And also in this paper, called “Autonomy of lower-level perception from global processing in autism”: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
Autistic people’s brains are also hyper-connected, hyper-plastic, and hyper-reactive to stimuli.
This means that we experience life much more intensely than NTs. We get overwhelmed easily, and often use strategies (like avoiding eye contact) to avoid too much sensory input.
All of this results in a situation where autistic people are hyperconnected to (and perceptive of) our environment.
This means that we often notice and observe things that NTs aren’t able to. But it also makes it harder for us to coordinate and effectively use our bodies.
Because we process so many details at one time, it takes longer for our brains to get the hang of things that require smooth, generalized actions.
Movement, vocalization, etc. are the “trees,” or “building blocks.”
Communication, coordination, etc. are the “forest.”
When our brains get overloaded by sensation or emotion, we often lose the ability to do “forest” things.
We may lose the ability to speak (if we usually can), regulate our actions, and comprehend our full surroundings.
This is what happens during meltdowns & shutdowns.
But autistic people also have strengths.
We see things that others don’t. We’re not as influenced by norms or social expectations, so we’re more able to look past arbitrary conventions.
We’re hyper-connected to the world around us.
Our potential is that of revolutionaries.
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In the study, autistics and neurotypicals were recruited to see if they would donate to a good cause that would make them lose money, or support a bad cause that would benefit them financially.
In one condition, the decisions were private. In another, the decisions were public.
In the public condition, both autistics and neurotypicals were more likely to donate to the good cause that made them lose money.
But in the private condition, neurotypicals were much more likely than autistics to support the bad cause that would earn them money.
One of the main ways that nonspeaking autistic people are denied agency, is through repeated and incessant demands to communicate.
I watched a documentary the other day called “The Limits Of My World” and there was one scene in particular that drove this point home.
The documentary is about a nonspeaking 21 year old autistic man named Brian, who lives in a caregiving facility.
One of his caregivers was helping him dry off after his shower, when she pointed to the mirror and said, “Who’s that? Brian, who is that? What’s your name?”
I couldn’t count how many times he was asked. And the irony was, she clearly knew his name.
Over time, her tone shifted from a light and playful “Brian, what’s your name?” to a demand: “Brian, tell me your name.”
When people say they’re against eugenics because (for example) altering autistic people’s genes might “accidentally get rid of special talents and skills”…
They aren’t actually anti-eugenics.
In fact, that argument is very much in line with the core ideas of eugenics.
When people say “Autism shouldn’t be eradicated because…” and then follow up that statement with things like:
- “Autistic people are intelligent”
- “Autistic people can be productive”
- “Autistic people have special talents”
- “Autistic people can be independent”…
They are doing two things:
1. Feeding into the idea that a disabled person’s only worth comes from how well they can be exploited economically
2. Erasing autistic people who don’t fit those criteria, and implying that it would be okay for *those* people not to exist.