The metrics of determining intelligence is use of language along with reading non verbal cues and proper social interaction. Many on the spectrum fail at these and are judged as incapable of being a productive member of society and therefore a useless burden.
The neurotypical has to be educated on the disorder to understand someone with ASD as a viable human being but they may not understand or don't care to deal with someone with a "disability". I use quotes because there is growing speculation that ASD is not a disorder but merely a next step of evolution to deal with the modern world of complex and vast data.
We may think we're more social with all our gadgets but studies indicate that we are growing less so because of technology. The normal person can not grasp or process all the information coming at us on a daily basis. ASD fills the gap. One of the major skills of ASD is a heightened attention to detail, obsessive concentration and structure. No wonder it's such a large part of the geek culture.
As the 60 Minutes story points out, those skills are desirable to companies that hire those on the spectrum. So what was once viewed as a crippling disability with no hope of functionality is now seen as a valuable asset. We are not weirdos to be dismissed and being different is not a hindrance.
No comments:
Post a Comment