Saturday, December 29, 2007

Offensive Language On Autism Street

The uproar over the NYU Ransom Notes campaign has given way to smug victory happy dances by many in the neurodiversity community. But few of that crowd are taking the time to examine their own offensive language particularly when exercising their obsessions with celebrities who do not share their views such as Jenny McCarthy and now ..... Donald Trump. In Where Is Trump’s Science Team? at the Autism Street blog site where he mocks Ms McCarthy and Mr Trump as "celebrity idiots":

I was really beginning to think that Jenny McCarthy would be an extremely popular candidate for being considered the “celebrity idiot of the year” by many scientific thinkers in the autism blogging community. I suppose I should have known better about claims to the singular, where the plural is not only possible, but likely.

Jenny apparently has company.

I know that I used the word "idiot" in the past. In the 12 years since my intellectually challenged son with Autism Disorder came into my life though I have refrained from using the term.

Apparently Do'C at Autism Street isn't familiar with the old expression "Idiot Savant" which has now largely been replaced with the expression "Autistic Savant". Perhaps there is no room on Autism Street for the many intellectually impaired persons with Autism Disorder.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous5:56 am

    sir,
    Perhaps in hindset Dennis of Dennis the
    menace created by ?ketchup too must have been an ASPIE,as also the pink
    floyd music troop.If the list goes on
    expanding then the claim for a
    neurodiversity phenomenon will
    gather strength to address their
    needs separately.To call this claim
    as something special or royal
    is incorrect.Using the same argument it can be defended by
    saying that people vast majority
    of them are more than adequately
    being supported by the existing laws.The educational institutes,
    work place ethics,work culture,
    leisure,leave,benefits,entertainment
    ethics and values are all tailor
    made for the neurotypicals.It is
    they who are living a royal and
    a leisurely life.Silent miseries
    go unrecognised.It does pose an
    existential or a philosophical
    dialogue as to who is more
    miserable when accepted norms and
    laws do not recognise the
    neurodiversity theory.A right
    cerebral dominant individual
    will find it difficult to
    negotiate with a person who is
    using his left hemisphere.Amygdala
    is the epitome of aggression
    and very active in neurotypical
    teenagers who end up breaking
    traffic signals or other disruptive
    behaviour which is considered
    to be a normal part of development
    and left alone.It will also be
    interestig to note how in different
    parts of the world ethnic groups
    are asserting their right for
    self determination and freedom
    to self administer.Larger countries are breaking into smaller ones
    under religious and community
    definitions.Didnt the perestroika
    break the huge USSR?So why cant
    autism be seen as a similar
    movement to break away from the
    bullying of the neurotypicals?
    Jews face the same historical
    and monumental bullying when
    they decided to form their own
    group and nation and law.Autistics
    will face it from the neurotypical
    bullies by refusing to give them
    a royal position in the world of
    hoi polois and democracy which
    exaggerates itself when presuming
    that all are equal and are being
    treated so.And will cut to size
    any one to accomodate them with
    others and thereby destroying them.
    Ofcourse there are different level
    of abilities and disabilities
    amongst the ASPIES the neurotypicals as well.That certainly will question the issue of restructuring our perceptions
    and the social bodies which cater
    to our needs.Hasnt article 356 of
    Indias kashmir given a special
    status to it for the past 60 years.
    The death of an autistic on a road
    or in a pond is not a news at all.
    Why?Hasnt it got to do with perception?Why is womens cancer
    and brest cancer and other few
    cancers topping the list for research funding and Autism
    finds no place.Even so it will
    figure in the dark labyrinths of
    mental illnesses.ALL these cancers and other illness are only
    reporting high incidence rate
    despite the huge funding.Let
    them consolidate their funding
    but not at the cost of poor and substandard funding for the
    autistic research and support
    programmes.The one peculiar
    and common problem for ASPIES
    are communication and it is in the context of a world that is increasingly becoming a world driven and succeding by the
    information and communication technology that the neuroatypical
    and ASPIES find themselves isolated from themselves also and others
    as well.I think the United Nations
    and the UNESCO must spread
    information on Autism just as they
    do for HIV and immunisation.Thankyou.
    of communication

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