Autism Vox

A Model Contestant Indeed

by Kristina Chew, PhD on December 4th, 2007

Asperger’s Syndrome Gets a Very Public Face announces today’s Well blog by Tara Parker-Pope—–the “face” referred to is that of Heather Kuzmich, the 21-year-old art student who was eliminated last week from American’s Next Top Model. Notes Parker-Pope:

One girl is frustrated when Heather, concentrating on packing a bag, doesn’t hear a request to move out of the way. At one point, the others laugh when they stake out their beds and Heather has no place to sleep.

“I wish I could get the joke,” Heather laments.

“You. You’re the joke,” retorts another model, Bianca, an 18-year-old college student who is from Queens.

But while Heather’s odd mannerisms separate her from her roommates, those same traits translate as on-the-edge high fashion in her modeling sessions. In interviews on camera, she often glances to the side, unable to hold eye contact. But Ms. Banks, the ’60s-era model Twiggy and the fashion photographer Nigel Barker, who all appear on the show, marvel at Heather’s ability to connect with the camera. The pop star Enrique Iglesias is so taken by her haunting looks that he chooses her for a featured role in a music video.

In an interview last week, Ms. Kuzmich played down the conflict with the other contestants, saying many more “civilized” exchanges weren’t broadcast. “They didn’t make fun of me that much,” she said.

She tried out for the show, she explained, partly to test her own limits. “It was a point in my life where I was thinking either Asperger’s was going to define me or I was going to be able to work around it,” she said.

Perhaps it could be said that, while she lost in the competition of ANTM, she’s winning at a far more importance game.

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POSTED IN: Asperger's Syndrome, Media