Look Me in the Eye
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How Does Society Learn to Accept People with Asperger's?
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Mark
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Mar 13, 2013 07:07PM
The memoir "Look Me in the Eye" by John Elder Robison depicts the life of a person with Asperger's. He struggles throughout his childhood in the 1970s to understand other people and to fit in. To make things even harder, he was often accused by people that he would amount to nothing in his life. However, he was able to go on to be very successful and happy. Why do people assume that a person with a disability can't turn out to be revolutionary? What can society do to help people understand that people with conditions like Asperger's can lead remarkable lives?
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They have to get over their differences, and see what is on the inside.
Mark wrote: "The memoir "Look Me in the Eye" by John Elder Robison depicts the life of a person with Asperger's. He struggles throughout his childhood in the 1970s to understand other people and to fit in. To m..."I think that people don't think people with a disability are capable of doing something great. In reality, they can do anything other people can do, jus in different ways. Being supportive of them is important so they can succeed.
Society needs to help out people with asperger's in normal life if the need it as a first step. After that they need to just let them live a normal life so that they have as many options and choices as most people do.
People need to understand that these people can't help it. They should be supportive not negative and try to help them.
They have to ignore the differences and embrace their similarities. Since they have difficulty reaching out to you society should make an effort to reach out to them.
Society just needs to get over their fear and just needs to learn to accept them for who they are. Disability or not.
I think that society can help people with Asbergers by giving them special care and knowing that everyone's different. I think when people look at someone with disabilities, they see a mistake when really, everyone has faults and even someone with disabilities can still be great.
Everyone needs to accept others with a disorder and treat them like a normal person.
People look at others who have disabilities and think that they can't turn out to be revolutionary because they are different. Society can help people understand that people with these conditions can lead remarkable lives by showing that they can do everything and are not different.
People need to understand that others are suffering from aspergers not because they choose to. You shouldn't judge people by what disabilities they have, or tell them that disabilities make them 'wrong.'
People are quick to judge when others have a mental disorder. Not looking someone in the eye, walking away and being distracted are normal for a person with Aspergers but people without it see those gestures as an insult or showing no respect to someone. People in society can help with this by knowing the signs of a mental disorder and treat them as a normal person but give way to common symptoms.
People have to see past a disability, and see what is really on the inside. Wether you have a disability or not, you are capable of anything you set your mind to. Someone with disabilities can be great, no matter how people see them.
I think that some people are just afraid of diversity, so they don't accept it. Even though this country is all about diversity, some people don't approve when there are differences. It's all selfishness. People just want everything to go their way, so I think that a way for society to help people understand that a person with a disability can be successful is to just realize that the world doesn't revolve around you, and you should judge someone by their personality, not by their appearance.
While enduring the hardships of having Asperger's is no simple task, one has to learn to accept diversity. Whether you are experiencing Asperger's first hand, or if you see someone who has it, we should be welcoming and let off a good vide towards others who have to endure this disability. All in all, we should, as a society have acceptance and tolerance for everybody, disability or not.
In our society today, people tend to have a "survival of the fittest" outlook on life and it's achievements. So when people afflicted with disability are sent out into the world to start their independent lives, some of the people they meet along the way will reject them because they believe their disability will affect how they do things. I have an aunt who was born with cerebral palsy, and she's probably one of the wisest and most optimistic people I know. I think that more people should learn to understand how these disabilities really work, and how instead of rejecting people because of them, they can help them by aiding them in tasks that might prove difficult.
People with Asperger's may be very capable--even unusually capable--for certain types of work but many are poor at verbalizing. Therefore they tend to do poorly in job interviews and get routinely rejected. Organizations or public agencies which are familiar with Asperger's/high functioning autism need to advocate for these people through education and representation to personnel managers (e.g. preliminary orientations), highlighting the applicant's abilities and advantages.
Mark wrote: "The memoir "Look Me in the Eye" by John Elder Robison depicts the life of a person with Asperger's. He struggles throughout his childhood in the 1970s to understand other people and to fit in. To m..."As a grandparent of a child with Asperger's, I do not see it as a disability. It is a difference - something that influences the choices he has. But the key is that he does not see himself as disabled and clearly understands who he is, what his strengths are, and where he has difficulties. Just like any young adult, he is challenged by the choices of what path he will take in life. He is easy to accept just the way he is.
I come from a family where there are several people with Asperger's, and I related very closely to this book and John's experiences.Personally, I think the greatest disability of all is the inability of people to see the ability in all people. Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.
It is believed that many of the world's greatest thinkers, scientists, artists, musicians, have been Asperger's/autistic, which is what in fact helped them to 'think outside the box'.
A common statement by talented Asperger's people, (eg. Temple Grandin), is that they 'see things in pictures', giving them their unique perspectives that have led to their achievements.
It's time we took the 'dis' out of disability, and focussed on the abilities we all have.
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