One for the Times · Feb 15, 09:00 AM

The following letter is a response to the review of Susanne Antonetta’s new book, A Mind Apart: Travels in a Neurodiverse World, that was published in the January 29 New York Times Book Review.

January 29, 2006

In her review of A Mind Apart, Polly Morrice is condescending toward people — presumably unlike her — who have been diagnosed autistic, developmentally delayed, neurologically disordered, learning disabled, or mentally ill, yet entertain the notion that they are inherently worthy and seek to be accepted and even prized in the world. Increasingly, many publicly assert that their lives are not overwhelmingly tragic, however great the troubles they or their families face due to their “off-kilter traits.” Plenty of folks besides Temple Grandin are capable of putting the lie to popular assumptions about autism and disability; the task for “neurotypicals” is to listen nondefensively to what the “neurodiverse” have to say, even when they express challenging ideas in an idiosyncratic, awkward or undiplomatic manner. The neurodiversity movement does not consist of faddish cultists trolling for converts, but of disabled individuals, their family members and allies constructively responding to prejudice, stigma and pejorative labeling. People don’t all think the same way, and appreciation of this reality is not limited to those who possess a diagnosis. I am one parent who wants her “neurodiverse” family members to flourish — happily, healthily, well-educated and respected in a society that embraces the value of cognitive variety.

Kathleen Seidel
neurodiversity.com | honoring the variety of human wiring

Comments


  1. Yes! :)

    My parents would agree with you. They had four decidedly “atypicalâ€? children, and while some of us probably would have benefited from some extra help here and there, we all “turned out fineâ€? without it. (And I’m the only one who has a diagnosis, and I didn’t get THAT until I was an adult.) — Janna    Feb 15, 12:05 PM    #

  2. Thank you so much for this post and including the link to my blog. It is so important that we help society as a whole to see the value of our children, ourselves. Our lives may not be the same as everyone’s but it has great value. This value is so often missed by those who only hear the noise or unusual movements. They may not have the opportunity to see the smiles or hugs the folks on my son’s Meals on Wheels route demonstrating the joy of his presence. There are so many other examples of how we can touch the world with our uniqueness. — Peggy Lou Morgan    Feb 15, 03:52 PM    #

  3. Very cool, too bad it couldn’t be put like that with the links onto the NYT website.

    :-) — Autism Diva    Feb 15, 05:11 PM    #