Comments on: Rethinking autism http://joannejacobs.com/2008/02/29/rethinking-autism/ Free-linking and thinking on education by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:01:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Dogu http://joannejacobs.com/2008/02/29/rethinking-autism/#comment-71646 Dogu Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:43:29 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/02/29/rethinking-autism/#comment-71646 "These forms of nonverbal stimuli constitute her “native language,” 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." If I moved to Botswana to live, wouldn't the Botswanan's expect me to speak their language? Would they provide me with a translator and caregivers while I talked about how they should learn English? “These forms of nonverbal stimuli constitute her “native language,” 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.”

If I moved to Botswana to live, wouldn’t the Botswanan’s expect me to speak their language? Would they provide me with a translator and caregivers while I talked about how they should learn English?

]]> By: anon http://joannejacobs.com/2008/02/29/rethinking-autism/#comment-71588 anon Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:51:03 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/02/29/rethinking-autism/#comment-71588 If Baggs and Dawson can do the things that are attributed to them in the article, then they are not autistic. Yes, we do need to rethink autism. What we need to rethink is the nonsensical way that the so-called autism spectrum disorder has been broadened to include normal individuals. The more the parameters of a disorder are expanded, the more the concept of the disorder is undermined. See learning disabilities and ADHD for further evidence of how the concept of a disorder can be undermined to the point that anyone can be classified with a disorder. If Baggs and Dawson can do the things that are attributed to them in the article, then they are not autistic. Yes, we do need to rethink autism. What we need to rethink is the nonsensical way that the so-called autism spectrum disorder has been broadened to include normal individuals. The more the parameters of a disorder are expanded, the more the concept of the disorder is undermined. See learning disabilities and ADHD for further evidence of how the concept of a disorder can be undermined to the point that anyone can be classified with a disorder.

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