One Man's Web

Is being autistic a disability? I'm not sure this is the best question. We might be better to think in terms of how much support a person—any person—needs to survive and thrive in our community. And to consider how inclusive we are of all people in our community. Practised inclusivity (not just something espoused) is a pretty good measure of our civility and humanity. A society can be technologically advanced, culturally rich and diverse, and yet appallingly inhumane.

The problem with disability as a concept is that it is circumscribed (or defined) by ability. Ability—to be able—is a cultural concept. A person may be blind or deaf, they may be autistic, or "mentally ill"—whatever that is, or have some other characteristic, but it is the society in which they live which decides if they are able. Which means that the decision is ultimately made by the powerful, to suit the powerful. Ability is always, therefore, linked to how much a person can contribute to the economic bottom line. Ability means power and inclusion. Disability tends to diminished worth, exclusion, prejudice and scapegoating. "Disabled" persons become outcast... Read on >>>>

Camouflaging hides autistic traits. The camouflaged person does not leave the room. The aim is for their autism to remain invisible. The language used in this area varies a bit between authors. I suspect this is because our understanding of the issues is still developing fairly quickly.

In the main article, I've tended to use the word masking to describe the overall methodology for surviving. A short blog piece at Psychology Melbourne takes the same approach as me, and is an excellent summation of camouflaging. But there is language which breaks down the components, and I think it's useful... Read on >>>>

The first drafts on this section of Mark are now available here.

Empire destroys the little children.

A Pentecost reflection on Mark 6:7-29 and the feeding which follows.

In order to live the good life, Herod destroys the child he adores. He has help, of course; the little girl doesn't know what to ask for, and going to her mother, she is inducted into the rivalries and violence of the adults.

Herod understood John had something he wanted but, outmanoeuvred by Herodias, also understood that he could not keep the good life and heed John. In Mark’s, telling of the story, this is the moment of Herod's final corruption. The result is that the feast of the year, the peak of the good life, is a failure. It is a degustation of death. It lays out, course by course, the destruction of human beings, and at the end, John is murdered... Read on >>>>