A Butterfly Escaping from the Cocoon?: Tired of Autism Stereotypes
The National Autism Association (NAA)’s “Escape the Hopelessness” campaign includes a “public service announcement” in the form of a short movie. Other autism bloggers have weighed in about the offensive and outdated stereotypes of autism used by the NAA’s ad, which definitely attempts to pull at the heartstrings of its viewers.
The NAA movie reminds me of Barney’s Good Day Good Night video which opens with the Backyard Gang singing “Butterfly, butterfly, fly fly away!”
This is how the movie goes: On a black background, the words
Once upon a time
I opened a door of darkness
flash in white; a child’s voice simultaneously reads the words. Next we are shown a cocoon banging around on a branch while a child’s cry and moans are heard; a bare-chested child with wings is shown breaking out, looking into the camera and saying:
I thought I’d never escape.
The child raises his arms, yellowish wings appear, and the child metamorphizes into a butterfly and flies off after which appears
Escape the hopelessness. Autism is treatable.
http://www.nationalautism.org
The suggestion is that autism is a cocoon from which a child breaks free (is treated); that an autistic child is like a caterpillar who will emerge from his cocoon as a beautiful butterfly and fly free. The NAA ad also reminds me of the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the end of which the caterpillar, having stuffed himself with all manner of food, emerges from his cocoon as a butterfly.
We no longer have either the Barney video or the book. Charlie got tired of both.
Just as we do not hold outdated stereotypes of autism or of Charlie as a child who must “escape from autism.” We’re tired of these, too.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Autism Organizations, Media, Stereotypes, Treatment
2 opinions for A Butterfly Escaping from the Cocoon?: Tired of Autism Stereotypes
squaregirl
Apr 19, 2006 at 2:02 pm
My personal thoughts on why these stereotypes and somewhat trite images exist is because people are trying to explain something that is quite complex, profound and poetic even with a singular image. People are looking for the easy way to understand autism, and my feelings are that there is not an easy way to understand autism…it is complex, challenging and rewarding and yes, puzzling in a way one thing or one image is unable to represent. And while autism teaches me appreciate simplicity, it is far from simple.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 19, 2006 at 4:14 pm
That’s my sense of how stereotypes start—-in reading a lot about ethnic studies years ago, it was often pointed out that stereotypes have some basis in truth, but this gets, well, “perverted” (if I may use that word); one simple observation becomes frozen into a general belief. Stereos is ancient Greek for “solid” and “firm” and I think of stereotypes as “frozen ideas” that can well become misconceptions.
Thanks for your last thought especially.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: