Autism

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Autism Justice, Ethics, and Morality

• Luke Beardon
• Senior Lecturer in Autism
• The Autism Centre
• Sheffield Hallam University

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Thought for the day...

• Why can't I go to the
• pub on my own without getting beaten up???

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So...

• Who is responsible for ensuring the individual
  with an ASD is fully (and preventatively)
  supported?
• Parents?
• Education?
• Social Services?
• Health?
• The real triad!

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The Nature of Autism

• Areas of developmental difference
• Qualitatively different cognitive processes
• Spectrum 'condition' of neurodiversity
• Duality of individuality within a prescribed
  population
• If autism is not understood then bad practice
  will prevail

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The Dual Nature of Autism

• There are some facts about autism that are
  attributable to all those with an appropriate
  diagnosis, e.g.
• there is no cure
• individuals will all share common areas of
  difference
• autism is a (highly) complex pervasive
  developmental disorder (is it a disorder?)
• Any yet...people with autism could not be more
  individual...?!?

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Why Did Joe 'attack' his staff?

• Boredom?
• Avoiding social interaction?
• Resistance to change?
• Structure executive functioning?
• Gaining attention communication?
• Garlic

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Why the Contradiction?

• People with autism are people first, with their
  own personalities and unique individuality
• The learning process is key to understanding
  autism
• Direct learning versus indirect learning
• Areas of indirect learning include, for example
• Theory of Mind
• social interaction
• non verbal communication
• the sensory system
• understanding sequences

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Why is Autism so Unique and Individual?

• Sensory issues
• Different ways of learning
• Processing information is markedly different for
  most people
• Each area of difficulty is diverse in the
  extreme, and the effects are very individual
• The permutations of the combination of the
  effects means that each person will be unique

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So.........

• People with ASDs will all be unique and
  individual
• May share similar behaviours BUT we must not
  assume that causality of behaviour is the same
  for each individual
• Will always have autism BUT the way in which
  the individual copes with daily life will change,
  dependent on, for example
• setting
• environment
• support
• time

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YOU CAN NOT CHANGE SOMEONE'S AUTISM, BUT YOU
CAN CHANGE THE WAY IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL IS
ABLE TO COPE WITH IT
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So How Can We Learn and Support?

• The 'Triad of Support'

Time with the Individual
Theory of Autism
Theory into Practise
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Autism and Ethical Considerations

• Autism does not necessarily mean disability I
  think that the many people with autism are highly
  intelligent, even those with a 'label' of
  learning disability
• There are many positive world contributions made
  by people with autism
• The vast majority of problems encountered by
  people with autism are because of everybody else!
• People with autism can help us to understand if
  we only let them

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Further Considerations

• Why are people with ASDs regarded as being
  'impaired'?
• Sensory differences
• How big is your willy?
• Honesty
• Focus
• Attention to detail

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Autism and Crime personal research

• Some people with autism break the law
• Some individuals could be regarded as criminals
• But should all individuals with ASDs be
  considered as criminals

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Example Case Study 1

• Crime selling drugs
• Verdict guilty
• Diagnosis Asperger Syndrome
• Adult, male, aged 22
• Outcome AS not taken into consideration, branded
  as a criminal

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The Real Story

• Desperate to make friends
• Understands that to do so it is a good idea to
  agree to things
• Agrees to sell drugs in return for friendship of
  local gangs
• Autism specific elements
• Theory of Mind
• literal interpretation
• poor social understanding
• Dysexecutive functioning
• Weak central coherence

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Example Case Study 2

• Crime 'Sexual' offender
• Verdict guilty
• Diagnosis autism
• Adult male
• Outcome branded as paedophile

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The Real Story

• Complex autism condition
• obsessive desire to understand gender disparity
• Lack of prior education
• Logical solution to problem
• Autism specific elements
• Lack of Theory of Mind
• Rigidity of thought process
• No social awareness
• No understanding of consequences

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Issues

• Clearly justice is not being done in many cases
• People with ASDs should have appropriate
  education to prevent possible problems
• A reduction in crime rates benefits all
• Lack of understanding and recognition of ASDs
  causes real problems

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Diagnostic Issues

• Autistic 'traits'
• Asperger Syndrome is not a 'mild form of autism'
• A diagnosis is not a label
• Misdiagnosis/no diagnosis is discrimination
• Lack of diagnosis leads to no/poor support which
  can lead to potential crises
• Positive diagnosis can be the most positive
  aspect of an individual's life

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Parent Issues

• Lack of professional understanding can lead to
• frustration
• patronisation
• bad practice
• allegations of neglect/abuse/MSBP

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Going Too Far

• Not recognising the very real problems that
  autism/AS present for the individual can mean a
  lack of appropriate support
• A lack of learning disability is not synonymous
  with a lack of need for support
• Support should be positive for the individual,
  not necessarily in line with neurotypical value
  systems
• 'Normalisation' is unethical and discriminatory
• Rights for the individual mean recognition of
  need and the right to appropriate support

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Ethics, Morality, and Normalisation
It is essential that individuals with ASDs are
treated with respect for their way of thinking
and behaving, and that normal value bases are
not enforced upon them
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The Way Forward

• Better understanding and recognition of the need
  for a better understanding
• Better practice in diagnostic clinicians
• Doing away with global policies that are generic
  and of little relevance
• Paradigm shift in societal values and
  expectations

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Contact
Luke Beardon, Senior Lecturer in Autism The
Autism Centre Faculty of Development and
Society Sheffield Hallam University Collegiate
Crescent Sheffield S10 2BP 0114
2255645 L.Beardon_at_shu.ac.uk