Autistic Yada, yada?and one parent's point of view? Seinfeld

Post Reply New Topic

So I ran into this today and of course, I didn't agree, but wanted to share here to hear everyone's perspective. You see, I do NOT think that the media portrays autism/AS, etc. as something positive 99% of the time. Quite the contrary, all I hear is about how horrible it is, so I am just a bit shocked to hear a parent claim that he is tired of how the media portrays autism. What do you think?

Seinfeld:"I'm Autistic" Yada yada, you're not helping

I think its media news not media TV shows
if you see a news article its how horrible autism is yada Yada
When my daughter first diagnosed I saw Autism speaks everyday autism
It tried to make autistic look like monsters but did a better job of making the moms
look like whiny, helpless jerks an idiots. I promised I'd smack myself if I was ever like the parents on that documentary.


Media shows have autistic characters but they are not allowed to say it so not to offend people

Another woe-is-me blog by a parent who denies less severe autistics are autistic. I can't imagine what media they are viewing. It seems all I see in the mainstream media is how autistics should be pitied. When it comes to "raising awareness" I'm sure they'd still use the 1 in 68 stat, though.

Agreed.

I think news about autism tends to be more negative, but nevertheless, TV shows view it in a favourite light. For example, Dr. Reid from Criminal Minds is clearly supposed to be autistic. I used to doubt it, but in this new season they've made it blindingly obvious... I mean the season opened with him classically misunderstanding sarcasm like a "What is Asperger's?" video. Seriously. I think news is moving towards more positive too actually. Even Autism Speaks is moving towards a more positive view. They posted an article on their Facebook page recently about a non-verbal boy who did a graduation speech on his iPad and the article attached was about "seeing ability" and all that.

I think there's been a switch in focus since my kids were born. Ten years ago, "autism" was the kid in the corner banging his head. Today "autism" is Einstein, it is Bill Gates, it is all the guys in Silicon Valley, now apparently it's Jerry Seinfeld. A few months, I had an interaction with a woman about my severely autistic son. She told me that my son must have something else wrong with him because her nephew has autism and he's doing wonderfully in university. That's saying something because my son was behaving in a very stereotypical severely autistic manor, yet she thought there must be something else, because that's not "her autism".

Now do I agree with the blog? Not really. I mean, I was annoyed by that woman, but I think severe autism has been the "main attraction" for a long time, and that didn't do anybody any good. I hope that with HFA at the forefront, their experience of autism plus their communication will allow us to understand severe autism better. So basically, I hope this shift (which I definitely observe), ends up being a good thing.

From the comments I have read who don't like all the Seinfeld coverage resent any description of autism that is not "severe" or at least causes obvious difference and inhibition. From what have I seen one group is parents of severe autistics who think their negative experiences are going to be forgotten. Another group objects to what they see as normal human difference and difficulties being pathologized.

http://www.stuartduncan.name/autism/the ... statement/

PlainAspie I loved your perspective.

You mean the blog post? That wasn't mine, as much as I'd like to take credit.

I don't think the blog post was dismissing milder autism in any way.

I think he was just pissed off that Seinfields self diagnosis seems to cheapen the issues faced by autistic people.
Sure good success stories and autistic role models are important in defeating the misconception that autistic people are all flapping, dribbling, emotionless robots who hit their parents and are constantly melting down for no reason. BUT if it goes to far then society may ignore its obligations to make reasonable adjustments for its autistic members. If Joe public starts to think "oh well autistic people are just a bit quirky and socially inept" then Joe public will never have a good understanding of what they each need to do to make life easier for autistic people. There is a balance to be had between showing the good sides of autism whilst at the same time not diminishing the struggles autistic people have. If Joe public becomes overly blaze about autism then the necessary changes to education systems and workplaces will never happen and most autistic people will continue to suffer as a result.

All that being said I don't actually agree that Seinfeld was wrong to say what he said but I don sympathise with why parents of severely autistic kids may find it annoying.

There seems to be a war between parents of severely autistic kids and people who are at the higher end. I can see both sides so it's hard for me to judge the dad. I don't think parents of severely autistic kids should be silenced and ignored and glossed over pretending those kids don't exist and the family's struggles and I think it's good we are making everyone aware of the whole spectrum and how people at the higher end can live normal lives and do things everyone else can do and getting rid of the stereotypes about autism that they all shriek and flap their hands all hours of the day or sit in the corner and rock back and forth for hours or how they do abuse and destroy other peoples property and have no communication and can't take care of themselves. I think everyone should be aware of the whole spectrum, severe end and the higher end. It's not black and white.

