The Dawn of Autistic Space - Excerpt from NeuroTribes

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As there have been a few comparisons, it's worth noting that the LGBTQ movement has always featured internal conflict, disagreement, schism, vitriol, and internal discrimination. No successful movement is free from internal conflict. The internal conflict is important. It's part of the process - a means of identifying issues and omissions, if nothing else.

I'm queer and I'm autistic, and I move in and out of those respective communities at different times. The strongest similarities I see between both groups is that both have been dehumanised, and both have been pathologised. Now, as the times change, both become identities. Something you are, rather than something you have.

I think a community can be real even if it's only online. A group whose members have a shared feature will become a movement if those members decide that shared feature causes them to be treated badly, and decide to do something about it.

This is a great book. The history of recognizing and standardizing the signs and symptoms of autism was fascinating. How much more do we have to learn? Thank you, Mr. Silberman. I've recommended your book to many people in the field.

First Post, so hello.

I finished NeuroTribes last night. I agree that the history is upsetting, but it's better to know. I had thought I knew most of this after obsessing for years, but I got a ton of information, and the placement of the information in historical context mattered so much, especially about the specter of eugenics. I've studied this before, but Silberman draws a very clear line from point to point, and slyly demonstrates how bad "science" could be (from physiognomy through refrigerator mothers and vitamin c miracle cures.) Wrong Planet also got a shout out. Nice!

Welcome to Wrong Planet

Most of what was in the book was new to me.

On a personal level learning how Autism was viewed and dealt with during the “Refrigerator Mother” era when I was a child made me feel fortunate that I was not diagnosed then despite all the hardships and errors made by me out of ignorence.