Taking the Scenic Route

Here is some discussion on the puzzle ribbon vs. the infinity symbol

and some more information on Neurodiversity 

We are actually pretty much in between these two camps, leaning a bit towards neurodiversity.  We are pro-therapy, and although we use a little ABA, I have a general distain for the Behaviorist school of Psychology, particularly if it is used in exclusion of anything else.  It has it’s good points, but I think in it’s purest forms it reduces humans to sets of behaviors without regard to the inner mind.  I generally don’t like a punishment/reward system to discpline because I think it sets people up people to be to externally motivated.  I think it can be used as a tool in limited situations though. 

I also lean towards the Neurodiversity because the foundation of that view is that autism is a genetic variation.  The pro-cure side is based on the premise that something is broken and needs to be fixed.  I don’t see Zane as broken in any way and won’t work with a therapist that approaches a person with that underlying attitude.  There is a difference between helping and fixing.

I really wish the puzzle symbolism didn’t have any conotation beyond awareness because I really like it.  Zane has always been big on puzzles and I think the design is rather cheerful.  It is also the most recognized autism awareness symbol, and I don’t really have serious objections to it since I am in the middle, and I do some biomedical therapies (like starting cod liver oil and vitamins, and I might try some of the diets at some point) and we do push Zane to use verbal communication instead of just non-verbal because he is capable of it and seems frustrated when he can’t get his point across.  However, I do back off when he needs me to because I don’t think it is fair to make him always be ‘on’.  Everybody needs down time to be with their own thoughts.

In a related, but different vein, some posts I found:

But what do we do?  Great essay on attitudes towards being different

Between the Lines  I identified with a lot of this.  Although Zane’s speech is now evolving, there are still times when we live together in a non-verbal world, but this was the main way we related in the not-to-distant past.  Very good read.