership fee for my family to use would be amazing.
I don't consider highschollers to be kids.
Just a couple of generations ago, it was common for average schoolkids to spend much of their time unsupervised, especially during school breaks such as summer vacation. Have we devolved to the point that even the gifted children are no longer capable of this... or are adults underestimating what children are capable of?
I agree that quality instruction is good... but I think it is rarely found in schools.
I did the same thing, and eventually dropped out of high school so I could start college early. However, I realize that it's not an option for everyone (especially someone with the goal of college who must rely on scholarships to get there), and that with the way things work today, it can slow down things for the rest of the class ("s0nicfreak is getting horrible grades, she must not be understanding, we need to work at a lower level/speed").
A better solution is to not force such students to attend the schools. Even if there is no parent at home during the day; if a kid is gifted enough to pursue their own curriculum at a school, they are most likely capable of not setting the house on fire while pursuing their own curriculum at home, of looking both ways as they cross the street to walk to the public library, and of not being disruptive while pursuing their own curriculum at the public library.
Why not just stop forcing kids into all-or-nothing advancement? Put kids into each class based on ability, rather than age or "gifted" status. So for example, you could take Level 9 math, but Level 5 PE.
But of course that would never work in today's system because all the time spent actually seeing if kids were learning and what level they were at, would take too much time away from memorizing the answers to the standardized tests.
As another homeschooler; my kids are ahead on social development, because they have the ability (and the time) to interact with a wide range of people daily. Being kept in a room all day, surrounded by people of only your own age, mostly your own race and family-income-level, that you can't even talk to for much of the day does not do well for your social skills. Sure, you'll be okay with interacting with people of your own age, race and income level, but not so good beyond that (and where, beyond school, do you see that kind of segregation?).
Even my autistic son's social skills are thriving; I'm sure if he went to school he'd be ostracized and miserable.
The solution, imo, is to have a standard of ability that students must meet before they are admitted into public school.
Americans need to realize that refusing children admission into a public school is not denying them an education - there's still homeschooling (which can be done for free), co-ops (several families of children with disabilities could pool resources to be able to afford necessary resources. Single-parent families and/or families where both parents work, work together to trade-off on supervision time. Etc.), and private schools.
So we have a standard for physical, mental, and behavioral ability. Little Johnny requires a diaper due to his disability, and therefore must have two aides available at all times to change his diaper? No; let his mother change his diaper, or pay for the two aides herself at a private school. Little Molly interrupts class by having random emotional outbursts where she throws desks at students that are concentrating (I actually went to school with a girl like this, who made the 1 class I actually liked hell)? Nope, she's out of the school. Billy has Downs, he will never be able to keep up with the class, but his mom wants him to feel "normal"? No, he isn't normal, mom just has to accept that.
And before anyone pulls out the argument that "Parents that don't care about education just won't bother to educate a kid that can't get into (or is kicked out of) public school" - that's bullshit. NOT putting your kid in school is already an option that is completely legal - not EDUCATING your kid, on the other hand, is illegal. How about we start calling people on this law?
And when you bring in one of the books from the public library, the teacher says you are a bad student that doesn't pay attention and confiscates the book.
Well, that works if they are allowed to do so. If they are just forced to sit and watch while the remedial students are helped, or the other gifted students get that little guidance - as they mostly are in today's American schools - it doesn't work too well.
Passing a note around the school is only traceable if someone knows who wrote the original note, and someone can recognise my handwriting. Messages posted via a cellphone are a lot easier to trace.
I think most people would just sell their houses and move
And this is exactly why bullying works in schools but not so much in the real world. People are unwilling to pull their kid out of the most convenient school, and schools don't want to lose students because schools are paid based on attendance.
But having empty houses is bad for the whole neighborhood, so wacko-threats-neighbor is forced to cut it out or leave.
If you read the rest of my post you'd see the answer to the "so what". You're just backing up my point - put the right seasonings on and something healthy can taste just the same as whatever unhealthy food you love. Unless your favorite food is a bucket of salt.
No. I've never even heard of a county health bus. I'm 29 and the last vaccination that was even recommended to me was for swine flu, years ago when I was pregnant.
Actually, the corn-fed meat that the average American is eating doesn't have much flavor on its own. It's all in the seasonings.
Put those same seasonings on a veggie dish and it tastes the same.
(Meat fed a natural-to-them diet does have distinct flavors, though.)
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My son is autistic. You're confusing low-functioning autism with all autism. You're also assuming that a low-functioning autistic can not function once given the proper tools (for example, he may not be able to say "I need to eat" nor drive to the grocery store, but give him an app that lets him order food whenever he needs to eat and he can live on his own just fine).
They can't function in the SOCIETY the unevolved people have created (well, until given the proper tools). However, with the rates of Autism increasing, it won't take long for society to be more suited to them.
Society is changing to interact less in person, and more via electronics - which Autistic people are great at. Having a teenage son (and by extension seeing many different teenagers) I have seen that you don't have to be unawkward and sociable in person to get laid anymore. Even if the "normal" people pay you no attention, the other Autistic people - where there are plenty of - will assist you in passing on your genes.
I'd never heard of this, but yes there are a couple near me! Thank you for letting me know this exists!
What he meant was that he was pregnant when he went, gave birth to the baby there and misplaced it.
