I don’t know enough about disability to really dive into the inspiration porn question, but the reason this kinda thing would irritate me is because it’s essentially the flipside of treating autistic people like they’re damaged an unable to function in society. Where those are negative stereotypes, about how autism prevents you from being social or limits you in some other way, this is a positive stereotype, playing into the idea that autistic people have talents that border on superpowers, like the card counting in Rain Man or this man, Stephen Wiltshire.
Yeah, that’s one thing I want to point out about this entire thread. No one mentioned his name, Stephen Wiltshire. He’s an amazing artist to be sure, and one of his big talents is his memory, because he draws these skylines not just from memory, often from just a single helicopter ride. You notice how that scene of New York is taken from an aerial view? That’s because he’s sketching one of the perspectives he saw while in a helicopter. That’s some amazing talent and hard work.
In my opinion, it’s not that people need to be upbraided for talking about this kind of thing, but we do usually need to be reminded that positive stereotypes aren’t quite as damaging as negative ones, but they’re still stereotypes and they still mean that you aren’t treating autistic people with the respect they deserve.
Neurodiversity brings several benefits to our species, despite the difficulties it presents for those of us who suffer from depression and mental illnesses, or those of us who have autistic spectrum traits and live in a society that treats autistic people terribly. These traits are ones that were likely advantageous to us in evolutionary terms, so they’re actually being selected for in our species. Autistic people have traits that directly interact with memory and sensation, sometimes allowing them to exhibit unique talents related to those traits. Stephen Wiltshire’s artistry is amazing and it’s the result of hard work and diligence, but he’s also able to create something that’s fairly unique because of his neurodiversity.
What about the kid who hits 6’ 9" and develops extremely strong muscles such that he could be a star basketball player? Larry Bird still had to put in a ton of work to become the artist he is. What I’m saying is that we don’t have a hard time talking about sports stars like they’re real people and not stereotypes, despite the fact that they often have unique physical advantages that just don’t occur in most of the rest of the population.
Just some food for thought when it comes to the way that you regard autistic people. People who are autistic who do amazing things deserve to get praised just like everyone else. And while their autistic spectrum traits might be a part of what they do that’s amazing, that’s just a single part of their story. Say their name and talk about that story and celebrate the work they do in addition to the diversity they represent, and you’ll be a hell of a lot closer to respect than a lot of people get.
That artist up there? His name is Stephen Wiltshire and he draws some absolutely gorgeous skylines. He’s spent a long time learning how to do that and he has a unique memory that lets him do that without needing to refer to photographs and that’s pretty damn cool.
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