Author: Brie

Parent Reaction to Autism Diagnosis- Jim Sinclair

Brieanna Smith

Professor Foss

English 384

4 November 2021

Word Count: 1,472 Words

Option one: a thesis-driven literary analysis focused on one aspect of one or more of the literary texts from the final autism unit.

“I hereby declare upon my word of honor that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized help on this work. Brieanna Smith

In our last section of English 384, we focused primarily on works that focused on Autism either directly in our theory pieces or subtly in our novels and poems, like An Unkindness of Ghosts or “Apologies to My OB-GYN.” Autism is not easily defined and many of our theory pieces focus on the idea that the best definition of what Autism is, is based on the “lived experience,” rather than a scholarly and rigid analysis. In this paper we are going to analyze Jim Sinclair’s piece, Don’t Mourn for Us with the focus on the intensity of a parent or parents’ reaction and treatment to a child’s autism diagnosis. Jim Sinclair breaks his argument down into three main sections that all have an interrelated connectedness to the negative reaction of a parent.

The introduction of this piece highlights the concept of the perception of “normalcy” in which parents hope and desire for children to achieve. There are a few primary ways of looking at this idea and that either include children not meeting parents’ expectations for something that is not controllable and are often mistreated for it or we get the other perspective where parents are concerned and fear for their child on the autism spectrum because of how cruelly society treats people who have an autism diagnosis or any other disability related diagnosis.

 The first section of Jim’s Sinclair’s Piece, “Autism is not an appendage,” focuses on the impact autism has on a child who is diagnosed in their every experience. “Autism is a way of being. It is not possible to separate the person from the autism,” and plays a prominent role on “every aspect of existence” for the child (Sinclair, pdf). What parents don’t recognize is that the lived experience that children on the autism spectrum has will be affected by autism. Jim Sinclair, in this section, extends his argument further in mentioning how parents often wish their child did not have autism. This is an appalling idea, and one would hope that most parents would not engage in this line of thinking. Wishing for a normal baby is interpreted in this case, as wishing that child with an autism diagnosis to no longer exist. This is truly horrific and relates back to the reasoning behind eugenics logic. If a baby or child is diagnosed with autism parents may experience a level of shock or concern, but these emotions should not hinder the parent’s ability to love and care for their child and this is what Jim Sinclair is trying to bring to light in this section of his piece. Like a first-time parent’s fear of having and raising a child, an autism diagnosis may instill a similar fear of the unknown. This fear of the unknown is what often causes parents to either make incredibly detrimental mistakes in raising their child or instill a drive that will encourage them to step up and do what ever is best for their child. Ultimately, how the parents react and treat their child is one of the main indicators of the personality of the child when they grow up. A warm and compassionate family environment is crucial to growth of a child at any age and no matter whether a child is neurotypical or neurodivergent.

“Autism is not an impenetrable wall,” is the next section of Jim Sinclair’s piece and this focuses primarily on the connection between the child on the autism spectrum and their parents. When parents initially receive the diagnosis that their child has autism, this brings up the parent’s fear of not being able to communicate with or relate to their child. Sinclair brings up the fact that parents of children who are on the autism spectrum need to be willing to take a few steps more to connect with their children. Jim Sinclair advises parents to “Approach respectfully, without preconceptions, and with openness to learning new things, and you’ll find a world you could never have imagined” (Sinclair, pdf). These lines encourage the parents of children with autism to actively participate in potentially unconventional ways of communication. An extended metaphor in Sinclair’s argument describing a parent communicating with a child who has autism is like having a lengthy conversation with someone who does not speak the language in a different country. This is both a problematic and progressive way of viewing this form of communication. One it institutes the idea that a child with autism is going to be ostracized based on the way in which they communicate, but it also encourages society and parents to be more open-minded to deeper and more interpretative ways of communicating. One reason why parents often react negatively to an initial diagnosis is because they want their children to be like them and accepted by the standards of society. Unfortunately, we live in a society that deems autism as a “illness or condition that has causes and needs to be solved.” Since parents have spent a considerable amount of time formulating their role in society, an autism diagnosis throws a curveball of sorts in what they pictured for their families. As mentioned earlier, parents want to be able to relate, pass on knowledge, and find important connections to their children. Compassionate parents of children on the autism spectrum will need to be more cognizant of how their children are trying to communicate. Sinclair does admit that parents and children on the autism spectrum may experience disconnects, but what is important is that these parents should be trying to connect and converse with their children in a positive way.

