I finished this a while back but hadn't really gotten to posting all of it. It's here:
http://autisticpassing.tumblr.com
go to the last page and scroll up
(eta: just kidding, I put this in the queue thinking I'd have time to finish posting the passing project, but I actually haven't)
Showing posts with label Autistic Passing Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Autistic Passing Project. Show all posts
17 June, 2011
16 May, 2011
what is an indistinguishable when it’s at home? that is, what do indistinguishables look like when they stand in empty rooms? who could love an indistinguishable? (people do, every day.) what happens to them?
how indistinguishable are indistinguishables? does keeping your hands by your sides really cover for all that could go wrong? what does it take to be an indistinguishable? what kind of thoughts are churning in the indistinguishable mind?
can indistinguishables cry? what does it look like? what kinds of places do indistinguishables go to to cry?
what sorts of feelings do indistinguishables have? what about people who were taught that being an indistinguishable was the first thing they should want—but are incorrigibly distinguishable?
what do indistinguishables eat for dinner? what do they put in their napkin? what happens to indistinguishables who pretend they can cook?
do indistinguishables have rumbly stomachs, or do they try to create a clatter to distract the people around them?
David Foster Wallace used to carry around a tennis racket to explain why he carried around a towel, which he actually used to wipe sweat off himself when he was scared. it’s a good story, but there is no indistinguishable pride parade. all the pride of indistinguishablility is like holding a taste in your mouth in a place where you’re not supposed to be eating.
in Sparta, a boy died holding a fox under his shirt while it chewed up his stomach. this has lasted for millennia as a story of something to be proud of, and why this is the case is something that people in power should be asking themselves, but asking themselves questions is something most people in power are too busy to do.
how indistinguishable are indistinguishables? does keeping your hands by your sides really cover for all that could go wrong? what does it take to be an indistinguishable? what kind of thoughts are churning in the indistinguishable mind?
can indistinguishables cry? what does it look like? what kinds of places do indistinguishables go to to cry?
what sorts of feelings do indistinguishables have? what about people who were taught that being an indistinguishable was the first thing they should want—but are incorrigibly distinguishable?
what do indistinguishables eat for dinner? what do they put in their napkin? what happens to indistinguishables who pretend they can cook?
do indistinguishables have rumbly stomachs, or do they try to create a clatter to distract the people around them?
David Foster Wallace used to carry around a tennis racket to explain why he carried around a towel, which he actually used to wipe sweat off himself when he was scared. it’s a good story, but there is no indistinguishable pride parade. all the pride of indistinguishablility is like holding a taste in your mouth in a place where you’re not supposed to be eating.
in Sparta, a boy died holding a fox under his shirt while it chewed up his stomach. this has lasted for millennia as a story of something to be proud of, and why this is the case is something that people in power should be asking themselves, but asking themselves questions is something most people in power are too busy to do.
13 March, 2011
Autistic Passing Project survey
These are my 4 surveys for the Autistic Passing Project which is an art project I'm doing as a Creative Writing practicum in school. My goal is to collect writing from Autistic people about their experiences of camouflaging the fact that they are Autistic, or their attempts to do so; I will then sample pieces of the writing to make a textual and visual collage portraying the Autistic Passing experience.
APP 1: Background Diagnosis and Identity, Beginnings, Mechanics of Passing
APP 2: Intersectionality, Other Kinds of Difference, Passing in Different Environments
APP 3: Drawbacks of Passing, General Questions, Advantages of Passing
APP 4: Autistic Identification
To explain why I'm doing this: I'm Autistic, of course, and passing or not passing has been a huge theme in my life although I've only understood recently how huge it has been. Appearing more like a non-Autistic person is often presented to a young Autistic person by parents, teachers, doctors, and peers as being similar to eating your vegetables--an inherently positive act. There is very little acknowledgment that meeting these goals could be seen as lying or hiding, or could feel artificial to the Autistic person. Often professionals believe that passing as non-Autistic is the same as success; this is my major motivation for doing a survey, because this belief has not been backed up by Autistic people’s testimony.
If you are supportive of my project, please post about this on your own blog or anywhere else so I can get more participants in my survey.
I'd super very much appreciate it if, upon noticing any technical problems in the survey (for example, if the URL at the end of Part 1 is not the URL of Part 2), you would inform of this through an email, comment, tumblr reblog, etc.
APP 1: Background Diagnosis and Identity, Beginnings, Mechanics of Passing
APP 2: Intersectionality, Other Kinds of Difference, Passing in Different Environments
APP 3: Drawbacks of Passing, General Questions, Advantages of Passing
APP 4: Autistic Identification
To explain why I'm doing this: I'm Autistic, of course, and passing or not passing has been a huge theme in my life although I've only understood recently how huge it has been. Appearing more like a non-Autistic person is often presented to a young Autistic person by parents, teachers, doctors, and peers as being similar to eating your vegetables--an inherently positive act. There is very little acknowledgment that meeting these goals could be seen as lying or hiding, or could feel artificial to the Autistic person. Often professionals believe that passing as non-Autistic is the same as success; this is my major motivation for doing a survey, because this belief has not been backed up by Autistic people’s testimony.
If you are supportive of my project, please post about this on your own blog or anywhere else so I can get more participants in my survey.
I'd super very much appreciate it if, upon noticing any technical problems in the survey (for example, if the URL at the end of Part 1 is not the URL of Part 2), you would inform of this through an email, comment, tumblr reblog, etc.
Autistic Passing explanation
The purpose of this survey is to learn about the experience of Autistic people who are passing or trying to pass, or who have previously passed or tried to pass. Wikipedia describes passing as, “the ability of a person to be regarded as a member of social groups other than his or her own, such as a different race, ethnicity, social class, gender, and/or disability status, generally with the purpose of gaining social acceptance.”
Trying to pass as non-Autistic can be a little different from trying to pass as a different race or class. Appearing more like a non-Autistic person is often presented to a young Autistic person by parents, teachers, doctors, and peers as being similar to getting good grades or exercising--an inherently positive accomplishment. There is very little acknowledgment that meeting these goals could be seen as lying or hiding, or could feel artificial to the Autistic person. Often professionals believe that passing as non-Autistic is the same as success; this is my major motivation for doing a survey, because this belief has not been backed up by Autistic people’s testimony.
This survey asks questions about your experience passing, feelings about autism, and your general emotional state. A lot of the questions are very long because I wanted to give you a lot of suggestions of what to talk about. If you want to skip a question, or you can only write a very short answer, that’s fine. If you have a lot to say, that's fine too. I am trying to get an impression of people’s experiences and feelings, which I will use for an art project. It’s not a scientific study, so it isn’t necessary that everyone reacts to the questions in the same way.
Trying to pass as non-Autistic can be a little different from trying to pass as a different race or class. Appearing more like a non-Autistic person is often presented to a young Autistic person by parents, teachers, doctors, and peers as being similar to getting good grades or exercising--an inherently positive accomplishment. There is very little acknowledgment that meeting these goals could be seen as lying or hiding, or could feel artificial to the Autistic person. Often professionals believe that passing as non-Autistic is the same as success; this is my major motivation for doing a survey, because this belief has not been backed up by Autistic people’s testimony.
This survey asks questions about your experience passing, feelings about autism, and your general emotional state. A lot of the questions are very long because I wanted to give you a lot of suggestions of what to talk about. If you want to skip a question, or you can only write a very short answer, that’s fine. If you have a lot to say, that's fine too. I am trying to get an impression of people’s experiences and feelings, which I will use for an art project. It’s not a scientific study, so it isn’t necessary that everyone reacts to the questions in the same way.
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