tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27945613.post8742419314055036507..comments2023-06-20T02:06:52.150-06:00Comments on Alethiography: Autism and The Curious IncidentTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18079829842465164437noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27945613.post-56852795516357879552009-06-12T20:50:47.838-06:002009-06-12T20:50:47.838-06:00Yeah, on the one hand, I don't expect every wo...Yeah, on the one hand, I don't expect every woman in a book to be like me, and don't (generally) go around saying, "Women are not like that!" But autistics are represented rarely enough that it may irk them (and those who love them) extra when they're (as they perceive it) grossly caricaturized.<br /><br />Who I found really unconvincing is the moms who said "Autistics are much lower functioning than that in reality." There is clearly a whole spectrum (um, yeah, "the autism spectrum") from "completely dsyfunctional retarded autistic who can barely communicate" to high-functioning sorts who just come off as a bit dorky or eggheaded.<br /><br />I found the character, as a person, completely convincing. I believe that could be a real person's real experiences.Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18079829842465164437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27945613.post-46525399762563334942009-06-10T08:09:11.899-06:002009-06-10T08:09:11.899-06:00I find that I am not overwhelmingly convinced by t...I find that I am not overwhelmingly convinced by these reports of individuals with Asperger's / parents of autistic children on whether the portrayal is "accurate." There appears to be a lot of "I / my child is not like that, therefore, that is not a depiction of True Asperger's / autism," which assumes that these things manifest themselves in a single way (and also that these people's perceptions of themselves / their kids is fully accurate in some sense that invalidates the descriptions in the book).<br /><br />Of course, I also understand that it could be very frustrating to read a book that you think (however rightly or wrongly) grossly misportrays some condition that you have and that you feel contributes to other people misunderstanding it. <br /><br />I recall liking the book and finding the narration in convincing in the same way Tam did. Knowing even less than Tam does about autism, I also did not think of it in terms of whether the character seemed typical or representative of an autistic child or "aspie" or some other established category.Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15376389949707679077noreply@blogger.com