“You can’t be autistic. You’re creative.” Our daughters still possess the creative energies of children unbroken by education that declares which creations deserve “A” grades. They love drawing, painting, singing, and writing. Not caring about “rules” helps. They will learn by asking questions, reading, and enjoying the art around them.…
Tag: stereotypes
“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…
Duke University historian Nancy MacLean is currently a trendy historian who spent 2017 touring and promoting her book Democracy in Chains. The book has some serious scholarship flaws, which have been addressed by Henry Farrell and Steven Teles on Vox, a website considered progressive on most issues. MacLean has made the stunning…
Autistic students and their parents contact me all-too-often about writing courses at colleges and universities. For some reason, writing pedagogies (the theories and methods instructors embrace) prove particularly problematic for students with disabilities. Writing courses are tailored for the “normal” students, those without any physical, cognitive, or mental health challenges. Much…
Navigating school requires social skills, and often the most successful academically are also successful socially. Despite the stereotypes of jocks and nerds, geeks and goths, consider actual data. To participate in athletics, a minimum GPA is required. I recall the star athletes from my high school and today those individuals…
As a professor, sometimes I am faced with conflicting impulses: positive advocacy vs. negative reality. Like many advocates, I wish to remind people that most autistics are not violent, bullies, or any more risky than other people in classrooms or workplaces. If anything, people with special needs are more likely…
Every few months, online or in real (physical) life, I hear the skeptical, questioning, puzzled phrase, “You’re not autistic. You can’t be.” I’ve addressed the question here many times, and I still lack a single good response. The “positive” versions: Because you are successful, self-expressive, driven, and have a career,…
Probably the most difficult decision anyone with a developmental disorder can make is who to tell and how. I certainly do not have a good answer for either question, since I resist the labels experts have offered. There are benefits to disclosure, based on the experiences of others. First, you…