Allan Hollander: Hi. We Didn T Know When We Scheduled This Event We Would Be Competing

NICK WALKER

OCTOBER 29, 2014

ALLAN HOLLANDER: HI. WE DIDN’T KNOW WHEN WE SCHEDULED THIS EVENT WE WOULD BE COMPETING WITH BILL CLINTON, BUT HERE WE HAVE IT. I THINK WE’LL GET STARTED NOW. I’M A MEMBER OF THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY BOOK PROJECT PROGRAM PLANNING COMMITTEE. I WILL BE INTRODUCING NICK WALKER. BEFORE WE GET STARTED,THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS ON YOUR CHAIR, A BROCHURE LISTING THE FUTURE AND PAST EVENTS WITH A LINK TO THE URL ON THE WEBSITE AND WE HOPE YOU WILL BE INTENDING SOME OF THE OTHER EVENTS.

ON FEBRUARY 10TH, THERE WILL BE THE LECTURE WITH TEMPLEGRANDIN WITH INFORMATION ON GETTING TICKETS AS WELL. THERE IS AN EVALUATION FORM AND FILL IT OUT AND LEAVE IT ON THE CHAIR FOR US TO PICK UP.

MY BACKGROUND, I’M A STAFF RESEARCHER AND GEOGRAPHER IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLICY DEPARTMENTS. AND I’M A MIDDLE-AGED GUY ON AN IDENTITY QUEST. I DISCOVERED A MOVEMENT, NEUROCOSMOPOLITANISMON NICK WALKER’S SITE. HE HAS A WONDERFUL ESSAY, LAYING OUT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NEURO DIVERSITY PARADIGM, “THROW AWAY THE MASTER’S TOOLS.” THE POLITICAL TERM HE MAKES IN THIS ESSAY, LINKING ONE’S OWN PSYCHOLOGICAL CONFIGURATION TO DIVERSITY, TO BE EMPOWERING. I’M EXCITED HE IS ABLE TO JOIN US AND GIVE US THIS PRESENTATION AS PART OF THE BOOK PROJECT.

HIS TALK IS ON HIS EXPERIENCE IN AUTISM, IDENTITY AND CULTURE. HE WILL INTRODUCE THE NEURO DIVERSITY PARADIGM AS NATURAL AND AS VALUABLE MANIFESTATIONS OF HUMAN DIVERSITY AND IS CHALLENGING OLD DISCOURSES ABOUT AUTISM.

NICK IS AN AUTISTIC EDUCATOR, ACTIVIST AND SCHOLAR. HE TEACHES THE UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAMS AND AT THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES. HE HOLDS A 6TH DEGREE BACK BELT. HE HAS BEEN A LEADER IN AUTISM CULTURES SINCE 2003. JOIN ME IN WELCOMING NICK WALKER. (APPLAUSE)

NICK WALKER: THANK YOU. LET ME KNOW IF IT IS HARD TO HEAR ME. JUST PUT UP A HAND OR PROTEST LOUDLY.

SO, HI. I’M NICK IT IS GOOD TO BE HERE TODAY. WHAT I DO, I DO A FAIR AMOUNT OF SPEAKING AT COLLEGES AND VARIOUS PLACES. AND I NEVER GIVE THE SAME TALK TWICE. I’M A BIG BELIEVER IN JUST DIRECT INTERACTION WITH THE AUDIENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT I’M ANSWERING YOUR INTERESTS IN WHAT I SAY.

SO, TYPICALLY WHAT I DO IS GIVE AN INTRODUCTORY TALK FOR 20 OR 30 MINUTES AND THEN I START TAKING QUESTIONS AND THEN I START RESPONDING. SO DEFINITELY, MAKE MENTAL NOTES OF ANY QUESTIONS THAT COME UP BECAUSE MOST OF THIS IS GOING TO BE DISCUSSION AND Q AND A. WE DON’T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TODAY, I’VE BEEN KNOWN TO DO FOUR HOUR Q AND A SESSIONS WHEN PEOPLE LET ME.

