Autistic Son Research Articles

Being with Others: Levinas and the Ethics of Autism

Being with OthersLevinas and the Ethics of Autism Megan Craig This paper explores the relationship between Emmanuel Levinas's alterity ethics, autism, and play. Although Levinas never wrote about autism, he is known as the preeminent thinker of the "other" in the twentieth century, and he is a crucial source for conceiving of ethics as responsiveness to the irreducible difference of other human beings. Insofar as Levinas challenges us to respond to every other, his work provides valuable insights into the nature of responsibility and problematizes every attempt to draw a stark and static line of demarcation between neuro-typical and autistic persons. Levinas helps to show the urgency of thinking about autism from a perspective of respect for and responsibility to difference, highlighting the risks and rewards of being with others who challenge one's sense of self. It is less clear how one might reconcile Levinas, whose work is characterized by a sober, even traumatic, stress on responsibility, with play. And yet, Levinas's work includes significant, if under-examined, discussions of play (jouer) and enjoyment (jouissance) as they relate to living that should not be dismissed or relegated to an overly stark dichotomy between the serious and the playful. If we can hear the delicate resonances between playing and living in Levinas's work, they may open new areas of research and productively destabilize a caricature of Levinasian ethics as allergic to levity or joy. In what follows, I will argue that play is a crucial aspect of being together with other people and for honing a creative aptitude for solidarity. Play is particularly important for being with others who are nonverbal, as it allows for engagement and [End Page 305] exchange across multiple registers of sensation. In spite of the fact that a "lack of varied spontaneous pretend play or social imitative play" is one of the twelve diagnostic criteria for autism issued by the American Psychiatric Association (an autism diagnosis requires at least two signs from each of three different categories relating to social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors), first-person accounts of autism indicate a very different story with respect to capacities for imaginative play (American Psychiatric Association 1994, 70–71). For too long autistic individuals have been at the mercy of diagnostic rubrics that predetermine the very concepts they should explore. Part of what I want to suggest in this paper is that non-autistic individuals have everything to learn about what play means and how to play from the autistic, that is, from those who have historically been deemed the least adept at recognizable and normalized forms of play. Additionally, although Levinas has little to say about variable forms of play in his work, his alterity ethics foregrounds aspects of enjoyment, communication, and sensibility that relate intimately to play and its ethical implications. My work proceeds in four parts. The f irst section describes some of the personal history and basis for my interests in autism. I then turn to Levinas, providing a brief overview of his ethics and examining his concepts of "sense" and "language" to show that there are deep resources in his work for thinking about several issues crucial to autism. The third section of the paper brings Levinas's ethics into conversation with first-person accounts of autism and autistic experience, centered on Ron Suskind's 2014 memoir, Life, Animated, which chronicles the life of his autistic son, Owen—but also guided by other accounts from Naoki Higashida, Daniel Tammet, Wendy Lawson, and Donna Williams. Suskind's book helps to dislodge dominant theories of autistic individuals as incapable of play, and it makes a compelling case for rethinking the concepts of play and imagination as they relate not only to autism but to what it means to be with others and to be alive to the world. In the fourth and final section, I bring Levinas's alterity ethics together with play, suggesting some concrete ethical/political implications for early childhood education and long-term care that emerge from a Levinasian examination of autistic experience. I realize that Levinas is not helpful in all ways for thinking about autism, and, at first glance, much of his...

Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America

Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America

Pas de Deux

In this personal essay, Mark Osteen uses the metaphor of a pas de deux to dramatize how caring for his autistic son has enriched his scholarship and teaching. In his early years as the father of an autistic child, Osteen's parental and professional roles clashed, but gradually he learns to use what his son teaches him-particularly about nonverbal communication and multiple forms of intelligence-to develop a theory of empathetic scholarship and to enhance his pedagogy.

A Review of: Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism, by Ron Suskind

