Last updated on November 26, 2023
“Her Asperger’s is a superpower.”
“His chronic illness brings clarity.”
And so it goes…. The Shiny Aspie. The Dying Prophet. The Super Crips, here to save humanity.
The last two weeks have featured a series of stories on these disabled advocates, who are not all disabilities advocates. And then we get the mixed messages about the disabled, the dark side of the superpowers.
Greta Thunberg is the 16-year-old super-shiny amazing Aspie. Her climate change activism might be admirable, but I’m tired of the autism angle. If you don’t know Greta Thunberg, visit the following links:
‘This Is All Wrong,’ Greta Thunberg Tells World Leaders At U.N. Climate Session
I like the “Swedish” description better than the Aspie angle of some stories. I understand autistic self-advocates need role models, but I dislike the “superpower” modifier. It’s too much like a comic book caricature of being different.
Matthew Rozsa’s nuanced take on Thunberg, is what we need. And of course, there’s a reason his take is more nuanced. I recommend his Salon essay:
Greta Thunberg is right: Autism is her superpower. Those who mock her should learn from her
Though not entirely comfortable with Rozsa’s take, it’s from within the autistic community. Unfortunately, he overlooks examples of left-leaning and progressive scholars using “autism” as an insult (see Nancy MacLean).
Autism is a difference. It is not a superpower nor a curse.