Is Anybody ‘Less’?

Different…Not Less.  I see this phrase often.  It’s written on Facebook posts and blogs about autism all the time.  It is the title of one of Temple Grandin’s books,  which I have admittedly not read.  The phrase, I assume, is meant to indicate that having autism is just one of the many characteristics of human beings and being autistic is no worse than being neurotypical just as being black is no worse than being white, being female is no worse than being male or going to Holland is no worse than a trip to Italy. (I had to use that analogy.)  Like our biodiversity and our cultural diversity autism should be treasured for its unique addition to the human species.

Pointing out that people with autism are not “less” must indicate that there is a group of people out there that we can consider ‘”less” and we need to separate their identity from those with autism. So if people with autism are not less, I have to ask… Who is ‘less’? 

Does this mean that people with conditions including Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy  or Prader Willi syndrome are ‘less’ ?  How about people with fetal alcohol syndrome, dyslexia or  Alzheimer’s Disease? Do we consider any of the people with these conditions ‘less’ while people with autism are simply ‘different’? Or do we also consider these conditions part of human diversity? 

Are the mentally ill ‘less’? I often hear representatives from the autism community emphasizing that autism is NOT a mental illness.  While this is true, the purpose of the distinction usually isn’t about the conditions being ‘different’; They come across as if people with autism are superior to the mentally ill.  People with schizophrenia in particular seem to be a good ‘less than’ target.  You don’t have to think very long and hard to find groups that target the mentally ill as ‘the problem’, as opposed to a group of people that are in need of solutions.  

So if we see a person as having a disability or disorder does that mean we see them as “less”?  I argue that it doesn’t and it shouldn’t.  Everyone is entitled to being treated with dignity and respect no matter what their physical or neurological condition.  A group that cries out for acceptance should show how accepting they can be of others as opposed to setting themselves apart.

People that would like to reduce or even eliminate the effect of autism on themselves or others, don’t think of persons with autism as ‘less.’  They want more for those people.  They want what everyone wants for themselves and their children: deep relationships, a good job with good pay, independence, and a meaningful way to participate in the community.  There are people with autism who have been able to achieve these things in their lives, and I’m happy for them, I would even love for my daughter to be included in this group.  But don’t deny that for many, autism prevents these things from ever being a part of their experience.   Just because some of us want more for people with autism, doesn’t mean we think of them as less.