Talking Shop: Special, special people

“Stranger who keeps staring

at us, I have no time to explain

to you what the condition is or

why my child behaves this way.

And to be quite frank, if you

are not trying to help, then it is

none of your business anyway.”

―Anonymous

Software Guru Bill Gates has dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but has always openly spoken about his struggles with education. He attended Harvard University, enrolled in pre-law and took multiple computer science and mathematics courses, only to drop out to co-found Microsoft, becoming its Chairman, CEO, President and Software Architect. Gates is today one of the richest people in the world. Moving on to Hollywood superstar Emma Watson, known for her roles in Harry Potter, Little Women, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Beauty & the Beast. Emma has won multiple awards and is an activist for women’s rights, appointed as a UN ambassador and an advisor to the G7 on foreign policy matters. She was also named by Time magazine as being one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Highly-successful filmmaker Tim Burton, celebrated for his whacky and disturbing art forms, began as an apprentice for Walt Disney Productions and then delved into film-making himself, creating masterpieces such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd. He has won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and has been nominated for three BAFTA and two Academy Awards. Burton has autism and many have attributed his genius directly to this. How can this list not include Albert Einstein, the theoretical physicist who is acknowledged to be the greatest of all time? Einstein developed the ‘Theory of Relativity’ and made game-changing contributions to the theory of Quantum Mechanics. He also developed the E=M equation and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Modern specialists studying his life have diagnosed him with ADHD, dyslexia and autism. Need I say more, after listing out these amazing examples?

Understanding them better

It is only now that these little-understood ‘disabilities’ are being deciphered; a residing genius waiting to come out of the shell, preparing for impending greatness in self-induced society-defying silence or a self-triggered lack of interest in relationships while in the gestation period. It is such children, gone on to be globe-changing and system-defying achievers, who make us realize that all they wanted in their formative years was to be allowed to be ‘different’. Perhaps these children (and the growing numbers of adults now being diagnosed with these conditions) hadn’t yet learnt how to succinctly explain their situation to ‘outsiders’. It is far more likely, though, that it is we who have not learnt to understand and appreciate their special-ness. The latter is far more likely, considering that while most people view the affected through a warped cascade of lenses from their self-proclaimed ‘higher’ pedestals, it is these different people who go on to show that they are not just unique, but very, very special indeed.

People often confuse autism with dyslexia. Not true; for dyslexia and autism are two different types of conditions. While dyslexia is a learning restriction that involves difficulty interpreting words, pronunciations and spellings, autism (or autistic spectrum disorder) is a developmental restriction where the brain processes sound and colours in a manner different from the average Jane and Joe brain. Ironically, over time, this is what makes these special people even more spectacular. Thus, it is sad that neurodivergent conditions are viewed as a source of shame or pity, with many believing that it lowers people’s potential. What balderdash, for neurodivergent minds are capable of great achievements, not despite but because of their being different? We have already listed above some of the most successful in the world—where they stemmed from, what was thought of them, and what they went on to achieve.

What do the numbers say?

New data published recently by the US’ Centre of Disease Control and Prevention reveals that more children are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder now than at any other point since the CDC began monitoring trends in 2000. The CDC also found that Black and Hispanic children were being diagnosed with autism at higher rates than white children. According to data, 1 in 36 eight-year-olds (or 2.8 per cent) had autism in 2020, a staggering jump from 1 in 44 (or 2.3 per cent) in 2018. The reasons for this jump are stated to be environmental factors such as exposure to air pollution and maternal stress, work pressure and rising competitiveness, but this is one grey area that is yet be truly understood.

Then we have non-believers like US Democrat Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has been trending for his views on vaccination. Appearing on TV, he repeated his claim that vaccinations can cause autism as vaccines contain a dangerous strain of mercury. Kennedy is the third of 11 children of Senator and Attorney General Robert F Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy. Former US President John F Kennedy, assassinated in 1963, was his uncle. He claims to have friends whose children suffered severe consequences because of vaccines. “I look at some friends whose children were affected. They were healthy kids and then lost everything. They’ll never hold a job, pay taxes, write poems, throw baseballs or go out on date with a girl or a boy.” Well, so long as they turn out like Einstein, Gates, Emma and Burton, they and their parents will learn to live with it. Chew on that!

The above-stated reasons also have a caveat, though, in that the rising numbers of the affected can be attributed to multiple factors, including increased access to care and screening practices, as also advances in medical science and easier diagnosis of new cases. Diagnostic criteria have advanced dramatically and broadened to accurately capture individuals with autism and dyslexia, which may have been missed prior to these medical developments.

Other parts of the world

Well, leading from the front (or should I say trailing at the fag end?) are France and Portugal, which have the lowest rates of autism in the world, with 0.69-per cent and 0.71-per cent positivity, respectively, amongst children aged between two and nine years, as per research reports. Countries reporting an increasing number of cases—where the treatment market is set to jump from US $2.05 billion in 2022 to US $3 billion in 2030—are Canada, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and our very own India. The numbers news is not so good in India, with around 18 million people being diagnosed with autism.

What we have to remember, though, is that autism and dyslexia are not a stigma or a stumbling block; in fact, handled right and with sufficient understanding, expertise and compassion, the world could just about catalyse the unlocking and blossoming of some of its brightest minds for the Next-Generation to enjoy and reap rewards from. “I think it’s really important to take the stigma away from mental health. My brain and my heart are really important to me. I don’t know why I wouldn’t seek help to have those things be as healthy as my teeth.” Kerry Washington (HuffPost) said. That brings me to a human chicken-and-egg story—Are we gone, but not forgotten yet, or are we forgotten, but not gone yet? Think hard while you decide.

The writer is a veteran journalist and communications specialist. He can be reached on narayanrajeev2006@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal