“Colour, pastel, square” by Markus Spiske. CCO via Unsplash
What’s wrong with using the word “spectrum” to describe autism? Perhaps some would suggest that the precise terminology used for referring to these medical conditions is relatively unimportant. In fact, the current terminology facilitates views that distort or oversimplify reality and may be causing harm.
In talking about people with one or another form of autism, phrases such as “severely affected” or “high-functioning” are used frequently, but they can conceal as much as they reveal. These two descriptions are often used as if they were opposites, yet there are probably cases where both descriptions apply to the same person.
An example unrelated to autism may be instructive here. As a teacher of medical, graduate, and undergraduate students, I encounter non-disabled people who are much better at oral than written communication or vice versa. It makes sense to evaluate the two capabilities separately and to tailor any intervention to the skill that is less well developed. The average of the two abilities is not especially helpful for practical purposes. What is the connection to the language used to discuss people with autism?
Continue reading
No comments:
Post a Comment