Click here: An Open Letter on the NYU Ransom Notes Campaign Petition

For those with connections to family and friends who are German-speaking, I have just received notice that Autism and the God Connection will be translated into the German language and published by Amra Verlag, a German publishing house specializing in spiritual-themed books. The publisher's Web site is www.amraverlag.de.

During this Thanksgiving season, I wish to express gratitude for all the gifts and blessings of my truly extraordinary life. Many reading this may not know that I have enjoyed gorgeous good health all my life: I've never been seriously ill, have never been in a hospital or had an operation, and I've never even had a broken limb. I've never been in a serious accident nor have I ever felt that my life's been endangered. Even in the times when I was physically abused, I was more rattled and shaken than harmed. I realize this is highly unusual, and I know that this kind of blessed existence comes with great responsibility. I am conscious and aware of this aspect of my life on a daily basis (particularly as I age!), and I do endeavor to communicate it wherever possible, but I wish to inform others in a public way via this blog. Be grateful for every day; no one is promised another, and it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye.

 

I am also especially grateful that Autism and the God Connection continues to hold influence over its readers internationally. I have recently received communications from Italy, China, and Portugal in addition to the countries previously noted on this blog. For those whom the book has touched, please know that what I've shared represents only the tip of a very large iceberg; I'm revealing more of the great glacier in increments (which is the responsible approach to take, I think). I know that the forthcoming The Soul of Autism will be of further service to all. Autism and the God Connection is the most important thing I've ever done, but The Soul of Autism is my best work to date.

I'm just back from two trips this week, the first to Los Angeles and the second to Chattanooga. In Los Angeles, I was graciously hosted by Bob and Rita Rubin in their home. You will recognize their daughter Sue from the profound Academy Award-nominated documentary Autism is a World. Sue and I became fast friends, and she gave me a tour of her nearby house. I hope to see them all again when I'm back in L.A. next month.

 

While there, I made my one-day autism presentation for Fiesta Educativa, an Hispanic special education subsidiary of the Los Angeles school district. The Rubins are actively involved in supporting this group, and provided refreshments and audio-visual technical assistance. Laura Rodriguez-Ruesga organized the event, and my good friends Johnny and Chris Seitz performed their powerful pantomime, God Does Not Make Garbage, immediately following my session.

 

I knew the day was going to be inspired when that morning--just before the presentation---I wandered into the school office and heard music from the Wizard of Oz soundtrack playing over the radio! I was blessed to present to about 200 Spanish-speaking parents of children on the autism spectrum, all of whom were exceedingly grateful to receive the message "presume intellect," and to hear someone acknowledging that their children are not only gorgeous but entitled to the space they occupy. It was overwhelming to see so many mothers and fathers openly weep, show me their children, ask to be photographed with me, etc. I was humbled by the power our words and attitude hold in making the difference in how people perceive their loved ones.

 

Yesterday, I made my first presentation at a spiritually-themed conference when I conducted a session, The World Needs Autism, at the third ChildSpirit Conference, held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. How refreshing to find myself in an environment in which I could speak openly and freely about my spiritual research without having to explain anything, or issue a caveat of caution in advance! It was a wonderful experience, and I was gratified to realize that all the research I've been writing and presenting intuitively and independently (and in isolation) was absolutely spot-on in keeping with current trends--compassion, mental wellness, acute sensitivities, heart-mind entrainment, and the importance of qualitative, reciprocal relationships that lead to unlimited spiritual possibilities! It was invigorating, and I made many new contacts in addition to meeting one of my great supporters, Dr. PMH Atwater, author of numerous books most recent of which is The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences.

 

Finally, great thanks to my Web master Kornel Kurtz for rescuing my Web site when it went down for 24 hours after my domain name expired; my apologies to those of you who responded in distress thinking I had switched vocations to the pottery outlet ad that assumed the space of williamstillman.com! All has been resolved, and the latest update is on the "Bill's Books" page with the opportunity to pre-order The Soul of Autism on Amazon.com in anticipation of its March/April publication.  

