Re: Can you identify this article?

[Guest guest]

I'm looking, but the only place this is turning up is on Biodiverse

Resistance... which is searching for the author of this piece :/

was suggested as a possible author, but I don't think he wrote

this.

Does anyone know where 's writings have gone to? I can't find his

work (or Baggs', including the autistics.org library) anywhere.

Spelling and punctuation in this article are British style, if that helps

any. The use of " autistics " (small-a, not large-A) as the demonym and the

word " liberationist " both say something to me, but I'm not sure what.

On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 7:58 AM, jypsy [ janet norman-bain ] <

jypsy@...> wrote:

>

>

> Dinah Murray is looking to ID this article, anyone know who wrote it or

> where?

>

> -jypsy

>

> On autistic levels of functioning

>

> We can all agree that to properly fight for our rights as autistic

> people, that we have to put forward our own perspective on what

> autism is and what it means to be autistic, one that challenges the

> notions put forward by the medical establishment. If we instead

> accept the medical ideas behind autism then we will end up agreeing,

> to a greater or lesser extent, to our continued marginalisation. One

> of the most important issues here is about levels of functioning -

> low-functioning versus high-functioning, and the related issue of

> Aspergers Syndrome versus 'classic' autism. Exploring this topic

> shows why it is so important to challenge conventional views of autism.

>

> Conventional thought sees Aspergers Syndrome and 'classic' autism as

> related but different things. People with Aspergers are seen as

> having many autistic traits, but not the global learning and

> communication that people with 'classic' autism have (or rather

> supposedly have). In fact, Aspergers is frequently seen as implying

> high intelligence. Therefore, conventional thought sees the

> possibility that people with Aspergers could in most cases quite

> easily become part of society, and indeed may due to their

> intelligence and strong interests be particularly useful to society

> and develop useful specialist skills. On the other hand, people with

> 'classic' autism, whether deemed 'high-functioning' or

> 'low-functioning', are widely seen as being much more disabled, and

> having much less potential for independence or contributing to the world.

>

> We'll leave aside the fact that all this stuff about measuring people

> in terms of how much they are able to 'contribute' as opposed to 'be

> a burden' is in itself deeply prejudiced. Instead, let's concentrate

> on the point that these divisions are actually artificial stereotypes

> - labels placed on people by the medical establishment to divide

> people up into those deemed 'less' or 'more' disabled. In accepting

> these, we are going to accept the argument put forward by, for

> example, Treating Autism and their allies, who argue that

> 'high-functioning' autistics and Aspies are not really that disabled

> and are therefore not 'really' autistic, as opposed to their

> 'low-functioning' children, who will need treatment in order to have

> a decent life.

>

> In fact, there is no clear division between Aspergers and autism, and

> equally no clear division between high and low functioning. Autistics

> can be very high-functioning, or very low-functioning, it's true, but

> they can be simultaneously high and low functioning in different

> ways. There are cases of severely autistic people who have ended up,

> for instance, working for a university department ( Baggs now

> at MIT on a p/t basis, Dawson on a regular and fully

> contributing (but unpaid?) basis, or on the governing board of

> organisations (Larry Bisonette at AutCom) demonstrating that the

> severity of the autism is not a barrier to being able to participate.

> Both individuals, incidentally, are firmly pro-neurodiversity in

> their outlook. Undoubtedly, autistic people have differing needs,

> with some being unable to talk and look after themselves, and others

> having no such difficulties. However, there is no point at which

> autism becomes too severe to be included in our movement.

