OCT 31, 2024 | OPINION | By Kole Petersen
How people view autism is so weird to me.
Two perspectives on the autistic individual have dominated the cultural zeitgeist for as long as I have been alive, and frankly, it equally confuses and concerns me.
On one hand, many people believe that every autistic person is some sort of savant in some area. Whether it be drawing, music, memory, math or something else, according to the neurotypical mindsets, all autistic people have one thing they are freakishly good at.
Popular culture has continually upheld this viewpoint, from “Rain Man” telling a hyperbolized version of Kim Peek’s story to “The Good Doctor” depicting a dramatized tale of a prodigious autistic surgeon.
Although autistic people make up approximately half of those with Savant syndrome, the maximum estimate of the proportion of the autistic population that are savants is 10%, and even then, a microscopic percentage of this subsect of autistic individuals are so-called prodigious savants.
What a shock, the autistic population is not made up of gifted super-geniuses that the world can’t seem to understand. In many ways, we are just like the rest of you. We’re not special.
But why is this misperception an issue? Even if it isn’t true, doesn’t this stereotype of abnormal intelligence uplift the autistic community and portray us as something great?
Well, the danger of this seemingly complementary and uplifting stereotype is that it exists alongside a completely opposing and dangerous perception that infantilizes us.
Although Shaun Murphy (the protagonist of “The Good Doctor”) is often praised for his medical knowledge, his character is most widely known amongst my generation from the degrading “I am a surgeon” meme.
Although Kim Peek could read incredibly fast and remember the contents of over 12,000 books, his impressive mental capabilities are often mentioned right next to his inability to dress himself due to motor difficulties.
By the way, Kim Peek likely was not autistic, so “Rain Man” doubly misled the public’s perception of autism spectrum disorder.
Anyways, even more common than the praise given to autistic “savant-like” abilities are the insults, the judgment and the ableism that are tossed toward the autistic community. As previously mentioned, the average autistic person does not have an abnormal ability to draw the New York City skyline from memory. Because of that, they are degraded and belittled.
It seems to be common knowledge that autistic people typically need help with complex motor tasks. Yet, neurotypical people act almost disgusted when autistic people display a need for help. How people see an autistic person who needs help folding their clothes or tying their shoes is akin to a freak show, in my opinion.
Furthermore, autistic kids are nearly automatically placed into different classroom environments than their neurotypical counterparts simply because of the preconceived notions of their disability. To much of the world, an autistic child being nonverbal is a sign that they lack intelligence and thereby require easier educational material than everyone else.
I’m not denying that some autistic people need or benefit from additional resources. What I’m saying is that the motives behind granting these resources in childhood are based on sweeping generalizations and ableist viewpoints on the autistic person.
Now, what is the relationship between these two contradictory perspectives? They most commonly occur in conjunction with one another. Discussions emphasizing the extraordinary in autistic people often parallel discussions of inferiority.
If an autistic person has a talent, there is always a caveat of how unlikely it is they achieved so much despite them not being social, being non-verbal or having some other “unusual” neurodiversity. Autistic people are always talked about in terms of their limitations, not their abilities.
Interestingly enough, even those well-meaning news segments on CBS on “special” autistic children prioritize autistic people’s differences over their strengths. The whole crux of these stories is that people do not view autistic people as being equal to the neurotypical population, so many think it’s “amazing” that an autistic kid can play the piano.
Autistic people are not viewed as human beings. Rather than focusing on the things that make them uniquely special, outsiders tend to comment on the things that make them uniquely weird. Rather than being uplifted, they are belittled for not being like everyone else.
If a neurotypical kid watches something on their phone, that’s simply a typical activity of the 21st-century child. If an autistic kid watches something on their iPad, that’s a sign that they can’t comprehend complex thoughts. If a neurotypical kid stutters, that’s a sign of nervousness. If an autistic person stutters, that means they lack intelligence.
The lack of awareness of neurotypical people regarding their treatment of autistic people is astounding to me. How can they not recognize their cognitive dissonance? How is this juxtaposition seemingly invisible to everyone but me?
And yet, I sadly understand it. Popular culture has introduced two dichotomous perspectives on the autistic individual to the general public, and the general public has treated these perspectives as one. The intelligent yet helpless autistic person has become the norm in people’s minds, and their treatment reflects their mindset.
But you all need to do better. Autistic people are human beings just like everyone else. We autistic people have our challenges and differences, but at the end of the day, don’t we all?
We have our interests, motivations, personalities and goals in this life. Don’t outwardly push us down, and don’t masquerade your ableist thoughts through love-bombing. Assume neither the extraordinary nor the inferior when meeting us. Treat us like normal human beings, and all will be well.