AUTISM IS NOT THE NEW NORMAL

In today’s multifaceted world of seven billion humans, is there any method to determine what is normal?  Stated another way, given all the complexity in the world, what human activities and conditions make it under the umbrella of diverse but normal human behavior?

Starting with religion, almost all spiritual practices would seem to qualify as normal short of violent voodoo worship and human sacrifice. All races and ethnicities make the cut. Accepted sexual diversity would now include homosexuality and transgender individuals but not pedophilia.  Diverse political philosophies would be included excepting terrorism, ethnic cleansing and unilateral aggression against sovereign nations.

 We do not typically apply the label of normal when discussing disease or disability.  This is appropriate because it is often society’s aim to help sick and disabled individuals live the best life possible. This is accomplished by society recognizing the consequences and uniqueness of a particular disease or disability and dedicating resources to develop medicines, therapies and accommodations for afflicted individuals.

In reading a recent article on autism, I was shocked to learn that not all individuals characterized as autistic want to be labeled as such and prefer to be part of a new normal. (The New Yorker, Seeing the Spectrum 1/25/16)

Apparently, we now have autistic individuals who are “neurodiversity activists”.  These are individuals on the higher end of the autism-asperger spectrum who insist they are neurologically “normal” and who disdain all labels that would make them otherwise.  To the horror of parents struggling with autistic children, these activists proclaim to all who will listen that: “there should be no more talk of pathology and no more programs for treatment and cure”.  Their creed is that: “in the same way that we have learned to celebrate racial, ethnic and sexual diversity, we should now be celebrating neurodiversity.”  Under this theory, autism is just another way of looking at the world.  They are diverse but normal.

I find this approach to autism, or any physical/ mental disease or defect troubling.  Should we expand the normal human condition to include deafness because Beethoven wrote symphonies while deaf?  Perhaps we should make room for cancer, blindness, paraplegia, or severe mental illness because of Van Gogh’s magnificent paintings?   I think not.

Ironically, certain infirmities come with a long practiced therapy where admitting abnormality is part of the cure.  Alcoholics and Addicts are taught to attend meetings and identify with others suffering from the same condition.  This self identification includes standing up and proclaiming your name and that you have the disease. The 12 step program has the central goal of breaking down denial and admitting you are not normal. The therapy has also worked well for eating disorders and gambling problems.

In my view when it comes to disease or disability, recognizing you have a problem that is not normal and that requires special attention is key toward conquering or at least accommodating the impairment.  For those who have overcome the disease or disability, the least they can do is help others who are not as fortunate to find a path forward.

Experience has shown that while some autistic adults can learn to live independently, many cannot.  It is understandable that no one wants to be tagged with a label that makes them different, be it autistic or diabetic.  But lobbying to make autism or any other disease or disability part of the diverse but normal human condition is going too far. It is a self centered response that will drive away public awareness and research dollars.