>

> Finally, another issue should also be considered. Of those labelled

> 'low-functioning' and whose ability to deal with the world appears to

> be genuinely compromised, how much of this is due to autism and how

> much to the way society reacts to it? If the reaction of society to a

> severely autistic person is to write them off and decide they have no

> capacity to develop, or worse, to pathologise whatever abilities they

> do have, it's very likely the end result will be a psychologically

> wrecked human being. We have all seen the pictures of the Romanian

> orphanages where unwanted children were dumped by their parents -

> some of these children showed clear signs of being deeply disabled,

> yet in many cases were only suffering from neglect. In our society,

> autistics frequently suffer depression, self-loathing, mental

> illness, behaviour problems e.g. aggression, and so on. These are not

> part of the autism itself, but the result of society's oppressive and

> discriminatory practices towards people on the spectrum. Prof. Rita

> Jordan, in a paper published on the AWARES website, argues that

> autistics should be said to have an Autistic Spectrum Condition,

> irrespective of severity, until they come into contact with a hostile

> society, at which point it becomes an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I

> think this may be a much better, more 'liberationist' model to adopt

> than that of low and high functioning.

>

> ________________________________

>

>

[Guest guest]

From: De Carlo 02 Jun 2011 08:52:59 -0400

> Spelling and punctuation in this article are

> British style

or Canadian. Not definitive, but a clue to matching personal styles. This

is useful because it can eliminate some likely authors.

> The use of " autistics " (small-a, not large-A)

May not be consistent, even with the same author. Some may take the

approach of capitalizing only when referring to Autistic culture.

What is clear is that this was not published on the web. Enough people

searched immutable phrases withing the document to have found it if it

were searchable.

That suggests that this would have been presented at an Autistic

self-advocacy forum such as Autreat, Autscape or AANE's conf., another

forum which is accepting of Autistic self-advocacy, or possibly on a

personal website which is now down. It is obviously not on anything

current and not quoted in blogs except those asking Jypsy's question.

- s0

--------------------------------------------------------------------

mail2web.com - Microsoft® Exchange solutions from a leading provider -

http://link.mail2web.com/Business/Exchange

[Guest guest]

The autistics.org library is at http://archive.autistics.org/library/ at the

moment.

-- Cheezem

aspieperspective.blogspot.com

> I'm looking, but the only place this is turning up is on Biodiverse

> Resistance... which is searching for the author of this piece :/

>

> was suggested as a possible author, but I don't think he wrote

> this.

>

> Does anyone know where 's writings have gone to? I can't find his

> work (or Baggs', including the autistics.org library) anywhere.

>

> Spelling and punctuation in this article are British style, if that helps

> any. The use of " autistics " (small-a, not large-A) as the demonym and the

> word " liberationist " both say something to me, but I'm not sure what.

>

>

> On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 7:58 AM, jypsy [ janet norman-bain ] <

> jypsy@...> wrote:

>

> >

> >

> > Dinah Murray is looking to ID this article, anyone know who wrote it or

> > where?

> >

> > -jypsy

> >

> > On autistic levels of functioning

> >

> > We can all agree that to properly fight for our rights as autistic

> > people, that we have to put forward our own perspective on what

> > autism is and what it means to be autistic, one that challenges the

> > notions put forward by the medical establishment. If we instead

> > accept the medical ideas behind autism then we will end up agreeing,

> > to a greater or lesser extent, to our continued marginalisation. One

> > of the most important issues here is about levels of functioning -

> > low-functioning versus high-functioning, and the related issue of

> > Aspergers Syndrome versus 'classic' autism. Exploring this topic

> > shows why it is so important to challenge conventional views of autism.

> >

> > Conventional thought sees Aspergers Syndrome and 'classic' autism as

> > related but different things. People with Aspergers are seen as

> > having many autistic traits, but not the global learning and

> > communication that people with 'classic' autism have (or rather

> > supposedly have). In fact, Aspergers is frequently seen as implying

> > high intelligence. Therefore, conventional thought sees the

> > possibility that people with Aspergers could in most cases quite

> > easily become part of society, and indeed may due to their

> > intelligence and strong interests be particularly useful to society

> > and develop useful specialist skills. On the other hand, people with

> > 'classic' autism, whether deemed 'high-functioning' or

> > 'low-functioning', are widely seen as being much more disabled, and

> > having much less potential for independence or contributing to the world.

