Achieving Extraordinary Success, a blog for young adults on the spectrum

[Robert Hickman]

Hello forum community.

 

While growing up I went through various stages, from totally denying my autism, to accepting it internally, to where I am today: totally happy with my way of being, feeling no regret to mentioning my autism in passing. This journey was not an easy one, I would frequently shift between bliss happiness and utter depression. The turning point was realizing that autism does not have to be a disability. That the whole concept of disability is based on little more that point of view. In my own case, autism can even be considered a superpower.

 

Given how few blogs there are by young autistic adults, I decided to start one at the end of last year, in order to share my views on the condition, and how I converted it from a disability to a superpower. You can find this blog at AchievingExtraordinarySuccess.com.

 

Anything in particular you would like to know?

[Tally]

Anything in particular you would like to know?

Yes.

Given the level of difficulties autism causes and the discrimination we face, how can being autistic possibly be an advantage?

Why don't you use your superpowers to read a book about evolution and find out how it actually works?

[Robert Hickman]

Yes.

Given the level of difficulties autism causes and the discrimination we face, how can being autistic possibly be an advantage?

Why don't you use your superpowers to read a book about evolution and find out how it actually works?

 

If you always take a negative point of view, nothing can ever be viewed as advantageous. Many autistic people are highly talented with logical thinking. With computers becoming more and more essential and pervasive in current times, being able to think logically _is_ an advantage.

 

Evolution -> animals breed, one offspring has a random mutation which happens to be advantageous, natural selection kills of the species which are less suited to there environment, recursion. If, as some people believe, that our technology has eliminated the natural part of the equation, that does not inherently stop evolution, it simply creates more diversity.

 

But regardless of the exact mechanics of _how_ it occurs (truly, nobody _really_ knows), diversity is an inherent part of our species. In all likelihood, we would not be alive today without this diversity. So then, why are we, as a species, so opposed to our own diversity?

[Tally]

If you always take a negative point of view, nothing can ever be viewed as advantageous. Many autistic people are highly talented with logical thinking. With computers becoming more and more essential and pervasive in current times, being able to think logically _is_ an advantage.

The ability to understand computers (which is what you seem to mean by "logical thinking") is not universal in autistic people, and is also of very little advantage to the vast swathes of humans who are living at or below a subsistence level and do not have access to computers. What is universal in autistic people is difficulties communicating with other humans. My argument is that the communication difficulties are such a significant disadvantage that the ability to use computers cannot compensate for. Even in a very computerised environment like some kind of techie job, it is still essential to communicate with other humans. If we lose our ability to communicate altogether, we will very quickly die out as a species.

 

Evolution -> animals breed, one offspring has a random mutation which happens to be advantageous, natural selection kills of the species which are less suited to there environment, recursion. If, as some people believe, that our technology has eliminated the natural part of the equation, that does not inherently stop evolution, it simply creates more diversity.

Indeed. I wouldn't even say that the development of technology is unnatural as it is our brains that have enabled us to do it. Many other species use tools and can pass learned skills from generation to generation like humans do. Even very simple technologies like the ability to kill animals and make their skins into warm clothing have helped humans live in cold environments without needing to wait for evolution to bring us warm winter coats.

[mark2]

That is a cracking bare-knuckle argument you two just had. Myself I think its a draw and youre both right just describing different bits of the elephant. I think Robert scores on diversity...itll prove anything but strangely that doesnt fault it. And Tally creates havoc with the too-cosy link of autism/computing. Yes lets pull it all apart...test test test... but the core of this will not fall. Those who talk do not see and those who see do not talk. Neurotypicals need autistics....theyre really pretty dim in some places! As we're talking evoluition Tally how we got out of the trees is pretty damn simple...but not for those who communicate too easily and pass their grades to become studiously loaded with bias.

And for sure not everyone needs everyone at the first tranche, or the second...or the third...but eventually without the rest of us... little people of all sorts... who would then stand on the shoulders of giants? They cant exist on their own. Diversity rules?

