Nov 23 2008
Autism Awareness
I have become increasingly interested in autism spectrum disorders, and last week I attended the 2008 Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs (NATTAP) Conference. I learned quite a bit of interesting stuff. For example, the current statistic that’s advertised is 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism; however, the estimates actually vary from 1 in 300 to 1 in 100…and it’s likely that the actual occurrence is closer to 1 in 100. Autism is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined (http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/index.php ).
But a definite highlight of the conference was hearing Temple Grandin speak. I had heard of Temple before, as she is one of the most well-known autistic people today. Dr. Oliver Sacks wrote about Temple in his book An Anthropologist on Mars, and she has been featured in the media on multiple TV shows including 20/20 and the Today Show and in magazines such as Time and People. Dr Grandin (that’s right, she has a PhD) has written several books about both her life with autism and her work as one of the world’s foremost livestock-handling equipment designers.
I bought Temple’s book Emergence: Labeled Autistic and started reading it the night before she was to speak at the conference. I learned about her early life in the 1950s–how she didn’t speak until age 3, how difficult it was for her to cope with certain sensory stimulation, and how she often retreated into her own inner world. I find it fascinating that she can remember so many of the feelings and experiences of her childhood, and her story offers great insight into the world of a person with autism.
At age 61, Temple has obviously made monumental strides in her life. I was curious to see and hear how she would speak in front of such a large audience; I have to admit that I was a bit surprised at just how “normal” she appeared! Considering that for the first few years of her life, Temple communicated by screaming, peeping and humming, she has obviously worked diligently at constantly improving her language and social skills. In Emergence, Temple describes her work on a “squeeze machine,” a modified version of a cattle chute. Temple worked for years to design a machine that she could control and that would provide tactile stimulation in the form of gentle pressure. She found that it helped her calm herself and learn to understand herself as well as other people. She was driven by the idea that this machine could help not only herself but also others like her.
During her speech at the conference, she spoke particularly passionately about using autistic youngster’s fixations to help them. People respect talent, she said, so develop strengths into skills that others want and need. She urged the introduction of mentors into children’s lives to help them cultivate their interests into skills. In all Temple said, I heard this underlying message loud and clear: “Look at me–the challenges I’ve had to overcome and the successes that I have achieved. If I could do it, don’t EVER assume that another person with an autism spectrum disorder can’t do it too!”
One of Temple’s comments in her speech made me laugh but also rang with truth: “The problem with you ‘neurotypicals’ is that you generalize too much!” She meant it in the context of giving directions; for example, a neurotypical boss says to an autistic employee, “Straighten up the shelves,” when more specific directions would produce better results, such as, “Group the large bottles together, then the medium, then the small…” But I read into her statement a larger truth: we ‘neurotypicals’ generalize so much that we don’t make allowances for the singularity of a person with autism. We so often value sameness over individuality.
It has become almost cliche to speak of students’ “different abilities” rather than disabilities, but more and more this is how I truly view them. Each and every child–and adult–has a unique brain that perceives and processes information in its own way. I’m learning to appreciate this beautiful uniqueness, especially to help me better understand and teach my students. Call me Pollyanna, but I dream of a world where we can admire each person’s distinctions as ‘wonderful’ rather than ‘weird.’ Awareness and acceptance would do us all a lot of good.
To learn more about autism spectrum disorders and/or Temple Grandin, check out these links:
