We're Not Broken by Eric Michael Garcia Takes a Deep Dive into Living with Autism

 

Eric Michael Garcia, an American Journalist and Autistic individual, has written a book that sheds light on the condition, as well as common misconceptions about Autism.

Eric Michael Garcia's First Book We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation Sheds Light on What it's Like to Live with Autism in 2022 America

Autism - definition from Merriam-Webster's online Dictionary:

"A variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized especially by difficulties in forming and maintaining social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate verbally or non-verbally, and by repetitive behaviour patterns and restricted interests and activities."

As someone who is Autistic, I will say the reality is considerably more complex than Merriam-Webster's definition of the condition. For example, while I may occasionally have difficulty maintaining eye contact, I can communicate perfectly well. My interests and activities are wide ranging and include keeping myself up-to-date on the Arts, current events, and breaking news. I also have a strong appreciation of the German culture and work ethic, since I lived in Berlin for 2 years.

Pop culture has often portrayed Autistic individuals as emotionless savants - for example the character of Raymond Babbitt, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 film Rain Man. His character has an excellent memory, but shows little emotional reaction to events. The depiction of Autism in Rain Man popularized the idea of Autists as eternally childlike innocents. 

So the world should be thankful for Eric Michael Garcia, an American Author and Political Journalist who has just published his first book - We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. Garcia, who is himself Autistic, has written eloquently about Autism advocacy and government policy in the United States.

The book takes a deep dive into such topics as Education, Healthcare, Housing, Relationships, and Work. In doing so it tackles the complexity of Autism and the needs of individuals living with the condition.

I was particularly moved by a passage that discusses how Autistic individuals often live in fear of making poor choices because they worry it will mean a loss of independence.

Through interviewing Autistic individuals who have lived in institutions, Garcia makes a powerful case for integrating these people into their communities, rather than isolating them. 

From page 84: "Unfortunately just as 'experts' in the twentieth century thought it best to keep Autistic people in institutions, there are still people today who support this dated approach. This takes away Autistic people's opportunity to live within their community and with their families - something we know improves their overall well-being."

In my own life experiences, I can certainly attest to this. I have felt happiest when participating in Toronto's LGBT community over the years. From working as John Scythes's Assistant at Glad Day Bookshop, to helping Paul Bellini and Scott Thompson make a documentary about their band Mouth Congress.

Returning to a discussion of Garcia's book, it is a well-researched and thorough examination of Education, Work, Housing, Healthcare, and Relationships told from an American perspective. Garcia graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Journalism program, and has covered American politics for several news organizations. 

Some of Garcia's best writing in We're Not Broken challenges the stereotypes of High Functioning vs. Low Functioning Autists. In interviews conducted for the book, he discusses individuals who, because of their support needs, are seen as Low Functioning, yet manage to hold high functioning jobs. 

From page 26: "Functioning labels only go so far and don't actually describe what autistic people can do - for example, whether they can speak and hold a job or not. Hari Srinivasan, one of the first nonspeaking autistic people admitted to the University of California, Berkeley, said the functioning labels are stigmatizing."

On page 62 Garcia discusses Specialisterne, a global organization born in Denmark that works to connect Autistic individuals with jobs, at some length. Autistic people (myself included) often bring unique strengths to the table that can greatly benefit a company:

"What's more, these hiring initiatives exist in companies all over the world. Thorkil Sonne founded the Danish company Specialisterne in 2004 after he learned his son Lars was autistic, and he has pledged to create one million jobs for autistic people. When I spoke to Tara Cunningham, who was then the CEO of Specialisterne's U.S. organization, on the phone, she immediately mentioned how there were still plenty of misconceptions about autistic people in the workplace, including the idea that many autistic employees love repetitive tasks, which she dubbed 'bullshit.'"

I have always felt that 'high functioning' and 'low functioning' should be assessed on an individual basis. Many autistic people I've met in my own life are perfectly able to communicate their needs to others.

We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation is an important book that shows how far Autists have come in terms of being able to succeed at work, and have their right to independence recognized. Most importantly, Garcia's book tells the story of how more and more, Autists are shaping government policy that affects our lives.