Dr. Stephen Shore- Breaking the stereotypes

Montreal autism in motion conference

I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Montreal autism in motion conference that was help on Sunday March 30th. As a research assistant of the McGill School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, I was asked to raise awareness about the current studies going on at the University that focuses on autism and communication. Throughout the day, several guest speakers were invited to discuss their research, their establishments for autistic individuals or to simply relate their life stories. In the end, one name truly stood out for me: Dr. Stephen Shore.

Dr. Stephen Shore is a professor at the Adelphi University who has “atypical development and strong autistic tendencies”. He was nonverbal until the age of four and his parents were told that he probably would never speak and forever be dependent of them. However, these doctors could not have been more wrong. The man that stood in front of the entire Montreal autism in motion conference was a very well spoken, educated and incredibly funny individual. It is an understatement to say that he stole the show. Dr. Shore even showed composure in front of technical glitch, interacted with the audience and filled the room with laughter. He is not only an independent individual who is employed but also a loving husband. Dr. Shore explained his struggle to acceptance and the challenges he had to overcome. His entire presentation was aimed at underlying the strengths and not disabilities of individuals with autism and to demonstrate that these individuals are all unique and should not be stereotyped. He explained that too often a diagnostic of autism comes with a list of things one will NOT do in life to the point that it eclipses all the potential that this individual may have.

In light of this presentation, I started wondering how the current autism diagnosis test focuses so much on the disabilities and inaptitude of the individual and very little on the person’s strength. It is justifiable to look at these deficits in order to diagnose the patient, however I strongly believe that an extra section should be implemented which observes the strengths and talent of the individual in question. Such information could tremendously aid parents connect with their child and give parents some kind of guidance.

Dr. Stephen Shore, along with Temple Grandin, are examples of individuals who despite their difference, have strongly succeed within this world due to their abilities to focus mainly on their strengths and interest. Although, the autism spectrum is wide and varies incredibly, autistic individuals may all strongly benefit from pursuing their own individual interests.

Would it be so irrational to stop focusing so much on the CAN’T and start believing in the COULD ?