[Author Affiliation]Aaron D. Besterman. 1 Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.Robert L. Hendren. 1 Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California. 2 Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.ISBN: 978-1-423-180364. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2014. 368 pages.Address correspondence to: Aaron D. Besterman, MD, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 401 Parnassus Ave. San Francisco, CA 94143, E-mail: aaron.besterman@ucsf.edu'Imet Jonathan Freeman, he's my friend!' Owen can barely contain himself. He's become an exclamation point, expounds Ron Suskind.Ron Suskind is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and the occasional Merlin to his autistic son Owen's Arthur, in Life, Animated. To Owen, Jonathan Freeman is no mere voice actor, but a megacelebrity worthy of the highest reverence as the voice of Jafar from Disney's Aladdin. He plays an integral role in bringing Disney animated characters to life and thus plays a vital role in Owen's personal development. Owen has an intense affinity for Disney animated characters and seems to relate to them and use their experiences and adventures to fuel his own intellectual and emotional growth.On one occasion, during their first encounter, Owen explains to Mr. Freeman that Aladdin is about, ... finally accepting who you really are. And being okay with that. This emotional deep dive may have only been possible through the lens of one of Owen's beloved Disney characters. On a grander scale, we are privileged to witness Owen's slow, yet dramatic shift in identity as he grows from a young child to a more mature young man.Initially, he identifies primarily with Disney sidekicks, such as Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid and Zazu the hornbill from The Lion King. Like these characters, he feels as he is destined to play a supporting role in life, helping those more capable succeed in life's journeys. But like his buddy Aladdin, Owen also learns to appreciate his own abilities and accomplishments, and by the time he reaches college he no longer self-identifies as a mere sidekick, but sees himself more as a hero; more Aladdin than Zazu, you will.But what fueled this evolution? Would it have occurred inevitably? Or would Owen's development have been completely different had Disney been banished from the Suskind household? This question is a critical one for many families with a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and as the Suskinds learned, there is no clear consensus among developmental and medical professionals. On the one hand, there is significant concern that children with ASD can become overfixated on specific things, such as Disney characters, airplanes, maps, or what have you. In theory, this could limit their growth and development by restricting their learning environment. Additionally, the repetitive and obsessive fixation on a specific object or topic can become overwhelming and exhausting for family members. However, there is the counterargument somewhat along the lines of if you can't beat them, join them. That is, a child with ASD has a natural affinity for a specific object or topic and seems to relate to the external world primarily through that lens, then why not use that interest to relate to and teach them? From watching Owen develop with the aid of Disney animation, Ron Suskind argues that one should fully embrace a child with ASD's natural affinities.The development of this argument seems to run on a parallel track to the narrative itself throughout the book. In some ways, Life, Animated can be viewed as the Suskind family thesis culminating in a new behavioral therapy, affinity therapy. …

Teaching Classics and/as Disability Advocacy

This article discusses how the experience of caring for my severely autistic son, Charlie, and my academic research in disability studies have given me insights into teaching the ancient Greek and Latin languages to university students. My efforts to teach Charlie, who is almost nonverbal, to talk and communicate have inspired me to create strategies that help students review grammatical material for exams in a highly effective way. Teaching, I have learned, can happen in the absence of speech. My research about the history of the treatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities has shown me how to make mundane vocabulary-building exercises come alive. For example, explaining what certain ancient Greek words mean with reference to contemporary medical and ethical questions about the care of children with disabilities, born and unborn, has been of great benefit to students learning medical terminology for their science classes and preparing for careers in the health professions.

The Horse Boy– Attending to the Stories Our Patients Tell Us

In the summer of 2007, Rupert Isaacson and Kirsten Neff set off to Mongolia on an extraordinary journey to heal their 7-year old autistic son. Their story was captured on film by a small crew, and both the resulting documentary, The Horse Boy, and the associated book have reached a wide audience. For those involved in psychiatric education, the film represents a valuable opportunity to explore a range of relevant clinical and ethical issues with their learners, including an introduction to the world of complementary and alternative medicine and the emerging discipline of narrative medicine. Perhaps most importantly, The Horse Boy is an impetus for health professionals to consider their own responsibilities when determined patients in their care undertake such remarkable quests to heal themselves or their loved ones.

Me as a Boy: On Raising an Asian American and Autistic Son

The experience of raising an autistic son leads an Asian American woman to reflect on her becoming anorexic as an adolescent.

Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman's March to the Governorship by Barbara Roberts