Finally! A significant opportunity for the voices of autism spectrum self-advocates to be heard by the media. Kudoes to Ms. Ashley Reynolds, University of Missouri School of Journalism, KOMU TV-8, for posing the question, "What does the media not get?" Below is her invitation to learn from self-advocates:

 

Last week, I had the pleasure of making a two-day autism presentation to a roomful of eighty people in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a terrific audience that included several self-advocates. Among them was a gentleman (and a gentle man) named Donald who sat in the very first row with his support aide. Donald, by all appearances, is someone who might challenge popular notions about competence, impairment, and intellect. Even after my soapbox speech about "presuming intellect," I'm not quite certain it had sunk in for the group. (Please see "Bill's Archived Articles" for the document "Presuming Intellect" which was distributed at the training.) Throughout the two days, Donald would intermittently rock, make vocalizations, and stand spontaneously in front of the room. To the casual observer, this might've been chalked up to typical autistic "behaviors." It wasn't until my host, Rosa McAllister, made it publicly clear that others began to rightfully re-envision Donald's "behaviors" as communication.

 

Rosa pointed out that when I was at my most passionate in discussing the tenets of presuming intellect, Donald was reacting, supporting me in ways only he could by rocking more intensely and vocalizing his clarion approval. It felt, at times, like an old-time revival! In another instance, when I asked for a volunteer to imitate a perseverative rocking action, Donald rose up and stood next to the neuro-typical volunteer, Bill---Donald knew he could demonstrate this kind of rocking best! And, on the second day, when a scenario was being read, Donald stood up next to me, allowed me to gently stroke his back, and listened intently. Everytime I extended my hand to Donald, he accepted it lovingly. His presence, his communications, his actions was participation despite his staff being told he would likely not tolerate two full days of training. In fact, this was Donald's first such opportunity to attend training of any sort. I am thrilled to know him as a friend, and I'm humbled by his benign mentorship of us all those two days. He was, and is, a great teacher...we just weren't quite prepared to learn on his terms.

Since the February 2007 CDC revision of statistics for autism incidence, the media has, more than ever, seized upon exploiting the so-called autism "epidemic" with profiles, features, and news stories about all the very young children "suffering" with this supposedly dreaded affliction. In my opinion, there is a very real epidemic, but it is not this.

 

If there is an autism epidemic, it is those adolescents and adults over age twenty-one who contact me through this Web site on a regular basis and who are severely depressed and suicidal. They have grown up believing all the deficit-based slander they've been engrained to think is true of themselves, and, now that they've "aged-out" of childhood (and formal services, for what they are), are no longer considered "little and cute." Instead they are largely overlooked and forgotten by the system that gives precedence to the voices of parents and professionals.

 

One such individual who has been caught up in this vicious cycle is Jace, a beautiful, provocative and gifted young man who vents his protests through his Web blog, his art work, and his photography. Jace's words and imagery are powerful, painful, melancholy and deeply disturbing but entirely necessary if we are to understand his angst and that of others like him (and, at one time, myself). His Web site address is www.dysamoria.com. (Be cautioned that, although absorbing and mesmerizing, his presentations contain strong language and visual content.) Parents, take heed and reflect upon the importance of presuming intellect in all your interactions with your own children; and about your children in the presence of others.

 

Jace, and others who share kinship with his plight, are accustomed to being brushed aside by those who break promises...and hearts. I am fearful that, when Jace contacted me originally, I didn't listen carefully enough to what he needed. I'm hopeful we've found a solace in truce. I stand in great admiration of his strength and endurance under very trying circumstances; and I respect his tenacity and unwillingness to surrender in totality. Jace was gracious enough to bestow upon me the good and great gift of his honesty, and I love him for it. I hope you will concur with my sentiments for Jace and his self-advocacy efforts.

A couple of new additions to the Web site of which to apprise you. First, there's a few new articles added to the "Bill's Archived Articles" section, including a contribution by fellow spectrumite Kay Alina, writing in response to my harrowing airline experiences with some helpful hints. And on the "Bill's Books" page, there is now posted the cover to The Soul of Autism, the sequel to Autism and the God Connection, which is scheduled to publish in April 2008.