IN 1990, AN AUSTRALIAN PERSON, JUDY SINGER, CAME UP WITH THE TERM, “NEURO DIVERSITY.” IT IS THE DIVERSITY OF HUMAN MINDS AND HUMAN BRAINS. AND IT IS A FORM OF HUMAN DIVERSITY THE WAY ETHNIC DIVERSITY OR GENDER DIVERSITY OR CULTURAL DIVERSITY. BUT HAVING A WORD LIKE THAT RIGHT AWAY HAS POWERFUL IMPLICATIONS. AND THESE IMPLICATIONS, WELL, IT IS A FORM OF HUMAN DIVERSITY. IT IS PART OF THE SPECTRUM OF HUMAN DIVERSITY AND IT INVITES US. IT INVITES US TO START LOOKING AT NEUROLOGICAL DIVERSITY THE WAY WE LOOK AT ETHNIC DIVERSITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN BY LOOKING AT THESE OTHER FORMS OF DIVERSITY AND SEEING HOW DO THE LESSONS WE LEARNED IN DEALING WITH THE OTHER FORMS OF HUMAN DIVERSITY, HOW DO THEY APPLY TO NEUROLOGICAL DIVERSITY?

AT THE MOMENT, DISCOURSE ON AUTISM, ON SCHIZOPHRENIA, DYSLEXIA, WHAT IS CALLED ADHD THESE DAYS, DISCOURSE ON ANY MINORITY VARIATION AND HOW THE HUMAN BRAIN CAN BE CONFIGURED, IT IS DOMINATED BY WHAT IS CALLED THE “PATHOLOGY PARADIGM.” THAT SAYS THERE IS ONE RIGHT WAY TO BE AND ONE WAY THAT IS NORMAL. THERE IS ONE WAY THAT IS HEALTHY. AND ANYTHING THAT DEVIATES FROM THIS TO A CERTAIN NOTICEABLE DEGREE, IS A PATHOLOGY; A DISORDER OF SOME KIND, A DEFICIT.

MOST OF THIS DOMINANT CULTURE FIELDS LIKE EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY HAVE ACCEPTED THIS PARADIGM AND IT IS REALLY BUILT INTO THE LANGUAGE VERY MUCH WHEN WE TALK. AUTISM IN PARTICULAR, AND HOW WE TALK ABOUT AUTISM, TO SPEAK OF IT AS A DISORDER. IT IS BUILT INTO PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVES. IT IS JUST THERE IN THE CULTURE, UNQUESTIONED. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE START QUESTIONING THE PATHOLOGY PARADIGM?

AND WE LOOK AT THIS NEW PARADIGM THAT IS EMERGING, THE NEURO DIVERSITY PARADIGM. THAT SAYS, “WELL, WHAT IS UP WITH THIS PATHOLOGY PARADIGM? THIS IDEA THAT THERE IS ONE RIGHT WAY TO BE?” PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT THIS IN THE PAST ABOUT OTHER FORMS OF HUMAN DIVERSITY. PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT THAT THERE IS ONE RIGHT ETHNICITY AND EVERYONE ELSE IS INFERIOR RACE OR SAVAGES. PEOPLE THOUGHT THERE IS ONE RIGHT CULTURE OR ONE RIGHT SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

WHEN I WAS A KID, HOMOSEXUALITY WAS STILL LISTED AS A MENTAL DISORDER IN THE DSM AND NOW IT IS NOT. SO A GOAL OF MINE IS FOR AUTISM NOT TO BE IN THE DSM EITHER, IN 20 OR 30 YEARS. I DON’T KNOW IF IT WILL HAPPEN THAT SOON, BUT YOU KNOW, 50 YEARS AGO, NOBODY WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THEY WOULD TAKE HOMOSEXUALITY OUT OF THE DSM. EVERYBODY THOUGHT OF IT AS A DISORDER OF SOME KIND, A DISEASE, ILLNESS, DISTURBANCE OF SOME SORT.

NOW IF YOU SAY THAT, MANY PLACES, CERTAINLY IN THE BAY AREA AND MUCH OF CALIFORNIA AND THE WORLD, IF YOU TALK ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY AS A DISORDER, PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU LIKE, WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?

