#26 "Autism and Rhetoric"

“Autism and Rhetoric” – Heilker and Yergeau

Vocab

·      critical mass: amount required to achieve a goal or result

·      neurotypicality: not autistic or otherwise diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental;

       difference

·      rhetorical analysis: analyzing subjects in a rhetorical way of thinking

·      rhetoric (as offered in the article): a way of being in the world through language

·      topoi (provide a few examples): a traditional theme or motif; literary convention; rhetorical

       convention

·      “types of rhetoric”: judicial, epideictic, deliberative

·      rhetorical listening (Ratcliffe): a stance of openness that a person may choose to assume in

       cross- culture exchanges

·      echolalia: a characteristic kind of language use among autistics (repeat stock words and

       Phrases)

·      disease model perspective:

·      relativistic empathy (or “relativism” + “empathy”): when neurotypicals empathize

       autistics

·      Asperger's Syndrome: autism spectrum, a form of autism; have difficult time in social

       Interactions and have specific patterns in behavior (ex: shaking of hands)

Class Activity

1.)    Has this article affected your view on autistics? If so, how? What about the “puzzle piece”? What used to come to mind when you would see that and now what will you think next time you see one?

2.)    What other discourse communities can you think of that are promoted by the public but misunderstood or can be thought of as rhetorical?

Authors’ Niche	Main Arguments that advance that claim	Sources in the Article
- “The new welter of voices exhorting the public to become more aware and increase our understanding of autism really has very little to offer” (261). - Autism is rhetorical - View language not as defects, but differences	- People raise money for autism, but still do not know what causes autism - It is rhetoric because is it a “way of being in the world of language” (262). - language through silence -language through common hand movement, rocking, long monologues, and variations in voice modulation (263).	- CNN: “‘Although autism will be diagnosed in more than 25,000 U.S. children this year, scientists and doctors still know very little about the neurological disorder’” (261). - Corder (several times): “‘Every utterance belongs to, exists in, issues from, and reveals a rhetorical universe’” (263). - Ratcliffe: “… contends that rhetorical listening ‘does not presume and naïve, realistic empathy, such as ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ but rather an ethical responsibility to argue what we deem fair and just…’” (265). - Glenn: silence is a rhetoric - Burke: “… use language in an ultimately impotent attempt to bridge our biological separateness” (266).

Connections with other Readings

This reading connects with Alexander and Wallace’s article “The Queer in Turn in Composition Studies: Reviewing and Assessing an Emerging Scholarship” and Berger’s article “Ways of Seeing.” All three articles discuss how misunderstood different discourse communities can be viewed by the public. All the authors emphasize how society puts a label on the topics (women, LGBT, and autistics), and even if they may not realize it, they are judging those in each community based on the label. For example, Melanie Yergeau stated how the puzzle piece symbolizes how autistics are puzzling or need to fit in. This reading also reflects Wardle's idea on how identity is established within a discourse community. Paul states how viewing autism as rhetorical explains many of his sons actions, and allows him to understand and identify with him on a new level.

Connection with Project 3

This article shows how our topics for project three can expand beyond a sports team or a classroom. This allows us, as students, to get a better understanding of how to go about researching our topic of choice for the project.