A curious incident.

So you just laughed at some one with autism. Congratulations, you’ve just proved Darwin right.

Welcome to McDonalds, would like fries with that?

You laughed at him and you didn’t even feel bad about it. What’s his name? Do you know what condition he has? Do you even know what the term retard means? Why it applies? How degrading it is? Judging by how emotionally handicapped you are, I might actually suggest that you’re retarded. A direct insult, that’s right. Get over it.
There’s a boy in my school, his name’s Carl. He has autism. Every day, he stands in the top floor and says. Goodbye (name), and they reply, and he leaves them with, have a nice day (name). It’s how his day ends, it’s how he categorizes the end of the day. Did you know they work in lists? People with autism? It’s the way they categorize everything they do in the day so that they don’t get confused by a missing step. They use lists. It’s the easier way to remember.
So Carl says good morning, and goodbye to every one every day. Would you say it back? Or would you laugh. Were you embarrassed? It doesn’t matter, you’re going to get the karmatic reflux no matter what. Feel it creeping up behind you? Because it’s so potent it’s almost tangible. Anyway, Carl meets and greats, and we all say hello, and goodbye, and have a nice day, and it’s great. This is how we are, generally accepting.

The meeting for I.B. is now taking place in the auditorium.

There’s another boy, his name’s Ryan. I’ve seen it happen to him, his temper get taken advantage of. It’s a push, and then an “I’m going to kick your ass.” He doesn’t have autism, but mentally, he’s not right. What do we do? Most people high five him, give him a hello. He’s Ryan, he’s a nice kid, he’s just not too bright. Would you laugh? Would you “leave him hanging?” Get over yourself.

There’s only a few autistic people at my school, but they’re not really aloud around anyone else.

There’s some classes, where the “resource” students are aloud to take part. That’s how they refer to them, “Resource”, because it’s a nicer way to say it, and most kids stick to that name. No one calls them the “retards”, no one would degrade themselves that way. The way it works here is, you’re over looked if you don’t fit because you’ve got some where to hide, so when you’re not hiding, no one knows enough to throw a slight your way. So the “resource” students are aloud to take part. They’re always in the variety show. Are you sick right now? Terribly “grossed out” because you can’t imagine students co-operating with resource students to make something public? It’s such a horrible concept isn’t it.

I don’t like to hear about such injustice.

So I know about the media, and how it’s blown it up, books, movies, talk shows, publicity. I’ve seen a few of the things that take part in all of it, but there are some jokes. Some serious satire, but that’s okay. I’m fine with that, don’t think I’m a one man army, I was just upset to hear about people thinking that the capabilities of those who are less mentally fortunate that we are, are so inhuman.

Listen, I watched I am Sam too, and I liked it, it wasn’t bad, but I didn’t cry. It was a good film… just don’t read to far into it. Just use it as respect.

I like prime numbers.

If you really want to know how I got to this perspective, read this book:

It's absolutely wonderful, it was referred to me by some one at work, and it's absolutely wonderful. I think everyone should at least try to pick it up.