THESE THINGS CHANGE. THE PARADIGMS DO SHIFT. SO WHAT HAPPENS HERE WHEN WE MAKE THIS SHIFT? AUTISM COMMUNITIES, THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY WHO ARE STARTING TO MAKE THAT SHIFT OR WHO HAVE MADE IT FROM THE PATHOLOGY PARADIGM TO THE NEURO DIVERSITY PARADIGM. AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THE SHIFT, WHO HAVE NOT MADE THE SHIFT OR ARE COMPROMISING WITH THE SHIFT BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO LET GO OF AN OLD PARADIGM. IT IS HARD TO MAKE A SHIFT AWAY.

AND IT IS SAD LOOKING AT THAT WITHIN THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY AND PARTICULARLY, BECAUSE WHAT I SEE AS INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION GOING ON. PEOPLE HAVE – IT IS SO PRESENT IN THE CULTURE AND AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE RAISED WITH THIS IDEA THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM. AND I SEE IT BEING VERY HARD TO SHAKE, VERY HARD TO LET GO OF THAT AND SAY, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF SAYING THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME? THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME ANYMORE THAN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH SOMEONE FOR NOT BEING WHITE OR NOT BEING HETEROSEXUAL OR NOT BEING MALE. THIS IS A TOUGH SHIFT FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE.

AND IT IS A SHIFT THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LANGUAGE AND HOW WE FRAME THESE THINGS AND HOW WE THINK AND TALK ABOUT THEM. BECAUSE HOW WE TALK ABOUT THEM EMERGES FROM HOW WE THINK ABOUT THEM. HOW WE TALK ABOUT THINGS SHAPES HOW WE THINK ABOUT THINGS. SO THERE IS A LOT OF IMPLICATIONS THAT SERVE US.

FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE BIG STRUGGLES THAT THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY DEALS WITH IS JUST WHAT IS CALLED “PERSON FIRST” LANGUAGE, IS A BIG ONE.

THERE’S SORT OF AMONG NON-AUTISTIC PROFESSIONALS, NON-AUTISTIC PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE EXPERTS ON AUTISM, AND AMONG PARENTS OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN AND SUCH, THERE IS A LARGE MOVE TO USE WHAT IS CALLED “PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE.” WHICH IS SAYING PEOPLE WITH AUTISM. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AUTISTIC ACTIVISTS ARE FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL AGAINST. AUTISTIC PEOPLE. BECAUSE WHEN WE SAY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM, IMMEDIATELY YOU FRAME IT AS A DISEASE. LIKE PEOPLE WITH CANCER, BUT WE DON’T SAY PEOPLE WITH HOMOSEXUALITY OR WE DON’T CALL ETHNIC MINORITIES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WITH AFRICAN AMERICANISM. NO. THEY ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, STRAIGHT PEOPLE, GAY PEOPLE, WHITE PEOPLE, NOT PEOPLE WITH MALENESS OR FEMALENESS.

WHEN WE ACCEPT SOMETHING AS PART OF THE NATURAL SPECTRUM OF HUMAN DIVERSITY, WE SAY, NO, WE ARE AUTISTIC PEOPLE. WE’RE AUTISTIC. THAT IS WHY AUTISTIC PEOPLE, YOU KNOW AND THIS PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE CREATES THE SEPARATION. AS IF THIS IS A SHAMEFUL THING THAT WE WANT TO DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM.

THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE STRUGGLE. AND YOU GO INTO – IF YOU DARE, GO INTO ON LINE DISCUSSION GROUPS WHERE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT AUTISM, AND BOY, THOSE THINGS GET MESSY AND UGLY. YOU GO IN THERE AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE LIKE WHAT SIDE OF THE PARADIGM SHIFT AND WHAT SIDE OF THE CULTURAL BATTLE LINES ARE PEOPLE ON? AND YOU CAN TELL ENTIRELY IF THEY SAY AUTISTIC PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM. AND PEOPLE HAVE HORRIFIC FIGHTS ABOUT THIS. IT IS SO ODD ABOUT HOW WE TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS NOW.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT AS, WELL, HOW WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER MANIFESTATION OF HUMAN DIVERSITY? HOW WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT SEXUAL OR GENDER MINORITY OR CULTURAL, ETHNIC MINORITY? AND YOU WOULDN’T TALK THAT WAY ABOUT AN ETHNIC OR CULTURAL OR GENDER MINORITY. YOU SHOULDN’T TALK THAT WAY ABOUT A NEUROLOGICAL MINORITY. THAT IS HOW WE’RE TRYING TO SHIFT THE LANGUAGE. DON’T SAY IT ABOUT AUTISTIC PEOPLE IF YOU WOULDN’T SAY IT ABOUT NON-WHITE PEOPLE OR NON-HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE OR A MEMBER OF WHATEVER GROUP YOU BELONG TO. WOULD YOU WANT TO BE DESCRIBED THIS WAY? FIGHTING AGAINST WORDS LIKE DISORDER, IT IS FUNNY HOW TAKEN FOR GRANTED IT IS. WE SEE SUPPOSEDLY MUTUAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH USE THE TERM ASD ALL THE TIME FOR AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER. HOW IS THIS NEUTRAL RESEARCH? KEEP IN MIND, DISORDER, YOU KNOW, WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT CANCER HERE. WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING WHERE WE CAN LOOK IN WITH A MICROSCOPE AND SEE HERE, LOOK AT A BLOOD SAMPLE AND SEE, HERE IS THIS DISEASE ATTACKING THE BODY.

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF THE HUMAN GENE POOL. LIKE ETHNIC TRAITS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER TRAITS. SO CALLING IT A DISORDER, IS NOT IN FACT, SCIENTIFIC. IT IS A CULTURAL VALUE JUDGMENT. AND TO PUT THAT IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, WELL, RIGHT THERE, THE RESEARCH IS BIASED. IT IS BIASED JUST BY CALLING IT SUB- POPULATION BY CALLING IT OBJECTS OF STUDY DISORDERS WITHOUT ANY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. AND MOST PEOPLE DON’T STOP TO THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE PATHOLOGY PARADIGM IS SO DOMINANT. DON’T STOP TO THINK, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW IT IS A DISORDER? WE KNOW IT IS A DISORDER BECAUSE LOTS OF PEOPLE CALL IT A DISORDER? SO THIS IS JUST A CULTURAL PARADIGM.

SO, THERE IS THIS PROCESS. I’M A MARTIAL ARTIST AND I PRACTICE ZEN MEDITATION. AND MY OWN WORK OUTSIDE OF THE AUTISM-RELATED STUFF, I’M VERY INTO MINDFULNESS PRACTICES. THAT IS KIND OF MY FIELD, YOU KNOW. I FELL INTO THE AUTISM AND NEURO DIVERSITY FIELD BY VIRTUE OF BEING AUTISTIC AND BEING INVOLVED IN THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY. MINDFUL PRACTICES ARE MY FIELD OF STUDY. I THINK OF THIS AS A MINDFUL PRACTICE. WE’RE SEEING THIS AND EVERYBODY IS SAYING THIS, PEOPLE ARE SAYING DISORDER USING THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF LANGUAGE AND MAKING THESE PARTICULAR ASSUMPTIONS.

LET’S TAKE A MOMENT AND QUESTION THE ASSUMPTION, WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM? IS THIS JUST AN ASSUMPTION? DO WE HAVE EVIDENCE FOR THIS OR IS THIS JUST AN ASSUMPTION AND WHAT IF WE CHANGE IT? WHAT IF WE STOP AND RECONSTRUCT OUR LANGUAGE, DECONSTRUCT THE LANGUAGE AND RECONSTRUCT IT? BUILD SOMETHING NEW?

I HEAR ALL THESE – I LOVE THE TERM, “AUTISM SPECTRUM” YES, EVERY AUTISTIC PERSON IS DIFFERENT AND THERE IS I ENORMOUS VARIATION IN AUTISTIC MINDS. BUT EVERY NON-AUTISTIC PERSON IS ALSO DIFFERENT, VASTLY DIFFERENT. NON-AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER. DO YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE PEOPLE – I DON’T KNOW WHICH PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ARE AUTISTIC AND WHICH ARE NOT. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE NON-AUTISTIC PEOPLE IN THE ROOM YOU THINK AND MOVE DIFFERENTLY FROM EACH OTHER. YET, WE DON’T SAY, THE NEURO TYPICAL SPECTRUM. WHY? WHY DO WE HAVE TO USE THE TERM AUTISTIC SPECTRUM TO REMIND US THAT NOT ALL AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE ALIKE. WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THE WHITE AND THE GAY SPECTRUM. SOMEHOW WE KNOW THAT WHITE AND GAY PEOPLE AND HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE WITHOUT SAYING IT, THAT THEY ARE NOT ALL ALIKE. SO WHY AUTISTIC SPECTRUM?

