Autism is a Characteristic, Not an Identity
As the title of this post dictates, autism describes a characteristic of an individual, but it is not the entirety of a person’s identity.
I am trained in ABA therapy to work 1:1 with autistic children to help them gain the skills necessary to become functioning in the structure of our world. One little boy I worked with had so many wheels spinning, but couldn’t share what he knew and what he wondered with everyone he cared about most. His parents were relentless in giving him the best resources and opportunities to bridge the gap he faced daily. No matter how many people told them he would never learn to speak or go to the bathroom on his own, they forged on. The dreams he had for himself were more than is current situation could allow. HIs parents knew of his great wonder as they watched him look at objects in ways non-autistic learners do. He was intent, intense, and interested.
This little boy and his family pushed on and he was able to break barriers and reach milestones many people said he would never reach. I am lucky to know him. He reminds me to never judge a silence. Its often here, we have our best ideas.
If you have been reading my blog, you know I LOVE Ted Talks. I came across another one in my feed on Facebook about an girl named Alix Generous with Asperger’s syndrome, labeled under the autistic spectrum. She is high functioning and BRILLIANT. Best of all, though, she is hilarious.
She speaks out about the characteristic that brought obstacles, but how she created her own identify by using this characteristic to be her voice.
I want you to watch this before reading on (get ready to laugh and ready to cry in happiness for her will to succeed and give back to world that was so cruel to her.
She describes herself as a “lucid dreamer.” She names numerous heavy hitting innovators of our time and their perspective as being the same. Although I myself have been successful in terms of society’s standards, I can’t say I am a dreamer. And even if I had a dream, it certainly never came to fruition…yet.
Great minds create. They see the world through a different lens and solve problems we don’t even know we have. That’s Alix. She saw areas where her autistic characteristics created obstacles socially, and instead of allowing that to be the end of the story, she rewrote it. She researched and created her own company to provide resources and support to others fighting the same obstacles. She is solving her own problem by impacting generations of learners who stopped at the foot of the mountain, not knowing how to reach the top.
Due to her hyper focus she has been able to hone in on an idea and break it apart to its simplest form to then rebuild it better. An autistic characteristic that often hinders her socially created a path for her to achieve greatness.
Alix overcame a lot of torment and trial in her lifetime but that’s not the message she is preaching today. She wants us to know that her greatest obstacle has become her greatest asset and she’s here to bless others with tools created by her brilliance.
Let her message reach all students, teachers, leaders and everyone in between. Individuals are born with a skill set and its our job to foster those skills no matter how strong or “normal” that they are or aren’t. We are not to judge. We are to facilitate learning so that the world we leave behind is better than when we entered it. Alix is paying it forward and reminding us all that the wonder behind an autistic child’s eyes can be life-changing if we take the time to help them get it out.
Alix, you are a gift to many and I am so glad you blessed my life today and everyday going forward. YOU ROCK!
How is your perspective of a child with autistic characteristics different after watching the video?
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.