> >

> > We'll leave aside the fact that all this stuff about measuring people

> > in terms of how much they are able to 'contribute' as opposed to 'be

> > a burden' is in itself deeply prejudiced. Instead, let's concentrate

> > on the point that these divisions are actually artificial stereotypes

> > - labels placed on people by the medical establishment to divide

> > people up into those deemed 'less' or 'more' disabled. In accepting

> > these, we are going to accept the argument put forward by, for

> > example, Treating Autism and their allies, who argue that

> > 'high-functioning' autistics and Aspies are not really that disabled

> > and are therefore not 'really' autistic, as opposed to their

> > 'low-functioning' children, who will need treatment in order to have

> > a decent life.

> >

> > In fact, there is no clear division between Aspergers and autism, and

> > equally no clear division between high and low functioning. Autistics

> > can be very high-functioning, or very low-functioning, it's true, but

> > they can be simultaneously high and low functioning in different

> > ways. There are cases of severely autistic people who have ended up,

> > for instance, working for a university department ( Baggs now

> > at MIT on a p/t basis, Dawson on a regular and fully

> > contributing (but unpaid?) basis, or on the governing board of

> > organisations (Larry Bisonette at AutCom) demonstrating that the

> > severity of the autism is not a barrier to being able to participate.

> > Both individuals, incidentally, are firmly pro-neurodiversity in

> > their outlook. Undoubtedly, autistic people have differing needs,

> > with some being unable to talk and look after themselves, and others

> > having no such difficulties. However, there is no point at which

> > autism becomes too severe to be included in our movement.

> >

> > Finally, another issue should also be considered. Of those labelled

> > 'low-functioning' and whose ability to deal with the world appears to

> > be genuinely compromised, how much of this is due to autism and how

> > much to the way society reacts to it? If the reaction of society to a

> > severely autistic person is to write them off and decide they have no

> > capacity to develop, or worse, to pathologise whatever abilities they

> > do have, it's very likely the end result will be a psychologically

> > wrecked human being. We have all seen the pictures of the Romanian

> > orphanages where unwanted children were dumped by their parents -

> > some of these children showed clear signs of being deeply disabled,

> > yet in many cases were only suffering from neglect. In our society,

> > autistics frequently suffer depression, self-loathing, mental

> > illness, behaviour problems e.g. aggression, and so on. These are not

> > part of the autism itself, but the result of society's oppressive and

> > discriminatory practices towards people on the spectrum. Prof. Rita

> > Jordan, in a paper published on the AWARES website, argues that

> > autistics should be said to have an Autistic Spectrum Condition,

> > irrespective of severity, until they come into contact with a hostile

> > society, at which point it becomes an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I

> > think this may be a much better, more 'liberationist' model to adopt

> > than that of low and high functioning.

> >

> > ________________________________

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Cool, thanks.

On Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 12:38 PM, Cheezem wrote:

>

>

> The autistics.org library is at http://archive.autistics.org/library/ at

> the

> moment.

>

> -- Cheezem

> aspieperspective.blogspot.com

>

>

> On Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 8:52 AM, De Carlo

> wrote:

>

> > I'm looking, but the only place this is turning up is on Biodiverse

> > Resistance... which is searching for the author of this piece :/

> >

> > was suggested as a possible author, but I don't think he wrote

> > this.

> >

> > Does anyone know where 's writings have gone to? I can't find

> his

> > work (or Baggs', including the autistics.org library) anywhere.

> >

> > Spelling and punctuation in this article are British style, if that helps

> > any. The use of " autistics " (small-a, not large-A) as the demonym and the

> > word " liberationist " both say something to me, but I'm not sure what.

> >

> >

> > On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 7:58 AM, jypsy [ janet norman-bain ] <

> > jypsy@...> wrote:

> >

> > >

> > >

> > > Dinah Murray is looking to ID this article, anyone know who wrote it or

> > > where?

> > >

> > > -jypsy

> > >

> > > On autistic levels of functioning

> > >

> > > We can all agree that to properly fight for our rights as autistic

> > > people, that we have to put forward our own perspective on what

> > > autism is and what it means to be autistic, one that challenges the

> > > notions put forward by the medical establishment. If we instead

> > > accept the medical ideas behind autism then we will end up agreeing,

> > > to a greater or lesser extent, to our continued marginalisation. One

> > > of the most important issues here is about levels of functioning -

> > > low-functioning versus high-functioning, and the related issue of

> > > Aspergers Syndrome versus 'classic' autism. Exploring this topic

> > > shows why it is so important to challenge conventional views of autism.