The final section in Jim Sinclair’s Don’t Mourn for Us, is labeled “Autism is not death,” and this last part describes the initial reaction of parents and has a major connection to the title of this piece. In this section, Sinclair brings up the idea of how some parents who receive the diagnosis that their child or baby is on the autism spectrum compare their children as to being still born. As Sinclair points out, children on the autism spectrum are not dead and it is tragic that some parents make this comparison. He mentions it is about “shattered expectations,” felt by the parents in their responses to a child with autism (Sinclair, pdf). Parents and soon-to-be parents often have a glamourized picture of what they want for their families to be like shown through many forms of entertainment. It is naïve to think this way and is part of the reasons why parents are often shocked to learn their child may be on the autism spectrum because of how society views “the normal family.” In the following lines, “Grieve if you must, for your own lost dreams. But don’t mourn for us. We are alive. We are real. And we’re here waiting for you,” Jim Sinclair establishes ideas of personhood and or advocacy that parents who react negatively do not realize (Sinclair, pdf). This line focuses on how children on the autism spectrum may have to advocate for themselves even with their parents. Lost dreams connect back to shattered expectations of the parents and how parents must move past it, or it is going to hurt their children in the long run. The perfect family is non-existent, and this false sense of reality or expectation is why the title of this piece is Don’t Mourn for Us.

To conclude, Jim Sinclair focuses primarily on the reaction of parents to their children in the experience of autism, how it affects communication and relatedness to their child, and the fact that an autism diagnosis is not a death sentence or something that should diminish the quality of life. The intention of this essay was to highlight the negative mentality that parents have to an autism diagnosis of their child, what the reasoning is behind this mentality is, and the validity of this reasoning. One critique of Sinclair’s argument is the use of “alien” and in most of our theory pieces, this a problematic portrayal of someone on the autism spectrum because it diminishes someone as a person. Overall, Sinclair’s piece Don’t Mourn for Us,” is structured in a way in which a child who is on the autism spectrum is speaking to a parent and this perspective strengthens and enhances the quality of his argument in responding to a parent’s reaction to an autism diagnosis.

Works Cited:

Sinclair, Jim. “Don’t Mourn for Us.” Autreat.com. ANI, 26 June 2002. Web. 05 Dec. 2021.

Major Project: Of Mice and Men Vision Board


Brieanna Smith
Professor Foss
English 384
14 November 2021

Major Project: Of Mice and Men Vision Board

“I hereby declare upon my word of honor that I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this work.”
Brieanna Smith

Word Count: 1,264 (Not including the title and information required for an essay)

