On Achievement & Accomplishments

Published July 27, 2009 @ 02:27PM PT

10-year-Ben Kredich, who's on the spectrum, swims the 25-yard freestyle in the Greater Knoxville Area Interclub Swimming Association City Championship Meet, the July 26thGo Vols Extra reports. And 18-year-old Robbie Phillips, who's also on the spectrum, competed in yesterday's ninth annual Nautica New York City Triathlon, as noted the July 26th Ocala.com.

My first thought: Charlie's two-thirds ready for a triathlon. He can bike 12 miles at least and, if needed, he could swim as long as he had to. He just has to learn to run like Robbie and Alex (Charlie can certainly run, but not in any organized or competitive setting).

Second thought is, while avidly cheering on Ben and Robbie for their accomplishments, I'm mindful of a recent post by Dora: Is the only reason their achievements were reported because they're on the spectrum and the news stories therefore have that heartwarming edge? "Why should it come as a surprise that autistic kids, like any other kids, benefit hugely from doing stuff they like and are good at?," as Dora wrote; why should it be a surprise that autistic kids (and individuals on the spectrum) can achieve in athletic events, and otherwise?

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Alex is 2/3 ready and although he can swim, he's not a strong swimmer and likely not ready for a triathlon. I think I'm happy about that, at least for now.

Our local triathlon this past weekend was turned into a duathlon (they replaced the swim with a 1Km run) due to dangerous surf conditions (the swim was, rather naturally, in the ocean). Alex was busy running a 10K in Charlottetown at the time.

In my mind the story isn't (or shouldn't be) that autistics can do these things, it's that they are given the opportunity to, are accepted into the running/swimming/tri/whatever communities, their abilities are focused on and their disabilities are accommodated. If only the wider community worked that way.

Posted by jypsy norman-bain on 07/27/2009 @ 03:35PM PT
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Kristina is a Classics professor in Jersey City, New Jersey, a blogger (formerly at AutismVox), a translator (of Virgil), and an advocate every day for her son, Charlie.