As with many disorders of the brain, the gap between the reality and perception of autism can be large. Amanda Baggs is at the forefront of a movement that’s forcing researchers to rethink autism. Do watch the video referenced in the article below.

The YouTube clip opens with a woman facing away
from the camera, rocking back and forth, flapping her hands awkwardly,
and emitting an eerie hum. She then performs strange repetitive
behaviors: slapping a piece of paper against a window, running a hand
lengthwise over a computer keyboard, twisting the knob of a drawer. She
bats a necklace with her hand and nuzzles her face against the pages of
a book. And you find yourself thinking: Who’s shooting this footage of
the handicapped lady, and why do I always get sucked into watching the
latest viral video?

But then the words “A Translation” appear on a black screen, and for
the next five minutes, 27-year-old Amanda Baggs — who is autistic and
doesn’t speak — describes in vivid and articulate terms what’s going on
inside her head as she carries out these seemingly bizarre actions. In
a synthesized voice generated by a software application, she explains
that touching, tasting, and smelling allow her to have a “constant
conversation” with her surroundings. These forms of nonverbal stimuli
constitute her “native language,” Baggs explains, and are no better or
worse than spoken language. Yet her failure to speak is seen as a
deficit, she says, while other people’s failure to learn her language
is seen as natural and acceptable.

And you find yourself thinking: She might have a point.

More here. Amanda also keeps a blog.