As I watched Oprah yesterday (the episode with Jenny McCarthy and how her son was magically "healed" of his autism*), I couldn't help but notice how she worded her replies/monologues. I'm not going to address all of it, but what struck me is the difference between her and myself.
She said it was important to say child with autism, not autistic, because the autism isn't the only thing describing the child. That, of course, is true. However... We have no problem saying that someone is, or example, a boy - you don't say child with the gender/sex (that's a whole different discussion) boy.
As an autistic, I define myself as such, but I also define myself as so much more. It's not the only thing about me, which Ms McCarthy so condescendingly suggested it would be with such a description. To me, it sounds more like she's the one who can't see "beyond the autism" and therefore have to say with autism to remind herself that her son is something more.
* It finally aired on Norwegian television last night (I don't watch Oprah, so I don't know if it has been on before), and I capped it for a few autistics and parents of autistics at an online board. Let me know if you haven't seen it yet and would like to.
Addendum: If you remove every label that sum up traits, etc, in one word, like autism -> with autism, aren't we basically removing every single part of us from our cores? If we stop using definitions like that and base our knowledge of ourselves thing we do and things we say instead of accepting them as parts of us?
The autism, however small it may be, is, and have always been a great part of my life (even when I didn't know about it). I can't just diminish that by calling it something else. Just as I am autistic, I'm a girl (at times), a woman (at times), I'm currently a student (not someone who only study) and a photographer and many, many other things.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
Indeed most of us are offended by being described as people with autism, or as having autism. In general, we much prefer to be described as autistic. I don't argue about it with well-meaning acquaintances, but I do have my preferece.
That "people with" is a throwback to the P.W.A.s = people with aids; at a time when discrimination and prejudice was at a height. Now the professional helpers have decided that we should be people with autism or aspergers and we will like it.
One of the VESID idiots said to me once, "You're a person with a t.b.i." It was very strange. I told her no, I am a t.b.i.-er.
spike
Interesting thoughts. I never thought as autism as being something transient, if there is a "cure" then why isn't it mass marketed and sent all over the world. Maybe because either he never had it to begin with (maybe he had another disorder that was similar and curable) or she is full of it. If only things were that easy. BTW great spot. I'll have to bookmark it.
Post a Comment