Inclusion
Communication 2.0
And this someone with communication problems? I wish I was as gifted. She is also a prodigious blogger and quite an activist. Go Amanda!
I’m finding it really difficult to move away from surfing this thread. I didn’t appreciate how many deeply rooted predjudices I held about Autism. I was aware of the amazing abilities of the “Autistic Savant” (individuals with autism who have extraordinary skills) and how rare these individuals were thought to be. I suspect they are just the tip of the iceberg. The few who are lucky enough to hit on a skill that the Neurotypical world values. Amanda’s video reminded me of activites I loved as a child. Spinning, skipping, playing with water and sound as she was. At some stage I lost this joy. Grandparents tend to rediscover it “playing” with their grandchildren. In fact society educates us to put aside such “childish” pursuits in maturity. Our loss.
I remember listening to Radio 1 when I was young to a song “young, gifted and black” and at the end of it thinking. I wish I was black. That’s how Im feeling now. The blogs and links I’ve looked at today from the Autistic community are inspiring and again I found myself thinking. I wish I was Autistic. Perhaps I am.
So as well this documenting the emergence of “Web 2.0″ perhaps we should also celebrate the emergence of ”Communication 2.0″ giving NT’s like me a chance to experience of the sensory enriched world of the aspies and auties. Let’s stop trying to include them in our world and thank them for including us in theirs.
David Woolman wrote an excellent article on the subject for WIRED
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