 Reviews of available statistics, as flawed or incomplete as they may be, would at least serve as an indicator of the early Latino presence in the state. Perhaps because of the problems finding data,the writers turn to extrapolating national trends and histories of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in other regions of the United States to Oregon. While these histories may be relevanttoOregon ’smexicanos,explicitorimplied connections are difficult to confirm with the historical sources mentioned in the book. By far the strongest sections of the book are their coverage of mexicanos since the 1980s and the oral histories collected by the authors; although a bit more background on the informants interviewed for these chapters and the testimonios would be helpful. It is not always clear, for example, what specific years or time periods are being described. Still, the power and detail of these insights are illuminating and often quite moving. They help humanize a population that is often invisible or, when noticed, is seen as a cultural and economic threat to the rest of state. The anthropological and sociological details of contemporary mexicano life in the later chapters are also quite detailed and, in many ways, more relevant for understanding the present and future presence of mexicanos in Oregon. An expansion of these sections would have made for a more focused study. Those shortcomings aside,this is a welcome addition to the growing number of works on Oregon’s cultural diversity. The authors provide a good introductory history, and a vivid portrayal, of some of Oregon’s newest and oldest immigrants: los mexicanos. Jorge Guadalupe Lizárraga Washington State University, Vancouver Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman’s March to the Governorship by Barbara Roberts Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, 2011. Photographs, notes, index. 448 pages. $24.95 paper. One can easily imagine Oregon leaders — past, present, and hopefuls — eagerly snatching up copies of former Gov. Barbara Roberts’s engaging memoir to see how they fare. To do so, however, would be to miss a much larger and more important story.Roberts has crafted a fascinating glimpse into her personal life, Oregon politics, and the inextricable link between the two. According to her work, Roberts came from humble beginnings. The daughter of a millworker , she followed the path of many women of her time:an early marriage with no thoughts of being anything beyond wife and mother. After experiencing dismay and outrage at the limited resources available for her autistic son, Roberts began lobbying for children’s services. This set her on a personal and professional trajectory that ultimately led to her march up the Capitol steps as Oregon’s first woman governor . In between, she struggles with divorce, falls in love with and marries her legislator and mentor, Frank Roberts, and wins election to a succession of political positions such as school board member, county commissioner, state representative,and Secretary of State.She documents each juncture with rich details of her victories, trials, and disappointments. Her memoir is at its best when Roberts discusses her campaigns. Although everyone knows the outcome of her gubernatorial battle with David Frohnmayer and some pesky lesserknowns , for instance, few may recall Roberts’s initial underdog status in that contest. Thankfully , she provides a page-turning, almost dayby -day account of the intricacies of her race for the governorship,complete with a cast of colorful characters including supporters, detractors, andoperatives.Initialpollingnumbersrevealed Frohnmayer held a significant lead in popularPurchase back issues of the Quarterly. Call 503.306.5230 or send an e-mail to museumstore@ohs.org.  OHQ vol. 113, no. 2 ity and fundraising. She explains how she narrowed and ultimately overcame Frohnmayer’s advantage. When the polls finally closed on November 6, 1990, Roberts had secured a slim winoverFrohnmayerandthird-partycandidate AlMobley.AsRobertssteppeduptothepodium to claim victory,she bubbled,“You’re looking at thehappiestcandidateyou’veeverseen!”(p.211). In reality, it was the best of times and the worst of times for Roberts.Her father had died during her campaign, her husband’s health was failing, and she took office at the same time voters passed Ballot Measure 5, which significantly limited property-tax revenue, forcing drastic cuts in state services. Although Roberts discusses her many...

How Midcareer Mothers Negotiate a Life

How Midcareer Mothers Negotiate a Life

"Nothing about Us, without Us": Weather Reports from the Autism Front: A Father's Memoir of His Autistic Son by James C. Wilson and The Only Boy in the World: A Father Explores the Mysteries of Autism by Michael Blastland

No abstract available

Thoughts About the Autism Label: A Parental View

The number of people diagnosed with autism has risen exponentially in recent years. Are the diagnostic labels currently in use adequate to describe such a vast range of symptoms? Should we reconsider the appropriateness of the language we use to discuss autism? A mother of two autistic sons describes what the autism label has meant for her and her family.

Father Figures: Three Wise Men Who Changed a Life • No Regrets: Last Chance for a Father and Son • Slim to None: A Journey Through the Wasteland of Anorexia Treatment • Baby B • The Years of Silence Are Past: My Father's Life With Bipolar Disorder

Father Figures: Three Wise Men Who Changed a Life • No Regrets: Last Chance for a Father and Son • Slim to None: A Journey Through the Wasteland of Anorexia Treatment • Baby B • The Years of Silence Are Past: My Father's Life With Bipolar Disorder

Elevators on his mind.

On Being a Patient17 August 2004Elevators on His MindPeter S. Stack, MDPeter S. Stack, MDFrom Dallas Diagnostic Association, Dallas, TX 75230.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-4-200408170-00014 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail “Alex rides elevators on his mind” was written by my 10-year-old autistic son and taped to the wall next to his bed. Elevators are the central focus of Alex's attention at this point in his life. His form of autism is described as high-functioning, since his intelligence measures in the normal range. However, he has many typical features of autism, the most dramatic being an obsessive interest in narrowly defined topics. This bizarre and mystifying behavior is a daily reminder of his brain's remarkable capabilities and its frustrating limitations, reinforcing the notion of some critical derangement in the scaffolding that ... Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Dallas Diagnostic Association, Dallas, TX 75230.Corresponding Author: Peter S. Stack, MD, Dallas Diagnostic Association, 7777 Forest Lane, Suite C-300, Dallas, TX 75230; e-mail, ps.[email protected]com. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 17 August 2004Volume 141, Issue 4Page: 319-320KeywordsAutismBehaviorChildrenEmotionsEngineersForecastingIntelligenceMemoryMotivationTicks ePublished: 17 August 2004 Issue Published: 17 August 2004 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...

