What if It Were Just About Being Different? by Ray Stirman

My biggest question about autism is not so much why so many want to see autism as a disease and cure it. I am really more interested as to why people feel the way they do about people with autism. Part of it I think has to do with people being uncomfortable around people who are different. One of the most important themes that seems to be globaly taught in every culture is that a person must find their “place” in society. They must play a role. It is of vital importance to people that a person learn to make others comfortable with the role that they play. If a person doesnt play a role where they fit in and make others comfortable, then it seems to be that most (if not all societies) will decide to see the difference (such as the diverse expressions that a person with autism might display) as either a dilberate expression of aborance or a disease that must be cured. Now obviously Im not refering to the other difficulties a person with autism experiences or the distance an autistic may display from others that frustrates parents. These are important issues and there are other such issues that are equally important.What Im concerned within this essay is how most people ( as has been MY experience) handle peoples differences. One might think that there are cultures, subcultures, and/or countercultures that are more allowing for difference. However this has not been my experience. I have found this to be true even among people who have been outcast themselves. Also, sometimes...
Source: The Autism Acceptance Project - Category: Autism Authors: Tags: Autspoken Source Type: blogs