Jim Sinclair

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Jim Sinclair (born October 1940 in Lamesa , Texas ) is of American nationality and autistic ; Sinclair has been known as an activist for neurodiversity since 1992 .

Life

Sinclair was born an intersex person and raised a girl, but did not start speaking until she was twelve - an age at which autistic children usually stop speaking. According to Sinclair, he didn't know that language was there to convey something to one another.

After completing a bachelor's degree in psychology , Sinclair completed postgraduate studies in child and developmental psychology as well as training as a counselor for rehabilitation .

Gender neutrality

After attempts were unsuccessful into adulthood to influence Sinclair's sexuality both operatively and with hormone administration, Sinclair self-confidently identifies himself as gender-neutral (neuter) .

Commitment to autistic people

Sinclair has campaigned for the rights of autistic people in many ways, founded the Autism Network International (ANI) together with Kathy Lissner Grant and Donna Williams in 1992 and has led it since then. Sinclair is generally regarded as the first activist person for neurodiversity and as a co-initiator of the neurodiversity movement (compare Autistic Pride Day ).

According to his own statements, Sinclair wants to be seen as an "autistic person" and not as a "person with autism", because Sinclair believes that autism is not an appendage, but a way of being that colors every sensation and perception and is thus inseparable from the person is. Sinclair wrote several articles on autism, including Don't Mourn For Us (1993: Don't Mourn for Us ), which is addressed to parents of autistic children and urges them not to express their grief over not having a "normal" child leaving out their existing autistic child.

Another article by Sinclair, translated into German , is titled What Does It Mean to Be Different? (1992: What Does Being Different Mean? ). He describes autism from an internal perspective and shows that there is nothing wrong with being autistic and that people should reconsider the standards they apply to autistic people. In Sinclair's view, autistic people do not work better or worse, but only differently - if they are treated with a positive attitude. If they are left to do what they do best, they will achieve much more.

Fonts

Archive overview:

Translations:

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Amy Harmon: How About Not "Curing" Us, Some Autistics Are Pleading. In: The New York Times . December 20, 2004, accessed January 19, 2020 .
  2. ^ Michael Ellermann: Interview with Jim Sinclair. 2011, p. 1 (English; PDF: 468 kB, 9 pages on autism.se ).
  3. ^ Jim Sinclair: Self-Introduction To The Intersex Society Of North America: Brief Biography. (No longer available online.) In: syr.edu. 1997, archived from the original on February 7, 2009 ; accessed on January 19, 2020 (English): "I remain openly and proudly neuter, both physically and socially."
  4. ↑ Joseph Shapiro: Autism Movement Seeks Acceptance, Not Cures. In: NPR.org . June 26, 2006, accessed January 19, 2020 .
  5. ^ Jim Sinclair: Autism Network International: The Development of a Community and its Culture. In: autreat.com. January 2005, accessed January 19, 2020.
  6. ↑ Jessica Marie Fridy Hughes: Changing Conversations Around Autism: A Critical, Action Implicative Discourse Analysis of US Neurodiversity Advocacy. PhD thesis University of Bolder 2015, p. 8 (English; PDF: 1.3 MB, 286 pages on colorado.edu ); Quote: "Jim Sinclair is often referred to as the first neurodiversity self-advocate (Boundy, 2008)."
  7. ↑ Rosmarie Breuss: Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Method of Supported Communication. Educational thesis at the University of Innsbruck 2010, Chapter 2.9. Opportunities to support and promote people with autism spectrum disorder ( online without page numbers on uibk.ac.at ).
  8. ↑ Jim Sinclair: Don't Morn for Us. ( Memento of January 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: Our Voice. Volume 1, No. 3, USA 1993, accessed January 19, 2020 (English).
    Translation: What does it mean to be different? In: Autismus-Kultur.de. March 6, 2019, accessed January 19, 2020.
  9. ↑ Jim Sinclair: What Does Being Different Mean? ( Memento of November 10, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) In: Our Voice. Volume 1, No. 1, USA 1992, accessed on January 19, 2020 (English).
    Translation: What does it mean to be different? In: Autismus-Kultur.de. March 6, 2019, accessed January 19, 2020.
personal data
SURNAME Sinclair, Jim
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American autistic activist
DATE OF BIRTH October 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH Lamesa , Texas