Empowerment: Where Do You Get Your Information?
I received a long email from a distant relative who wished to inform me of all the things she had learned about autism. Her information had come from an acquaintance of hers whose son is autistic. As I casually scrolled down, information anywhere from autism being genetically passed only from father to child to how autism can be cured with plant-based "miracle" elixirs jumped out at me. On and on the email went. By the end, I had no idea how I would politely respond to the ridiculous carnage of autism-myths staring back at me in feckless successive rows.
Furthermore, did I even want to begin wacking such overgrown weeds? After all, my relative had only meant to impress me with her new found knowledge. She was guilty of nothing but trying to make a connection. Unfortunately, her new views, and those of her acquaintance, were magnificently erroneous to say the least. Where had she gone wrong?
The next morning, I diplomatically began rearranging, correcting, and piecing together a new story of autism. Most of all, I was on a mission to empower this relative of mine to seek the truth for herself. I wanted to craft her a key to a car that she would need to be in control of driving.
As I composed the return email, my thoughts likened learning about autism to shopping for a home loan. Buying a house is a big deal--for most of us anyway. Though some people jump at the first loan offer, a large percentage of people study up and shop around. We throw on caps of wisdom, become discerning, and are on the lookout for any loopholes that could cause potentially agonizing losses.
So why do we just accept any old information, from any old source, about things we may not know as much about such as autism, deafness, or quantum physics? Is it because we are easily overwhelmed? Is there just too much information to sort through?
I suppose I have somewhat of a leg up seeing as to how autism is one of my special interests. But I am in a perpetual state of learning, pondering, and redefining when it comes to autism. Even more so, I like to play devil's advocate.
Last year, I was a guest speaker at an autism conference for parents of autistic children. Several parents asked me for my advice on how to go about learning more about autism. They were especially interested in the perspectives of other autistic adults, which made me beam, but they were also hungry for valid information about autism in general.
A few snippets of advice I offered:
- If you were vehemently determined to run for President of the United States--or whatever country have you--and you were appointed to speak on something you knew little about, would you get up in front of your audience and spew forth the information your neighbor down the street gave you without a second thought?
- To be well-informed, you've got to drive your own car. Go shopping, try different things, and keep an open mind. Last but not least, take what you need and leave the rest. We're not all going to agree. After all, this is earth and we are only human.
- When learning about autism, it is best to first become a student. The teaching part can come later. Study both what you agree with and what you don't. Be well-rounded and get those gears turning.
Change.org's Kristina Chew and Dora Raymaker have provided some fabulous suggestions for reading materials. I also encourage checking out local libraries and favorite bookstores.
Consider attending conferences such as Autreat by Autism Network International, if feasible, and most importantly, pay attention to what autistic individuals--of any age--have to say.
If you're a fan of reading the latest research findings, a good way to deepen your understanding of proposed research is to be a discerning critic. Check out this link:
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