Welcome to Autism Land, a land dotted with ‘extraordinary’ tales, exceptionally stupid claims made emphatically by people with absolutely no connection to medical or scientific research, eco systems that immensely benefit from these extraordinary and ridiculous claims, parents who desperately seek ‘hope’ amidst this chaotic noise; and ‘average’ autistics like me who observe it all with resigned detachment, much like RK Laxman’s Common Man.
The ‘news’ doing rounds at the time of writing this is that of the death of a 41 year old Cambridge Professor, right on the heels of his resignation following an inquiry into claims of plagiarism surrounding his PhD thesis. Something that is an expected reaction from a university like Cambridge that takes its academic standards very seriously, you might say. But one glance into the claims made by the late Professor will have you questioning your understanding. The said Professor claimed that he had an early childhood diagnosis of autism and deafness in one ear, as a result of which he was non verbal till he turned twelve. A few days before his twelfth birthday, he began to talk- just like that! This, however, did not change the fact that he was severely dyslexic and could barely read at the level of a three year old, when he was eighteen.
He applied to universities, and then began to learn phonics to build on his reading skills. Somewhere along, he developed epilepsy as well, but poverty and the laundry list of disabilities notwithstanding, he went onto get more than one PhD – a remarkable claim that was lapped up by top universities and the mainstream media with equal fervour. His autobiography also lists a near fatal accident, coma and short term memory loss- all before defending his thesis, making his tale the textbook example of the story that ChatGPT would throw up when prompted to write an inspirational tale! Yet, and you would agree with this perspective, the most surprising thing is not the tales woven by the chronic fantasist, but the sheer number of people and institutions who bought his impossible tale! It really makes one wonder if the decision to hire the said fantasist came about as a result of the positive press that the said institution would get as a champion of the underdog! To cut a long story short, the said institution enjoyed the positive press until reports of plagiarism became public, after which it constituted an inquiry and distanced itself in the most politically acceptable manner possible.
This incident reminded me of the claims of telepathy in a certain segment of non speaking autistics that was made on a chart topping podcast a couple of years ago. There is one huge difference in the two claims- The late Professor consciously chose to evangelise himself, enjoyed the benefits and bore the consequences of the eventual downfall. Unfortunately, the same is probably not true for the purported ‘telepathics’, who happen to belong to the most vulnerable segment of autistics, making one wonder about the possible lack of autonomy and the stakeholders who would benefit from these claims.
This brings me to the single most important theme that stands out for me in both these instances- the need to portray disabled people as people who possess extraordinary skills, thereby becoming a source of inspiration for the world at large! This, I believe, is the perfect antithesis to a truly inclusive society- a society where the non-disabled majority project their expectations of what disabled people should be. This expectation, quite obviously, results in greater exclusion of the majority of disabled people; because, hey, just like you, a majority of us are average people with average intelligence and below-average productivity on most days. Majority of us do not possess any ‘exceptional skills’ that fit into your perception of what we are, but what we possess, just like you, are strengths that can be nurtured to help us become contributing members of the society. This, I believe, should be the voice in the head for parents and professionals who introduce AAC to non speaking autistics. AAC is a necessity because everyone deserves a voice, a reliable mode of expression, and a fair opportunity to be understood and to belong. Do not introduce it with the expectation of unearthing prodigal skills, for this, dear reader, is the surest recipe for disaster.
Avaz Megaphone is a platform for neurodivergent individuals to express themselves through the written word. We accept opinion pieces, short stories and poetry. Authors of accepted works will receive an honorarium. To make a submission please email us on: collaborate@avazapp.com
WRITTEN BY
Aditi Sowmyanarayan
Student & Writer
Aditi Sowmyanarayan is a nineteen year old who uses Avaz, a text to speech app, to communicate. She goes to Ishanya India Foundation, a special school in Bengaluru. Aditi is an avid blogger and an aspiring writer. She blogs on www.smallstepbigthought.blogspot.com
She can be reached on Instagram at writeaditi and on her Facebook page : small step big thought