 

Your comments on the new book cover are welcomed. I hope this book resonates as well with readers of God Connection. So far, I've been blessed to hear from readers not only from across the U.S. and Canada, but as far away as Australia, Greece, Ireland, South Africa, India, England and the Netherlands!

This morning, while eating my breakfast, I took notice of a television commercial for a new product called "Listen Up." It's a portable, handheld "speaker" with earphones that enables the listener to amplify ordinary sounds well beyond typical capacity. The ad showed the Listen Up user able to better appreciate the sounds of nature during an outdoors stroll, or to overhear the whispered conversation of others from across a room. I was immediately struck by the paradox of what was being offered for a limited time only, while supplies last, for the introductory price of only $14.95: here is a device being marketed to neuro-typical individuals designed to artificially simulate the heightened auditory acuity experienced naturally by many people on the autism spectrum! But there's more; not only was Listen Up created to replicate this kind of hypersensitivity usually experienced only by those who are exquisitely sensitive and buzzing at a higher frequency--at a profit--it is simulating the very trait that is labeled as sensory processing disorder in those with autism, and for which "treatment" is prescribed in an attempt to integrate or wean this hypersensitivity out of those individuals. When will we learn that we are all truly more alike than different?

For anyone hurt or misled by the July 24 USA Today article on Asperger's, Ami Klin, Ph.D., director of Yale Child Study Center's Autism Program offers this rebuttal, below, for having been misquoted (as shared by GRASP's Michael John Carly). It is important that those of us on the spectrum and our allies continue to present a united front in shattering demeaning, dehumanizing myths and stereotypes. All of us are human beings, and all human beings desire to love and be loved, regardless of our way of being. Read on.

 

Dear friends,

 

There is an article on Asperger Syndrome on USA Today tomorrow. The author sent us the link today. We (myself and Kathy) agreed to be interviewed because it is within our mission to disseminate information that will benefit individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. The article not only awfully misquotes us, but does so creating an awful context that is an utter disservice to the community (and certainly to us). Because this is a dreadful misrepresentation of our history, track record, and mission, and because we care deeply about the relationship that we have with you, we'll be putting a prominent disclaimer in our website tomorrow, as soon as Fred (Volkmar) and Kathy (Tsatsanis) have an opportunity to edit the text that I just wrote to preempt this thing. The draft text is given below, but the final one will be up in our website tomorrow (www.autism.fm). We collaborated with the New York Times (Jane Gross, John O'Neil) over the years on their series of excellent articles, and we believe that they were a service to the community. This USA Today thing is not. We want our friends to know our feelings about this immediately. Thank you.
Ami Klin

USA Today July 25th 2007 article on Asperger Syndrome, "A long shadow is lifted on Aspergers in adults" by Suzanne Leigh

We wish to clarify to all those who read this article that Drs. Ami Klin and Katherine Tsatsanis were awfully misquoted in it. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and particularly those who are not burdened by intellectual disabilities (maybe over 50% of the population with social disabilities of early onset) such as those with Asperger Syndrome, may indeed and often do have very strong desires to establish meaningful relationships, including close, intimate ones. It is an added challenge that such relationships may be difficult to form, often leading to a sense of despondency or even clinical depression. It is our Program's mission to help these individuals realize their full potential in all spheres of life, including independent and dignified living, maximal use of their talents in their vocational careers, and the attainment of meaningful relationships.

