1. Write an article entitled "In Va. assault case, anxious parents recognize 'dark side' of autism."
2. In said article, conveniently minimize the fact that said assault only occurred because a police officer was trying to arrest a Black autistic teen for no damned good reason. After going on a racist tirade. But never mind that--instead, let's frame the article around the "dangers" of autistic people, who are portrayed as irrationally violent and a danger to "the community."
3. Don't bother quoting any actual autistic people. Instead, let's rely on Autism Speaks, family members only, and some random dude who is a Big Brother to an autistic boy.
4. Present with sympathy the idea that a parent was right to call the police on their adult autistic son after he talked a lot about Harry Potter and ran down the street.
5. Let the racist and ableist comments to the story come in.
My heart goes out to Neli Latson, who is clearly the victim of a broken system. There is absolutely no reason why he should be facing ten and a half years in prison, and I dearly hope that there is some way for Neli to get his freedom back. Please visit A Voice for Neli and sign a petition to bring Neli's plight to national media attention and, if you can, donate. Stay alert for updates from Neli's mother Lisa Alexander. Pass the links to A Voice for Neli on.
And in the meantime, think critically about media reports of this event that you see. While it is very important that Neli's situation is widely publicized, articles like the one in the Washington Post are not helpful to Neli and are, in fact, harmful to all autistic people. Let's not mis-diagnose the problems here, folks, which are:
-Cops don't deal well with people with mental/neurological disabilities.
-Many police officers abuse their power quite grossly.
-Black men are still treated as criminals by default by the entire law enforcement system as well as by many Americans. Let's not forget that this catastrophe began when someone decided to call the cops because Neli was sitting on grass outside of a library.
The existence of autistic people is not the problem, despite all of the scare tactics. We exist, and we deserve just treatment under the law and understanding and accommodations for our differences. Not a police state which limits our autonomy, and not a form of "autism awareness" which paints us as dangerous without ever considering our perspectives.
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2 comments:
Good post. Very good post!
Questions for the audience...
1- how come nobody ever has to realise the 'dark side' of typical psychological development?
2- how come unreasonable behaviour is tolerated from the police whereas, if it is someone with an ICD 10 Ch5 or a DSM IV-TR diagnosis, it is seen as less understandable than when a typically-developed police officer does it.?
3- why are autistics always invisible when it comes to quotes-gathering in vox-pops? (especially about autism topics!)
4- what is criminal about running down the street and talking about Harry Potter 'too much'? are some parents really that stupid?
5- that point is the weirdest thing... the newspaper just lets those comments come in, without reproach; what's the ulterior motive of the paper for publishing the story?
I know the case you're responding to, and it is an absolutely senseless situation; one that could have been avoided if all parties involved could have learned to engage brain before engaging anything else.
As a parent of an autistic child, I understand where you are coming from. I grew up with a severely physically disabled brother (but a brilliant, one of a kind mind who now writes for publications and is a professor) and I do, in fact, love my son for all he is worth.
That having been said, because the autism spectrum is so large I would agree that more autistic children and adults could speak for themselves. I actively employ two autisic individuals with help from our state to get them job training and a steady job. They are great to work with and they can self advocate as well as you or I. The fascination they have with certain things and social issues are minor and no more of a problem then some of the other people I've worked with.
But in some cases, like my son, there really isn't a way for him to "speak for himself". Because while incredibly brilliant, his violent rages and self harming behaviors are severe enough that he will most likely never be able to work within "the real world". It doesnt' mean my wife and I love him any less, but it also means I can't deny the very real social risk we take when he goes into communal settings. When the world doesn't match what he wants, even at 11, his rage is significant enoough that it is very very difficult to maintain.
I think this is the hard part about a situation like Autism. Because there are so many diagnoses, and so many different ways it can impact each individual, it's hard to put a hard and fast rule of "this is how it is". But I can't immediately dismiss the love and caring that a parent who has a different viewpoint then I do regarding their own child.
I would 100% agree that the verdict in this case is far too strict, that it is unfair punishment which is basically the equivalent to cruel & unusual punishment. The mental anguish they are asking that kid to go through is sickening.
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