Our tribal perseverance on normalization has the DSM exploding. I heard a talk recently at a Williams Syndrome convention in Boston, in which the speaker (Dr. Thomas Armstrong), discussed his theories re; 'neurodiversity.' Instead of characterizing folks as deviating from norms, another approach would be to focus on the fact that our testing sometimes uncovers folks who would be excellent at certain things that require intense focus on details, for example. Computer programming field is filled with examples of folks who would clearly be diagnosed as autistic. It takes a special mind to actually dream in code.
There are enough sources of legitimate frustration and challenges without adding to the list by tacking on any that have as a primary foundation our concerns over deviation from the norm and not being the same as the rest of the locally normalized herd; normalization is a potential cul de sac, and not something to overly worry about. He illustrated with the example of 3D spatial navigation skills in the island nations of the South Pacific leading to a kind of local filter for rising up the local tribal power structure, whereas in DC, we have folks who can't find their BMWs in the parking lot claiming to run the most complex economies in the world(even if they belie the ability to do that by insisting on referring to them as an it...) Our tribe normalizes itself into a cul de sac when the highest valued political skill is the ability to lie convincingly to others. (My youngest, with Williams Syndrome, would be a terrible politician.)
The frustrations and challenges that are based on our own perseverence on 'normalization' is largely the doing of the tribe itself, manufacturing additional sources of frustration and challenge.
From: Walk for Autism
in Kat's Blog
A blog by Kat in General
Posted
Our tribal perseverance on normalization has the DSM exploding. I heard a talk recently at a Williams Syndrome convention in Boston, in which the speaker (Dr. Thomas Armstrong), discussed his theories re; 'neurodiversity.' Instead of characterizing folks as deviating from norms, another approach would be to focus on the fact that our testing sometimes uncovers folks who would be excellent at certain things that require intense focus on details, for example. Computer programming field is filled with examples of folks who would clearly be diagnosed as autistic. It takes a special mind to actually dream in code.
There are enough sources of legitimate frustration and challenges without adding to the list by tacking on any that have as a primary foundation our concerns over deviation from the norm and not being the same as the rest of the locally normalized herd; normalization is a potential cul de sac, and not something to overly worry about. He illustrated with the example of 3D spatial navigation skills in the island nations of the South Pacific leading to a kind of local filter for rising up the local tribal power structure, whereas in DC, we have folks who can't find their BMWs in the parking lot claiming to run the most complex economies in the world(even if they belie the ability to do that by insisting on referring to them as an it...) Our tribe normalizes itself into a cul de sac when the highest valued political skill is the ability to lie convincingly to others. (My youngest, with Williams Syndrome, would be a terrible politician.)
The frustrations and challenges that are based on our own perseverence on 'normalization' is largely the doing of the tribe itself, manufacturing additional sources of frustration and challenge.