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| Jonathan Mitchell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1955 Los Angeles, California |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Bachelor's Degree in Psychology |
| Literary movement | Autism Activist |
| Notable works | The School of Hard Knocks, The Mu Rhythm Bluff |
| Website | |
| Jonathan's Stories | |
Jonathan Mitchell is an American autistic author and blogger who advocates for a cure for autism. He opposes the neurodiversity movement. He is one of the most controversial figures among autistic bloggers because of his hatred of autism, his view of autism as a disability, and his desire for a cure. He writes stories, blog posts and books as a hobby. Mitchell is also interested in the neuroscience of autism, having even participated in autism research.
Early life
Mitchell was born in 1955. As a toddler, he smeared feces and threw tantrums, in addition to having interests in watching his parents record player spin and lining blocks end to end. His parents took him to a psychoanalyst, who blamed his mother, Norma. Mitchell's parents then considered institutionalization, but eventually they decided against it. Mitchell was diagnosed with autism only at the age of 12 by a psychiatrist. He then attended mainstream and special education schools, where he faced expulsion for behavioral problems in certain instances, but was also bullied by other students. He has worked in the past doing jobs such as data entry, but was fired too many times for being too loud and making too many mistakes. Mitchell resides in Los Angeles and has a degree in psychology. He is supported by his parents, who give him $26,000 a year.
Views on autism and neurodiversity
Mitchell has described autism as having "prevented me from making a living or ever having a girlfriend. It's given me bad fine motor coordination problems where I can hardly write. I have an impaired ability to relate to people. I can't concentrate or get things done." He has stated that compared to the experiences of other disadvantaged groups, his deficits are social in nature, and that he has attempted to join support groups but always ended up lonely.
He describes neurodiversity as a "tempting escape valve", claiming that “most persons with an autism-spectrum disorder have never expressed their opinions on someone’s blog and never will" and states that neurodiversity has no solution for low-functioning autistics. In one of his essays, “Undiagnosing Gates, Jefferson and Einstein,” Mitchell claims that it is unlikely that Bill Gates has Asperger syndrome because of his successful social relationships and success in business. He also has stated in this essay that parents’ expectation of savant abilities for their autistic children “provides fodder for the special educators, special education attorneys, ABA therapists etc., to legitimize their profits and to encourage the false hope . . . that so many parents of these children have.”
In a review of Neurotribes by Steve Silberman, a book about neurodiversity, Mitchell has criticized Silberman for posthumously diagnosing scientists with autism such as Henry Cavendish. He also criticizes Silberman's view that accommodations, not a cure, are the best solution for an autistic person, describing his arguments as vague. Mitchell states that Silberman has trivialized the problems of Mark Rimland, a severely autistic individual who can't take care of himself, by saying that acceptance, not a cure, is needed. Mitchell also says that Specialisterne, a special company for autistics, does not make sense as an employment venue because it is unable to generate revenue. He concludes his review by claiming that most of the people profiled in the book are on the milder end of the spectrum. The review was written on Cortical Chauvinism, the personal blog of professor Manuel Casanova.
Criticism and opposition
Several other autism bloggers criticize or even insult Mitchell based on his pro-cure stance on autism. When Newsweek announced that they would profile Jonathan Mitchell, critics of him emailed the article journalist urging her not to write about him, saying among other things “He is a hater. He hates himself.” and that "he blames being autistic rather than blaming a world that is not set up for autistic people." Another autism blogger also wrote that Mitchell is bitter because his mother tried to cure him instead of helping him to adjust. Mitchell has also claimed to face outright hostility from other members of the neurodiversity movement, writing insulting songs about him or comparing him to a "Jew that sympathized with Nazis" among other perceived insults. His father, Jack, has described him as going overboard when he responds to hostility but says he can't blame him for wanting a cure.
Writing for the Huffington Post, Neil Greenspan states that Mitchell's critics, while claiming to want different viewpoints, tell him what he should be obligated to believe about his condition without supporting knowledge. He says that this contradictory attitude is detrimental for individuals like Mitchell, and claims that he most likely would not demand that other people must look for the same treatments as himself.
Hobbies
Mitchell writes as a hobby, having written three novels, 25 short stories, and runs a blog called Autism's Gadfly with several hundred blog posts. He is one of the most controversial voices in the autism blogosphere for wanting a cure, discussing the need to consider the long-term effects of autism. He was interviewed on Studio 360 on one of his novels, The School of Hard Knocks, and another novel of his is The Mu Rhythm Bluff, about an autistic man that undergoes Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. In a critique of the book, neurobiology professor Manuel Casanova wrote about how Mitchell managed to include Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the book, saying that he was impressed by his scientific knowledge.
Mitchell is also interested in the neuroscience of autism. He seeks to understand how his brain works, having taken neuroscience classes in the past and has also volunteered for MRI research studies. To help with future research for a treatment or a cure, he has volunteered to donate his brain to science. He has exchanged emails with neurologist Marco Iacoboni with questions about mirror neurons. Additionally, Mitchell is interested in the work of Manuel Casanova, a University of Louisville neurobiology professor. Mitchell reads Casanova's research studies and Casanova has described Mitchell's critiques as more thorough compared to his own colleagues.
References
- ^ Hayasaki, Erika. "The Debate Over an Autism Cure Turns Hostile". Newsweek. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- Robison, John. "I have decided to take a more active advocacy role . . ". Look me in the Eye. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ Andersen, Kurt (28 March 2008). "On the Spectrum". Studio 360. Public Radio International. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ Mitchell, Jonathan. "Autism: Still Waiting". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ Hamilton, Jon. "Shortage of Brain Tissue Hinders Autism Research". NPR. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- Solomon, Andrew. "The Autism Rights Movement". New York Magazine. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- Natcharian, Lisa. "Bill Gates, Asperger's Syndrome, and your gifted child". MassLive. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- Baker, Anthony (29 November 2007). Autism and representation (Reprint ed.). New York: Routledge. p. 236. ISBN 978-0415806275.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - Mitchell, Jonathan. "Jonathan Mitchell on NeuroTribes". Cortical Chauvinism. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- Greenspan, Neil (29 May 2015). "Neurodiversity Proponents Strongly Object to Viewpoint Diversity". The Huffington Post. AOL Lifestyle. Retrieved 6 January 2016.