Treatment Center Spotlights Art by Autistic People

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Community NewsFull AccessTreatment Center Spotlights Art by Autistic PeopleEve BenderEve BenderSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:16 May 2003https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.38.10.0052The images convey feelings that often can’t be communicated otherwise—fear, isolation, and hope, for instance—but communicate they do, and with great power. The works were created by people with autism and other developmental disorders and are on display at the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) Institute in Sacramento, Calif.“Benidorm, Spain” (top) by artist Richard Wawro and “Ryan” by Rick Morrison are two of the 63 pieces of art showcased at the MIND Institute.The MIND Institute, which is part of the UC Davis Medical Center, is a research and treatment facility established in 1998 to advance the study and treatment of children and adults with developmental disorders.Last month institute staff moved into two new buildings on the medical center campus. The larger, main building houses an outpatient clinic, exam rooms, and clinician offices. A smaller, adjacent building is the home of a new laboratory where institute staff studies the causes of and treatments for developmental disorders.Along the halls of the buildings hang fixed reminders for institute staff of why they are there: 63 pieces of art, which include sketches, watercolors, and oil paintings, by artists with developmental disorders—mostly autism—who range in age from 5 to 86.The MIND Institute purchased the art for a competition that took place in fall 2001.One painting, titled “The Calm,” portrays three canoes floating side by side next to a dock. “Ryan” is a pencil drawing of a young boy. Other works are striking by virtue of their attention to detail—swarms of people sitting by the sea or the many windows in a New York City skyscraper.The art is a “window onto the challenges and frustrations the artists face on a daily basis.”The piece that MIND Institute co-founder Chuck Gardner most identifies with is “Haircut” by child artist Reed Feshbach, who, like Gardner’s son Chas, is autistic.While a trip to the barber is no big deal for most children, it can inspire trauma and fear in children with autism, Gardner told Psychiatric News. In the picture, a boy sits in the barber’s chair, mouth agape, with his hair standing on end. Gardener’s experience with his own son—he eventually had to learn to cut Chas’s hair himself—helped him to understand Feshbach’s drawing.“There is a bee flying around the room, because that’s what clippers sound like.” An exit sign in the drawing means “he wants to get out of there,” Gardner remarked.Gardner has faced his own frustration as a father of a child with autism. When he set out to learn about the disorder, he said, he found a dearth of research on autism and a shortage of treatment options for his son.He began to speak with other parents in 1996 about his vision of an institution in which parents and researchers could work together to find a cure for autism. Together with four other fathers of autistic sons from the greater Sacramento area, Gardner set out to make his dream a reality.In just under a year, the fathers presented a business plan to a group of scientists at UC Davis, arranged for the UC Davis Medical Center to house the MIND institute, and raised more than $6 million to get the institute off the ground.And that was just the beginning. Since then, the fathers have raised $80 million for the MIND Institute from the California state legislature, private sources, and UC Davis. While this seems like a fortune, Gardner said, “it is only a drop in the bucket in terms of what we need to find a cure” for autism and other developmental disorders. He estimated that a cure carries a price tag of tens of billions of dollars.Gardner remains involved with the MIND Institute as a fundraiser, advocate, and member of its research committee. He also helped to find and purchase the art that hangs in the new buildings. The art, he said, helps institute staff to focus on their aims and keep the important questions in mind: How can a person with autism create art with breathtaking detail yet “have difficulty holding a pencil or participating in even simple conversation?”More information about the MIND Institute is posted on the Web at mindinstitute.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/. The art can be viewed online at news.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/images/mind/artists.html. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived

Autism and joint attention: Young children's responses to maternal bids

Problems with joint attention are an early manifestation of autism. Young boys with and without autism were observed communicating with their mothers in contexts that afforded commenting, requesting, and interacting. Mothers of autistic sons made as many attention-regulating bids as mothers of typically developing sons, and these bids did not differ significantly in duration. However, fewer occurred in commenting contexts, and they were less likely to rely on purely conventional means. Their sons accepted fewer bids, and they more often appeared unaware of a bid. These findings are discussed using a transactional view of communicative problems in autism in which a child's difficulty regulating shared attention prompts adults to augment conventional communication with literal, object-focused acts.