The major paper/project is crucial to our comprehensive analysis of text and how disability studies play a role in that text. Of Mice and Men was a requirement during my freshman year of High School and we primarily focused on the idea of the correlation between race and socioeconomic status in the 1930s. With this novel being set in the 1930s, the idea of the American Dream seemed to lose its luster. Although in this class, we approach this book with a more in-depth analysis of disability aligned characters and how the surrounding environment impacts these characters. My project works to incorporate the shared, American dream of Lennie and George in the form of a Vision Board. In this write up, I will also describe the process of creating this vision board. In the novel the environment that is considered “disabling,” is founded in a perception of normalcy where flawed characters reflect trends within society. We will also discuss the Fries Test when it comes to deciding if our disability aligned characters pass or fail.
The shared American Dream of George and Lennie was focused on working unfulfilling jobs and making wages until they had enough saved to buy a couple acres of land. In my project, I set up the vision board like a timeline that portrays the influence of our characters’ physical surroundings and affects whether or not they achieve their dream. At the top of the project, I set up the end goal that George and Lennie wanted to achieve. I included quotes from when our characters discuss how they are different from everyone else, three-dimensional objects to bring the vision board to life, and photos and stickers that represent a progression and organization of events. In the process of creating this vision board, I used the images and footsteps to show how George’s personality is more detailed and goal oriented. In choosing objects, I hoped to show how Lennie is more free-spirited and enjoys nature specifically rabbits. Another reason I chose certain objects was because they appeal to Lennie’s sense of touch which is mentioned a various times throughout the book. I also included the environment and experience these characters must undergo by drawing their journey through an antiquated map image that shows a potential journey through the Midwest, beginning with them escaping Weed, going to the Ranch, and lastly the possibility of the farm.
In the top portion of my vision board, there are all different breeds of rabbits, alfalfa for those rabbits, a vegetable garden, striped cats, a smoke house, a kitchen orchard, chickens, and cows for fresh milk. The middle portion of my dream board shows the character’s time at the ranch. For this section, I wrote the names of the characters at the ranch, showed Candy’s Dog, the puppies (a sticker and a plush dog), and a picture of how hairstyles were done in the movies in the 1930s to represent Curley’s wife. Candy’s Dog is where we see the perception of age as disabling to what society validates as “the able-bodied employee.” I wanted to indirectly include this detail because it brings to light how complex disability in literature truly is and making assumptions can be damaging to the overall intent of disability studies.
As we see throughout the novel and what I tried to incorporate in my project was the idea that the socioeconomic environment of our characters can be considered “disabling” to the growth of our characters. In my vision board, I map out a potential route that Lennie and George took from Weed to the Ranch, and to their future place one day. Let’s address how our character’s environment could be damaging to Lennie and George. The journey that George and Lennie must take from Weed to the Ranch is one rooted in fear and hiding and this creates a negative atmosphere to begin with. Lennie even offers to live in a cave so George would not have to take care of him anymore. The role of George as a friend and some say caretaker is an incredibly important one because Lennie feels safe around George especially when they talk about their dream. Their time at the ranch in the viewpoint of George is a necessary evil because they need the money to get the farmhouse, but it is not a place that can be trusted. There is even an interaction between George and Lennie where Lennie tells him that he doesn’t feel safe here or doesn’t like it here. Both our characters throughout the novel are either concerned with the financial or physical security of this middle ground. Lennie feels safe in the instance of the puppies and how if he can take care of one, he will be able to take care of the rabbits but does not feel safe in his interaction with Curley. George feels a lack of security when it comes to their plan. He wants to ensure that every detail is set in place, their finances, leaving the Ranch, and including Candy in the plan. Since George is a friend to Lennie, we see him worry about how Lennie is perceived by outsiders and tries to reassure other characters that Lennie is not mean, he just doesn’t understand the impact of his actions. In this explanation, I am not saying whether this is right or wrong, but it is just how I comprehended this part of the book.
Lastly, we will discuss The Fries Test and how it relates to our story. As most of us know, the ending of the book can be perceived as tragic. Before I continue, there are spoilers ahead which I am sure most everyone in this class knows, our characters in this novel do not pass The Fries Test. I wanted to make a correlation between this novel and the seminar I attended with a keynote speaker being Kenny Fries. “The Fries Test,” focuses on what role characters who are disability aligned have within movies, tv, and literature. In our book, none of our characters passed this test; they were either killed off or used to move the story along. Lennie was killed and I subtly show this when the footsteps and yarn go off to the side. Crooks named for his disability brought up the intersection of race and disability in a brief interaction with Lennie, but there was not a significant amount of progress for his character. Candy who experiences a disability based on his age and injury hopes to participate in the dream of George and Lennie, but it never worked out. Finally, George killed someone he considered a friend and that is tragic in and of itself. If he was not a disability aligned character to begin with, hypothetically, he may be now due to the emotional and psychological toll of this action.
I will admit this was a significantly long write up for my project, but there is so much to unpack regarding disability that I hope I accomplished in my project. I wanted to present George and Lennie’s dream in a way that focused on both their personalities, their environment throughout the story, and how close they came to realizing their dream. Although, realizing their dream never happened due to societal expectations and how people with mental and physical disabilities were treated. I hope that I created a vision board that does their dream justice because Lennie and George should have been able to realize their dream, and I wanted to create a representation that shows how beautiful their dream was from the beginning.

Works Cited
Fries, K. (2021, October). Disability Awareness Month and Gender & Sexual Minorities & Allies cultural celebration. Keynote Speaker.
Steinbeck, J. (2010). Of mice and men. Distributed by Paw Prints/Baker & Taylor.

Brie’s Class Summary For October 5th, 2021

Word Count: 1, 150 words

Today’s class started with Professor Foss reviewing our agenda for the day and the usual humor we begin with each class period. It is often the mention of another section that we enjoy hearing about the most because we get to listen to the overall class experience of other students’ day. Professor Foss also made important announcements for our class regarding October being disability awareness month and listed extra credit opportunities for this class. Afterwards, we did a reading quiz with questions from the Poem “Symptoms,” the short story “Beasts of Burden” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” There were various important ideas and concepts discussed in this class session, but the one idea that I found myself most drawn to was the discussion of whether side shows include experiences that have exploitative or opportunistic consequences and/or significance for its participants.

