If Joan Didion were autistic, this is a book she might have written. Seamlessly personal, reportorial, provocative and literary, Kamran Nazeer’s Send in the Idiots is a class reunion of sorts. Like many of us, Nazeer wonders whatever became of his fellow classmates, in this case preschoolers, over twenty years later. And, as all the children were on the autism spectrum, the whatever-became-of question is more compelling than average.
Exploring the Ordinary Lives of Autistic Adults
Parents of autistic children and autistic people themselves have written many great memoirs and autobiographies and these usually contain the expected trajectory of rough beginning to happy ending (in the various ways “happy” is defined). This book, however, offers something different: a window into the ordinary lives or ordinary adults with autism. What are their challenges, realities, successes?A Serving of Hope with a Dash of Reality
Though indirectly hopeful, this book is nonetheless not for parents whose child has just been diagnosed. Not only are parts of it painful, and not only are there no clear-cut do’s and don’ts that new parents seek, but Nazeer ruminates on issues that would best resonate with people who’ve known autism for quite some time. Some of these issues include the theory-of-mind hypothesis, problems with the word “genius”, what it means to be a carer and to be cared-for, the motivations of professionals, and embracing versus overcoming autism. He is masterful in his use of words and, while the structure of the book is consistent, his writing often veers from a straightforward narrative as he weaves in his own memories, emotions and artfully argued opinions. He accomplishes all of this with such a sure-hand, and with such compassion and respect, that he leaves the reader with much more than a voyeuristic experience; this is an enriching piece of literature.
