Autism is a World

At a racetrack, a young woman is cheering for her chosen horse. She ignores the stares of the people who walk by, fully aware of how the world perceives her. She looks different. She acts different. She is in an entirely different world- an isolated world consumed by the tendencies and plights of autism.

Sue Rubin is an intelligent, ambitious, and humorous 32 year old. She also has autism, a developmental disorder that affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Throughout her entire childhood, until she was thirteen years old, she was considered intellectually deficient, having the mental age of a two year old. She was unable to communicate to her desperate parents, and she engaged in self- injurious behavior when she became frustrated. She was difficult to understand.

At the age of thirteen, another world was revealed to Sue's parents. Sue was introduced to Facilitated Communication, a method of communication that allows the person type out the words he or she is unable to speak. Having found an efficient method to communicate, it was evident that Sue was not mentally retarded. In fact, she is more self-aware of herself than it was ever believed to be possible. She knows how she appears to some people; she's aware that it isn't normal to have an obsession with spoons and running water. She also understands that she will have to rely on other people to care for her for the rest of her life.

In her documentary, Autism is a World, Sue describes her struggle with autism and her fight to overcome all the obstacles that come along with the illness. With the help from her devoted parents, her support staff, and psychiatrist, she graduated high school with honors, and is attending college. It is without argument that her accomplishments are incredibly inspiring; she is inspiring.

However, the documentary also took you into her world. When she is nervous, her autistic tendencies are more pronounced. As she stares at running water, her mind is completely blank. She stated that for some, solitude can be a best friend, but for her, at times, solitude is her worst enemy. When she is alone, it is difficult to stop the autistic part of her mind from taking over. She relies on others to 'wake' her brain up.

Sue revealed another universe to me. What frightens and upsets me is just how many people throughout history, were never heard because of their inability to communicate. Today, 75- 80 % of people that are diagnosed with autism, are also diagnosed with mental retardation. This number seems drastically high. I can only hope that with the use and implementation of assisted communication technology, more people with autism will be heard and their stories told.