Chris: The Forbidden Experiment? -

[Uzumaki]

Sometimes they refer to feral children, that is to say children raised outside of human society (often given sensationalist descriptions like "raised by wolves"), as "the forbidden experiment". That's because there is so much we can learn from them about human development and nature vs nurture, but the act of deliberately creating a feral child to experiment on would be morally abhorrent.

Now, Chris is probably the greatest case study in abnormal psychology in the entire history of human endeavor. If you wanted to create a study that would expose and document someone like Chris on the level he has voluntarily done himself you'd probably never get funding for moral reasons. There's just no way this wealth of information is going to be ignored by the medical community in the years to come, probably after Chris is dead. They're going to learn so much about autism from just having access to all the issues of Sonichu and the accompanying commentary.

Basically what I'm saying is: Is Chris the Forbidden Experiment? I think he might qualify. There's so much science will be able to learn from him having existed, but deliberately creating a Chris would be a monstrous act. He's a feral child; a gift to science from fate.

 

[ChurchOfGodBear]

Absolutely, he is. The fact that all of the abuse, neglect, and poor decisions by Borb were completely legal and within their rights as parents is unfortunate, but the end result is still Chris being Chris. He is, essentially, what happens if everything possible that can go wrong during a childhood DOES go wrong. He had a bad hand in the gene department, was actively prevented from being treated or assisted, and on top of it all, was taught horrible attitudes both intentionally and unintentionally. Add to even THAT, unrestricted access to the internet and adult material... fuck, you took a bonfire and threw fireworks into it.

Nobody with any brains would do that to a child, nobody with a conscience would WANT to. But someone did, and we can view the results. If anything, Chris will serve as an example to the world that "mainstreaming" autistics doesn't work (or at least, that it must be done with extreme care) and that being autistic doesn't prevent the teaching of basic life skills and manners. For this reason, I do hope someone in the medical community can document the CWC story.

 

[93Aiwass]

Sometimes they refer to feral children, that is to say children raised outside of human society (often given sensationalist descriptions like "raised by wolves"), as "the forbidden experiment". That's because there is so much we can learn from them about human development and nature vs nurture, but the act of deliberately creating a feral child to experiment on would be morally abhorrent.

Now, Chris is probably the greatest case study in abnormal psychology in the entire history of human endeavor. If you wanted to create a study that would expose and document someone like Chris on the level he has voluntarily done himself you'd probably never get funding for moral reasons. There's just no way this wealth of information is going to be ignored by the medical community in the years to come, probably after Chris is dead. They're going to learn so much about autism from just having access to all the issues of Sonichu and the accompanying commentary.

Basically what I'm saying is: Is Chris the Forbidden Experiment? I think he might qualify. There's so much science will be able to learn from him having existed, but deliberately creating a Chris would be a monstrous act. He's a feral child; a gift to science from fate.

If so, maybe the CWCki can get a [cwc]monthly tugboat[/cwc] from the National Institutes for Mental Health. 8-)

 

[BillRiley]

I think Chris-C­han's story would be of limited value as a case study. Even with access to his entire medical history it would be difficult to draw scientifically valid conclusions absent regular observation & testing. Though I suppose he does serve as an example of how not to raise an autistic child (or any child, really.)

If so, maybe the CWCki can get a [cwc]monthly tugboat[/cwc] from the National Institutes for Mental Health. 8-)

There's probably a better chance getting one from the CDC.

 

[BigAltheGreat921]

Mainstreaming is possible with those with high-functioning autism** and people with Aspergers, it just has to be done properly. That didn't happen with Chris. But low-functioning autistics and those with even worse mental disorders NEED special-ed no matter what, or they will not turn out OK at all.

** Chris' diagnosis was HFA, right? But it's clear that due to lack of proper therapy, he has clearly regressed to mid-functioning over the years.

 

[Aleister Crowley]

Mainstreaming is possible with those with high-functioning autistics** and people with Aspergers, it just has to be done properly. That didn't happen with Chris. But low-functioning autistics and those with even worse mental disorders NEED special-ed no matter what, or they will not turn out OK at all.

** Chris' diagnosis was HFA, right? But it's clear that due to lack of proper therapy, he has clearly regressed to mid-functioning over the years.

I'm sure he's gone quite far down the scale just from not doing anything remotely mentally stimulating. In a way it's almost sad and makes one wish he had a desire to do something, even something like basic Sudoku to keep his brain working. I am happy to hear from one source (I forget - oy vey) that he did play chess, but he needs more of this. He needs to realize he might be close to falling into old patterns and behaviors.

You can't discount that he might have felt that SE was beneath him and his parents enabled this, so he didn't get any help. I'm pretty sure he would have been strange if he had help, but he might have been a bit more savvy. In other words, not much of a change but perhaps fewer sagas and videos. I have a fish...OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!

