Garcia 1

Gladys Garcia
Professor Batty
English 113B
29 March 2016
Limits
Throughout the years society has always labeled what is normal in our daily lives. Now,
if one fails to meet these standards, they are different. For many years now Autism is viewed as a
disease that affects the human brain in a negative way. Researches are trying to find a cure for
this disease, but what they dont understand is that not everyones brain is the same. There is
so actual normal brain in the world. Rather than defining Autism as a disease we should be
expressing neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is expressing how different everyones brain rather
than making it fit into societys labels. Autism shouldnt be seen as a disease because it ignores
the uniqueness of their brain and causes autistic people to be discriminated.
Autism was first discovered around the year 1943 and is usually associated with
loneliness. According to Jaarsma, Autism was first identified by Leo Kanner in 1943 as a
childhood syndrome characterized by autistic aloneness, obsession with routine and profound
problems with communication. (Jaarsma20).Inotherwords,thisishowmedicalprofessionals
diagnoseAutisminchildoranadult.Theywillrecognizethesecertainsymptomsonthe
individualanddiagnosethemwiththedisease.Leaskagreesasshewrites,Thesechildrenwere
unabletospeakandpossessedunusualcharacteristicslikeunresponsiveness,resistanceto
physicalaffection,obstreperousness,inabilitytoexpressemotion,andunexplainedcryingand
physicalchangessuchasrigidityanddeformity(Leask,Leask,andSilove2005,271).Inother

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words,Autismisoftenseenasapersonwithlackofsocialskills.Whenitcomestodiagnosinga
personwithAutismithastobedonebyamedicalprofessional.
WhenachildhasAutismsymptomsthemedicalprofessionalrecognizesitbutthereisno
actualtesttoproofthatthepersonhasAutism.Cookwritesherself,Currentlythereareno
medicaltests(suchasbloodtestsorbraintests)thatconfirmthediagnosisofautism,yetmedical
researchersaresearchingforverifiablelinkstoabnormalitiesinbrainfunction,endocrinology,
andgenetics(Cook1998).UntilthisdaythereisnoactualproofthatthepersonhasAutismthe
doctorswilljustassumebythelackofsocialskills.SoifthereisnowayofprovingAutismisa
diseasethenwhydoweseeitasone?ApersonwithAutismdoesntnecessarilyfitintothe
normalsocialnormssowealreadyseethemasdifferent.Kaulalsowritesherself,Popular
notionsofautismoftengivetheimpressionthatpersonsafflictedwiththisconditionsomehow
functionattheboundariesofwhatischaracteristicallyhuman(Kaul2003).Inotherwords,we
judgeautisticpeoplefortheimpressiontheygiveusbuttheyarenormalpeoplejustlikeus.They
havetheirdislikesandlikesandsharetheirinterestslikeus.Forexample,TheCuriousIncident
oftheDoginTheNightTimetalksaboutayoungteenagernamedChristopherwithAutism.
Christopherisverypickyonwhatheiscomfortablewithforexamplehewillnoteatfoodsthat
areyelloworbrownandhedoesntliketobetouched.Thewayhimandhisfatherhugisby
touchingtheirhandstogetherandthatisallChristophercanhandle.Mostpeoplemayseethisas
oddandthinkAutismhasmadethispoorteenagersickbutyetthatsnormal.Howmanyofus
dontlikecertainthingslikebroccoliorpicklesorperhapswedontliketobetouchedeither,
thatdoesnotmakeChristopheranydifferentfromusbecauseweeachhaveourdislikes.We

