03-27-2008, 09:33 AM
This is a piece I wrote for my local newspaper (Sioux Falls Argus Leader, South Dakota's largest) for World Autism Awareness Day. Hopefully, it'll be run on April 2nd, like I asked.
Comments welcome.
-BobB
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April is Autism Awareness Month, and the UN has designated April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day.
What is autism? Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior. You're probably familiar with movies like "Rain Man", and various other representations in the media.
For 65 years, many assumptions have been made about autism; recently, though, those assumptions have been turned on their head by researchers. For example, a low-functioning autistic woman named Amanda Baggs is putting many of the classic myths about autism to rest; she writes like a college professor, and she makes her own videos where she gives amazing insight into being autistic (they're on YouTube).
Autism advocates are generally divided into two camps: those who want to find a cure, and those who see autism as 'neurodiversity', i.e., a difference in the way the brain is wired. The neurodiverse view is that autistic brains have subtle but important differences from 'neurotypical' (i.e., 'normal') brains.
One of the commonly-held myths about autism - most treatments are based on it - is that autism is a 'shell', with a 'normal' child inside; it's simply not true! If there's a shell, it's an integral part of who the child is, just like a turtle's shell is an integral - and non-removable - part of the turtle. Autism can be treated, but to 'cure' autism would actually require rebuilding the brain neuron by neuron!
Another part of the neurodiverse view is that autism can be beneficial to society. In fact, some of the greatest geniuses in history are thought to have been autistic, or at least had autistic traits: Einstein, Mozart, Beethoven, Newton, Van Gogh, Edison, and Jefferson, among others. More recently, people like Dan Ackroyd, Daryl Hannah, Andy Kaufman, Bill Gates, and Andy Warhol are known or thought to be on the autistic spectrum.
The 'find a cure' viewpoint, though, is that autism is a disease that needs to be cured at all costs; the consequences can be disastrous, though. It's understandable that parents are upset when they get the diagnosis; the problem is that they panic, and go to any lengths to have a "normal" child.
In Autism Speaks's video "Autism Every Day", a Senior VP makes a comment about taking her autistic daughter and driving off a bridge - while the child is present - and the only reason she didn't was because of her 'normal' daughter!
It gets worse, though...
In 1996, a Montreal lady named Danielle Blais drowned her 6-year-old autistic child. She was arrested and charged with murder; instead of being ostracized, she was actually supported, not only by parents of autistic children, but the president of the local autism society! In fact, Blais was given a job at the autism society after killing her autistic child!
The President of the Montreal Autism Society has said that "Autism is a plague that should be eradicated"; evidently, that includes autistic children, too...
Mind you, these are advocates for autism!
Imagine Jerry Lewis coming out during the MDA Telethon and saying that children with MD are an intolerable burden, and that it's OK to kill them. How big of a public outcry would there be?
But it's perfectly acceptable when it's autistics...
So what do WE want?
Understanding and acceptance of who we are, for one; we'd rather not be thought of as "soulless", "beast-like", "alien", "Possessed by a demon", or that we "destroy parents' dreams".
We don't want a world without autism; we want a world where we live side-by-side with NTs.
Is it possible?
Comments welcome.
-BobB
- - - - - - - - - -
April is Autism Awareness Month, and the UN has designated April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day.
What is autism? Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior. You're probably familiar with movies like "Rain Man", and various other representations in the media.
For 65 years, many assumptions have been made about autism; recently, though, those assumptions have been turned on their head by researchers. For example, a low-functioning autistic woman named Amanda Baggs is putting many of the classic myths about autism to rest; she writes like a college professor, and she makes her own videos where she gives amazing insight into being autistic (they're on YouTube).
Autism advocates are generally divided into two camps: those who want to find a cure, and those who see autism as 'neurodiversity', i.e., a difference in the way the brain is wired. The neurodiverse view is that autistic brains have subtle but important differences from 'neurotypical' (i.e., 'normal') brains.
One of the commonly-held myths about autism - most treatments are based on it - is that autism is a 'shell', with a 'normal' child inside; it's simply not true! If there's a shell, it's an integral part of who the child is, just like a turtle's shell is an integral - and non-removable - part of the turtle. Autism can be treated, but to 'cure' autism would actually require rebuilding the brain neuron by neuron!
Another part of the neurodiverse view is that autism can be beneficial to society. In fact, some of the greatest geniuses in history are thought to have been autistic, or at least had autistic traits: Einstein, Mozart, Beethoven, Newton, Van Gogh, Edison, and Jefferson, among others. More recently, people like Dan Ackroyd, Daryl Hannah, Andy Kaufman, Bill Gates, and Andy Warhol are known or thought to be on the autistic spectrum.
The 'find a cure' viewpoint, though, is that autism is a disease that needs to be cured at all costs; the consequences can be disastrous, though. It's understandable that parents are upset when they get the diagnosis; the problem is that they panic, and go to any lengths to have a "normal" child.
In Autism Speaks's video "Autism Every Day", a Senior VP makes a comment about taking her autistic daughter and driving off a bridge - while the child is present - and the only reason she didn't was because of her 'normal' daughter!
It gets worse, though...
In 1996, a Montreal lady named Danielle Blais drowned her 6-year-old autistic child. She was arrested and charged with murder; instead of being ostracized, she was actually supported, not only by parents of autistic children, but the president of the local autism society! In fact, Blais was given a job at the autism society after killing her autistic child!
The President of the Montreal Autism Society has said that "Autism is a plague that should be eradicated"; evidently, that includes autistic children, too...
Mind you, these are advocates for autism!
Imagine Jerry Lewis coming out during the MDA Telethon and saying that children with MD are an intolerable burden, and that it's OK to kill them. How big of a public outcry would there be?
But it's perfectly acceptable when it's autistics...
So what do WE want?
Understanding and acceptance of who we are, for one; we'd rather not be thought of as "soulless", "beast-like", "alien", "Possessed by a demon", or that we "destroy parents' dreams".
We don't want a world without autism; we want a world where we live side-by-side with NTs.
Is it possible?
