Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Autistic and Proud


There's a short article on the Autistic's rights movement here. As stated before I've been struggling with the idea of labels. Labels, labels, labels... There are pros and cons to labels. In this article the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, says Autism and Asperger's syndrome aren't diseases, but different ways of being.


As I think about it what bothers me about the "autistic" label is that the media has made it synonymous with disability, tragedy. What I see in my son is someone uniquely and beautifully different. He has a different perspective and I so enjoy him just the way he is and I am excited to see how God will continue to work in his life.

Early intervention is important no doubt, but acceptance is also. Again I go back to the beautiful quote from The Glasser's: "I am not trying to stamp out personality traits, but I am helping her to be more functional in the world so she has the chance to be her own person." I so much want my son to be his own person. I also want the world to embrace him as he is...

3 comments:

farmwifetwo said...

I sent a long email to another blogger.. long story short... My kids have names.. they are not AUTISTIC. Number 2 I sit probably midway btwn cure and neurodiverse. And those with Aspergers and Non verbal learning disorder should be removed from the Autism Spectrum. I have one with NVLD and one with Severe non-verbal PDD... I think I should have an opinion on that one.

Some books I have enjoyed lately:
1. Unstrange minds - the "non" epidemic.
2. Blessings of the skinned knee - and no, I'm not Jewish but I do try to do what she does.
3. I am currently just starting the "Mislabeled child". So far it's... what they said?? We'll see if my opinion changes by the end.

S.

Angela DeRossett said...

LOVE this post... I don't ask for sympathy for my child. I want the world to see the beauty that *I* see in him... the way God made him, intentionally.

LAA and Family said...

I agree with you Bonnie, I'm all for early intervention but do not want to do anything that will stamp out his unique personality traits just for the sake of him appearing "normal." I prefer to think of the methods we use and the activities we do as ways of meeting his individual needs vs. thinking of them as "therapy". In no way (as I've said before and will say again) do I think there is anything about my son that needs "cured!" Does he need help to function in life? Yes! Do I need to teach him and educate him? Yes! Do I think he is somehow flawed? No!!