ANOTHER BIG ONE THAT AUTISTIC ACTIVISTS ARE FIGHTING AGAINST THESE DAYS IS FUNCTIONING LABELS, WHICH ARE HEAVILY USED BY PROFESSIONALS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND DOCTORS AND ALSO BY PARENTS OF AUTISTIC KIDS WHO HAVEN’T SHIFTED OVER TO THE NEURO DIVERSITY PARADIGM. HIGH FUNCTIONING LABELS ARE HIGH AND LOW FUNCTIONING.

LET’S THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. THERE IS AN ASSUMPTION HEREON THE PART OF WHOEVER IS USING THESE TERMS, HIGH FUNCTIONING AND LOW FUNCTIONING, THERE IS AN ASSUMPTION THAT WE’RE ALL AGREED ABOUT WHAT THE PROPER FUNCTION OF A HUMAN BEING IS. NOW, THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS HAVE NOT AGREED ON THAT YET. SO I’M SKEPTICAL. I’M SKEPTICAL THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE PROPER FUNCTION OF THE HUMAN BEING IS.

IF YOU LOOK AT HIGH FUNCTIONING AND LOW FUNCTIONING AND HOW THE TERMS ARE USED, AGAIN, THE BASIS IS THE PATHOLOGY PARADIGM. IT IS THIS ONE ASSUMPTION, WHICH IS THAT THERE IS ONE RIGHT HEALTHY WAY FOR A HUMAN BEING AND HUMAN MIND TO FUNCTION, AND IT IS NOT THE AUTISTIC WAY. THE WAY HIGH FUNCTIONING IS USED TO ME, COMES CLOSER TO PASSING AS NON-AUTISTIC, AND LOW FUNCTIONING IS FURTHER FROM PASSING. IT IS LIKE IF A GAY MAN WERE TO STAY IN THE CLOSET AND MARRY A WOMAN AND HAVE KIDS AND LIVE A TOTALLY STRAIGHT LIFE AND NEVER, EVER STEP OUT OF THE CLOSET, IS HE HIGH FUNCTIONING? IS STRAIGHT THE RIGHT WAY FOR PEOPLE TO FUNCTION?

WHEN WE LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, IT IS OUTRAGEOUS TO SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE HIGH AND LOW FUNCTIONING. I WILL SAY I MAY HAVE A HIGH OR LOW FUNCTIONING DAY BASED ON HOW I THINK I SHOULD BE FUNCTIONING. BUT NOBODY ELSE GETS TO SAY HOW I SHOULD BE FUNCTIONING, WHAT MY PROPER FUNCTIONING IS. THERE IS A LOT OF CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS THERE. IS HIGH FUNCTIONING BEING ABLE TO HOLD A JOB? PRODUCE MORE WEALTH FOR THE SYSTEM? NOT NECESSARILY.

WHAT IF THE PROPER FUNCTION OF HUMANS IS TO APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THE UNIVERSE? IN THAT CASE, I KNOW SOME AUTISTIC PEOPLE WHO CAN’T SPEAK AND CAN’T REALLY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES WELL IN TERMS OF DAILY TASKS, BUT THEY ARE VERY HIGH FUNCTIONING BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN ABILITY TO APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THINGS DEEPLY THAT I RARELY SEE IN NON-AUTISTIC PEOPLE, OUTSIDE OF MONASTERIES AND SUCH.

SO THIS IS THE BASIC -- THIS IS THE WORK I DO THESE DAYS. IT IS SORT OF TRYING TO WAKE PEOPLE UP TO THIS PARADIGM SHIFT AND GET PEOPLE QUESTIONING THESE ASSUMPTIONS. ONCE YOU MAKE THAT SHIFT, A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER THINGS START HAPPENING; START SHIFTING. THINGS START FALLING INTO PLACE OR OUT OF PLACE IN GOOD WAYS.

