Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption: On the Meaning of Family and the Politics of Neurological Difference
by Ralph James Savarese
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ralph James SavareseEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-05-22
ISBN: 1590511298
Number of pages: 496
Publisher: Other Press
Book Reviews of Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption: On the Meaning of Family and the Politics of Neurological Difference
Book Review: Quite Unreasonable
Summary: 2 Stars
This book tells the tale of DJ, a profoundly autistic boy who communicates using facilitated communication. Normally, I would stop right there and not continue any further, but I am trying to be as opened minded as possible and to not fall into the horrible trap of autistic, rigid thinking. This book is one of Neurodiversity, another turnoff, but again, I kept on.
First, Savarese is an excellent writer. Although the book could be cut more than in half, it is very clear that Savarese is intelligent and competent in his craft. Secondly, I cannot commend the Savarese's enough for adopting DJ because if not for them he would have surely rot in the system.
DJ is the second child of a severely disturbed, alcoholic woman. He is taken from his home, put into the system, foster care and eventually is adopted by the Savarese's. He has an older sister and the writing of DJ with his sister is the only place where the book glimmers. We read that his sister, despite DJ's severe disability, has unending love for him and desires to be with her brother rather than with her current parents.
But it wasn't very long before my autistic logic took over as the book has almost no scientific merit. His mother is an autism inclusion expert and of course DJ is put in a full inclusion classroom. He has an aide that types his work for him as one of their treatments to help him become literate. It appears quite obvious that DJ learns all of his answers by rote but those in the book are convinced that DJ is actually learning.
Later in the book two teachers remark that DJ is "guiding" their hands, that DJ is typing the words. The parents obviously believe these statements and are shocked and thus begins facilitated communication. DJ, like most who have used FC, is suddenly magically able to work at or above grade level where only a few weeks before he was years behind. And, not surprisingly, DJ's facilitated communication weaves a tale of sexual abuse.
Savarese, like all who have written books about a loved one's facilitated communication, attempts to defend that DJ's communication is actually his. On the website he states that "Only when he "proved" his competence by pointing independently at answers on a page or blackboard did everyone--parents, teachers, aides--feel comfortable with the notion of facilitated communication." Pointing at an answer independently proves nothing as autistic people excel at learning by rote. "DJ has multiple facilitators (some fifteen) and his very idiosyncratic style remains the same across this group." His "very idiosyncratic style" is typical facilitated communication jumble, usually consisting of a mass of letters that the facilitator translates. DJ is also subject to "informal message passing tests," which of course validates his communication to those who believe but not to scientific rigor.
DJ, like many facilitated communication users, discloses he was sexually abused. Now, it is quite possible that DJ was sexually abused in one of the group homes he lived in considering his situation. But, I don't believe that DJ has the intellectual capacity to understand and write about it if it did occur. What disturbs me most is that DJ's typical severe autism symptoms are attributed to PTSD from sexual abuse rather than his autism. This, to me, is very dangerous because DJ is not receiving proper treatment for his autism; it almost seems like child neglect because there is no scientific proof that DJ is communicating these thoughts but he is in a full inclusion classroom, working at grade level and receiving therapy for sexual abuse rather than treatment for his autism.
At one point in the book DJ had an aide that did not know how to use facilitated communication. She had previously worked with other severely autistic people in a self-contained classroom, but this being her first attempt with facilitated communication she was unsure of what to do. I believe the aide expected that DJ would do what others said he did: guide her hand to letters. When he didn't guide her hand this was rationalized away, the excuse being that the aide smelled of smoke, reminding him of Rhonda (his biological mother) rather than the obvious truth that DJ hasn't been the one communicating.
Not surprisingly, DJ is a Democrat, just like his father. When DJ is facilitated by his father he actually discusses politics, an amazing feat for such a young, severely autistic person. I am twenty, my IQ is literally off the charts and I am just now beginning to have a political opinion, which is the very vague "independent." I find it very hard to believe that DJ has any understanding of the complex nature of politics.
This book was so illogical that I had to struggle to finish it. Not surprisingly, this book is endorsed by the usual round of Neurodiversity advocates: Dr. Morton Ann Gernsbacher, Donna Williams (who may not be autistic), Sue Rubin (facilitated communication user) and Savarese even quotes Amanda Baggs, who may be a fraud. Temple Grandin endorsed this book, which I found quite surprising. Normally she is smarter than this and stays with topics that are scientifically credible; Temple should really know better than this.
Yes, Savarese is an excellent writer: this is a very well written book. But the book lacks any scientific merit, which makes this nothing more than a nice fairytale.
More Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption: On the Meaning of Family and the Politics of Neurological Difference reviews:
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