Normocentric

[cosmolinguist]

"...t's time to start thinking of autism as an advantage in some spheres, not a cross to bear."

Start?

It'll be no surprise to many autistic people or those who know and love them that autism is anything other than a tragedy. Finally it's starting to seep through to scientists (and I'm not surprised this one's "group includes several autistcs"; a lot of these myths become difficult to hang on to once you meet the people apparently so afflicted).

This is also notable because only the other day did Andrew share an article from this website for being the first he saw that mentioned adults with autism. They shared a parenthetical phrase, something like "this treatment may also benefit adolescents and adults with autism," and he rejoiced because this was the first sign that autism isn't just a disease of little children and -- much, much more -- their aggrieved parents.

The cute, tragic children are good for the fundraising and grant applications that power academia, and the framing of autism as something awful to be cured is a pernicious one that suckers in a lot of well-meaning people who don't realize it's offensive to many autistic people who see it as an attempt to erase them, strip them of personality and individuality and, yes, strengths.

If there was a magic button I could push to "cure" my blindness, of course I'd push it. Being able to see more and better, to not get sore, tired eyes and headaches as often as I do, would be an unalloyed good thing. But if there was a magic button to "cure" me liking the music I do, or talking a lot, or writing well, or doing any of the things I care about and enjoy, not only would I stay the hell away from that button, I'd wonder why it was called a cure at all.

A lot of the things I like and love about Andrew, things that drew me to him and gave me respect and fondness for him, are traits that coul be ascribed to his being on the autism spectrum. It's ridiculous to think that he could be "cured" of his enthusiasms, his insight to patterns in everything from music to medicine, his prodigious memory, his ability to focus and work hard for as long as is required, or his ability to process a lot of facts very quickly and translate them to a form understandable to nearly anybody...and some things like his overwhelming empathy, which "everybody knows" autistics don't have, but which I've always found people on the spectrum to have a lot, it's just expressed differently.

(I think Andrew applies the same fervor to feeling bad about things I don't remember him doing that he does to, say, the release of five CDs' worth of an unfinished album from forty-some years ago, as evidenced in the first two paragraphs here.)

For all that they are late to the party, it's good to start having scientists on side; they're more likely to be listened to than people who actually have a thing (she says, totally not still bitter over her poor treatment as a scared kid at the Mayo Clinic). And I think the idea that a lot of people are being measured by the wrong standards, and misinterpreted, could be useful in many contexts besides autism.

"We coined a word for that: normocentrism, meaning the preconception you have that if you do or are something, it is normal, and if autistic do or have it, it is abnormal."

It's about time.

Comments

[sfred]

*nods*
Yes.

[australian-joe.livejournal.com]

Have you read Elizabeth Moon's "Speed of Dark"? It's fiction that touches on much of what you say here.

[cosmolinguist]

I haven't, no. Thanks for the heads-up :)

[andrewducker]

I highly recommend it. I empathised with the main character a _lot_.

[bloodbeauty.livejournal.com]

agree

[sparkle-puppy.livejournal.com]

This is the link I mentioned to you which I was thinking about when reading this. My friend Liam wrote it about his opinion on "curing" autism: http://autisticsspeakingday.blogspot.com/2011/11/problematic-notion-of-cure.html

[cosmolinguist]

Your friend Liam sounds awesome! I especially liked

Though my directness can be misinterpreted as rudeness, many of my friends say they appreciate it and feel that socialising would be simpler if more people were as direct as I am. You did just read that, many of my friends feel socialisation would be easier if more people were autistic enough to say “I would like to be your friend. I would like to spend time with you and talk to you and hug you occasionally. Is that okay with you?” and expect a clear answer.

This is one thing I really love about my relationship with Andrew (it's something I've also found prevalent in some parts of "the bi community" that goes to BiCon and so on that I am familiar with; and I hope this is a cause and an effect of those spaces being more friendly to neurodiversity).

I remember Stuart laughing the first time he saw me tell Andrew "shut up" in a very matter-of-fact way: from most people that'd be horrendous, but he and I seem to understand it as "I would feel much happier/more at ease if you were able to stop talking about that without a need for further explanation" and not mean at all (it doesn't mean I always get my way either! sometimes it's more important for him to finish saying something or to at least figure out why I've had to be so abrupt).

Oh, so much here is resonating as I read. This is absolutely wonderful, thanks for sharing.

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

nice entry.
My son is autistic ( as well as mentaly handy caped ) While I would not mind a cure for his being mentaly handy caped the autism is not an issue.
I like this peace a lot better then your entry