Chasing the Intact Mind: How the Severely Autistic and Intellectually Disabled Were Excluded from the Debates That Affect Them Most

The intact mind concept, which holds that every autistic child has an intelligent, typical child inside waiting to be liberated, has influenced disability policy and practice. However, Amy Lutz argues that this concept has led to the dismantling of services needed by severely disabled children and their families. She traces the history of the intact mind concept and how it informs current debates over intellectual and developmental disability practice and policy in the US, including battles over sheltered workshops, legal guardianship, and facilitated communication. Lutz argues that focusing on the intact mind and marginalizing those with severe disability reproduces historic patterns of discrimination and that we must make space for the impaired mind to resolve these clashes and larger questions of personhood, dependency, and care.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The concept of the intact mind, first introduced in a 2006 memoir, holds the belief that within every autistic child lies an intelligent and typical child waiting to be liberated through the right diet, treatment interventions, support systems, and accommodations. While the idea itself has roots in psychoanalytic theory dating back to the late 19th century, it gained prominence through memoirs written by parents who dedicated themselves to freeing their children from the constraints of autism. While the intact mind concept offers hope to parents facing the challenges of a child's diagnosis, it has also been criticized for contributing to the dismantling of essential services needed by severely disabled children and their families.

In her book "Chasing the Intact Mind," Amy Lutz delves into the history of the intact mind concept, exploring its influence on current policy and practice related to autism. Lutz provides a comprehensive historical analysis of the narrative surrounding the intact mind, tracing its origins in autism and its expansion into broader debates within intellectual and developmental disability practice and policy in the United States. She highlights key debates such as sheltered workshops, legal guardianship, and facilitated communication, which are all influenced by the concept of the intact mind.

Lutz argues that by prioritizing the intact mind and marginalizing individuals with severe disability, we perpetuate historical patterns of discrimination that associate human worth with intelligence. She advocates for a shift in focus, recognizing the unique perspectives and experiences of those with impaired minds and creating space for their voices and contributions to society. By embracing the impaired mind, Lutz suggests, we can address ongoing clashes and larger questions of personhood, dependency, and care, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.

Weight: 414g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197683842