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The Current

Rethinking autism through the prism of neurodiversity

"NeuroTribes" author Steve Silberman argues autistic people have always been among us and that it is time to see and work with them differently. He says they possess a neurodiversity, a way of thinking and processing thought that needs to be respected and explored, not cured. *Join our live webchat today at 1pm ET to continue this discussion*
"Autism is a difference, not a failed version of normal", says Steve Silberman, author of "NeuroTribes."

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Hans Asperger and children at the University of Vienna, 1930s. (Courtesy of Dr. Maria Asperger Felder)
Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal', must necessarily be 'inferior.'- Dr. Hans Asperger (1938)

As a longtime journalist with Wired magazine, Steve Silberman was used to spotting trends in California's Silicon Valley... but perhaps none as important as this one:

Twelve years ago he kept noticing that there were clusters of children with autism in Silicon Valley communities where software engineers and I.T. employees livedand that began a decade-long quest to understand the nature and origin of autism.

"Great minds don't always think alike."- Steve Silberman on neurodiversity and approaching autism differently

Now he's published a book of his findings.It's titled "NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity." In it, Steve Silbermanargues that autism should be viewed not as an epidemic, but as a different way of thinking. He joinedAnna Maria fromSan Francisco.



This segment was produced by The Current's Erin Pettit.


Webchat withMargaretSpoelstra fromAutism Ontario

After talking to SteveSilbermanon looking at new ways to approach autism, we thought this would make for a greatlive discussion. We hosted a live webchatwith MargaretSpoelstra, the Executive Director of Autism Ontario to look at approaching autism different. She's a special education teacher by training, and has spent the past 35 years working with individuals with a variety of special needs, especially autism.