 

Our Program has a history of over 50 years working with families, and we have excellent partnerships with parent-support and self-support organizations. They are the ones that we want to make sure are fully aware of this disclaimer. We agreed to be interviewed by this media outlet because we believe in dissemination of information that will benefit the community affected by autism spectrum disorders. However, this was not the case this time. We,
therefore, would like to dissociate ourselves entirely from the poor
reporting and misleading views include therein, particularly the quotes that were attributed to us.
--
Ami Klin, Ph.D.
Director, Autism Program
Harris Associate Professor of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Yale Child Study Center
230 South Frontage Road
New Haven CT 06520

Why does language matter? Why is it respectful to use person-first terminology even though self-advocates refer to one another as "auties," "Aspies," and define self-soothing actions as "stimming?" Language matters because it shapes others' perceptions and makes a statement about the user of insensitive language. Case in point: does the language used to portray autism in the following national news article, posted this date, help or hinder? The title of the piece is "Uproar Over Travolta's Son's Illness." Here's the article in its entirety; you decide:

 

Several new changes to the site. First, on my "Private Consultations" page, I am now offering long-distance phone consultations (see details). Also, my document "Presuming Intellect" is now posted to "Bill's Archived Articles" in addition to two other entries "Autism and Acceptance" and a special simulation exercise that many of you will recognize from my presentations (don't tell if you've done it before!). My presentation schedule has also been updated. Special thanks to my Web master, Kornel, for his timely work!

Grateful blessings to Debbie Silverman for the gorgeous ladybug windchimes. Its red jewels are irridescent in the window of my back porch. Thank you!

Special to Jim Sell:

Thank you for the beautiful handwritten letter, and for affirming that my teachings continue to inspire you years later and, by extension, all those whom you seek to influence. I am gratified and humbled. Blessings to you dear friend!

I receive compensation to lend balance during trying circumstances--the nourishment that sustains me. Here is one such redemption offered by a mom inspired by my words, for which I am humbled and flattered. I share it with you below:

 

"I read your book, Autism and the God Connection, and it really transformed the way I see my six year old son who has autism. Although I am unable to provide you detail at this time, my son was abused by a professional behavioral therapist in his care several years ago. The individual was caught on hidden camera and is now serving time in prison. Unfortunately, this person will probably be out soon despite getting a nine year sentence. The reason I mention this horrible and very traumatic event was that your book has actually helped me to try to heal and thus try to help heal my son. Although barely verbal and very much affected by his autism, I taught my son to start to spell on a letterboard. I told him that he is very smart and it's okay to feel scared. He stared right into my eyes with his blue/green eyes, smiled and said yes! I and his educators started to presume intelligence and, wow, is he really showing us all. He is now doing age appropriate academic work mostly through his receptive means - pointing to multiple choice answers, spelling, etc. I truly believe over time he will type out whole thoughts."

 

Miracles truly do occur, and transpire around us every day if we remain conscious and aware, and free from distraction. Such is the lesson of which I was reminded this week, and I hope it will be of service to you also.

For Nancy and Elena:

 

Will,

 

I am.

 

Still

 

man.

Recently, I was interviewed by a Boston area newspaper reporter for an article about the trial of a young high school student with Asperger's Syndrome who allegedly stabbed and killed a fellow student. It is the sort of news that the media, desperate to pathologize anything pertaining to autism, typically seizes upon to make as sensational as possible. Fortunately, the interviewing reporter, a fledgling young woman, was thorough and respectful in doing her homework, and desired to present a somewhat balanced perspective by actually interviewing someone with AS in order to gain my impressions of the situation (her colleagues nationally should take note). The link to the article is presented below.

I don't know the details of the situation, and I can't predict the outcome; but I did share with the reporter that I felt the young man's reactions had more to do with a mental health issue than it did AS (as you'll read). I also stressed that my intuition was that the young man was feeling pressured or compelled to retaliate in some way, and was making a "statement" that was carried too far. In many ways I could relate.

 

In the "Bill's Archived Articles" section of this Web site, there's an article about Asperger's misunderstandings and misinterpretations versus a gross decline in social courtesy and etiquette. In contrast, not long ago I received a flyer announcing a training presented by a professional about a so-called "rage" component supposedly common to individuals with AS. I found this extremely offensive (or shall I say "enraged"?). In my personal experience, which usually resonates with other Aspies and auties, if we express our frustrations outwardly it gets pathologized because of our way of being; if anyone else does it, they're "blowing off steam" or venting because they've had a bad day.

