By Roy Richard Grinker; 340 pages. From the book jacket: "This is the first book to show that the 'epidemic' of autism is, paradoxically, a sign of how much the world has achieved in promoting autism awareness and education."
It's overstating the case to say that this genuinely interesting book shows anything definitive about the epidemic. But it does suggest, with largely anecdotal evidence, that cultural perceptions and parent advocacy may have more to do with autism's rise than vaccines or other environmental culprits. It's an interesting premise, though some may find it treasonous.
- Combines both research and a personal account of the author's own daughter
- Reading about autism in other cultures will make you grateful for the services you get
- Provides an interesting perspective on the autism disease-or-difference debate
- Engaging and empathetic writing style makes for compelling reading
- Always good to see a dad writing about autism instead of just the moms
- May enrage those who are committed to the idea of an autism epidemic caused by vaccines
- Conclusions are more educated conjecture than hard fact
- As with most dad books, I wonder about mom holding down the fort while dad jets off to do research
- Introduction: Bringing Autism Into Focus
- Part One
Chapter 1: One in Three Hundred - Chapter 2: Theme and Variation: The "Discovery" of Autism
- Chapter 3: Stigma, Shame, and Secrets
Chapter 4: Blaming Mothers - Chapter 5: The Rise of Diagnosis
- Chapter 6: Autism by the Book
Chapter 7: Autism by the Numbers - Part Two
Chapter 8: Isabel in Monet's Garden - Chapter 9: Igloos in India
Chapter 10: Breaking the Rules - Chapter 11: Half Past Winter in South Korea
Chapter 12: Becoming Visible - Chapter 13: Getting in Time
Chapter 14: Beyond the Curve
An epidemic of autism. That's what we're facing, according to news stories and frantic warnings of advocacy groups. Cases are rising, and something must be causing it. Finding the culprit might make it possible to rescue all these kids whose problems are arising out of the blue.
But what if it's not an epidemic? What if those kids with problems were there all along, just called different things from generation to generation? What if cultural shifts are more responsible for increased numbers than environmental factors? And what if the rise in diagnoses is actually good news, indicating that more kids are getting the help they need?
Questions like these are fighting words for a lot of parents, and Unstrange Minds, which traces autism over time and across cultures, has been controversial since before it hit bookstores. But although the hot-button "It's not an epidemic!" angle has been played up by both fans and critics, the book is really more concerned with taking an anthropological look at how autism is perceived in a variety of cultures, including India, South Korea, and South Africa.
It's also something of a celebration of parents who, despite the risk of losing families, marriages or social standing, fight for their children and advocate for others. It's that very advocacy that has led, in the U.S., to increased diagnosis and services and acceptance -- and maybe to awareness of an epidemic, maybe to imagination of one.
The author is himself a parent of a child with autism, and interspersed among the cultural and historical research here is a memoir of his own battles on behalf of his daughter. The issues debated in this books are those debated every day among parents on blogs and forums. His book isn't going to put an end to that argument, but it's a worthy addition to it.
