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State-Sponsored Ableism
How public schools are institutions of conformity and control
Towards a theory of neurotypical biopower
As mentioned previously, I am developing a theory of neurotypical biopower in the hopes it can be used — in part — to hold public education systems accountable for their mistreatment of Autistic students.
In particular, I am analyzing how the pervasive use of behaviourism as a form of “managing” students is a method of social control. Its use with neurodivergent and disabled students is additionally based on ableist and neuronormative expectations of behaviour, which force children to conform and comply with expectations that do not honour, or even acknowledge, their different needs.
Neuronormative biopower
Behaviourism is highly prevalent in our public education system, especially with vulnerable populations in “special needs” schools and classrooms, and with Autistic students. It is a form of power and control exercised over the most marginalized students in our communities.
This power — Neurotypical Biopower — is the theory I am developing, in part, to pressure our public education system to acknowledge its role in perpetuating neuronormativity and ableism, and to compel school boards to…
