…especially one based on unsound argument.

AUTISM is defined as a disorder of socialization, communication, and repetitive behaviors.

When a child is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the doctor recommends school.

If autism were understood to be a biological expression (a symptom, if you will) of an underlying illness, (for example, a systemic inflammatory process that impacts the brain), wouldn’t it be a more logical approach to work on the biological systems in the body that needed repair/healing before expecting the child to comply in a classroom?

~ from Samlandia, Scene 1…

It was Special Education pre-school. I was four. I was afraid of the sound of the bell. I knew it was going to go off at certain times. So, I held my ears in anticipation of it.

Instead of recognizing the intelligence of my action–that I was protecting my ears from the harsh sound and my anxiety about the bell, my teacher forced my hands off my ears and held them on my knees as the bell went off.

The teacher was not trying to be mean.

This is the prevailing paradigm for educating (conditioning) a child with autism about how to “behave” (comply) in school.

The idea is to make the child LOOK normal. But, does that really help him to BE normal?