For parts 1-3, click here
Ok — let me start by quoting myself:
[W]hen it comes to understanding people and their perspectives, nothing works better than encounter.
Encounter is, however, a formidable prospect for many people on the autism spectrum. And let’s face it, it’s not always comfortable, convenient, or even possible for everyone else either.
Fortunately, we live in the digital age.
The personal side of technology
People with ASDs tend to be comfortable with online communication, and for the following reasons (among others):
- The awkwardness of direct-contact social situations is absent.
- The nuances of body language and nonverbal cues are removed.
- There is time to carefully consider one’s response so that it reflects what s/he really means to say and/or conforms to standard rules of social conduct.
There are obvious benefits for everyone else involved as well. Given people’s busy schedules, flexibility in response time is probably not least among them.
While nothing can equal or replace face-to-face human contact, online communities have much to offer in the formation of helpful and (potentially) lasting personal relationships.
As long as we use it as a means to an end rather than as a substitute for encounter, and provided we take the commonsense measures of caution on which any reasonable person will agree, I think the technology at our fingertips can serve those affected by ASD diagnoses usefully and admirably.
ASD diagnoses are on the rise, and there’s no way around it: There are a lot more of us coming. The statistics speak for themselves. All of society will feel the impact, not just those most directly affected.
But this is not a reality to be feared. On the contrary, I believe it holds great promise for the future of our society; think of the numerous famously talented individuals believed to have been on the spectrum (Einstein, Mozart, and Bill Gates, among others).
So while the term “forming horizons” certainly refers to the horizons of people with ASDs, it is also about forming the horizons of a society that should ready itself to meet – nay, embrace – this joyful challenge.
But this is not Forming Horizons. This is Into the Dance. And I did say I’d talk about how the one ties in with the other.
This will be the subject of our next (and final) post. Thanks for reading.
Photos obtained through a Google Advanced Image Search
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