Hello,
I have been discussing Autistic savants recently:
Savant syndrome, sometimes abbreviated as savantism, is not a recognized
medical diagnosis, but researcher Darold Treffert defines it as a rare
condition in which persons with developmental disorders (including autism
spectrum disorders) have one or more areas of expertise, ability or brilliance
that are in contrast with the individual's overall limitations.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autistic_savant
It seems that the definition of an Autistic savant is based on the separation of
ability and disability within the autism spectrum disorders, with ability being
an exception to the rule. I think this separation is a harmful framing, and only
reinforces the exclusive perception of autism as a mental impairment. I prefer
to see autism as inclusive of ability, and not separate to it.
My personal experience with Asperger syndrome has shown me that autism spectrum
disorders can be both disabling and enabling, depending on how you embrace them.
Any forced separation into positive and negative seems misguided. Even more so
when the positive is given an entirely new name.
I generally avoid the social and cultural side of autism spectrum disorders, so
I may be covering old ground. I am not convinced either way, but I would be
interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject. What kind of usage patterns
reinforce this negative framing? Contrariwise, what usage patterns are okay?
Best,
--
Noah Slater, http://tumbolia.org/nslater
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