In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in presidential campaigns. As in 2020, the Democrats have a detailed plank on disability.
Shardaa Gray and Jason Rantala at CBS:
One of the most talked-about moments from Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention was the son of vice-presidential hopeful, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, openly weeping as he clapped for his father, shouting "That's my dad!"
Seventeen-year-old Gus Walz's parents recently told media that he has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and an anxiety disorder. They called his condition "his secret power." And that power is giving a number of others a chance to understand his condition.
Unlike learning disorders that make it difficult for a child to learn to read, a non-verbal learning disorder affects different kinds of learning, including the ability to notice patterns and learn concepts, according to the Child Mind Institute.
Amanda Timmerman, a speech language pathologist at CST Academy in Chicago, says a neurodivergent person is a person on the autism spectrum or someone whose brain processes information in a way that is not typical of most individuals.
Advocates for Americans with learning disabilities believe the Walz family's openness about their son and their willingness to speak publicly about the experience will raise much-needed visibility that could help others who are going through similar experiences.
“It’s a good thing when people in politics, who are running for office, are comfortable discussing disability issues and don’t view it as a topic that is taboo or something that we shouldn’t discuss,” said Zoe Gross, director of advocacy for the Washington-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
When public figures are open about their experiences with disability or those of their family, that can lead more people to feel comfortable disclosing their own disabilities or talking about their family’s experiences, Gross said.
“That’s helpful,” she said, “because in order to talk about the needs of the disability community, we need to be comfortable discussing disability as a society, just like we talk about the needs of any marginalized population.”