 

[EzioCanLeapofFaith]

Yes. I believe Chris is a perfect example of what happens when you refuse to give your child the help they need.

 

[Julaay]

Mainstreaming is possible with those with high-functioning autistics** and people with Aspergers, it just has to be done properly. That didn't happen with Chris. But low-functioning autistics and those with even worse mental disorders NEED special-ed no matter what, or they will not turn out OK at all.

** Chris' diagnosis was HFA, right? But it's clear that due to lack of proper therapy, he has clearly regressed to mid-functioning over the years.

I agree. However, I think Chris has a lot more problems than Autism. Its hard to tell what they are, but a lot lower functioning Autistics than Chris have lived a lot more independent. Then again, why be independent if you don't have to? I think part of the reason he doesn't take care of himself is, he doesn't have to. However, he has sunk a lot lower than even some of the worst basement dwellers.

 

[shutupman]

There's definitely more wrong with Chris than just autism/Asperger's syndrome. He also seems to suffer from some sort of "developmental handicap", in that he has difficulty discerning reality from fiction (among myriad other things). There's a reason he was so upset to be put on the bus with those slow-in-the-minds; he knows he's one of them.
This isn't to say he's a simpering fool, but that he's extremely naïve when it comes to things others see as common knowledge.
Is this in part due to his sheltered upbringing? Partially, I'm sure, but still doesn't explain all his fucktardery.

 

[Picklemonster]

When you really look at it, there's nothing that particularly special about Chris versus the countless other bizarre, irrational trainwrecks littering Encyclopedia Dramatica. What he has going for him that most don't is his total inability to grow as a person, his unending torrent of material that necessitated a whole website, and the fandom that cared enough to keep prodding and promoting him. His problems really come down to the mundane diagnoses of autism, narcissism, and delusional thinking.

 

[Kosher Dill]

Chris doesn't make a good natural experiment because no one really knows for sure what went on during his formative early childhood years. At this point Chris himself has probably forgotten.

 

[Hasharin]

He's example of a man raised by 90's television. Modern feral child.

 

[Uzumaki]

When you really look at it, there's nothing that particularly special about Chris versus the countless other bizarre, irrational trainwrecks littering Encyclopedia Dramatica. What he has going for him that most don't is his total inability to grow as a person, his unending torrent of material that necessitated a whole website, and the fandom that cared enough to keep prodding and promoting him. His problems really come down to the mundane diagnoses of autism, narcissism, and delusional thinking.

My point isn't that he's especially broken, just that there is a wealth of material about him publicly available that there wouldn't be for other, similarly broken people. Typically when someone creates a personal fantasy world on par with CWCville we don't get to have an in-depth look at it.

 

[3Yikes]

My point isn't that he's especially broken, just that there is a wealth of material about him publicly available that there wouldn't be for other, similarly broken people.

Publicly? No. But I am pretty sure that researches have some equally bizarre information from people they studied, it just doesn't have it's own dedicated wiki for everyone to see.

And really, i don't think any of the info we have on him is of any real use to actual researchers. Most of the problems he has are already pretty well known to people in that field. What seems extremely bizarre to us is probably just another generic symptom to a professional.

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

You can't discount that he might have felt that SE was beneath him and his parents enabled this, so he didn't get any help.

I think he certainly feels he is "better" than to have to endure special education.

Still, one wonders how he justifies being a proud example of mainstreaming when he hates his life and has achieved absolutely none of his goals. What exactly does he think mainstreaming did for him?

Also, what about "dating education"? Wouldn't that be considered Special Education? How can he have dating education and still be mainstreamed?

 

[Uzumaki]

Still, one wonders how he justifies being a proud example of mainstreaming when he hates his life and has achieved absolutely none of his goals. What exactly does he think mainstreaming did for him?

He's perfect, what are you implying? LOGIC CIRCUIT OVERLOAD! LOGIC CIRCUIT OVERLOAD! *Stress Sigh*

Also, what about "dating education"? Wouldn't that be considered Special Education? How can he have dating education and still be mainstreamed?

Everyone would be REQUIRED to attend Dating Education Classes as part of Mainstream Education so that ALL PRETTY GIRLS could be divvied up FAIRLY by the teacher and not hoarded by JERKS.

 

[onetwothreefour]

My point isn't that he's especially broken, just that there is a wealth of material about him publicly available that there wouldn't be for other, similarly broken people.

Publicly? No. But I am pretty sure that researches have some equally bizarre information from people they studied, it just doesn't have it's own dedicated wiki for everyone to see.

This. You have a dig around in some psychology journals, you'll find weirder people documented with some actual scientific rigour involved.