Musk and Autism

In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families -- including casual prejudice against disabled people.  

Trump has a long history of using the r-word, and Lordy, there are tapes.

Elon Musk has said that he is autistic, so it is odd that he uses the word, a term that bigots throw against autistic people.

Julia Metreaux at Mother Jones:

In September, Elon Musk amplified a post from Autism Capital—a pro-Trump X account that he often reposts—that read: “Only high T alpha males and aneurotypical people (hey autists!) are actually free to parse new information with an objective ‘is this true?’ filter. This is why a Republic of high status males is best for decision making. Democratic, but a democracy only for those who are free to think.” Musk called the claim, which originated on the infamous web forum 4chan, an “interesting observation.” His repost was viewed 20 million times.

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A society with too much empathy—the kind of society Musk claims we live in—wouldn’t be full of ostracized, bullied kids who grow into adults like him. A society that supported, or at least more thoughtfully approached, autistic traits wouldn’t produce 4chan boards full of his Aspie supremacist fans. It would allow people like Musk to speak openly about being autistic, without retreating from the word, and to engage with initiatives led by autistic people, not figures like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who describe autism as an “injury” that renders people incapable of holding jobs, making art, or playing sports.

Aspie supremacists do real harm to autistic people in their embrace of gendered, racialized stereotypes, and in drawing spurious lines between themselves and anyone they consider “severely” autistic. Musk may simply be a jerk, but he’s a jerk with a tremendous platform—and one whose fans loudly, publicly connect his shitty personal behavior and fascistic policies to “mild” autism.

“It’s really frustrating to be caught in this place where we’re trying to be inclusive of all autistic people, and there are such polarizing opinions and perspectives about autism,” says Jules Edwards. “It causes this additional challenge when we’re advocating for inclusion and access, trying to educate people about what is autism versus the idea of ‘good autism’ or ‘bad autism.’”

Autism and Emotion

In The Politics of Autism, I look at the daily struggles of autistic people, including stereotypes and myths.

One is that autistic people lack empathy and emotion.

A release from Rutgers:

What does giddiness or joy or anger feel like?

To a group of autistic adults participating in a Rutgers study, giddiness manifests like “bees”; small moments of joy are like “a nice coffee in the morning” that yields “a sense of elevation”; anger starts with a “body-tensing” boil, then headaches.

Contrary to common perceptions and years of research that autistic people can’t describe their emotions or often have muted emotional responses, a Rutgers study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy concludes that  many autistic adults are in fact acutely aware of their feelings and can label them in vivid, often colorful detail.

“What if everything we know about autism is wrong?” said Aaron Dallman, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the Rutgers School of Health Professions and the author of the study.

“We spend all this time problematizing autism, rather than doing the work to understand what it’s like to be autistic,” he said. “The popular idea that autistic people don’t have rich, emotional lives is simply not true.”

To catalog how young autistic adults describe their emotions and navigate their interactions with others as well as identify potential strategies to bridge the emotional chasm between autistic and nonautistic people, Dallman conducted a series of focus groups designed to understand individual experiences.

Twenty-four autistic adults ages 18 to 35 participated in one of six video conference focus group interviews. Discussions were facilitated by Dallman and included questions related to how emotions are manifested physically, what participants feel during therapy sessions and how participants communicate about their emotions with others.

Transcripts from the sessions were created and anonymized by a graduate research assistant. Data was then coded and analyzed using a qualitative research methodology that explores how individuals make sense of their experiences.

Participants overwhelmingly reported that typical emotion words such as “happy” or “sad” don’t adequately characterize their complex emotional experiences. Instead, descriptions of emotions included rich, dynamic language and often combined traditional emotional words with references to physical sensations, particularly in the stomach.

Participants also reported that “affective contact” – exchanges of feelings between individuals – with nonautistic people can be difficult and is particularly challenging when nonautistic people misinterpret the emotional expressions of an autistic person.

“I’ve had people say, like, ‘Wow, you look really happy right now,’ when I’m just kind of chilling out,” one participant said. “I’m not sure what about me looks extremely happy.”

