Saturday, March 19, 2011

Temple Grandin and Autism



I happened to catch the Clare Danes movie the other night and thought she was wonderful as the title character Temple Grandin. I naturally had to discover more about her so looked her up on Wikepedia. How interesting to know that high functioning autism can lead the individual into a meaningful career. We had read “House Rules” at book club for February which dealt with Asperger’s “on the autism spectrum”, as they call it.



When we were discussing the book I didn’t get an opportunity to say something that was in the back of my mind. And that is this habit we have of labeling everything. Have you noticed that since they started to write about ADHD that every second kid in school seems to have it? If someone operates in slightly outside the norm they search to find a label for it. I like my friend Barbara’s way of commenting on someone different.



“He’s a very special person.”



That can encompass a whole range of problems or symptoms but doesn’t particularly label the person. I get the message that this person is not cooperating like he/she should. But Barbara is very polite and doesn’t need to say any more. I’m pretty sure a lot of the time she would like to say he is a jerk (or worse). However, sometimes it might be better to say the person with high functioning autism is “a very special person” and leave it at that.



I know this seems kind of odd for me to say. Naturally I am not talking about not identifying the situation to the people who need to know. But it’s like the CIA files, “it’s on a need to know basis”, not everyone needs to know. I am probably as guilty as everyone else in putting labels on people but I am conscious of labeling becoming overdone.



This topic needs more work as I seem not to be saying what is in my mind very clearly. I must be experiencing low functioning Elsie Heymer’s. For those not in the know it means that I haven’t quite formulated what the heck I am complaining about.



Now let that be a lesson to you!

Another Jessie W. Smith

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