So we just keep talking as the man said? lol. Thanks, Great stuff!

Edited April 25, 2011 by mark2

[Lynden]

. Neurotypicals need autistics....theyre really pretty dim in some places!

 

What a ridiculous blanket statement! You get NT people who are naturally every bit as bright as HF autistic people.

 

I think, like with everything in life, being autistic may be advantageous to some, and definitely not for others. I adore my son and wouldn't change him, but being autistic definitely isn't advantageous for him. He's low functioning autistic and really struggles with day to day life on much more than a social basis. That's not me being 'negative', that's being realistic about the challenges he faces every single day.

 

I completely accept that he is autistic and am not at all embarrassed about it - quite the opposite, and I also work for a local autism support charity helping other people accept and come to terms with their diagnosis too. I think the second most important thing I can do as a parent, after supporting my son, is try and educate other people about autism in all it's forms.

 

Quite often, when I see 'discussions' like this on forum you are coming from a high functioning perspective. Autism is much more than that.

 

Lynne

Edited April 25, 2011 by Lynden

[Mumble]

how we got out of the trees is pretty damn simple...

Gravity.

[mark2]

I’m sorry but I wasnt saying NT ppl are not bright Lynden. The context is the whole of humanity needs its parts. And that applies to the intellect as much as anything else. Just as a simplified pertinent example... verbal intelligence needs non-verbal intelligence?

And I was talking on a community wide basis ...our future skill requirement as a species will only come through helping the less abled at whatever we need to do.

 

Lol Mumble...I took the gravity route...once!

I can vouch for if it were as simple as that we would not have our light gymnastic skeleton for jumping back up! We climb out of trees very carefully because our skeletons are so fragile...because getting back up fast is the selected-for survival skill. We're asymmetric in this way...much harder climbing down than up.

Edited April 25, 2011 by mark2

[Robert Hickman]

@Lynden @mark2 The basis for the OP was a drastic simplification of a 700~ word article I recently wrote, which you can find here. I don't doubt that your child has genuine difficulties, evolution being the random system that it is, will naturally result in both advantageous differences, and those which are not. But as I say in the article, why does this matter, these people are no less human than anyone else. Our societies and cultures need to learn to accept people for what they are.

 

@Tally By logical thinking, I am actually referring to logical thinking as a whole, which can be applied in many fields, computers happening to be the most prominent today. In the developed world, most people, even those living in poverty, have some access to computers. Many libraries now offer Internet access as a service, plus, people are throwing out perfectly usable hardware left right anc center, for free or a small charge. You just have to know where to look.

 

Communication is one area where augmenting myself with computers has helped substantially. Communicating with people on forums and Twitter has hugely improved my communication skills, both on-line and off. Then theres writing and my poor(aka phonetic) spelling. I cannot write by hand to save my life, but I love writing with a computer.

 

With regards to technology and evolution, I really like the ideas Kevin Kelly presents in What Technology Wants, the idea that technology is an inevitable product of evolution, once barriers of biological evolution are hit. Many other species have developed basic technologies and can pass them on, but it appears to be our ability with complex language and writing that has allowed us to develop tech to the point we have. Technology allows us to evolve beyond our physical limitations, from things like clothes as you say, to extending ones physical scenes out over the Internet.

[Tally]

@Tally By logical thinking, I am actually referring to logical thinking as a whole, which can be applied in many fields, computers happening to be the most prominent today. In the developed world, most people, even those living in poverty, have some access to computers. Many libraries now offer Internet access as a service, plus, people are throwing out perfectly usable hardware left right anc center, for free or a small charge. You just have to know where to look.

But what about people living in developing countries who can't pop down the library to use a computer? What about the poor rural farmer in Malawi who can't even register the birth of his child as he has not been taught to write his own name? What about the homeless child scraping a living on the railway platforms of India? What help are the Western world's computers to them?

 

If computers have enabled you to communicate better, then it strikes me that they are a tool that compensates for your difficulties, rather than proof of your more highly evolved status.