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tendtojudgeAutisticpeoplebecauseweseethemasdifferentbutinrealitytheyarenotallthat
differentfromus.Theyareaminoritytousfromthestart.
Autismisnotacceptedbecauseofthedifferencesthatareshown.AccordingtoOwerns
Whetherautismisseenasadifferenceoradisorder,beingautisticcanbeconsideredasa
minorityposition.(Owrens36).Inotherwords,whetherwethinkAutismisadiseaseornotwe
dontgivethemequality.Wethinktheyareuselessintoourworld,thattheonlythingtheywill
doisholdusbackbuttheydont.Autismisablessingfortheyhavespecialtalentsthatcanhelp
ourworld.Although,autistichavecertainspecialtiestheycanworkon.Forexample,iftheyare
reallygoodatmathbutwontspeaktoanyonetheywillprobablygetaspeechtherapisttohelp
themconversantwithothersbutthisdoesntmakedifferentbecauseeveryonefunctions
different.Butiftheyhavecertainskillstheylackdoesntmeantheyaredimwittedbecausehow
manyofuslackinskillsweneedtoworkon?Wecansometimesourselvesasnormalpeople
canlackonsocialskills.Weshouldnotlimitanyonebecausewedonotknowwhattheyare
capableof.Forexample,TheCuriousIncidentoftheDoginTheNightTimeChristopheris
reallygoodatmathwhichishisspecialty.However,whenChristopheraskstotakeALevel
mathclasseshisprincipalisconcernedthatitmightbeoutofhisleague.ButChristopherproves
everyonewrongandacesallhisALevelmathtestpassinghismathclass.Thenhetalksabout
howonedayhedreamsofbeinganastronautormajoringinmath.ApersonwithChristophers
abilitieswouldbeveryusefulbecausenotallofusaregoodatmathandmathisreallyvaluable
whenitcomestoscienceordoctors.Thismeansweshouldnotlimitautisticpeoplebecausethey
havecertaincapabilitiesthatareuseful.Weshouldnotlimitthembecauseifwedotheywill

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limitthemselvesandthiswillnotleadthemintosucceedingintotheirfullpotential.Removing
Autismfromapersonwouldbeliketakingawayapieceofthem.
ForAutismisntadisorderitisratherthewayofaperson,meaningwhotheyreallyare.
GrandinmentionsAutisticpersons,therefore,experiencetheirenvironmentdifferently,
particularlyintermsofhowtheyprocesssensoryinformationorsocialknowledge.Thatis,when
peoplewithautismmanifestdifferencesthataresociallyrecognized(andthereforedisabling),it
isoftenaconsequenceoftheunusualmannerinwhichtheirbodiesperceivereality(Grandin
1995).ThisdemonstratesthatAutisticpeoplehandlesituationsdifferentlyforifweputthem
downtheymightthinklessofthemselveswhichisnotrightbecausetheyareatthesamelevelas
anormalperson.ThisiswhyneurodiversityshouldbevaluedbecauseAutismshouldnotbe
viewedasadisabilityoradiseasebecauseitisnotholdinganyonebackitisopeninguptothe
worldthatnoteveryoneisthesame.JaarsmaherselfwritesNeurodiversityspokespersons
promoteapositiveunderstandingofautism,opposethosewhoadvocateforacure,resistthe
appropriationoftheirvoicesbysympathizersandnonautistics,andstruggleforacollectivesense
ofidentity.(Jaarsma23)Thismeansthatneurodiversityisratherexpressingthepositive
energyofAutism.Wecantchangewhotheyareorfindacuretohelpthembecomenormal
becausethereisnonormalbrain.TakingAutismawayfromapersonwouldbelikestealingtheir
identity.AsSinclairsayshimselfAmericanselfadvocateJimSinclairexplainsthisposition:
Autismisawayofbeing.Itisnotpossibletoseparatetheautismfromthepersonandifit
werepossible,thepersonyouwouldhaveleftwouldnotbethesamepersonyoustartedwith
(Sinclair1993).(Owens1).ThisexplainswhyAutismcannotbecuredbecauseitispartofa
person.Youcannotdefineapartofapersonasadisease.

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ThisiswhywecannotfallintosocietysviewsonAutism.Wecannotdefineeveryone
basedononedefinitionofnormalwearealldifferentinourownways.Weshouldnotjudge
autisticpeopleorlimitthemfortheyarejustasnormalasus.Wearealluniqueindifferentways
whichmeanswecannotjudgethem.IfAutismwasdefinedasnormalwewouldnotbetold,we
aredifferentbecauseweallwanttobeaccepted.

WorksCited
Bumiller, Kristin. "Quirky Citizens: Autism, Gender, and Reimagining Disability." Signs, 33.4
(2008): 967-991.
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Toronto: Anchor Canada,
2004.
Jaarsma, Pier, and Stellan Welin. "Autism as a Natural Human Variation: Reflections on the
Claims of the Neurodiversity Movement." Health Care Analysis, 20.1 (2012): 20-30
Owren, Thomas, and Trude Stenhammer. "Neurodiversity: Accepting Autistic Difference."
Learning Disability Practice, 16.4 (2013): 32.