Readers Response #18

In the article, Autism and Rhetoric, by Paul Heilker and Melanie Yergeau, they introduce the concept of autism being rhetoric. They explore the definition of rhetoric, stating “most definitions of rhetoric focus on the role of communication in social interaction” (262). They then proceed by stating the definition of autism. “… The way that autism presents itself in the world, per the medical establishment, have to do with communication in the social realm.” (262) They discover that, with two like definitions, autism is a rhetorical phenomenon.

Heilker and Yergeau, unlike most professionals, “contend that autism is a rhetoric, a way of being in the world through language, a rhetoric we may not have encountered or recognized frequently in rhetoric…” (262) Swales believes that the role of communication in social interaction is bound only by his six characteristics.

I enjoyed reading this article, because it was about a topic I never really explored. I think that the way these scholars think is fascinating. I respect the kind of connection Heilker and Yergeau made between rhetoric and autism.