Exploring the World of Autism in "Neurodiversity" Art Installation

Dr. Ali Hossaini Guest Contributor bio | twitter

What is autism?

Many families greet the diagnosis of autism as a tragedy. The word autism implies self-absorption, and parents anticipate years of difficult childrearing that may never really end. Autistic people communicate poorly, and they seem uninterested in most things. The question is, do autistic people communicate poorly because they don’t care? Or does something else cause their lack of interest?

Dr. Temple Grandin sparked my interest in the subject. She is one of the world’s leading animal behaviorists, and she is also diagnosed with ASD – autism spectrum disorder. A tireless advocate for the autistic, she explains that autism enabled her to understand animals because she thinks in pictures rather than words.

Autism intrigued the philosopher in me, even as the term began to feel inappropriate. Autobiographies by autistic writers like Donna Williams, Tito Mukhopadhyay, and Amanda Baggs describe worlds that are fascinating and full of overwhelming sensations. They seem anything but self-absorbed.

Autistic worlds are fascinating but also frightening. Any parent will tell you that their autistic children have difficulty making sense. They keep a narrow focus and miss social cues. Every day brings frustration, and, when things get too much, their children throw tantrums, flap their hands or rock obsessively. Lack of control often defines autism.

But is autism really a lack of control? Current medical diagnosis emphasizes behavior, but autistic people describe fundamental sensory disorders. Temper tantrums, arm flapping and obsessions may seem unreasonable, but they make sense given their experience. I thought I might do the same if my senses functioned like theirs.

I began studying medical literature. In the 1950s parents took the blame for autism, and, as late as the 1990s, scientific theories implied a kind of moral culpability, as if people with ASD didn’t care to join our world.

Improved brain imaging has relieved parents of responsibility, but it gives few clues about the cause of autism. There is no clear pattern of autistic functioning. Instead research presents a dizzying array of deviations, some of which are contradictory. One has to wonder what autism spectrum really means.

The human brain is tremendously complex, but the repertoire of human behavior is limited. What if autistic behavior is caused by numerous conditions that are loosely related or not at all? In that case we are chasing a mirage.

As a society we face tough questions when it comes to autism. Families demand a cure, but some advocates insist on acceptance. President Obama recognized this viewpoint when he appointed Ari Ne’eman of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network to the Council on Disability. Autism is supremely ambiguous, and for me the questions surrounding it embody fundamental issues.

I’m a philosopher who works as an artist, and there is a deep relationship between autism and visual art. Autistic writers mention the acuity of their vision, and many autistic people love to paint. Obsessed with detail, they see beauty in unexpected places: elevators, dripping water, lampposts. Months of study inspired me to create a video installation that portrays the inner life of autism. Perhaps I could understand autism through aesthetics rather than pathology.

Art creates value by challenging the status quo, and what could be more challenging than to propose another way to experience life? Two autistic advocates, Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher, toured the globe a few years ago. Their goal was to prove that autistic people can join society if we accommodate them. The film Wretches & Jabberers follows them, driving home the stinging fact that these witty men were labeled retarded until they learned to type on a special keyboard.

Multiply Larry and Tracy’s experience by the birth rate, and you magnify the dimensions of a single family’s tragedy: millions of intellects in a cruel lockdown. What if society is overlooking a vast pool of talent?

Art goes to places missed by science. It can ask big questions, even dumb questions, and it can integrate different disciplines into a coherent whole. Neurodiversity, an interactive art installation I am proposing, will explore the inner worlds of autistic people – it will listen to them in an open-minded way so we can model their sensory universe. Autistic people can use this artwork to help the neurotypical see, hear and feel life on the spectrum.

Thomas Armstrong wrote a book, Neurodiversity, that helps us value the positive traits of autism without downplaying their challenges. Art bridges worlds, and my goal is to open a new continent of experience, one that parents, caregivers and even employers can use to understand the growing ranks of autistic citizens.

You can find out more about Neurodiversity: The Autism Project at ArtLab.