I watched the Peter Watts case unfold with shock and then a lot of trepidation. Because it struck me that this is precisely the sort of situation that could lead to confusion, escalation, and terrible repercussions for individuals in the autism spectrum. So much so that I don’t want to travel with my child without a medical ID that warns authorities that she’s in the autism spectrum.
I don’t know Peter Watts, and I don’t know that he’s an ASD individual. But given the tendency for Asperger’s and highly functioning autistic types to gravitate to professions like engineering, science, writing, I suspect a person who is both an academic and an author has some tendencies in that direction. Pair that with his well-known (in SF circles) affinity for animals and the scale tips further.
Here’s what I know from living with an ASD child. ASD people rely on scripts to cope with social situations and their social skills do not translate from one situation to another. If they are in an unrehearsed situation, such as an unprecedented border exit search, they may not know the correct way to react. They may want to cooperate, but react too slowly to the unexpected. If stressed enough, they may temporarily be unable to react at all.
Peter Watts was beaten, jailed, and ultimately found guilty for the crime of reacting too slowly. His jury determined that the letter of the law had been broken because a typical person had time to react and cooperate, but is Dr. Peter Watts a typical individual? And what will happen to the 1 in 100 individuals who find themselves in a similar situation, those in the autism spectrum, who we recognize as needing more time to finish class work or complete tests and will certainly need extra time to respond appropriately in a social situation they are unprepared for or unfamiliar with? Will they get that time? Or will they be treated as a threat by law enforcement personnel, airline security, border security? Are those people trained to handle special needs individuals who look normal but aren’t?
I am continuing to watch this case and in particular the sentencing with concern. I do not believe justice was served. I believe that this was a case of a collision of two individuals, the border security and Dr. Watts, who experienced a social failure, a failure to communicate and to understand on both sides, that escalated and resulted in a criminal outcome. And I worry about what this means for people like my daughter.
The ID bracelet is a good idea, but don’t count on it to work with the TSA. We tried to fly two years ago and my daughter was pulled out of line to be patted down. She cannot tolerate being touched. She held up her ID bracelet for the TSA a**hole to read, but that made no difference. I was told she looked angry and as though she had something to hide. They also said that because she was an adult wearing unusually over sized clothing with stuffed animals in the pockets and not responding to questions, she was suspect. Yep, the world needs to be protected from people who don’t talk carrying those dangerous stuffed animals. We didn’t fly that day and haven’t since.
I think people who were bullies as kids and didn’t outgrow that mindset get a real thrill out of being with TSA, Border Patrol and other similar agencies. Not all are like that, certainly, but enough to cause concern for us and embarrassment, I am sure, for those who do their jobs with intelligence and compassion.
Donnalea, what an awful experience for her and for you. It has got to be hard for those who are doing their jobs to the best of their ability when these incidents happen, because it creates distrust when they most need cooperation. The world needs more awareness.