Switched On

Yesterday evening, I attended a talk by John Elder Robison, an author promoting his book Switched On, as part of the Ottawa International Writer's Festival. Robison is autistic and his book is about how he received an experimental treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to help him better understand other people's emotions.

It was a pretty interesting event. I can't remember enough about the treatment itself to write about it, but the rest of what Robison said will probably stick with me forever.

See, autistic traits can be common in people with Joubert syndrome. I've never wanted to acknowledge this and have been uncomfortable even hearing about it, even though I display a few autistic traits myself. I guess it's because of fear of people perceiving me as something less than what I am. This fear has led to some thoughts and comments that have ranged from negative to out-right rude.

But hearing this man speak about his experiences which ranged from growing up with a disability to being a technician for rock groups like KISS and April Wine to being an advocate for those on the autism spectrum was quite moving. It actually almost brought me to tears.

Robison spoke about, among other things, how people should not be ashamed of being on the spectrum, of society needing to change the currently negative connotation surrounding autism and Asperger's (especially in the media), and how people need to advocate for themselves and each other.

After a Q&A, I went up to him, thanked him and told him a little about Joubert syndrome and my advocacy efforts. It was the first time I actually acknowledged to myself and in public that I have autistic traits. It felt pretty great!

The book he was speaking about was a little bit out of my price range at the time, but I did get his first book, a memoir called Look Me In The Eye.

Should be interesting.

Cheers!