On the Spectrum

[naomikritzer]

So, the third play in the "Center of the Margins" festival is "On the Spectrum," a play about autism and Asperger's, and Haddayr and I went to see it tonight. With some trepidation.

IT WAS AWESOME. We both absolutely loved it. It was well-written, well-acted, hilariously funny, and moving for all the right reasons. It explores the question of whether autism-spectrum disorders are a disability that should be treated, or a difference that should be approached in a more neutral way, but offered no particular answers. There was a lot of subtlety in the conflicts between characters -- everyone was sympathetic while being imperfect. It was really a fantastic play.

And even if you're not in the metro area, you might be able to see it -- they're going to do a live-stream broadcast of it.

One warning -- ironically, considering that this is a play about people on the autism spectrum, the transition music used between scenes was way too loud. Haddayr is going to suggest that they turn down the volume, but if you're sensitive to noise, I would suggest sitting further back than we did (we were really near the front) and you may need to be prepared to cover your ears during those parts.

Comments

[tg2k.livejournal.com]

I'm disappointed by the concept that you should look at autism as either-or. For those with moderate to severe ASD there is no question that it is a disability.

For some it may also have advantages, but in order to make something of those advantages you have to find ways to deal with the disability, whether it's by therapy that allows the person to overcome it, or accommodations that encourage them without setting them off.

This blog post (http://autismpundit.com/files/92b98d28892e24dcac702c037d9d581e-82.html) discusses the potentially horrible implications--will there be a push to reclassify autism such that treatments are no longer covered? Having an autistic son I see this as a terrible possible outcome.

[naomikritzer]

One of the things that was really interesting in this play is that the person making the case that autism is not a disability is also very seriously disabled by it. Audience members are not expected to agree with her; it's exploring the idea, not advocating it. The two autistic characters argue about it (the guy who is less impaired comes down strongly on the "wtf, it is TOTALLY a disability" side. And, he clearly has far more options available to him in life than the autistic girl, in part because of the many years of therapy that were provided to him by his mother's efforts.)