Recently, I’ve become aware of a trend in the perception of autism (this awareness is based on scattered and informal observation, as opposed to deliberative research). Traditionally, autism has been associated with varying degrees of what could be considered left-brain isolation; while a person living with autism might display competencies related to logic and memory, they exhibit deficiencies related to communication and social interaction—and these deficiencies have defined the disorder.
The number of autism cases is on the rise (i.e. its rate of diagnosis has increased) and the reason for that is unclear. While I sympathize with those living with autism, I’ve noticed that the less extreme form—Aspberger’s Syndrome—has become almost hip. Especially in high schools and on-line, people have been using their alleged condition as an excuse to behave poorly and dismiss their critics as intolerant jerks. At the same time, I’ve seen people claim that autism represents the next phase of human evolution. Persons with autism are actually enlightened; since they are not obsessed with primate politics, they are less petty, deceitful and cruel.
At first I thought they can’t have it both ways: either autism is a disorder that can excuse otherwise inexcusable behavior, or it’s a different set of competencies that can show us new ways. But then I realized that autism—or at least Aspberger’s—could be both a set of deficiencies and a set of competencies, based on a different cognitive emphasis. And I don’t know how I feel about that…
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