Since the first descriptions of autism, difficulties with human interaction have been considered a common feature of autism spectrum disorder. Dallman said confusion arises when therapists or nonautistic people try to supplant neurotypical definitions of emotions – a smile must mean “happy,” a frown “sad” – when these labels don’t apply to autistic people.

Eye contact is a perfect example, Dallman said. For nonautistic people, locking eyes suggests social interest but is often experienced as unpleasant by autistic people. Similarly, autistic people often use stimming techniques – repetitive actions, such as hand flapping or rocking, to regulate emotions – that can be viewed negatively by nonautistic individuals.

Dallman said his findings could point the way to new autism therapy strategies. Instead of urging changes to how autistic people communicate, he said, anyone who has an autistic person in their life should work instead to improve mutual understanding between those who have diverse modes of experiencing the world.“We don't have to change everyone, but let's think about changing the classroom, or caregivers’ attitudes, so they understand what messages an autistic individual is communicating and how they express their emotions,” Dallman said. “It’s time for our communities to embrace the unique perspectives and 
contributions of autistic community members.”

 

The study was published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Overcoming Stereotypes with Informational Video

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss challenges facing autistic adults and children.  One is the stereotyping of autistic people.

Mallipeddi, S., Dickter, C.L. & Burk, J.A. The Impact of an Autistic Character Media Portrayal on Autistic Stereotypes. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi-org.ccl.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06197-y 

The current study sought to understand how viewing a video clip from a television show featuring an autistic character would impact the stereotypes and attitudes that neurotypical college students have about autism. College student participants viewed a scene depicting an autistic character who either speaks about their experiences with ASD (i.e., informational condition), behaves in a relatable manner (i.e., relatable condition), or engages in stereotypical autistic behaviors (i.e., stereotypical condition). Results indicated that participants endorsed fewer stereotypes about autism and autistic people in the informational clip condition than in the relatable clip. This finding supports previous work demonstrating that learning about the lived experiences of a media character with a disability reduced stereotypes (Gaertner et al., 1993) and that a show explaining an autistic character’s behavior increased participants’ likelihood of identifying false information about ASD compared to those who viewed an educational presentation (Stern & Barnes, 2019). In the clip in our study, the main character described how she sees the world differently from neurotypical people. Further, the effect of the video clip condition on the endorsement of autism stereotypes was mediated by liking the autistic character, whom participants liked more in the informational than the relatable condition. This finding is consistent with researchers’ adaption of Allport’s (1954) contact theory, in which intergroup contact, even vicarious contact, can reduce stereotypes (e.g., Crisp & Turner, 2012) and lead to attitude change towards autistic individuals (Dickter & Burk, 2021). Our study identifies one of the mechanisms responsible for this relationship. Together, our findings suggest that viewing a short video in which a character describes their experiences with autism can be a potential intervention that colleges may use to reduce stereotypes about autism and autistic people but underscore the importance of ensuring that this character is likable

Not in this article, but here is an example of a video in which an autistic person (my son) describes his experiences. 

Looking for Rain Man

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the employment of adults with autism and other disabilities. Many posts have discussed programs to provide them with training and experience.

Simon M. Bury and colleagues have a letter in Autism titled  "If you’ve employed one person with

autism …: An individual difference approach to the autism advantage at work."  The abstract:

In this letter to the editor, we comment on the ‘autism advantage’ – the idea that superior skills associated with autism (e.g. attention to detail) present a talent in employment – an example of which is a recent discussion by Austin and Pisano. We welcome advocacy that raises awareness around the strengths and capabilities of people with autism, and also the need to reform human resource management processes that disadvantage them. However, we are concerned that, by highlighting certain stereotypes (e.g. the ‘talented nerd lacking social graces’), the heterogeneity of autism may be overlooked and support needs downplayed. Furthermore, not appreciating individual differences might result in a misalignment between work-profile and employment, pressure to outperform peers without autism and a failure to appreciate the diverse interests of people with autism. We argue that an individual differences approach will prove more sustainable for improving long-term employment outcomes.