 

There are those in positions of influence who are consciously endeavoring to exclude fair representation of the voices of people on the autism spectrum in planning for their lives, and the lives of those children with autism not yet born. It is outrageous! But, ideally, I'm supposed to remain passive and complacent so as not to further perpetuate a stereotype about autism "rage issues." So instead, I'm fervently typing my opposition (with one finger, as per usual) seething with a rage invisible to all but manifested through my words as I peck them out on the keyboard.

 

Rage? It's high time my neuro-typical comrades looked within themselves and examined their own behavior to discern the source of it, before pointing their fingers and neatly blaming everything on a diagnosis.

 

Whew, now I feel better! Imagine that...

I am surrounded by the beauty of synchroncity. As I take my walk, I come upon a stunning vision: a stark and majestic tree whose branches stretch skyward. Its branches are equally balanced by an even number of mirror-image tendril-like arms on either side, framing a late afternoon full moon cupped in its hollow. I am taken by the tree's humble symetry--this must be the syme-tree, I muse.

 

Just last weekend, I was invited to make a keynote speech to 150 parents, professionals and self-advocates at Cape May Atlantic Community College which was hosting the FACES Group autism conference, coordinated by Isabelle Mosca. For my concurrent session that immediately followed, I discussed the events that led to my composing the book Autism and the God Connection. After sharing my philosophies, thoughts, and personal experiences I conclude with a story of miraculous, impossibly synchronistic proportions: "The Ladybug Story" which is a chapter in the book. It tells how the Native-American symbolism of the ladybug, who teaches us to release frustration and anxiety and trust in the Great Spirit, came to bear upon my life and, later, that of a family for whom I consulted several years ago. I won't give away the details here, but suffice it to say that it is a glorious example of how the finger of God directs us to come together unawares.

 

Curiously, more often than not, in the occasions that follow my telling "The Ladybug Story" ladybugs tend to appear! Two Marches ago, friends who were hosting me in Ohio called me out of the auditorium in which I had just finished telling my anecdote to show me that a chandelier directly beyond the auditorium doorway was covered in ladybugs. Last year, in northeast Pennsylvania, as I was sharing the story with a small group, a mom in the front row could barely contain herself--over the lunch hour that day, she had stopped in a card shop and when the cashier was ringing up her total, and for no reason apparent to her then, she had the cashier add in a small token she picked up next to the register: it was a plastic ladybug!

 

Last Saturday was no exception: immediately following the conclusion of my speech which ended with "The Ladybug Story," I was seated in the college auditorium lobby for a booksigning when a woman who was in the audience came over with tears welling in her eyes; in her hand was a paper towel from the nearby washroom. She had ducked into the ladies' room after my presentation, and there awaiting her was a single ladybug! (A cockroach I could understand, I told her with a smile; but a ladybug! What were the odds?)

 

Ah, the beauty of synchronicity! If you are conscious and aware, you may just be surprised at how often you may encounter such minor miracles each and every day.

It's one year to the day since young basketball enthusiast Jason McElwain (or "J-Mac") scored 20 points in four minutes for his Rochester, New York high school basketball team thus securing the team a place in the playoffs. My friend Julia sent me a link to an interview with Jason and his family from this morning's Today show. In the aftermath of his monumental feat, Jason fielded Hollywood movie offers, had a bobblehead doll cast in his image, and posed for the penultimate photo-op next to President George W. Bush. Jason's story received international coverage not just due to the rapid succession with which he won the game for his team, but because he is autistic (and purportedly no one autistic is expected to achieve much of anything unless they're a so-called "savant").

 

In watching Jason's interview, I found him to be a remarkably humble and well-spoken young man who expressed gratitude to his family for their loving support. But at the same time Jason's story was playing out last year, another young man with autism was making news too, though to a far lesser extent. Matthew Moran is passionate about practicing his religion and parttaking in Communion. But a year ago, his family received a letter from his church denying Matthew Communion because he was only "simulating" participation. Like many people with autism, Matthew's mouth and palate are very sensitive and he was not always able to reliably swallow the Communion wafer. Instead, he would chew as much as he could and then his father would take it and swallow the rest.

