Aspies For Freedom

Feb 12th, and not a bad paper really; "Clues to autism's mysteries" but all too replete with the standard assumptions about our attributes being undesirable. Here's my response:

"Further to "Clues to autism's mysteries" (Feb. 10th)

In 1981 I undertook a Company sponsored aptitude test
which found I was very strongly autistic; this I then
understood to be an aspect of temperament [which I now
know to be based on a classification proposed by
Rosanoff, around the beginning of the twentieth
century] which has a high correlation with strenths
in, among other things, creativity, imagination,
analytical ability...and a weakness in "social
skills". More recently I've found I fit the bill for
Aspergers Syndrome, which recent studies have
suggested is a distinction I share with such
dysfunctional burdens on society as Einstein, Newton,
Thomas Jefferson etc. [In fact, anyone familiar with
the visible indicators of strong autism, according to
this understanding, will be hard pressed to find a
biography of any of the great minds of history which
aren't replete with such observations, notably
idiocyncracies, asocial tendencies, a disregard for
"authority" and frequent disputes with those who
assume that station, abruptness of speach,
independance of mind, the list goes on.]

Why then do researchers today (and media articles)
focus so resolutely on the negative aspects, of
"autism" as a collection of morbidities or
disabilities, things to be cured? Are we talking about
different things? Absolutely not, as, though it's
often stated that Kanner and Asperger invented the
term independantly, it's clear from their writings
that they were both familiar with the extant
understanding of the term, and it's aptness for the
subjects they studied; this is further confirmed both
by Asperger's observation that, if we eliminate
autism, we eliminate the best of science and art, and
the obvous link between the predominance of "Aspies"
among the tech wizards of Sillicon Valley, and the
subsequent dramatic increase of clinical autism within
that community.

Intelligence exist accross humanity, but without the
"autism" aspect it tends to lead to political or
financial aspirations, or empire building; the
autistic "obssessions", along with the general
disregard for those emotional nicities, as expected by
the status conscious, which are the essence of "social
skill", should properly be seen not as problems or
disabilities, but rather as prerequisits to the kind
of intense and objective thinking which has lead to
the majority of those breakthroughs in maths, or the
understanding of the laws of physics, which have given
us the level of technology we enjoy today.

Researchers please note, if you wish to understand
autism, look at the entirety [and note that "strong
autism" can and does exist without associated
morbidities, and this may well be the case of the
majority; so do the survey!]and do try to set aside
your natural bias, and tendency to disregard the
positive aspects [which are best seen as alternative
ways (of interacting etc. I have experienced no
"comminication difficulty" on those rare occasions
I've encountered other Aspies; on the contrary, we
exchanged the most complex ideas with astonishing
clarity, and it was a breath of fresh air to have what
I said taken at face value, and not having any need to
look for hidden meanings, or non-verbal clues in what
I was told)]. As for those who are determined to
"cure" autism, beware; should you succeed, it may well
transpire to be counter-evolutionary!"

A nice response Gwynfryn :-)  and knowing the IHT's main type of readers your response may get some support from them.  Come to think of it it would be nice to see the response from the Herald-Tribune.

We can live in hope? I'm not sure Asp; have we met before? My memory is a bit stiffed at the moment. I agree, it's not an unreasonable paper.

A breath of Fresh Air, Indeed.  Long before I had ever heard of Autism and AS I knew that my family was different.  They were not different in a defective, disabled and dysfunctional way.  They were more Wonderfully Different.  They were inovative and free thinking minds that were ready to speak of inventive ideas and technology that had not yet been thought of.  To be in a conversation in our family truly was a breath of fresh air.  

To go out into the world and listen to the mundane and senses-dulling monologues that the world had to offer could almost be described as intolerable except for the fact that I knew I'd be going home and listening to the intricate, informative and inspiring words of my family once again.

As I moved through life, I eventually found someone that enjoyed the type of conversations that I had been used to growing up.  My children one Neurotypical and one Autistic have grown up in a type of relationship much like the one I grew up in.  Both have a fondness for knowledge.

My youngest son (the one dx'd as Autistic) has had much difficulty in the educational system.  His teachers, wishing to teach the materials necesssary for future testing and such, were dismayed by his constant questions and unique but unorthodox means of attaining answers.  They tried discouraging him from his natural way of questioning everything.  When he came home discouraged, I told him to do whatever he had to do at school but when he came home, read and write and do whatever you would like to educate your mind the way that you wish.  I got him whatever books he wanted to do his own "research."  I told him of other inovative thinkers (such as einstein and edison) I told him they they too, were looked at as trouble-makers and dysfunctional in school but how they proved all of society wrong, later.

My son went to school, as was his duty, and when he came home, his education began.  My sons mind is a miraculous one filled with many ideas and profound wisdom.  Thank goodness his schooling didn't ruin his education and his wonderful way of thinking.

gwynfryn, I've always seen Autism as a unique intelligence (even before I knew the name for it) but never realized that there has been such a conscious effort to stamp it out.  ( a rude awakening for me ) I always thought it was just a case of ignorance on the behalf of a shallow mindset.