Communication, Respect and Autism
Thoughtful Debate
The latest issue of Communication, the quarterly members magazine of the National Autistic Society continues to provide provocative and thoughtful contributions to the debates that feature so often in the autism movement.
We have Pat Howlin on the question of whether we need to differentiate between the condition of being autistic, which requires respect and understanding, and autistic spectrum disorders which require interventions. And she argues that these are not mutually exclusive categories. Lorna Wing discusses the need for a well thought out ethical framework within which genetic research can be conducted. Given that genetic research into causes and possible cures is going to continue anyway she wants it to happen within an ethical framework that respects the human rights of autistic people.
There are also features on siblings, home education and the experience of classroom assistants supporting autistic pupils in the mainstream.
Larry Arnold writes about his experience as the first ever autistic person to be elected to the NAS board of trustees. He writes about the need for the NAS to continue “to be an organization for the entire spectrum of autism” and reminds us that “newer organizations formed under the umbrella of neurodiversity and ‘aspie freedom’ … also need to be inclusive and work to include people who are not as intellectually advanced as they are.” And , as if to underline the point, there is also a feature on challenging behaviours. These are by no means the exclusive domain of so called ‘low functioning’ autistics. But for many families they define the experience of autism and seem to mark their children as different from the higher functioning autistics whose concern for acceptance and understanding is sometimes mistaken as indifference to the real suffering that can come with autism. This takes us back to Pat Howlin’s article on reframing our attitude both to autism and to autistic people. All in all a very stimulating issue which will provide me with plenty of material for future blog posts.
This shows that a national autism charity can make a serious attempt to embrace diversity and continue to address the problems that arise across the autistic spectrum. It will not always be plain sailing. With such a diverse constituency there are bound to be times when some groups will feel neglected or misrepresented. The current “Think Differently” campaign created a small storm amongst some parents that received extensive coverage in the Independent.
Some autistic adults were also put out when the same campaign referred to the “devastating effect on individuals and families” if the right support was not forthcoming. They feel that most people will miss the subtle distinction between this and the routine references to autism as “this devastating condition” by the epidemic mongers.
Thoughtless and debasing
What is certain is that nobody could miss the subtle message of this ad campaign, because there is none. Having just watched The Golden Compass I am reminded of the Gobblers who kidnap children in order to steal their souls.
This is not the latest offerng from Safe Minds or Generation Rescue. This is the New York University Child Care Center. And they do a similar job on ADHD, Asperger Syndrome and Bulimia. Whose Planet is it Anyway? and Autism Vox have both written thoughtful blogs about this campaign. The NAS takes respect for autistic people as its starting point. It will make mistakes. But it is unlikely to stoop to the level of misinformation and abuse that is apparently acceptable to New York University.