 

Matthew was devastated and crushed by what seemed to be a sense of betrayal. Matthew's father believed the church was violating the Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, a document of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which states that cases of doubt should be resolved in favor of the right of the baptized person to receive the sacrament. The existence of a disability is not considered in and of itself as disqualifying a person from receiving the Eucharist. In light of this, Roberto Dell-Oro, Loyola Marymount University theologian--and father of an autistic son--perhaps summarized it best, "I'm sure God knows that [Matthew] is receiving Communion."

Random musings from this week past...

 

How sensitive is sensitive? I don't think we can ever underestimate the degree of sensitivity to which many of us on the autism spectrum buzz and vibrate. I know that myself and others like me can often pass for normal; in a way, this makes it all the more difficult to convey our extreme sensitivity unless we choose to also "out" ourselves through personal disclosure.

 

This past week, I was making a presentation in western Pennsylvania, where the weather is always so much more severe than my home in Hershey. There was already snow on the ground there; but by the afternoon of my presentation, it began snowing again. A drive that should've taken about three hours home ended up taking over five hours due to slick road conditions and various accidents involving tractor trailers. At one point, traffic came to a standstill for an hour. A very nice lady truck driver in the lane next to me--with the name "Pumpkin" emblazoned on the side of her cab--rolled down her window to give me an update gleaned from her CB. (When a dog popped its head up, I asked if that was Pumpkin. "No, I'm Pumpkin," she laughed, "This here's Rocky.") She asked me if I was okay, needed water, etc., which goes to show that there are kind and compassionate people out there.

 

In any event, my entire nervous system was shot by the time I got home. I was in bed by 8:15 P.M., and--not only that--I was still disoriented and numb well into the next day. Imagine the plight of my brothers and sisters who are unable to communicate the intensity of their sensivities, and for whom people are unpresuming of their intellect...

 

Speaking of which, a professional colleague, Evelyn, is going to be submitting a terrific anecdote to me for use in a future project about the presumption of intellect in her infant granddaughter! Evelyn adores her granddaughter, and, one day upon holding the baby, her granddaughter fussed. Instead of assuming that it was just a fussy baby, or that her granddaughter didn't want to be held, Evelyn rightly speculated that perhaps the color and texture of her bright orange cable-knit sweater was the cause of consternation. So Evelyn took a soft white cloth diaper, laid it over the area where her granddaughter had been accustomed to resting her head, and gently told her granddaughter it was alright now. In response to this compassionate accommodation, her granddaughter promptly responded by resting her head on the diaper and was soon soothed to sleep! Who would've thought to presume intellect of this caliber in a tiny infant, but Evelyn's brilliant thinking demonstrated how we should always presume intellect no matter what--or whom!

 

Within the past couple years, I've noticed a disturbing trend: parents are telling me their child's autism diagnosis is like "a death sentence" (their exact phrase). In fact, there have been two separate incidents, through different sources made known to me, of parents equating their child's level of functioning to be on par with that of a dog! Where is this coming from? In my opinion, it originates from one, or a combination, of two sources.

 

I have had the pleasure of collaborating closely with some terrific, well-informed clinicians who "get" autism as closely as anyone neurotypical can; but I have also had the misfortune of interacting with those "old school" doctors who cling to their antiquated beliefs about autism (can you imagine that there are still moms being told their inability to bond with their child caused his autism?), and refuse at all costs to confess there may be something new to learn from a different perspective. These are the doctors who are not gentle, sensitive and compassionate when breaking the diagnosis to parents already overcome with worry.

 

Instead, autism's supposed pathology--its social and developmental limitations--has been bluntly conveyed, fostering a hopeless prognosis for the future of one's child. Clearly this is not helpful; and given the status to which we elevate our M.D.s and Ph.Ds, many parents accept this heartbreaking outlook without question, devastated by the loss of the child they envisioned parenting. Defending this by desiring to prepare parents for the worst is without merit, in my opinion. Clinicians are not infallible and none of them can accurately forecast longterm outcomes and capabilities for any child with autism.

