Not only am I an Aspie, I have an Aspie daughter and 2 Autistic children (it remains to be seen whether/where my fourth child will be on the spectrum).  I am strongly Aspie--it's not mild!--but mercifully learned to take care of myself and to prize my neurological differences in spite of the abuse and misunderstandings and negative labels they caused throughout my childhood and into my adulthood.  

Because of my own experiences, I have a different take on advocacy.  My goal is not homogenization; I educate the NT world (schools, etc.); I teach my children to value/cherish, and therefore advocate for, themselves; I teach them what I've learned about NT culture.  We don't have a choice about living in a world in which we are not the dominant neuroculture; however, we still have to function in that culture while we preserve, protect and promote our own culture!

One of my cultural bridge-building activities is educating groups like our local Autism Society chapter.  I can't (and won't) claim to speak for all Auties & Aspies; I can only share my perspective and give NT parents food for thought.  I wrote the article below for publication in a local ASA newsletter; it gives some thoughts on my cultural paradigm.  I don't have a problem with this article being reprinted as long as credit is given where credit is due.


RESTORATION

It was a private silent retreat. I checked in, explained my situation to the spiritual director, and was then shown my room. The small cell was spartan, as to be expected. I should say, “as to be anticipated”, because it was…to me, it's much more restful and much less distracting that way.

I spent the day walking the grounds. My goal was to utter not a single word. I think in pictures, not words. When I speak, it is as if I am translating every thought into a foreign language, which is tiring.

Thinking in pictures is actually wonderfully rich...an amazing form of shorthand if you will. Last night, I found a website for an uber-think tank that tries to teach people how to think in pictures. The assertion of this reputable organization is that thinking in pictures is a form of superior intelligence and an evolved cognitive process. The examples of Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and others were cited. People actually pay $450+ to attend seminars and learn techniques to try to duplicate this way of thinking. Little do they know that they are being taught Autism Spectrum thought!

[Einstein and Edison are believed to have had Asperger's and Autism, respectively. Although those diagnoses didn't exist at that time, by multiple accounts they displayed most of the classic symptoms and behaviors for these syndromes. Edison didn't speak until he was 9. Einstein failed most of his classes in "conventional" education due to poor expressive language, attention deficit, and behaviors which would seem to be indicative of sensory integration dysfunction.]

I spent a few minutes laughing hysterically, but was also pained by the irony. It is both amusing and sad that neurotypical society is trying to “cure” individuals with Asperger's/Autism—in essence, to make them neurotypical—and is at the same time paying vast sums of money to learn how to be like them in at least one way. Those of us on the spectrum could do without the sensory challenges, the non-verbal learning disabilities, and some of the other, more difficult challenges we face; yet many of us have always known we had an evolved way of thinking, and cherish it. It has given us gifts and abilities we would not have if we were neurotypical.

It is vital that we on the Spectrum are able to function optimally--or at least, as effectively as possible--in mainstream neurotypical society, for that is indeed the society in which we live. The importance of this need cannot be overstated. We are a minority culture within that society. Viewing the differences between neurotypicals and those with Asperger's/Autism from a cultural perspective, it all makes a lot more sense. What is a culture, after all, but a peoples’ way of viewing, interpreting, and interacting with the world?

In this country (USA), multiculturalism and diversity are lauded. Those who lack this openness are branded as philistines, prejudiced, or politically incorrect. Acceptance of and equal opportunity for individuals of ALL cultures is mandated by law. No one would dare suggest that any minority ethnicity or culture in this country should be fully assimilated into mainstream Caucasian, Anglocentric culture. There would be riots in the street! Yet, there is a national effort to change those on the Autism Spectrum; to assimilate them into mainstream neurotypical culture and obliterate the unique traits that make them the wonderful people they are.

“Cure Autism now! Stamp it out! Efface it!” seems to be the rallying cry. We are neither a disease to be cured nor a plague to be obliterated. We are a people, a culture. We are a minority, and we often need assistance and support in learning to function as effectively as possible in a foreign culture and society. Let there be a national effort to improve supports for those on the spectrum, to facilitate their interaction and integration with mainstream society via classroom and workplace accommodations, without trying to assimilate them. Let Equal Opportunity, Equal Access, and Equal Rights under the law apply to us, too. We are not disabled; we are differently-abled, and have our own valuable contributions to make to the world and to the melting pot that is American society.

On a familial level, the multicultural paradigm is also necessary. Whether families are Asian-American, African-American, Latino/Hispanic-American, or another wonderful cultural blend, we see more than one culture being embraced within the walls of homes all across America. Yes, we live in America, so outside the home we speak English and function in a society shaped by our American culture. Yet inside the home, one finds a happy chaotic mix of two languages spoken, two cultures understood, two paradigms embraced. The family as a unit is strengthened by this wonderful blend of what either world has to offer. Studies have shown that individuals emerging from a multicultural family are more tolerant, more adept at problem-solving, and better communicators than their monocultural peers.

If only families living with Autism Spectrum Disorders would discover this paradigm! Yes, we live in a neurotypical culture, and our beloved Auties and Aspies need support in order to be able to function as effectively as possible in it. Yet inside the home, can we not embrace both cultures and learn from each one? Can the neurotypical members not look beyond the challenges and learn to see the richness and beauty of difference without condemning it?

Our multicultural paradigm is also crucial to possess if you are an individual on the Spectrum, or if you know and care about someone on the Spectrum. Consider this analogy: If you lived in China, learned to speak Chinese, and functioned well in Chinese society, you would nonetheless be American and a native English speaker. No matter how comfortable you were functioning in Chinese society, you would not be Chinese; all the learning and adaptive skills in the world could not change your genetic composition! If you were then to go home to visit the States and to converse in English, you would feel an immense relief, relaxation, and sense of restoration for being immersed in your native culture and tongue. Daily life would not be as tiring as it was for you in China, expending all that mental effort to integrate. After a time in the States, you would return to China feeling rested, refreshed, and energized.

In much the same way, I find it very restorative when I can shut down verbal language and just be silent and visual. I get a lot more thinking done that way, as I can cut through multiple layers instantaneously and with laser precision. It is really a wonderfully synoptic and efficient way of life. I find my insights and my peace more quickly, and am comforted by brief sabbaticals in my native mode and culture.

This truth is common for many, if not all individuals on the Spectrum, regardless of their degree of impairment. What appears to the neurotypical eye as a few hours or days of unexplainable, periodic regression--or even as mental illness--may in fact simply be “down time” for restoration. Neurotypicals are not the only ones who occasionally need to retreat from the stresses of daily life and “let their hair down” in order to feel restored. All humans need this at regular intervals. Consider that it takes an individual on the Spectrum many times the effort it takes a neurotypical individual to complete basic tasks of living, and it seems quite reasonable that we sometimes need that internal retreat.

Copyright © 2003 D. Thompson, reprinted with permission.