Autism in India and America
What’s the most interesting difference between Indian autism and American autism? I think it’s the way parents and others perceive it.
Indian and American scientists both lament the low level of scientific understanding in their respective countries. What’s interesting is how that affects people’s interpretation of autism.
In American we have a secular culture of blame. “Someone did me wrong” is an all-pervasive theme in our culture. We interpret everything from the behavior of other countries to the conduct of ex-spouses through that lens.
When it comes to “interpreting autism,” that thinking has spawned toxic notions like, “mercury poisoned my kid,” “vaccine took the light out of his eyes,” and “big pharma conspiracy.” To many who hold such beliefs, the idea of natural causes or no real cause at all is beyond the pale.
India, on the other hand, has a highly spiritual culture of acceptance. That permeates Indian society and it’s part of what makes that country so different from our own.
When it comes to autism, people seem much more likely to attribute it to the work of one deity or another. Or it’s the result of actions in a past life. Or it “just is.” The difference between those thoughts and American blame is significant.
Obviously scientists and autism specialists in both countries may have very different ideas of autism’s causes, but the average person in the street does not – in either country. And this is about them, not the science and professional communities (which are in many ways very similar.)
If you’re a spiritual person, you don’t question what is to the degree secular Americans question everything. In India, that applies to many things – not just autism. When you visit India, you can’t help being struck by the poverty all around. With hundreds of millions of people living on a dollar or two a day, and no resources to materially change that situation, there seems to be little alternative to acceptance.
My short time in India suggests that we Americans can learn something from Indians. Their spiritual acceptance feels a lot healthier than our blaming. When you deal with a situation like autism – something that “is, and will remain” – acceptance is a healthier place than anger and blame.
I can say that in America and it often unleashes a fresh round of anger. In India, they just smile and nod.
What do you think?
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John Elder Robison is an autistic adult and advocate for people with neurological differences. He’s the author of Look Me in the Eye, Be Different, Raising Cubby, and Switched On. He serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee of the US Dept of Health and Human Services and many other autism-related boards. He co-founded the TCS Auto Program (A school for teens with developmental challenges) and he’s the Neurodiversity Scholar in Residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and an advisor to the Neurodiversity Institute at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont.
The opinions expressed here are his own. There is no warranty expressed or implied. While reading this essay will give you food for thought, actually printing and eating it may make you sick.
The opinions expressed here are his own. There is no warranty expressed or implied. While reading this essay will give you food for thought, actually printing and eating it may make you sick.
