Monday, June 21, 2010

Dr. Thomas Armstrong Romanticizes Autism Disorders and Autism's Gadfly Holds Him Accountable

Yesterday I commented in Synaptic Disorder Instead Of Autism Spectrum Disorder? on the romanticization of autism disorders by those who subscribe to the Neurodiversity ideology.  At Autism's Gadfly Jonathan Mitchell has dissected a very blatant example of  romanticization and misrepresentation of autism disorders. 

In Thomas Armstrong's book on neurodiversity Jonathan describes as offensive the title of Dr. Armstrong's new book "Neurodiversity discovering the extraordinary gifts of autism ADHD, Dyslexia and other brain differences. "  I agree with Jonathan's description of the book title as offensive. I  refer you to Jonathan's commentary for the details but, as the father of a boy who is severely affected by Autistic Disorder, whose life will be one of living dependent on the care of others,  I am sick and tired of careers being made, and books being sold, by people promoting flimsy, unrealistic, misrepresentations of autism based on the  successes of a few high functioning persons with autism or Aspergers.  

As I said yesteday, maybe it is time to drop the "autism" label altogether and look at Autism Disorder as Synaptic Disorder.  "Synaptic" doesn't sound like it would be as  easy to market, and misrepresent to a gullible mainstream media, as "autism".

1 comment:

jonathan said...

unfortunately, the problem there is that the term neurodiversity would just be changed to "synaptic diversity" by those people so it would not make a difference.