 

Additionally, the media has a responsibility for the manner in which people with differences are portrayed that seeks to further divide our humanity into two camps: us and them. I am weary and angered by news reports I hear or read that define those on the autism spectrum as "afflicted sufferers stricken by a devastating disorder that robs them of their ability to function normally." Imagine being the parent of a child newly diagnosed by one of the aforementioned clinicians (of the not-helpful variety), and having that doctor's bleak and hurtful prognosis reinforced by the media's insistence for putting a tragic spin on autism and related ways of being!

 

Within the past year, there have been several incidents of parents murdering their children with autism. I can't help but wonder if the guilt and pressure to exhaust all measures to "cure" or "recover" their child into "normalcy," and continually falling short--compounded by my preceding contentions--isn't what has driven these parents to believe that a world without their child in it is the best alternative.

 

About a year ago, I was interviewed for five hours in my home by a film crew from CNN for a Dr. Sanjay Gupta segment on people with Asperger's. These were clearly media professionals with an agenda to perpetuate myths and stereotypes rather than portray AS in a positive light. But the segment never aired; and I speculate it's because I didn't make for sensational enough television. I refused to be swayed by leading questions such as "Has your obsession ever gotten you into trouble with police?" At every opportunity, I attempted to demystify the "behaviors" that the media wishes to exploit. I told my story, much of which I've written about in my books; and I shared old photos, artwork, and home movies from my childhood. It would've been a great spot, free of tragedy and with an optimistic message for our collective future. Instead, it got canned.

 

Each of us who cherish someone with autism has an obligation to deter those irresponsible and misguided individuals who reinforce disrespectful stereotypes by gently and compassionately--though firmly--educating them otherwise. We can create a ripple effect that will globally shift how autism is perceived--not as a dehumanizing deficit, but as a way of being replete with challenges to overcome and glorious gifts to benefit us all.

 

 

I have previously really enjoyed all five seasons of American Idol; it's one of the few television programs that I make an effort to watch. But something's gone wrong this past week during the season six premiere that only serves to underscore our culture's intolerance for diversity and our facile ability to shame and degrade anyone whose differences aren't on par with the norm.

 

American Idol was in Seattle for auditions, a process for which 9,000 hopeful would-be competitors turned out. For those of you unaware, there is an intensive screening process by which competitors audition for producers in two rounds of tryouts prior to even getting to sing in front of the American Idol judges some two months later (they compress it to make it look like it's all happening within forty-eight hours). It's fair to speculate that those people who make the third round of auditions are being led to believe they have enough talent to make the third cut, and, potentially, land a spot as a contestant.

 

Apparently, the morbid fascination with the truly talentless, sometimes arrogant, and usually oblivious persons who should be doing anything but singing---a staple of all previous seasons---was wearing thin enough for American Idol producers to raise their game to now include persons with autism, or developmental differences, for the purpose of belittling, shaming and degrading those competitors in tedious, belabored segments designed to highlight their differences and sensationalize the media's desire to value perfection.

 

Don't get me wrong: if someone can't sing, they should be told they do not qualify for the job (many of us are often left wondering exactly who is telling some of these folks they can, in fact, sing)! But is it fair to "set up" people who clearly are challenged in negotiating social interactions, have a unique style of attire, and present outwardly in an unconventional manner for the purpose of making what the media defines as "good TV?" Good TV at whose expense? These are individuals who, up until this point in the audtion process, believe they have a chance. It is an example of vicious duplicity to deceive these gentle, naive and gullible persons into humiliating themselves in front of judges who not only critique their singing but their personal appearance. Some people are more fragile than others, and I wouldn't be surprised if, some day, one so disgraced composes a suicide note in reaction to the ridicule that surely resonates long after their episode airs.

 

In my opinion, the producers of American Idol need to focus on what makes the show great: a nationwide search for outstanding talent; and focus less on bullying those persons who are courageous enough to give it a shot, regardless of their way of being.