International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
activities. This gives them the opportunity for the breadth and depth of experiences that will enable them to
make informed decisions when choosing careers and leisure activities in the outside world. In Pioneer Valley,
this is referred to as allowing students to have a “life of preference.”
Another positive, hopeful trend that has manifested itself within the last decade is the increase in numbers of
students with ASDs who are attending colleges and universities as full time students. These are students who
would previously not have been admitted to these institutions, as they would have been viewed as being
“unteachable” and unable to deal with the academic demands of higher education. Yet, with the support of
special services now available at colleges and universities (as mandated by the U.S. Congress in the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990), students with ASDs are experiencing success as learners at both the
undergraduate and graduate levels. The tools that provide support at all levels of schooling now go beyond the
alternative and augmentative communication devices of past decades. Numerous websites and apps are being
designed specifically for those on the autism spectrum by technology giants such as Apple and Google,
organizations such as Autism Speaks, news organizations such as CNN, and even local jurisdictions such as the
City of Boston (see Harmon, 2010). Electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets are used by students
with autism as well as their families, educators and therapists, to facilitate new ways for them to acquire
information and skills which are critical to their ability to function and fully engage in the real world.
And how will all the above impact Allan’s chances of becoming that happy, independent, productive adult his
father hopes he will become?
First, the key is how we, as citizens in our communities, view individuals with autism. Do we see them as
being “abnormal” or just as people who view and deal with the world in a somewhat different way? Temple
Grandin views those now labeled as Aspergers as being those who, in the past, were called nerds, geeks and
dorks. “There’s just a point where it’s just a normal personality variation” (Weiss, 2010, p.A11).
A documentary shown recently on the American Public Broadcasting System provides a view of autism from
the perspective of those identified as being autistic. Wolf, one of the individuals profiled, reflects on his view of
neurotypicals (a term used by autistics to describe non-autistics), saying that he does not want to be “one of
them.” He’s not particularly impressed with the idea of being neurotypical as a better way of life. Rather, to
him, they just have a different way of living, one that he respects but would not want to emulate. He describes
how abused and hurt he has been throughout his life as a result of people trying to make him “normal.” Someone
who’s going to try and cure him because he makes that person feel uncomfortable should “deal with
themselves,” he says, because he, Wolf, is not uncomfortable with himself. To him, he just represents a different
way of viewing and dealing with the world (Larsen, 2011).
At the conclusion of the documentary the director, Adam Larsen, emphasizes the point that those portrayed in
the film do not want to be cured but, rather, are quite comfortable in their way of thinking and being. In his
view, while much has been and is being done to address and support the needs of those who are severely autistic,
focusing on a cure takes away energy and resources from support systems. His hope is that we, as a society, will
develop a broader understanding of humanity and begin to question the concept of “normalcy.” “Everyone has
something to offer and that’s important. Just because one’s neurology is different doesn’t mean that it’s less
valued” (Larsen, 2011).
With the numbers of individuals identified as being autistic continuing to increase, is it possible that this
population will soon represent the new norm? Interestingly, there is research to suggest that the way the mind of
those with autism functions may advantage them in the coming world. In the article, The Upside of Autism,
Lehrer describes autism as “not merely a list of deficits. Rather, it represents an alternate way of making sense
of the world, a cognitive difference that, in many instances, comes with unexpected benefits” (Lehrer, 2012). He
cites a study carried out at the University College London which gives those with autism a perceptual edge as
compared with neurotypicals, allowing them a real world advantage in the evolving information age.
Temple Grandin would advise Patrick to “fill up” Allan’s database. The tech companies of Silicon Valley,
she says, are “heaven on earth for the geeks and the nerds. And I want to see more and more of these smart kids
going into the technology industry and inventing things” (Weiss, 2010). One example of this is Wolf, the man
portrayed in the documentary, Neurotypical, who earns his living as an information technology specialist.
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