David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Autistic Woman Produces Moving Video, Blog
Monday, January 29, 2007
Many field experts, parents and educators have recently entered the public forum in an attempt to clarify aspects of the autism issue for the general public and particularly for those affected by this increasingly relevant condition. A brilliant new video from an articulate autistic woman offers a new, deeply personal perspective and is a must see for anyone seriously interested in autism and the issues surrounding it. Watch the video for yourself after the jump.
Beyond the search for a specific cause of the condition (a pursuit which will likely continue to foster debate and conflict both ethical and medical in nature) lies a mostly genuine concern for autistic individuals and the unique challenges they encounter in daily life. But the voices of those individuals themselves are seriously under-represented in the debate. By looking to offer compassion in the form of pity, many of us have unwittingly further entrenched the stigma surrounding these individuals. A.M. Baggs, who created the video and runs her own blog featuring posts and links related to autism, most specifically addresses the perception that autistic people are somehow incomplete and incapable of managing their own lives or communicating coherently with "normal" individuals. Opinions and degrees of expertise on autism certainly vary, but this woman's perspective is her own and, by watching her video, outsiders may begin to move closer to appreciating it.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Many field experts, parents and educators have recently entered the public forum in an attempt to clarify aspects of the autism issue for the general public and particularly for those affected by this increasingly relevant condition. A brilliant new video from an articulate autistic woman offers a new, deeply personal perspective and is a must see for anyone seriously interested in autism and the issues surrounding it. Watch the video for yourself after the jump.
Beyond the search for a specific cause of the condition (a pursuit which will likely continue to foster debate and conflict both ethical and medical in nature) lies a mostly genuine concern for autistic individuals and the unique challenges they encounter in daily life. But the voices of those individuals themselves are seriously under-represented in the debate. By looking to offer compassion in the form of pity, many of us have unwittingly further entrenched the stigma surrounding these individuals. A.M. Baggs, who created the video and runs her own blog featuring posts and links related to autism, most specifically addresses the perception that autistic people are somehow incomplete and incapable of managing their own lives or communicating coherently with "normal" individuals. Opinions and degrees of expertise on autism certainly vary, but this woman's perspective is her own and, by watching her video, outsiders may begin to move closer to appreciating it.
