They grew up in a time when People with Autism were called retarded. While also first hand experiencing people with Autism being way smarter than them… hehe.
I think their frame of reference for people diagnosed with autism is on the extreme end of the spectrum: nonverbal, can’t stand to be touched, etc. They never kept up with the concept of a spectrum.
This is why RFKJ says things like, “An autistic child will never write poetry.” Because in his mind, an autistic child needs a significant amount of care, possibly in an institution.
Most people who would be on the spectrum by today’s standards were just considered “geeks” or “nerds” or “awkward” 30+ years ago.
Like my 80-year-old uncle, who has always skipped most family gatherings and only shows any kind of excitement when discussing electronics. His particular interest is ham radio, and he has spent tens of thousands of dollars on equipment. He’s way too old to have a proper diagnosis, but I’d bet my bank account that he’s on the spectrum. The rest of the family just thinks he’s “geeky.”
They grew up in a time when People with Autism were called retarded. While also first hand experiencing people with Autism being way smarter than them… hehe.
I think their frame of reference for people diagnosed with autism is on the extreme end of the spectrum: nonverbal, can’t stand to be touched, etc. They never kept up with the concept of a spectrum.
This is why RFKJ says things like, “An autistic child will never write poetry.” Because in his mind, an autistic child needs a significant amount of care, possibly in an institution.
Most people who would be on the spectrum by today’s standards were just considered “geeks” or “nerds” or “awkward” 30+ years ago.
Like my 80-year-old uncle, who has always skipped most family gatherings and only shows any kind of excitement when discussing electronics. His particular interest is ham radio, and he has spent tens of thousands of dollars on equipment. He’s way too old to have a proper diagnosis, but I’d bet my bank account that he’s on the spectrum. The rest of the family just thinks he’s “geeky.”