Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know


This is one of the most moving stories I have read this year. Apparently, the video has been out for a while, and I am just jumping on the train. I just have to say....this is what I am dedicated to. My job is to open communication so that people who are used to an 'acceptable' way of communication can see that any communication should be deemed as acceptable and appropriate (whatever the definition of acceptable really means).

Here is part of the article from Wired, The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know: "In a synthesized voice generated by a software application, she explains that touching, tasting, and smelling allow her to have a "constant conversation" with her surroundings. These forms of nonverbal stimuli constitute her "native language," Amanda Baggs explains, and are no better or worse than spoken language. Yet her failure to speak is seen as a deficit, she says, while other people's failure to learn her language is seen as natural and acceptable.

The video clip is 8 minutes long, but after I watched it, I really started to understand that to quote..."
the autistic brain is not defective but simply different-- an example of the variety of human development."



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3 comments:

SHELLS BELLS! said...

I am a social worker and many times I am very skeptical about videos on the web that deal with individuals with a disability, but my co-worker and I watched the documentary about Amanda and have been forwarding it to everyone we know. The individual may not have verbal language like so many of us, but they do communicate in different ways. Sorry for the super long comment.

Unstoppable Lindsey said...

Totally Shells...this video for me is seriously life-altering. Once I viewed autism or any special need based on the perception I had since I was a child. I always thought, 'oh, this person is special,' when in actuality, persons with special needs aren't so much 'special,' as they are 'different.' It is learning what those differences are and embracing them and trying to speak a different language. That's all...

Long comments are totally appreciated ;)

AnneMarie said...

Hey girl it's Anne Marie! I found your blog through other links! Congrats on your new job! Will you email me so I can add you to my blog, so we can become bloggin buddies? annemarie.mcdonald@gmail.com