From the letter:

We acknowledge that there are areas in which individuals with autism perform exceptionally and appreciate the importance of identifying their strengths and supporting them appropriately. However, it is also important to remind ourselves that not all  ndividuals with autism have superior skills, nor should they have to, to secure employment. The ‘autism advantage’ may prove a double-edged sword; while, it is beneficial in raising awareness, it also has the potential to place unreasonable expectations on average John (or Jane for that matter!). Supporting John, and the individuals who make up his composite, by supporting his uniqueness, including both his strengths and support needs, may prove to be the most sustainable approach to employment in the long term

Autism as Metaphor in International Relations

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss challenges facing autistic adults and children.  One is the misuse of the term autism, which in turn spreads misunderstanding of autistic people.

At the European Journal of International Relations, Stephen Michael Christian has an article titled "Autism in International Relations: A Critical Assessment of International Relations’ Autism Metaphors."  He argues that scholars of international relation use autism metaphor that "shape or reinforce understandings of autism that often oversimplify, overgeneralize, or otherwise negatively misrepresent autism and Autistic people." He identifies two patterns.

First, IR acholars do frequently stereotype autism; this article focuses especially on the autism-as-disease and autism-as-aloneness metaphors. Scholars have also used other problematic associations with autism, such as violence and perpetual immaturity. Regardless of what the stereotype is, Autistic people and autism experts alike have repeatedly asserted that these stereotypes are outdated, contested, and misleading, when not simply wrong.

Second, IR scholars use autism metaphors to disparage either foreign policies or support their IR theories. Scholars use this rhetoric for legitimizing their arguments, and such rhetoric succeeds when they connect ableist understandings of autism held by readers with some foreign policy or IR theory. Scholars will sometimes incorporate autism metaphors to improve their theories, while others use it to disparage a foreign policy or alternative theory. This disparagement implies a scholar’s desire to rectify such a foreign policy or theory, much like how doctors and research focus on autism to find a treatment or cure.

Autism, Popular Culture, and Stereotypes

In a blog about autism politics, it is important to keep an eye on popular culture, which influences public perceptions. Books, television shows and movies can raise awareness but they can also spread misinformation and stereotypes.

At The Huffington Post, Greg Olear writes about Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Rain Main:

Although there are those on the autistic spectrum who found Haddon's portrayal of Asperger's on base -- William Schofield, then a student at a London college for aspies, wrote in The Guardian that "the similarities are very convincing between Chris and me especially, in my opinion" -- it is telling that many of Curious Incident's 73 one-star Amazon reviews (there are a staggering 1,720 reviews in all, most fours and fives) were submitted by aspies. Here's a smattering:

"Stereotyped, inaccurate, horribly offensive... this isn't how it is." "Haddon does not understand Asperger." "Stereotypical view of an autistic child." "I find it hard to believe that Mark Haddon is an autism expert, because Christopher Boone isn't like any other child with Asperger's that I've ever met." "A major disservice to the Autistic Community." "An excellent portrayal of autism...NOT!"

The aspie reviewers, as it happens, were onto something. Haddon, by his own admission, is clueless about Asperger's. "I know very little about the subject," he confessed on his website, in an blog posted on July 16, 2009. "I did no research for Curious Incident... I'd read Oliver Sacks's essay about Temple Grandin and a handful of newspaper and magazine articles about, or by, people with Asperger's and autism. I deliberately didn't add to this list."

As for Rain Man, savant skills, and Kim Peek:

The character of Raymond Babbitt is based on Kim Peek, a man capable of astounding feats of mathematics and memory. Posthumously diagnosed with Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome, Peek had no corpus callosum connecting the two halves of his brain.

In the film, Babbitt is called an autistic savant...but the real Kim Peek was not autistic. Nevertheless, Rain Man became the popular culture's introduction to autism.

Thirty years later, the belief persists that autistics can reliably count a pile of toothpicks at a glance. This is a powerful negative stereotype that autistic children (and their parents) must overcome.