The primary text or reading material we use to reflect on whether side show participants were exploited or involved the creation of a capitalistic environment is “Beasts of Burden” piece. In small groups we were asked to analyze chapters nine and ten and focus on the stories of monumental figures in the article. After analyzing the previous points, my small group discussed the stories behind each person discussed in the article. In my small group, (Zeb, Tabitha, and Mason), we focused on the stories of Julia Pastrana, Otis Jordan, Percilla Bejano and Emmet Bejano.

 The main point that is worth noting for the analysis of exploitation was the case of Julia Pastrana. Julia Pastrana was an immigrant from Mexico who was coined “Ape Woman” due to her darker complexion and hair on her body (“Beasts of Burden,” pgs.104-105). She died after giving birth at age 25 and tragically her son met the same fate. What is even more difficult to comprehend from a human rights standpoint was, her body and her son’s were objectified and used for scientific and entertainment purposes. Her husband did tours around the country showcasing his wife and son’s dead bodies due to them being deemed out of the ordinary. We mentioned in our small group how sickening it was to hear about the experience that Julia Pastrana had being outcasted and put on display in life and in death. In the case of Julia Pastrana, we concluded that she was exploited because she never truly had choice in anything that pertained to her experience in these side shows. When we were younger, as kids, we never really thought about what goes on behind the scenes of circuses like Barnum’s and Bailey’s. As children, we viewed the world with an innocence that we gradually lose. This view of the world changes as we learn about the reality of the world becoming present often makes us realize how dark society can truly become if we let it run rampant.

In our small group, Zeb posed the question of, “Is it exploitation if you are doing it to yourself? This was after reflecting on the stories of Otis Jordan and Percilla and Emmet Bejano.  Otis Jordan’s coined show name was “the Frog Boy” and in his case he created the name for himself (“Beasts of Burden p.112-113) Jordan capitalizes on his situation and pursues opportunities for himself by becoming a showman and creating shows that he participates in. Percilla Bejano was adopted into the circus as a young girl, and she eventually met Emmet Bejano who also was in these sideshows. They both put on shows as well coining themselves as the “World’s Strangest Couple.” (“Beasts of Burden p.111).  All three of these figures reassigned meaning to their names and took advantage of potential opportunities for themselves. We brought this idea back to large group discussion with a focus on agency vs exploitation in the context of not only “Beasts of Burden,” but also “Of Mice and Men.” Choice was the main idea of our large discussion, but more specifically who makes the choices of people with disabilities. In the cases included in the “Beasts of Burden” piece our professor described “how those who choose these sideshows may not consider themselves as exploited if it is a means of making a living and are doing it for entertainment purposes rather than a last resort.” Lisa brought up how some of the figures, particularly Otis Jordan “took control of his life and put all his effort into the shows that he created for himself.” We then discussed the idea of who makes the decisions for those with disabilities. Otis Jordan, Percilla and Emmet Bejano took advantage of opportunities to showcase themselves while Julia Pastrana did not seem to have a choice and did not have a choice in being paraded around after her death. We then moved on who can justifiably make choices for people with disabilities? In addressing this question, we must focus on the role of outsider. There is the possibility that someone who does not truly grasp the “lived experience,” of the person with a disability presents the outsider perspective.  It is important to mention that there are situations where the outsider does need to help a loved one with a disability make choices, but it should always be done in the best interest of the person. In “Of Mice and Men,” a student brought up the question of whether it was justified for George to make the choice to kill Lennie? When answering this question, we must think about the friendship between George and Lennie and decide for ourselves if it was mercy or something more sinister. What it all comes back to is choice and if people with disabilities can make choices for themselves, there should be guidance from caregivers, but ultimately each person should decide for themselves what is best. In our analysis of “Beast of Burden,” we can see the independence and success of Percilla Bejano, Emmet, Bejano, and Otis Jordan, but for Julia Pastrana she was never given the opportunity.

 In concluding this summary, the main idea was to focus on the idea of exploitation and agency. The overall takeaway that can be realized is exploitation occurs when people profit, take advantage of, and do not think about the best interest of a person with a disability. People with disabilities are exploited when they are showcased and cannot make decisions for themselves. As mentioned earlier, we must address that for people with disabilities who cannot make decisions for themselves and rely on their families and caregivers are in most instances not being exploited. In this summary, we are primarily speaking about exploitation surrounding the circus and its participants. When participants get to make the choices for themselves and capitalize on certain opportunities then, we can consider this agency. We finished our class with a discussion on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and the events that occurred around Tom Robinson’s death and the multiple contrasts within the poem “Symptoms” focusing on word choice.

“ I hereby declare upon my word of honor that I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this work.”-Brie