In My Language
I watched this video yesterday and found it to be incredibly powerful. I think it’s actually the first youtube video that made me really think.
Essentially, it’s a video produced by an autistic woman who explains how her physical actions are her own form of communicating with the objects around her. She then goes on to question how society in general can consider her “non-communicative” just because she doesn’t communicate in “their” language. In an interesting example of ethnocentrism, we consider only our own verbal communication to be valid, and anyone who can’t or won’t learn our language is considered to be less than human.
She raises very interesting points about personhood and intelligent thought, as well as our system for valuing other people. It’s definitely something I feel like I should consider next time I interact with a person with different cognitive abilities.
That is an interesting watch. I have an autistic cousin who from my point of view just squeals and screams a lot. He has been more ‘interactive’ as he has grown up though apparently, but I have not had much to do with him. I liked her point about failing to apply senses to certain objects.
Frouse said this on March 8th, 2008 at 4:39 am
I liked the failing to apply senses to certain objects too - that you can only stare at certain things or taste certain things.
I have to admit, I saw a little bit of myself in certain parts, although obviously not to the extent that she has. One thing that Jason absolutely HATES about me is that every time we go shopping, I have to touch every single thing I’m looking at. Just looking at a shirt or a blanket isn’t enough because I really haven’t experienced it until I’ve interacted with it in that way. So I can absolutely relate to that part of her explanation.
brandie said this on March 8th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Hehe Jana gets like that too, always needing to touch things. It does make sense to interact with things more tactilely.
Frouse said this on March 12th, 2008 at 3:31 pm