About the whole "she's high functioning and doesn't understand that my kid isn't toilet trained" bit

[conuly]

Well, kinda about that!

Aside from the truly hysterical irony of the whole thread, it reminded me of a conversation I had with my mom the same day I posted that CNN article about euthanasia. You know, the one which involved infants with, in one case, "severe spina bifida".

Me: What I don't get is the spina bifida thing. Isn't spina bifida, like, nonfatal?
Mommy: Yes, but the thing is...
Me: *eager anticipation*
Mommy: Well, it's a lack of proper development, so for instance a lot of them are incontinent...
Me: Um, yeah?
Mommy: ...and so they're in diapers their whole lives...
Me: *thinking about that autistics.org article* Yeah, and?
Mommy: ...and they walk strangely....
Me: ...
Me: You've got to be kidding me.

I'm still not sure if she meant that seriously or was just paraphrasing the ideas of people who worry about their poor crippled children, but I was *very* freaked out.

Comments

[celticess.livejournal.com]

Your mom is rather uninformed isn't she? My exhusbands gf before me had spina bifida. She walks quite fine. She was born with an open/exposed spine. I had actually seen her scars. She also had 2 kids last I heard and went through that just fine. She is also not incontinent.

My spinal issue may fall under spina bifida. I was told it is a birth defect. I'm not incontinent and I don't walk funny from that. I walk funny from being hit by a car which messed up neurology in my legs, also my muscle problem, and other things which have nothing to do with my spine.

Where did you hear that toilet traning line? I've not heard that one but I've had similar hostile comments leveled at me in the "how dare you let yourself be labeled autistic your nothing like my kid" line. When they forget once we were kids and we all change given time. I think it's not uncommon for adult's that are considered HF and parents of kids considered HF to be hassled by parents of kids on the spectrum with other labels. Some with the kids with the other labels are nice but lets face it their is this group that is bitter and angry or whatever and can't see any light in what they percieve as a very dark tunnel with no end.

[conuly]

The toilet training one? That post in Wakasplat's journal that ended up metaquoted.

[celticess.livejournal.com]

Ahh I've not paid attention. I don't read Amanda's journal in general. *shrug* Though I think a fair bit of her stuff used to be up on autistics.org(maybe still is).