SO, WHEN YOU MAKE THAT SHIFT, THEN YOU START QUESTIONING, WELL, HOW ARE WE DEALING WITH AUTISTIC PEOPLE AND DEALING WITH THE PRESENCE OF AUTISTIC PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY? HOW ARE WE ACCOMMODATING THEM AND HOW DO WE EDUCATE THEM? AND WHY DO WE DO IT THE WAY WE DO IT? THERE IS A LOT OF DEBATE OVER WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT AND HOW DO YOU RAISE AN AUTISTIC CHILD AND ACCOMMODATE AN AUTISTICCOLLEGE STUDENT OR ADULT? WHAT IF WE START BASING OUR PRACTICES ON THE NEURO DIVERSITY PARADIGM?

RIGHT NOW, FOR INSTANCE, THE MOST POPULAR METHOD – WELL, WHAT I WANT TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I WAS GOING TO SAY THE MOST POPULAR TREATMENT, THEN I REALIZED THAT IN ITSELF IS A BIG QUESTION. THAT IS PATHOLOGY PARADIGM LANGUAGE RIGHT THERE. JUST THE IDEA THAT AUTISM IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE TREATED.

I MEAN, AUTISTIC KIDS ARE BORN WITH ALL SORTS OF NEEDS, BUT SO ARE NON-AUTISTIC KIDS. IF YOU ARE A PARENT, YOU KNOW. KIDS HAVE TO BE TAUGHT EVERYTHING. THEY ARE NOT BORN TOILET TRAINED OR THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ. THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO TALK. WOW, THEY ARE A TOTAL FIXER UPPER YOU GET THERE.

I MEAN, I HAVE A NON-AUTISTIC KID AND THEY NEED A LOT. SO DO AUTISTIC KIDS. AND THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF NEEDS. BUT, WHEN WE WORK TO MEET THE NEEDS OF NON-AUTISTIC KIDS, WHEN WE HAVE A NON-AUTISTIC KID AND WE SAY, “WHAT IS THIS KID GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET BY IN THE WORLD? AND HOW DO I GIVE IT TO THEM?” WE CALL THAT RAISING A CHILD. AND WE CALL THAT EDUCATION. BUT WHEN WE ASK THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT AN AUTISTIC KID, WE CALL IT TREATMENT AND THERAPY. THERE IS PREJUDICIAL LANGUAGE RIGHT THERE.

AND THEN WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS? WHAT ARE THE PRACTICES THAT EMERGE FROM THE PATHOLOGY PARADIGM? WHAT EMERGES ARE THE BIGGEST TREATMENT IS SOMETHING CALLED ABA, APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE BIG TREND THE PAST COUPLE DECADES. THAT IS BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONING, KIND OF LIKE DOG TRAINING, WHERE IT IS OLD-STYLE DOG TRAINING WHERE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT TO DOGS ANYMORE IN MOST OF THE COUNTRY.

IT IS THIS BEHAVIORIST PROGRAM WHERE THE IDEA IS TO MAKE THE AUTISTIC KIDS OUTWARDLY INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM NON-AUTISTIC KIDS, YOU ARE PROGRAMMING THEM TO PASS. AND THAT’S THE GOAL. BUT IS THAT THE BEST THING FOR THEM?

WELL IT’S NOT.

THE AUTISTIC PEOPLE I KNOW WHO WENT THROUGH ABA AS KIDS ARE TRAUMATIZED BY IT. THEY ARE A MESS. THEY ARE A WRECK. IT IS REALLY DAMAGING, BECAUSE AUTISTIC PEOPLE – WE HAVE PARTICULAR WAYS THAT OUR BODIES WORK AND PARTICULAR WAYS THAT OUR MINDS WORK. AND WAYS THAT THE BODY HAS TO MOVE IN ORDER FOR THE MIND TO DO ITS THING. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SUPPRESS ALL OF THAT, SUPPRESS ALL OF THE OUTWARD SIGNS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PSYCHE? WE KNOW BETTER THAN THAT WITH THE NON-AUTISTIC KIDS. WE KNOW IF THEY ARE A TYPICAL CHILD THAT THERE’S – THEY HAVE THEIR STRATEGIES FOR REGULATING THEMSELVES AND WE FIND WAYS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE THEMSELVES IN CERTAIN WAYS.