Introduction to Societal Attitudes on Autism
Almost everyone has had an interaction with someone with autism spectrum disorder. It is a common and well established disorder, yet society is somewhat bewildered by it. The components of a portion of what establishes us as humans, such as advanced communication, empathy, and having complex relationships, people with autism lack to a certain degree. This creates a general feeling that people with autism are less human, so society often treats them as another species. Autistics are thus overlooked, and left alone because their relationship making deficits. In fact, the men that medically described autism in 1940, Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger, chose the name autism by taking from the Greek word “autos” meaning self, to describe the mental loneliness the disorder creates (History of Autism). It is not until savantism comes out of a case of autism that autistics are put into the spotlight and held as high regard. Even so, people with autism are still very misunderstood and confusing to many. We definitely treat autistic savants differently than the average person as a society, whether that be more negatively or positively. The case outlined by Oliver Sacks of autistic savant Stephen Wiltshire is no exception, and he has received both the negative and positive special treatment from society, from being placed in a school for disabled children due to lack of understanding, to being featured on BBC and appraised nationally for his work. The way society has interacted with Stephen is an excellent example of how we treat individuals with autistic savantism.
By Grace Armstrong
