20 Andrew Solomon | On the fantasy of normal, neurodiversity, and the horizontal identity of autism

Joyriding In Autismland: Autism Podcast with Kid Gigawatt

Thrilled to be interviewing Andrew Solomon today, author of the 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award winning book, Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, which explores ideas of abilities, disabilities, illness and identities in extraordinary children born to ordinary parents. His tome represents a decade of researching and interviewing parents raising kids with dwarfism, Downs Syndrome, autism, or schizophrenia, children born deaf, as well as prodigies, children conceived in rape, transgendered children, and kids who grow up to become criminals.

 

His appearances on Far From the Tree include The Moth Radio Hour, a Ted Talk, The Colbert Report, and a Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross.
We chat about neurodiversity, the fantasy of normal, and being kind to everyone you meet.

Check out Mr. Solomon's intelligent article on the Autism Rights Movement here, and keep up with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Kelley

PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland