Autism and Rhetorics by Paul Heilker and Melanie Yergeau
Summary: In the article Autism and Rhetoric’s Paul Heilker and Melanie Yergeau discuss what exactly autism is in this day and age. Paul and Melanie explain that autism is very hard to understand and little is known about it in regards to science and neurology. Paul and Melanie later go to argue that we fail to see autism for what it is and instead are attempting to label it as a problem. They argue we are trying to see whether it’s a condition, a disease and so forth. That we as neurotypicals as they like to say see autism as a problem and automatically assume that it is not ok. Melanie talks about how her schools Vice President felt the need and right to speak for her and other autistics as though they have empathy for them. Scientist argue that autistics don’t have a keen ability to understand, communicate and have empathy at all times. Melanie argues the opposite saying that neurotypicals themselves do not understand or can feel empathy for autistics. They argue that we need to view autism as a rhetoric or form of otherness. That it is not a disability or disease but more or less should be considered that of rhetoric. They argue that we might better understand, communicate, relate and have empathy between the two different rhetoric’s (neurotypical and autistics) if we see it as a sense of separation. That we all have different cultures, languages, distinctions and ways of thinking. Paul and Melanie say so do autistics and if we can learn to look at it through this lens we can all better understand each other in all aspects. This goes for autistics, neurotypicals and all different forms of rhetoric’s and discourses.
Synthesis: This article is related to Swales article in the nature of discourse communities and all that goes into them. All three authors discuss the themes and ideas that make up a discourse community. Swales talks about the different elements and culture behind a discourse as well as their own distinctive language. This is also discussed in this article on autism as they talk about how the rhetoric of autism consist of people having their own way of think and acting. They also have a different interpretation of interaction as well as their own language. They talk about how people with autism have their own way of speaking and communicating with other autistics or just themselves.
· “…we contend that autism itself is a rhetoric, that autism is a way of being in the world through language, through invention, structure, and style (pg.2630).”
o I think that it is important to listen and grasp this sentence. This Is saying that autism isn’t something we should look at as bad or a problem. That instead it is just part of life and the different people it brings. When you see autism in this way it allows for better understanding because you’re more open to them being another part of society then a problem in society.
· “We might ask, for instance, which kind of rhetoric- judicial, epideictic, or deliberate- do autistics tend to employ, and what might that mean? Or what are the characteristics troops in autistics’ discourse, and what might that signify (pg.365).”
o This quote I chose to grab because it is a summary of how you should gage yourself when aiming at autistics. Its important to view and understand a different rhetoric than your own whether it be autistics or not from all angles so as to prevent stereotyping or false imagery. By false imagery I am referring to what this article talks about in the discussion of the school administrator putting down autism and saying it is something we need to get rid of. This idea is important because it prevent wrongful thinking like this and helps us to understand rhetorics all around.
· “In a flagrant arrogant construction, such scholars suggest that autistics cannot write or read in a rhetorically effective manner because they are empathetically challenged, because they lack empathy for neurotypical readers; yet, neurotypicals can read and write about autism and autistics because their empathy is so fully realized: they understand autistics better than they understand themselves (pg.265-66).”
o This is important to me because it is something I did without even realizing it. I grew up understanding and learning that autism is a disease if you will and that autistics are hard to in counter and understand. Although this may be the case they might find it hard to follow and understand “neurotypicals” as well. I never thought about autism from a different perspective like this and I think it is important that we all do. This is regarding not just autism but everything in life as we should not be ignorant to our surroundings.
· “Conceiving of autism as a rhetoric, as a way of being in the world through language, allows us to reconstrue what we have historically seen as language deficits as, instead, language differences (pg.269).”
o I lastly chose this quote for my dialect because it is a overall summary in essence of what this article attempts to get across to the reader. I also chose it because it is very important and relevant to everyone and everything. This is saying that we should view autism as a problem or disorder but almost as a different culture in our society. Even though autistics need help and can have problems interacting and being a part of society they still are none the less and should be treated as such. We need to see this as an example of viewing things and discourses.
Opinion on Article: I thought this was a great article to read. The article was short and very effective getting the point across easily. The article was not intense with vocabulary and flowed very well make it quick and fun. Also the entire topic was very interesting to read about and to gain a new perspective. I feel sorry for the way I thought in the past I never saw it as offensive to see autism as a problem and that we should instead see it as a difference. I like how this Melanie Yergeau argued this it was very cool to see this new style of thinking and to get a chance to hear and understand an autistics perspective. The article relates well to what we have been discussing as well with rhetoric’s and discourse communities. This article helped expand my way of thinking and acknowledging discourses and rhetoric’s and for that big reason I would also say this was a greatly effective and interesting paper.
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