Pretending To Be Normal

I think we all do this to some extent but for people on the autism spectrum the challenge can be huge.

While none of us can define what ‘normal’ is, we can easily say what it is not.  The easiest way to stop people noticing that you are not ‘normal’ is to avoid eye contact.  Keep looking at the ground and let no-one in…

Pretending to Be Normal (Eye Contact)

If you try to look into my eyes
you might succeed, if only for a moment
until I feel your gaze incise
and my skin wires buzz with too much current.

Long ago, I began to invent
a way to wear a kind of compromise –
“normal”, like a suit of skin. But you circumvent
this, if you try to look into my eyes.

It’s not your fault. This is my own disguise,
trying to hide my alien skin, to prevent
my green strangeness from showing through. If one’s wise,
one might succeed, if for more than a moment,

….. 

This poem was written by Nicole Nicholson of Raven Wings Poetry and it reflects her experiences with Asperger’s Syndrome.

I know you will be reacting to those words already so I encourage you to go over to Nicole’s site and read the rest of the poem and share it with people who need to understand why so many people on the autism spectrum prefer not to make eye contact.

Ignorance of Autism

Recently there have been two incidents reported in the media relating to the poor treatment of people with autism. One occurred in a Subway store where a mother and her autistic child were not treated well as her son was making noises as they waited to be served. It was alleged that a staff member said to the mother that her child shouldn’t come to a venue like this. The second incident occurred at an aquarium in Moscow where it was alleged a group of autistic children were refused entry because “visitors do not like to see people with disabilities”.

Subway management has taken action on the incident, including reviewing its training processes to ensure that customer service is always of a high standard. That is a very positive response to a delicate situation.

Irrespective of this, is there more that can be done to address the ignorance the general public may have of autism and raise the level of understanding?

There has been a lot done to accommodate people into mainstream environments such as education, employment and public transport but should more be done? When inclusion is done well it will lead to a positive and uplifting experience but done poorly it can be quite devastating.

What are your views on raising the awareness of autism so there is not only a better understanding but greater acceptance? What ideas do you have?