Autism Reality Check: Huffington Post Now Misrepresents Autism Disorders

It is 6:40 am (Atlantic) time here in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Conor, my 6 feet tall, 15 year old son with Autistic Disorder, is now relatively quiet after several hours of screaming and crying.  The noise was accompanied by periodic outbursts of head slapping. That is the reality of my son's autism.  For my son autism reality is not, as it is for Elaine Hall and the Huffington Post, a fine line between obsession and genius.

In Autism: Is It An 'Obsession' Or Just A Preferred Interest? Elaine Hall ponders from her perch on the Autism Is Beautiful Page of the Huffington Post what she considers to be the fine line between autism and genius and wonders whether the world would be a better place if all those ignorant, ill informed,  parents of autistic children were as enlightened as she is and would look for and promote their children's strengths instead of trying to force  learning upon them:

"Sometimes I wonder if there is a fine line between autism and certain kinds of genius. Or artistry. Think about it: Anyone who excels at something has to have spent countless hours each day perfecting their craft, art or gift. For instance, if the mother of a young, would-be juggler were to say, "It's inappropriate to toss little balls up and down," no one would ever have the joy of watching an accomplished juggler. Or, think of scientists who spend hours in their laboratories developing cures for all sorts of ills.

How great would it be if every child had mentors who saw a child's strengths as a way toward adult life. This is not a new concept! In "The Republic," Plato urges educators to view a child's early interests and play as serious business that helps prepare a child for adult work. He emphasizes that forced learning cannot remain in the soul. What if parents, educators and therapists saw a child's intense interests in a positive light. Perhaps Joel could become a paleontologist; Marcy could sing in local plays. We homeschool Neal. He is now learning all about bees. In fact, his school curriculum is built around his preferred interests in bees to learn math, science, language, history, etc. His world is expanded by all of us following his intense interests. Perhaps one day he will be a bee keeper or a honey manufacturer. Clearly, the world can benefit from people who are free to explore and enact their obsessions."

For many people with autism disorders living their lives dependent on the care of others, in one form of residential institution or another,  autism is not the "autism" of Elaine Hall and the Huffington Post. Autism Reality for the "vast majority" of those with the original autistic disorder diagnosis includes intellectual disability, it includes serious self injury For some with autistic disorder it includes injury to parents and caregivers who love them dearly.

Two years ago autism for Trudy Steuernagel was the last thing she experienced as she lay dying, soaked in her own blood, killed by her own 18 year old severely autistic son whom she loved dearly and who apparently lacked the mental capacity to understand what he had done to his mother. All autistic persons do not kill their family members or care givers but many have very serious issues, serious inability to function in the real world.  For many, many persons with autism disorders and those family and friends who love them autism disorders are much, much more than a fine line between obsession and genius. They are disorders and they are serious impediments to healthy, positive lives for many who suffer from them and those who care for them.

Arianna Huffington sold the Huffington Post for a huge payday.  The Huffington Post Autism Big News Page is now just another mainstream media page misrepresenting autism, portraying it as a pretty blessing and hiding the realities and challenges of those afflicted with autistic disorder and their families.  Arianna sold  her "Post" and has sold out those with autism disorders and their families. 

Autism Reality Is Not Always Pretty

"Kicking Momma, Hurt Momma, Sad"

The comments above were reported to have been made by Sky Walker, severely autistic 18 year old, after being arrested for assaulting his mother, Kent State University professor Trudy Steuernagel, who died eight days later. This past week, as reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer , both defense and prosecution attorneys at a competency hearing for Sky Walker accepted an expert report which concluded that he was not competent to stand trial.

There will always be some persons with Aspergers or High Functioning Autism standing before a camera defining autism by reference to their personal circumstances. Claims will continue that historical geniuses from every walk of life were autistic. The latest keyboard technology or internet program will appear on Google searches as magic solutions for autism disorders. And of course there will be those who claim, despite the existence of autism disorders in the DSM and the ICD, that autism disorders are socially constructed disorders not medical disorders and some will continue to claim that autism disorders are not disorders at all. None of these accounts will deal with some of the harsher realities faced by the more severely autistic, including the harsh realities of Sky Walker and his deceased mother Trudy Steuernagel who, by all accounts that I have read, loved her son dearly and would not hold his actions against him.

Unfortunately it often takes tragic events like those involving Sky Walker and his mother to break through the media insistence on glorifying autism and catering to a minority who wish to portray autism as a difference not a disorder. The acceptance by defense and prosecution attorneys make it more likely that the trial judge hearing the case will rule that he is not competent to stand trial.

Fortunately for Sky Walker, and I suspect his departed mother would agree, the court is considering expert evidence of the realities of Sky Walker's autism ... not the feel good glossy version portrayed in Neurodiversity rhetoric and glossy media fantasies.

Autism reality is not always pretty.

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