Autobiography on the Spectrum: Disrupting the Autism Narrative

by Beth A. Myers

Overview

Autobiography on the Spectrum challenges prevailing notions about autism by offering a critically unconventional perspective—the viewpoint of adolescents who are themselves on the spectrum. Examining a year-long inquiry, Myers highlights the autobiographical works of the students through writing, photography, poetry, art, and more. She argues that autistic youth are not being accurately depicted in current research, not because they are unable to represent their own experiences but because their experiences are not always valued. In contrast, this book explores how autistic youth can (and do) represent themselves and shows educators how to create a space for the voices of these students. Offering a deep look into a world that is rarely seen, Autobiography on the Spectrum is a critical resource for teacher preparation and professional learning in any field that interacts with individuals with autism or other disabilities.

“A powerful counternarrative to deficit perspectives that characterize autism in terms of deficiency and disease.”
—Curt Dudley-Marling, professor emeritus, Boston College

“This books needs to be in the hands of teachers everywhere.”
—Douglas Biklen, dean emeritus, Syracuse University, School of Education and co-producer of Academy Award nominated documentary Autism is a World

“This important book illustrates many ways educators can expand how they listen to autistic children and adolescents.”
—Paula Kluth, consultant, author, and independent scholar

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807777824
Publisher:	Teachers College Press
Publication date:	05/24/2019
Series:	Practitioner Inquiry Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	279,246
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Beth A. Myers is an assistant professor and director of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education at Syracuse University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Preface ix

1 "I swam too far in the sea and drowned": A Different View of Autism 1

The Prevailing Deficit Model of Autism 2

An Alternate View: Critical Disability Theory 4

Autobiography and Autism 5

Creating a Space for Inquiry 8

2 "The walls of my room": Representations of Home and Family 16

Opening Up: An Introduction to Billy 17

Making Connections 22

Exploring Relationships 25

Expectations: The Way Things Are Supposed to Be 28

Taking Risks: Telling Versus Not Telling 31

Locating Self 36

Claiming Ownership 39

3 "I hope school starts to calm down so I can too": Enduring, Resisting, and Reframing School Experiences 41

Imaging and Imagining: Looking Out at Others Looking In 43

Charlie: Enduring Oppression 45

Elizabeth: Resisting Oppression 50

Cody: Reframing Oppression 55

Making Space for Inquiry 60

4 "Nobody's normal in a way": Writing Ourselves into the Story of Autism 62

(De)Constructing Autism 62

Interrogating "Normal" 66

Exploring the Potential of Narrative Works 68

Disrupting the Autism Narrative 69

Managing a Stigmatized Identity 70

Autobiography as a Counternarrative 72

5 "I can do more than people think I can do": On Discovering What We Seek 75

Autobiographical Lives 76

Creating for Agency 77

Autobiography as a Counter-Practice 78

Practitioner Inquiry: Making Meaning from Our Work 79

How We Move Forward 81

Multimodality and Access 88

Considering My Own Place 90

Notes 93

References 95

Index 101

About the Author 107

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This book needs to be in the hands of teachers everywhere. Myers demonstrates how students often thought to be withdrawn, quiet, and tense can in different contexts be fanciful, reflective, and even boisterous, always with their own perspective on others and a deep sense of self. Autobiography on the Spectrum illustrates how a teacher can meld a gift for facilitating storytelling with a belief that her students have much to say, unleashing rich, compelling, seldom-heard narratives. In the tradition of other extraordinary teachers, Myers shows the agency and power that accrue when people traditionally ignored or assumed to be disconnected from a sense of self discover their own voices.”
—Douglas Biklen, dean emeritus, Syracuse University, School of Education and co-producer of Academy Award–nominated documentary Autism Is a World

“Beth Myers' book, Autobiography on the Spectrum, gives voice to the lives and experiences of a group of students labeled autistic and, in so doing, provides a powerful counternarrative to deficit perspectives that characterize autism in terms of deficiency and disease. This splendid book will appeal to anyone committed to the principle that all people are thoughtful, interesting, and competent—even if they’ve had a label attached to them.”
—Curt Dudley-Marling, professor emeritus, Boston College

“The voices of those on the spectrum need to be at the center of conversations on autism. Beth Myers has made this crystal clear in the pages of this important book. She not only makes a powerful case for using autobiography in the classroom and beyond, but offers suggestions and guidance for how to support individuals to tell stories, share experiences, and express themselves. Perhaps more important, she offers readers opportunities to learn from often-marginalized voices and illustrates many ways educators can expand how they listen to autistic children and adolescents.”
—Paula Kluth, consultant, author, and independent scholar