The neurological difference movement has to recognize that families with so-called low functioning autistics have a very different experience and, yes, those children are in most classical uses of the term, "disabled." ASD is a SPECTRUM, and sometimes that means someone is simply unique, and sometimes it means that person's life is impaired in ways that will make it impossible for them to ever live independently. Of course those lives still have value and contribute in their own unique way to our society, even when most people are unable to figure out how exactly that is. When we insist that ASD is ONLY a neurological difference, and not a POTENTIALLY disabling one, we invalidate the experience and needs of families like the man in the article. That is not fair for us to do, in my opinion; I believe we should have advocacy that allows for the fact that some ASD individuals may need and want help, while others do not, and that this needs to be case by case, individual by individual, family by family. We need to emphasize the concept of SPECTRUM more, I believe.

All that said, I think that because his entire life is probably lived on the edge right now, the father took Seinfeld's statements a little too far; he read into them something not meant, IMHO. Seinfeld spoke about himself, his own experience, not the man's son. He said ASD is a SPECTRUM. We can see into those who are less able to express themselves, help provide glimpses into what is going on that their own families cannot see; we should be a team, not opposite ends with opposing agendas.

Here is my major issue with these parents. Before there was classic autism, PDD-NOS, High Functioning Autism, Aspergers?maybe one more. THOSE parents HATED that ANYONE was labeled "high functioning or Asperger's". The parents of the kids in the lower functioning end of the spectrum always had this attitude that "those on the higher end thought they were better than anyone else, blah, blah, blah". So the DSM gets changed to everyone has AUTISM in this huge spectrum. Of course, they loved it because it helped put MORE people into the numbers which sound just like a huge epidemic, which in turn allows for more money to be spent to help those under the spectrum. Now that they have the support and in many times "more people behind their cause" because now the numbers are through the roof, they COMPLAIN when someone at the higher end of the spectrum speaks about THEIR reality of living with "autism". Really? Sorry, this huge battle is NOT between the people on the spectrum, this battle is between PARENTS and people on the spectrum that are on the high functioning side of the spectrum and that is not right.

Maybe we should go back to the 5 different types of autism and then when the numbers are 1 in 150 again, the parents can get support for just the lower functioning kids and the rest can just advocate for themselves.

By the way, those on the higher end of the spectrum have HUGE challenges. You see, NOBODY questions a parent or an autistic individual on the lower side of the spectrum, nobody judges them. People on the higher functioning side of the spectrum are CONSTANTLY harassed and judged because of their disability because they "appear normal".

Here is my major issue with these parents. Before there was classic autism, PDD-NOS, High Functioning Autism, Aspergers?maybe one more. THOSE parents HATED that ANYONE was labeled "high functioning or Asperger's". The parents of the kids in the lower functioning end of the spectrum always had this attitude that "those on the higher end thought they were better than anyone else, blah, blah, blah". So the DSM gets changed to everyone has AUTISM in this huge spectrum. Of course, they loved it because it helped put MORE people into the numbers which sound just like a huge epidemic, which in turn allows for more money to be spent to help those under the spectrum. Now that they have the support and in many times "more people behind their cause" because now the numbers are through the roof, they COMPLAIN when someone at the higher end of the spectrum speaks about THEIR reality of living with "autism". Really? Sorry, this huge battle is NOT between the people on the spectrum, this battle is between PARENTS and people on the spectrum that are on the high functioning side of the spectrum and that is not right.

Maybe we should go back to the 5 different types of autism and then when the numbers are 1 in 150 again, the parents can get support for just the lower functioning kids and the rest can just advocate for themselves.

By the way, those on the higher end of the spectrum have HUGE challenges. You see, NOBODY questions a parent or an autistic individual on the lower side of the spectrum, nobody judges them. People on the higher functioning side of the spectrum are CONSTANTLY harassed and judged because of their disability because they "appear normal".

Wow, really?

Well, I have to say that in all of the groups I have been involved with and just everyday life, I have heard numerous parents "feel sorry for what the parents and the kids deal with on the lower side of the spectrum"?I have ALSO heard, not just from people, but parents of lower functioning children "well, your kid doesn't really have autism, well, your kid is pretty close to normal so you should teach him X while saying some pretty nasty stuff to him." That is my experience over the last 8 years just about everywhere?and I have spoken to parents of more high functioning kids who eventually take their kids out of teams specific for autistic or special needs because of the same.

Some people want a certain representation of autism, other people want another, more others want others.
Autism is not clearly defined, so what it is is fluid and can be what different people want it to be.