> > >

> > > Conventional thought sees Aspergers Syndrome and 'classic' autism as

> > > related but different things. People with Aspergers are seen as

> > > having many autistic traits, but not the global learning and

> > > communication that people with 'classic' autism have (or rather

> > > supposedly have). In fact, Aspergers is frequently seen as implying

> > > high intelligence. Therefore, conventional thought sees the

> > > possibility that people with Aspergers could in most cases quite

> > > easily become part of society, and indeed may due to their

> > > intelligence and strong interests be particularly useful to society

> > > and develop useful specialist skills. On the other hand, people with

> > > 'classic' autism, whether deemed 'high-functioning' or

> > > 'low-functioning', are widely seen as being much more disabled, and

> > > having much less potential for independence or contributing to the

> world.

> > >

> > > We'll leave aside the fact that all this stuff about measuring people

> > > in terms of how much they are able to 'contribute' as opposed to 'be

> > > a burden' is in itself deeply prejudiced. Instead, let's concentrate

> > > on the point that these divisions are actually artificial stereotypes

> > > - labels placed on people by the medical establishment to divide

> > > people up into those deemed 'less' or 'more' disabled. In accepting

> > > these, we are going to accept the argument put forward by, for

> > > example, Treating Autism and their allies, who argue that

> > > 'high-functioning' autistics and Aspies are not really that disabled

> > > and are therefore not 'really' autistic, as opposed to their

> > > 'low-functioning' children, who will need treatment in order to have

> > > a decent life.

> > >

> > > In fact, there is no clear division between Aspergers and autism, and

> > > equally no clear division between high and low functioning. Autistics

> > > can be very high-functioning, or very low-functioning, it's true, but

> > > they can be simultaneously high and low functioning in different

> > > ways. There are cases of severely autistic people who have ended up,

> > > for instance, working for a university department ( Baggs now

> > > at MIT on a p/t basis, Dawson on a regular and fully

> > > contributing (but unpaid?) basis, or on the governing board of

> > > organisations (Larry Bisonette at AutCom) demonstrating that the

> > > severity of the autism is not a barrier to being able to participate.

> > > Both individuals, incidentally, are firmly pro-neurodiversity in

> > > their outlook. Undoubtedly, autistic people have differing needs,

> > > with some being unable to talk and look after themselves, and others

> > > having no such difficulties. However, there is no point at which

> > > autism becomes too severe to be included in our movement.

> > >

> > > Finally, another issue should also be considered. Of those labelled

> > > 'low-functioning' and whose ability to deal with the world appears to

> > > be genuinely compromised, how much of this is due to autism and how

> > > much to the way society reacts to it? If the reaction of society to a

> > > severely autistic person is to write them off and decide they have no

> > > capacity to develop, or worse, to pathologise whatever abilities they

> > > do have, it's very likely the end result will be a psychologically

> > > wrecked human being. We have all seen the pictures of the Romanian

> > > orphanages where unwanted children were dumped by their parents -

> > > some of these children showed clear signs of being deeply disabled,

> > > yet in many cases were only suffering from neglect. In our society,

> > > autistics frequently suffer depression, self-loathing, mental

> > > illness, behaviour problems e.g. aggression, and so on. These are not

> > > part of the autism itself, but the result of society's oppressive and

> > > discriminatory practices towards people on the spectrum. Prof. Rita

> > > Jordan, in a paper published on the AWARES website, argues that

> > > autistics should be said to have an Autistic Spectrum Condition,

> > > irrespective of severity, until they come into contact with a hostile

> > > society, at which point it becomes an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I

> > > think this may be a much better, more 'liberationist' model to adopt

> > > than that of low and high functioning.

> > >

> > > ________________________________

> > >

> > >