Actually, the social and language use issues are gauged purely through in-person interaction; many Autistic people are adept at social interaction and language use via electronic means.
There is a severely autistic girl who was thought to be completely incapable of social interaction and language use... until she went over to a computer and starting typing on it. Basically she was seen as severaly retarded based on in-person interaction, but with the use of electronics to communicate, she is now in gifted classes http://carlysvoice.com/home/ab...
There isn't even medication for Autism, last I checked...
I have multiple kids that were parented the same, have the same amount of screen time, but only the youngest is Autistic.
before the entire population is fucked
Have you ever considered that perhaps Autism is an evolution of humans, rather than a thing which will "fuck" us?
Why shouldn't leisure travel be required to be non-polluting, or at least, as little polluting as possible?
Heck, as an adult I wish there were places I could experiment, woodwork, solder, etc. safely; I've got a small kitchen with no ventilation, and no garage. Some sort of public science lab and shop-class-like setup that I could pay a membership fee for my family to use would be amazing.
I don't consider highschollers to be kids.
Just a couple of generations ago, it was common for average schoolkids to spend much of their time unsupervised, especially during school breaks such as summer vacation. Have we devolved to the point that even the gifted children are no longer capable of this... or are adults underestimating what children are capable of?
I agree that quality instruction is good... but I think it is rarely found in schools.
I did the same thing, and eventually dropped out of high school so I could start college early. However, I realize that it's not an option for everyone (especially someone with the goal of college who must rely on scholarships to get there), and that with the way things work today, it can slow down things for the rest of the class ("s0nicfreak is getting horrible grades, she must not be understanding, we need to work at a lower level/speed").
A better solution is to not force such students to attend the schools. Even if there is no parent at home during the day; if a kid is gifted enough to pursue their own curriculum at a school, they are most likely capable of not setting the house on fire while pursuing their own curriculum at home, of looking both ways as they cross the street to walk to the public library, and of not being disruptive while pursuing their own curriculum at the public library.
Why not just stop forcing kids into all-or-nothing advancement? Put kids into each class based on ability, rather than age or "gifted" status. So for example, you could take Level 9 math, but Level 5 PE.
But of course that would never work in today's system because all the time spent actually seeing if kids were learning and what level they were at, would take too much time away from memorizing the answers to the standardized tests.
As another homeschooler; my kids are ahead on social development, because they have the ability (and the time) to interact with a wide range of people daily. Being kept in a room all day, surrounded by people of only your own age, mostly your own race and family-income-level, that you can't even talk to for much of the day does not do well for your social skills. Sure, you'll be okay with interacting with people of your own age, race and income level, but not so good beyond that (and where, beyond school, do you see that kind of segregation?).
Even my autistic son's social skills are thriving; I'm sure if he went to school he'd be ostracized and miserable.
The solution, imo, is to have a standard of ability that students must meet before they are admitted into public school.
Americans need to realize that refusing children admission into a public school is not denying them an education - there's still homeschooling (which can be done for free), co-ops (several families of children with disabilities could pool resources to be able to afford necessary resources. Single-parent families and/or families where both parents work, work together to trade-off on supervision time. Etc.), and private schools.
So we have a standard for physical, mental, and behavioral ability. Little Johnny requires a diaper due to his disability, and therefore must have two aides available at all times to change his diaper? No; let his mother change his diaper, or pay for the two aides herself at a private school. Little Molly interrupts class by having random emotional outbursts where she throws desks at students that are concentrating (I actually went to school with a girl like this, who made the 1 class I actually liked hell)? Nope, she's out of the school. Billy has Downs, he will never be able to keep up with the class, but his mom wants him to feel "normal"? No, he isn't normal, mom just has to accept that.
And before anyone pulls out the argument that "Parents that don't care about education just won't bother to educate a kid that can't get into (or is kicked out of) public school" - that's bullshit. NOT putting your kid in school is already an option that is completely legal - not EDUCATING your kid, on the other hand, is illegal. How about we start calling people on this law?
And when you bring in one of the books from the public library, the teacher says you are a bad student that doesn't pay attention and confiscates the book.
Well, that works if they are allowed to do so. If they are just forced to sit and watch while the remedial students are helped, or the other gifted students get that little guidance - as they mostly are in today's American schools - it doesn't work too well.
American schools were MUCH different when he went, though.
Neither does blocking the app in their area.
Passing a note around the school is only traceable if someone knows who wrote the original note, and someone can recognise my handwriting. Messages posted via a cellphone are a lot easier to trace.
I think most people would just sell their houses and move
And this is exactly why bullying works in schools but not so much in the real world. People are unwilling to pull their kid out of the most convenient school, and schools don't want to lose students because schools are paid based on attendance.
But having empty houses is bad for the whole neighborhood, so wacko-threats-neighbor is forced to cut it out or leave.
If you read the rest of my post you'd see the answer to the "so what". You're just backing up my point - put the right seasonings on and something healthy can taste just the same as whatever unhealthy food you love. Unless your favorite food is a bucket of salt.
No. I've never even heard of a county health bus. I'm 29 and the last vaccination that was even recommended to me was for swine flu, years ago when I was pregnant.
Actually, the corn-fed meat that the average American is eating doesn't have much flavor on its own. It's all in the seasonings. Put those same seasonings on a veggie dish and it tastes the same.
(Meat fed a natural-to-them diet does have distinct flavors, though.)