My beef lately isn't so much about the general public's awareness or lack of awareness regarding autism. It's with the autism "community" itself. I put quotes around the word community because that is exactly what this community lacks--a sense of community.
First, you have the parents of children with autism fighting amongst themselves on what the cause of autism is and how best to approach treatments. If one group doesn't agree with another group, instead of respectfully agreeing to disagree, everyone puts up battle zones and argues their point. This often occurs in a disrespectful manner.
Then, you have infighting among the parents regarding what the goal is. One group wants a cure for autism, the other group wants society to accept their children with autism.
There's a similar battle between the parents of children with autism who are looking for a cure and people with autism who are offended by the notion that they need to be fixed.
Personally, I think the mission of increasing autism awareness would work a lot better if the autism community worked as a community.
The first step would be to acknowledge that the goals of a subgroup does not (and should not) reflect the goals for the whole group. People with high-functioning autism and/or Aspergers (and their parents) have very different goals than parents of very low-functioning children have. I think the community needs to have sensitivity to the different needs of the different members of its community.
Further, I think the community needs to be respectful of each other when they do not agree. Instead of belittling the other's opinions, try to understand what is fueling them.
Maybe with some patience and understanding, the autism community can come together to fully educate the general public on the complex range of issues--good and bad--that accompany autism.
Excellent installment! I think your comments about society's ongoing battle to disagree in a civil manner extends well beyond the realm of Autism. We seem to be in an age of absolutes - if you disagree with me, it's not that you haven't considered all perspectives or just that you have a different one - it's that you have some kind of glaring character flaw. Can't we all just get along?!?!
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right--I can not argue with a single point. I put the autism community at a higher standard, I guess, because generally having something like autism in common forms a singular agenda. But there's so much disagreement and lack of tolerance in this community that it gets in the way of representing the community properly.
DeleteI guess I have to disagree (just kidding)... Well said - it's been something of a theme on Autism day this year.
ReplyDeleteI was too tired and too busy to post anything this year but I'm going to decide that, as the parent of two kids on the spectrum (and being aspie myself), that every day is autism day for us... and post and/or turn blue whenever I feel like it.
HAHA!
DeleteWhen you live and breathe autism, it's really hard to remember that there are people out there who are pretty clueless about autism. I do think autism awareness day (and month) do a good job at getting articles about autism out there. But I think a united front would go far!