‘If you’ve met one person with autism….’
Dr. Stephen Shore’s perspective as a professor and professional who happens to be on the autism spectrum:
Lime Connect: You’ve famously said, “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” Why is that an important point for people to understand about their interactions with individuals with autism, in particular?
Dr. Stephen Shore: This quote emphasises that there is great diversity within the autism spectrum. While the commonalities of people on the autism spectrum include differences in communication, social interaction, sensory receptivity, and highly focused interests, it’s important to understand that the constellation of these characteristics blends together differently for each individual. This is why some on the spectrum are good at mathematics while other may be good in their arts, sports, or writing – just like the rest of humanity. Autism is an extension of the diversity found in the human gene pool.
Turning away from thinking of autism as a collection of disabilities, disorders, and deficits and transitioning to an abilities-based model enables us to presume competence and ask what the person with autism can do.
The whole interview, well worth a read, can be found at https://ibcces.org/blog/2018/03/23/12748/
The comment about baseball caps is interesting!
Ed: Perhaps it’s time to talk of Autisms?
Another quote from Scott Lentine
Wanting to be free. Wanting to be me. Trying to make people see. And accept the real me.
Last but certainly not least….
Autism means I miss what others catch, and I catch what others miss