Autistic Intelligence: Interaction, Individuality, and the Challenges of Diagnosis

Autistic Intelligence examines the diagnostic process of autism and questions how we can better understand it as a category and the unique forms of intelligence it glosses. It suggests that diagnosis can highlight the unique contributions of those with autism to the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 06 June 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

As autism has become increasingly prevalent, so have our efforts to comprehend it. From attributing unfounded blame to vaccines to searching for a genetic origin, Americans have grappled with understanding what autism is and where it originates. Amidst these endeavors, however, a crucial aspect of autism has been largely overlooked: the diagnostic process itself. The diagnostic process is the central focus of Autistic Intelligence. The authors urge us to challenge the norms by which we assess autistic behavior, to investigate how that behavior can be perceived as sensible rather than disordered, and to explore how we can better appreciate the individuality of those who receive the diagnosis.

Drawing on hundreds of hours of video recordings and ethnographic observations at a clinic where professionals evaluated children for autism, the authors' analysis of interactions among clinicians, parents, and children demystifies the categories, tools, and practices involved in the diagnostic process. Autistic Intelligence demonstrates that autism is not a stable category; it is the result of complex interactive processes involving professionals, children, families, and various aspects of the social and clinical environments they inhabit. The authors suggest that diagnosis, in addition to carefully classifying children, can also highlight or include unique and particular contributions that those with autism potentially can make to the world around us.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 152 x 227 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226816005