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Positively Autism

News and advice from an educator's perspective

by Nicole Caldwell

Nicole Caldwell is a teacher, autism specialist, and editor of PositivelyAutism.com. See full bio

December 12, 2008, Autism

Comments on "The Language of "You and I""

The Language of "You and I"

By Nicole Caldwell, M.Ed. on December 12, 2008 in Positively Autism

The title of this post is based on an important piece of writing by Mayer Shevin, "The Language of Us and Them." This piece brought to light the power of words to either empower or demean individuals with disabilities. Read More

It's funny, as a

Submitted by John Elder Robison on December 12, 2008 - 3:48pm.

It's funny, as a neurotypical person you say, "you and I," and it's demeaning to people with autism because it sets us apart.

Yet I can talk to a group, and I can say, "I believe neurotypical people instinctively do this, and I do that, and so do many others like me," and that's not seen as demeaning. Why? Because I "am one," so I can say that.

Or is there another explanation, or am I demeaning too?

Hi John, thanks for your

Submitted by Nicole Caldwell, M.Ed. on December 12, 2008 - 8:02pm.

Hi John, thanks for your comments! I don't think it's so much that it sets people apart, but that it assumes that the audience is 100% neurotypical. I certainly don't find your statement demeaning, and I don't think that any of us intend to be. I think that you raise some interesting points.

Thanks again!

Nicole Caldwell, M.Ed.
http://www.PositivelyAutism.com

Thank You

Submitted by Lynne Soraya on December 14, 2008 - 6:25pm.

Nicole:
I have observed this on many occasions. It's amazing how the language of difference creeps into peoples' language so subconciously, but yet those small choices in words can effectively make people feel excluded.

It's nice to see a professional pick up on this subtlety and speak up on our behalf.

Thank you!
Regards, Lynne Soraya