04-23-2007, 12:09 AM
[Enter Mr. Phillipson (9th grade health teacher) and 30 students in a classroom, waiting for a guest Stephanie to come in]
Mr. Phillipson: Alright class, we are going to have a guest coming today who will give us a speech on living with autism. She should be here in any minute. Her name is Stephanie Garethson.
Student (William): Are you talking about that autism advocate who wears that pastel rainbow dress whenever she appears in the magazines? Her slogans show me how utterly st...
Mr. Phillipson: Here she comes!
[Enter Stephanie, blonde, baby blue shirt and sandals, lavender skirt]
Stephanie: Hello kids. A few of you might have seen me in the magazines. I'm here to give you a lecture on what it's like to have Aspergers syndrome. It is simply another word for high functioning autism, only without the speech delay and some other criteria. Every 250th person has it. Despite popular belief, it's definitely not caused by mercury in measles vaccines. It is genetic! Okay, here's my story.
When I was 2 years old, i started to speak a few words. But they weren't "Mommy" or "Daddy." Instead, they turned out to be "washing machine" and "black cat." My parents were shocked, for they felt that i liked my black cat more than them, and that i was going to have a future obsession with the washer. Yet they were hoping sooner or later, i would say mommy and daddy before i learn any other strange words. Finally, i said those words 6 months later. But then I spun around like crazy, became a fussy eater, flapped my hands, and threw tantrums. My parents were very concerned that something was wrong with me, so they took me to the psychologist. And i got my diagnosis.
As I grew older, I had tremendous trouble making friends. I was never invited to play with anyone. I was teased for my awkward talking, clumsy walking, and obsessive interests. It was at its worst in middle school. But I refused to give up my interests and act like those mean girls, because you know, i'd rather be hated for who i am than loved for who i am not. And what are those girls trying to achieve anyway? They cannot think for themselves. All they do is talk about what they saw on TV last night, times when they were with their friends, fashion, boyfriends, family...it seems that everything revolves around the social word. Why can't we talk more about things like the environment, animals, history, technology, and art? Just because i focus more in these areas, it doesn't mean that I'm mentally ill or crazy. It just means I think differently. Autism is not always a disability. Many of our problems arise when we mingle with people that don't understand us. The same has been with namely homosexuals, blacks, and women. Curing autism is like curing any of these minority groups. I'm sick of seeing offensive organizations like "(name of destructive force) Autism Now and Autism Speaks. I believe in neurodiversity.
[Mr. Phillipson becomes suspicious, but lets Steph continue]
Many autistic people, like me, believe autism is just a variation in the brain wiring. Sure, we are deficient in the area that controls social skills, but we can be quite skillful in another area of the brain. We often become experts in our chosen interests, because we spend much of our time observing, collecting books and searching online to gather information. People like Einstein, Bill Gates, Newton, and Mozart are suspected autistics, because their lifestyles match the criteria in the medical book. It is believed that their autism helped them accomplish their achievements. So, don't you dare underestimate the power of autism!
[all the students clap their hands very lightly, not seeming too impressed, except for one...]
Mr. Phillipson: Alright, Stephanie, that was a great presentation. Now, come into the hallway with me. There's something I want to show you--it's about neurodiversity.
[Mr Phillips and Stephanie walk into an empty room]
Mr. Phillipson: (angrily) What in God's name makes you think you can talk about autism in that manner!? Huh? Do you honestly think you have the right to tell these 9th graders to believe in neurodiversity like you? You know, some people in my class are struggling every day with their autistic siblings, and one student has autism himself. You are telling them that curing is a wrong practice! You sick neurodiverse dyke. I thought I could trust you.
Stephanie: I said that autism isn't ALWAYS a disability. There's a difference. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. You are very narrow-minded. And just how do you know that the autistic student in your class wasn't inspired by my speech?
Mr. Phillipson: Well.....
[Justin (aspie) overhears them and runs down the hallway]
Justin: She has a point, you know. Curing autism is a wrong practice, unless the person actually wants himself to be cured. Not because his parents want him cured, because HE wants to be cured. I like being an aspie just as much as Stephanie. I believe in neurodiversity as well.
Mr. Peterson: Justin, if I ever hear you talk about neurodiversity one more time, you will receive an F in Health. Hear me? That applies to all of my students. Now leave Steph, and never come back on this campus, or else!
[Steph leaves, giving Justin a high five and flipping Mr. Phillipson off]
Justin: (To himself) Off to the office. I'm going to switch health classes.
Mr. Phillipson: Alright class, we are going to have a guest coming today who will give us a speech on living with autism. She should be here in any minute. Her name is Stephanie Garethson.
Student (William): Are you talking about that autism advocate who wears that pastel rainbow dress whenever she appears in the magazines? Her slogans show me how utterly st...
Mr. Phillipson: Here she comes!
[Enter Stephanie, blonde, baby blue shirt and sandals, lavender skirt]
Stephanie: Hello kids. A few of you might have seen me in the magazines. I'm here to give you a lecture on what it's like to have Aspergers syndrome. It is simply another word for high functioning autism, only without the speech delay and some other criteria. Every 250th person has it. Despite popular belief, it's definitely not caused by mercury in measles vaccines. It is genetic! Okay, here's my story.
When I was 2 years old, i started to speak a few words. But they weren't "Mommy" or "Daddy." Instead, they turned out to be "washing machine" and "black cat." My parents were shocked, for they felt that i liked my black cat more than them, and that i was going to have a future obsession with the washer. Yet they were hoping sooner or later, i would say mommy and daddy before i learn any other strange words. Finally, i said those words 6 months later. But then I spun around like crazy, became a fussy eater, flapped my hands, and threw tantrums. My parents were very concerned that something was wrong with me, so they took me to the psychologist. And i got my diagnosis.
As I grew older, I had tremendous trouble making friends. I was never invited to play with anyone. I was teased for my awkward talking, clumsy walking, and obsessive interests. It was at its worst in middle school. But I refused to give up my interests and act like those mean girls, because you know, i'd rather be hated for who i am than loved for who i am not. And what are those girls trying to achieve anyway? They cannot think for themselves. All they do is talk about what they saw on TV last night, times when they were with their friends, fashion, boyfriends, family...it seems that everything revolves around the social word. Why can't we talk more about things like the environment, animals, history, technology, and art? Just because i focus more in these areas, it doesn't mean that I'm mentally ill or crazy. It just means I think differently. Autism is not always a disability. Many of our problems arise when we mingle with people that don't understand us. The same has been with namely homosexuals, blacks, and women. Curing autism is like curing any of these minority groups. I'm sick of seeing offensive organizations like "(name of destructive force) Autism Now and Autism Speaks. I believe in neurodiversity.
[Mr. Phillipson becomes suspicious, but lets Steph continue]
Many autistic people, like me, believe autism is just a variation in the brain wiring. Sure, we are deficient in the area that controls social skills, but we can be quite skillful in another area of the brain. We often become experts in our chosen interests, because we spend much of our time observing, collecting books and searching online to gather information. People like Einstein, Bill Gates, Newton, and Mozart are suspected autistics, because their lifestyles match the criteria in the medical book. It is believed that their autism helped them accomplish their achievements. So, don't you dare underestimate the power of autism!
[all the students clap their hands very lightly, not seeming too impressed, except for one...]
Mr. Phillipson: Alright, Stephanie, that was a great presentation. Now, come into the hallway with me. There's something I want to show you--it's about neurodiversity.
[Mr Phillips and Stephanie walk into an empty room]
Mr. Phillipson: (angrily) What in God's name makes you think you can talk about autism in that manner!? Huh? Do you honestly think you have the right to tell these 9th graders to believe in neurodiversity like you? You know, some people in my class are struggling every day with their autistic siblings, and one student has autism himself. You are telling them that curing is a wrong practice! You sick neurodiverse dyke. I thought I could trust you.
Stephanie: I said that autism isn't ALWAYS a disability. There's a difference. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. You are very narrow-minded. And just how do you know that the autistic student in your class wasn't inspired by my speech?
Mr. Phillipson: Well.....
[Justin (aspie) overhears them and runs down the hallway]
Justin: She has a point, you know. Curing autism is a wrong practice, unless the person actually wants himself to be cured. Not because his parents want him cured, because HE wants to be cured. I like being an aspie just as much as Stephanie. I believe in neurodiversity as well.
Mr. Peterson: Justin, if I ever hear you talk about neurodiversity one more time, you will receive an F in Health. Hear me? That applies to all of my students. Now leave Steph, and never come back on this campus, or else!
[Steph leaves, giving Justin a high five and flipping Mr. Phillipson off]
Justin: (To himself) Off to the office. I'm going to switch health classes.
