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+--- Thread: Autism and archaeology (/showthread.php?tid=1681)
Autism and archaeology - Wibblehead - 17th July 2009
Read this article just now....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8153564.stm
It's really great to see someone trying to raise awareness about what people with autism CAN do, and excel at, rather than focussing on what they can't do.
I don't know a lot about autism, but this report seems to suggest that quiet stable environments are ideal for helping people with autism focus and perform very well at tasks. If I have understood this correctly, is there anyone out there who has taken on people (volunteers or staff) with autism to do archaeological work; post-processing and the like?
What are peoples thoughts?
Autism and archaeology - Wibblehead - 17th July 2009
Was trying to figure out how to edit the previous post to add more, but have had a 'technology fail' and couldn't figure out how to do it.
I wanted to add,
Also, are there any forum members with autism who have been employed/involved in archaeological work or who could add to the discussion?
Apologies if i seem naive on the subject!
Autism and archaeology - Windbag - 17th July 2009
Interesting!
I've come across people with Asperger's working as archivists and accountants. I'm not aware of coming across anyone with the condition in archaeology.
Autism and archaeology - GnomeKing - 17th July 2009
In the past I have worked closley with a field technician with asperger's. I think it it is fair to say that his intergration and treatmnet by the company and staff has not always been great...and at times depressingly small minded. There is much to talk about here, but...confidentiality etc.
Personaly, i wont be forgetting any time soon how narrow minded and short of vision many proffesional archaeologists in fact are - ie beyond the confines of thier own narrow career progresion and conformity with 'coperate in-groups'.
Sad, when it was people far better than they that taught and inspired me.
This is the main problem with being 'mentaly different' in companies of this kind - archaeological companies can (by virtute of thier fundemental charecter)be very supportive/creative/communitee orientated places - however that same nature, when turned towards coperate expansion can be made brutal, clique-ish, and frankly inhumane (ie net loss of 'humanity').
Slight divergence i know..., but i think that mental dissability and more general non-conformity are issues that are linked, particularly because in my view..." The problem is not the nature of the work, but the charecter of ones colleagues...."
I would also like to bring dyslexia into a disscusion more broadly about what people with diverse 'mental architectures' can bring to archaeology, specifically the proffesional aspects.
Strenghts in interpretation, '4D' visualistaion, drawing (to name a few) might all be considered critical in archaeology and excavtion - but do people with strenghts in one area suffer undly because of critiscisms elsewhere (eg tidy records, organised desk, confident speech etc) ? ...... probaly yes.
In my opinion, there are numerous field archaeolgoists (in particular) who would (judgeing from my first hand insight only)test posative for mild to medium dyslexia. What does this mean....?
Not sure in the IFA has clear data on disbility, especilay its spread around the proffesion and up the hierarchy...?
I am a non-conformist, inspirped by non-conformists to be passionate about archaeology - i had always thought that a creative, service orientated proffeison would nurture people like that - but now i am not so sure...
AM I A MISERABLE CYNIC?
Autism and archaeology - chiz - 17th July 2009
Quote:quote:Originally posted by GnomeKing
Not sure in the IFA has clear data on disbility, especilay its spread around the proffesion and up the hierarchy...?
There has recently been an IFA sponsored survey, advertised on here a while ago, of disability in archaeology, it is in draft form and will be out soon. It covers many disabilities, including dyslexia, aspergers and mobility issues. I was surprised at the low numbers of crocked knees/backs/wrists in the survey, but I guess we stoic types consider that wear and tear, rather than a disability. It makes interesting reading and hopefully will lead to further work.
Autism and archaeology - BAJR Host - 17th July 2009
http://www.bajr.org/BAJRForum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2079
Though to be accurate, English Heritage commissioned the survey and IfA will be publishing as an IfA Professional Paper and are consulted as major stakeholders in the project.
Bob is right, and Prof Tim Phillips agreed, archaeology also makes you disabled (speaking as someone who is in quite a bit of pain just now from a back injury I got when I was 1:face-thinks:
Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.
Mohandas Gandhi