Why do autistic authors need to be read? It`s a fair question in a way. When you look up “Autism expert” most of the names that come up on the first page of search results are non-autistic authors. You might look at them and think “Well these are all names I know. People who have been writing and teaching courses on autism for years.” You might think that if you only have time to read one or two books that month, that you should prioritize theirs` as they are at the top of their field. I would advise against that. For a long time the field of autism writing has been dominated by non-autistic authors. While it`s not that they have nothing of value to say on the subject, a lot of the big-name non-autistic authors have clashed with autistic people over the years. In part due to the fact that they often stick by outdated ideas such as the idea that there are not a lot of autistic women, even though the autistic community tells them very clearly those things are not true. We only started talking about autism seventy years ago. This is a new field and people who study it should be thrilled with new ideas. The more you find out and understand the better. If you are going to call yourself an expert, and a teacher then the idea that half of what you learned in the 1980s is now outdated should be a source of joy for you. As a teacher and writer new knowledge and information, and most of all new ideas should be what you value above all else. The idea of saying about anything “No I reject that” even in the face of overwhelming evidence is silly. But to say that to a community of people who are telling you something about themselves is downright offensive. It`s not that non-autistic authors have nothing to say, or should not get to be part of the conversation – they do and they should. But the best of them, the ones worth reading, understand and say often, and loudly that they can never be true experts. They can learn from the real experts and put all that knowledge together in one place, and explain it in ways other non-autistic people might understand better, but that’s all.
So how are autistic authors different? I have known I was autistic most of my life and I’ve been writing about autism since I was twelve, but I still learn something new every day that I read the writings of fellow autistic people. It`s through reading the work of other autistic writers that I have been able to better understand myself, and the way my mind works. I sit down to read a blog and find myself thinking “That’s me, that’s what I do!”. Sometimes it`s things I have never noticed but instantly recognize as soon as someone else says it, and sometimes it`s things I have known about myself, but never been able to put in to words. Autistic people are not some kind of plant or animal; we are able to tell our own stories and to talk for ourselves. I understand that not all autistic people are writers, but neither are all gay people, or all black people. It`s still not for someone outside of those groups to talk to the world about them. One thing you hear from parents a lot is “You are not like my child. You can write and talk and my child can’t.” Fine. But you would be amazed how many days I can`t do those things. And if you don’t want to read what I have to say that’s ok. There are a lot of non-verbal autistic people who write too. You should read some of their writing. And that’s kind of the point.
This is not a blog to say “Read what I write!” I mean that’s kind of what it is sure. But it`s also to say there are hundreds, if not thousands, of autistic writers out there from all over the world who should be being read. People who can teach you about meltdowns, autistic crashes, sensory overload, stimming, what it`s like to be autistic and LGBTQ, or autistic with another disability. Anything you want to know. It might be in books or it might be in blogs like this one. It might even be on Twitter. But whatever it is, it`s out there somewhere. And if you look past the big name non- autistic writers you will find it.
Will you read conflicting views? Yes, and you should do. Should you keep reading non-autistic authors? Yes, in some cases. But make sure they are your secondary reading, and not your first port-of-call for understanding more about autism. Whether you are autistic yourself or you know someone who is, or even if you are just interested in the subject, the best thing you can do is listen to the experts. And in this case the experts are autistic people, and if you want to see what we have to say all you have to do is look.
PJ
You can find my book here: http://www.jkp.com/uk/communicating-better-with-people-on-the-autism-spectrum-34251.html
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aut2W
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