Library / Neurodivergent Identity
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Steve Silberman: The forgotten history of autism
Autism isn't new. The way we see it is.
Who it's for
For people diagnosed late, or parents of newly diagnosed children, learning that autism was long misunderstood and narrowly defined explains why it was missed or feared.
Confused→Understood
Feelings it meets
What it is
In this TED2015 talk, journalist Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes, examines why autism diagnoses rose so sharply after the 1970s. He traces the story back to Austrian physician Hans Asperger's 1944 research, which was largely forgotten, and to harmful theories and narrow definitions that left autism misunderstood and stigmatised.
Where to find it
YouTube, official TED channel (free). Transcript on TED.com.
Before you start
Heads up: Historical mistreatment of autistic people.
Age: Ages 12+
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.Henry David Thoreau, Walden, “Conclusion”
