Perception

Today I want to discuss a topic that is very sensitive to a lot of people.  I want to talk about how we as a society view and treat people with special needs, particularly those with ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder.  So of course this is where I go into a “stop bullying kids who are different” rant right?  Actually no, I want to argue this from a different perspective today.  I think that we as a society, especially as youth, have been trained to think that those who struggle mentally or socially have less potential than the rest of us.  I would argue that it is this viewpoint, not the disability itself, which prevents these kids from reaching their full potential.  My younger brother is autistic and my mother is an I.E.P. coach, I understand in a very real way the sensitivity of topics like this and I have tried my very best to maintain that sensitivity while also saying those things that I think need to be said. 

Nobody is perfect, you don’t have to be Albert Einstein to figure that one out.  We all have something that is “wrong” with us.  Me for example, I’m a dancer but I was born with naturally tight hips.  Long story short, I can’t do the middle splits; I’ve stretched almost every night for four years and gone to physical therapy but I still can’t do my middle splits.  My point in telling you this is to illustrate that everyone has a “disability”, if you will, some peoples’ just manifest themselves more plainly than others.  So why is it that when we meet someone with an obvious disability we treat them like they don’t have the same potential that we as “normal people” have?  It could be because we don’t fully understand those people that we encounter and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  My little brother is autistic and I don’t always know what to say or how best to interact with him.  But I do know that he is very smart and very talented, he just sees the world from a different perspective.   

I want to introduce you to a very inspiring person to help prove my point.  Her name is Temple Grandin.  Grandin was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two.  Autism is a brain disorder that is characterized by a delayed ability to speak, difficulty communicating ideas, and awkwardness in social situations.  As a result of her autism Temple didn’t begin speaking until she was four years old and she was teased all throughout middle school and high school.  But Grandin has never let this disability hold her back.  She now has a bachelors degree in psychology, a masters and a doctorate degree in animal science, and has been awarded multiple honorary degrees.  She works with a number of fast-food chains and slaughterhouses, consulting them on the most humane way to treat their animals.  Dr. Grandin is also a leading autism advocate; in fact she credits her success as an animal scientist to her autism. 

Dr. Grandin has written multiple books about autism, especially on how she has dealt with it in her own life.  When asked she says that her main concern for kids that have been diagnosed with the disorder is that they aren’t being pushed hard enough.  Among other things she says that they need to learn how to order food, shop for groceries, take turns, and other basic skills.  She talks about how her mother taught her how to work from a very early age, getting her a sewing job at the age of thirteen.  I agree wholeheartedly with Temple, these kids need to know how to work and work hard because they do have the capacity to be self-sufficient.  But for too many people in this society the label of a disorder is like a free pass; they aren’t expected to follow rules or finish their homework because “they don’t understand.”  I would argue that it is our responsibility to help them understand, help them learn and grow; interact with them so that they feel more comfortable in social situations.  I also believe that in school they should be kept with their normal classes as much as possible, not just for the child’s benefit, but to send a message to the rest of the kids that they are capable of all the same things that “normal” kids are.  Because perception is everything in the world of disabilities. 

The title of one of Dr. Grandin’s books is “Different, Not Less”.  This doesn’t just apply to kids on the autism spectrum but to anybody with any kind of disability.  Just because something is “wrong” with a person doesn’t mean that they belong to a lower class of people.  Some of the most successful people in this world have had some sort of disability.  For example, it is believed that Albert Einstein may have had autism because he didn’t begin speaking until he was three years old.  Mozart is also speculated to have had autism.  Chris Burke, who played Charles “Corky” Thatcher in the ABC series “Life Goes On” has down syndrome.  And to those that don’t think that’s a very big deal I would ask, “How many famous actors do you know?”  All of these people are inspiring to me because they give me hope for my little brother, who is a very talented artist and one of the funniest kids around.  I hope that next time you meet someone who has special needs you will think a little bit differently.  They’re just different, not less.