Featured Members
A Book Review of “Pretending to be Normal”
By Andrea Scurlock
In the initial weeks after my diagnosis with Asperger’s Syndrome, I devoured any information I could find on the subject: websites, articles, books, etc. The most helpful source I found was a book entitled “Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome”, written by Liane Holliday Willey, a doctor of education specializing in the fields of psycholinguistics and learning style differences.
Liane begins the book with her childhood recollections and continues on through college, marriage, and parenthood. She suffered through much of her life not knowing anything about Asperger’s Syndrome, not receiving a diagnosis until her youngest daughter was diagnosed at age seven. Everyone with AS will be able to relate to her story: personally I found an echo of my own frustration before diagnosis.
“Pretending to be Normal” not only tells Liane’s own story; but it also contains several helpful appendices. These include topics such as:
- How to explain Asperger’s Syndrome to others
- Ways of dealing with living with Asperger’s Syndrome
- Survival skills for college, work, and life
- Lists of support groups and further reading
This is a must read for not only those with Asperger’s Syndrome, but their families as well. The book is written in story format for easy—and entertaining—reading. “Pretending to be Normal” definitely deserves a five star rating.
Being Part of the Disabled Community Versus Being a Member of a Minority Group
By: Benzion Chinn
I attended the recent Autism Speaks Walk as a member of Aspirations. I assumed that the event would be a show of unity and support for autistics across the spectrum. The event was held at the Schottenstein Center, the basketball arena for the Buckeyes, and over nine thousand people attended. I loved the whole atmosphere and being there with my friends from Aspirations. My joy at being at this event lasted up until the moment the first speaker started talking and went down from there. I had to sit in the stands and listen as a parade of people got up and spoke about autism, how it is an “epidemic,” and a “disease” that needed to be “cured.” Sitting in the crowd and listening to these speeches, I felt like I had been used and taken advantage of. This was not what I came for. Imagine a black person going to a civil rights rally only to find himself being called an N-word and hearing that his blackness was a disease that needed to be cured.
Believe me, I recognize the incredible difficulties that parent of low functioning autistic children must go through. For that matter I know that I was not an easy child for my parents to raise. I am sure my parents would have benefited from having someone to explain what was going on with me and to offer support. And parents of autistic children need all the help and support they can get. But that is the point; help and support is not a cure. Even in terms of support there are differences. What my parents needed was not a medical professional to make me “functional” or to act like a “normal” person. Their needs were not all that different from that of parents of gay children. They would have benefited from having a professional tell them that yes I was “different,” that this was not a bad thing, that it was not their “fault” that I was who I was and that there was nothing they could do to “fix” me. All they could do was accept me for who I was, to try to understand my alternative way of thinking and be the advocates and supporters that I needed. (All in all I think my parents did a pretty good job without any professional help.)
As someone with Asperger syndrome, I do not see myself as disabled in any fashion. On the contrary I thank God every day for giving me the gift of Asperger syndrome. I look at other people and I wonder how they live such dull neurotypical lives. My life may be lonely much of the time but it is certainly interesting. If you offered me a cure for my Asperger syndrome I would laugh at you and throw it in your face. More than that, though, the very notion that I would need to be "cured" is an insult; it implies that my way of life is somehow less than other's peoples. This is no different from those who would suggest that homosexuals should be "cured."
Ultimately, there were different interests at stake at this Autism Speaks Walk. It was organized primarily by parents of low functioning autistic children. For them autism is a disability that needs to be cured. For me, and others with Asperger syndrome, autism is an alternative way of life. These interests directly conflict with each other; the mere existence and public visibility of each side harms the other. Having low functioning autistics in play is detrimental to me because it opens up the charge that I, as an autistic, am disabled as well. Whether it is fair or not I am tainted by mere association. On the other hand, while I may be useful as an advocate for autism, I present a tremendous inconvenience for those dealing with low functioning autism. I take away from the narrative of autism as a disability. No one is going to come away from meeting me overwhelmed with pity at the horrible state of those living with autism. Furthermore the fact that I am as functional as I am raises an implicit challenge to those less fortunate than me. If I could succeed what does it say about those who do not? This may not be fair but it taints them with failure.
I have Asperger syndrome and I am proud of it. My way of life is equally legitimate to that of other people. I will continue to fight for myself and for others with Asperger syndrome so that we should be able to have our stake in our multicultural society.
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