Beyond the others’ world
An essay about the experience of social work with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v9i1.112Abstract
The essay presents a reflection on being a foreign and inexperienced social worker within a Norwegian social work context. I discuss challenges I have met in my work with when Asperger syndrome is diagnosed and reflect on power relations and the issue of self-determination within the field, in addition to analysing some critical incidents that made me rethink and reconstruct all of my experiences. I view my story from different angles and find different perspectives that show various ways of perceiving one thing. I discover the dangerousness of thinking in “black and white” and placing things in exclusive extremes, and lastly, I understand that I need to learn to solve problems by changing attitudes towards them.
References
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Banks, S. (2006). Ethics and values in social work. Third edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Baron-Cohen, S. (2002). Is Asperger syndrome necessarily viewed as a disability? In Focus Autism Other Developmental Disabilities, 17, 3.
Baskin, J. H., Sperber M., & Price, B. H. (2006). Asperger syndrome revisited. Reviews in neurological diseases, 3, 1.
Burkitt, I. (2008). Social Selves. Theories of Self and Society. Second Edition, London: Sage Publications.
Clarke, J., & Amerom G. V. (2007). ‘Surplus suffering’: Differences between organizational understandings of Asperger’s syndrome and those people who claim the ‘disorder’, Disability & Society, 22, 7.
Fook, J. (2002) Social Work. Critical Theory and Practice, London: Sage Publications.
Foucault, M. (1973). Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason, Vintage Books.
Foucault, M. (1980). Two lectures. In С. Gordon (Ed.), Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, NY: Pantheon Books.
Goffman, E. (1961). Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates, Anchor, first edition.
Halvorsen, T. (2006). Miljøarbeid – teori og praktis, Fagbokforlaget, 2 utgave. Healy, K. (2005). Social Work Theories in Context. Creating Frameworks for Practice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lokshina, T. ( 2012). “You’re Disabled, You Can’t Fly!” Or Can You? An article of the senior researcher at Human Rights Watch on the official website of the Regional Society of Disabled People, Perspektiva. Available at http://eng.perspektiva-inva.ru/index.php? 1478.
Oxford Dictionaries Online (2012). Available at http://oxforddictionaries.com/
Solomon, A. (2008). The Autism Rights Movement. Available at http://nymag.com/news/features/47225/.
Willey, L. H. (2012). Polar Communications. Celebrating individual differences. Available at http://www.aspie.com.
Banks, S. (2006). Ethics and values in social work. Third edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Baron-Cohen, S. (2002). Is Asperger syndrome necessarily viewed as a disability? In Focus Autism Other Developmental Disabilities, 17, 3.
Baskin, J. H., Sperber M., & Price, B. H. (2006). Asperger syndrome revisited. Reviews in neurological diseases, 3, 1.
Burkitt, I. (2008). Social Selves. Theories of Self and Society. Second Edition, London: Sage Publications.
Clarke, J., & Amerom G. V. (2007). ‘Surplus suffering’: Differences between organizational understandings of Asperger’s syndrome and those people who claim the ‘disorder’, Disability & Society, 22, 7.
Fook, J. (2002) Social Work. Critical Theory and Practice, London: Sage Publications.
Foucault, M. (1973). Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason, Vintage Books.
Foucault, M. (1980). Two lectures. In С. Gordon (Ed.), Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, NY: Pantheon Books.
Goffman, E. (1961). Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates, Anchor, first edition.
Halvorsen, T. (2006). Miljøarbeid – teori og praktis, Fagbokforlaget, 2 utgave. Healy, K. (2005). Social Work Theories in Context. Creating Frameworks for Practice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lokshina, T. ( 2012). “You’re Disabled, You Can’t Fly!” Or Can You? An article of the senior researcher at Human Rights Watch on the official website of the Regional Society of Disabled People, Perspektiva. Available at http://eng.perspektiva-inva.ru/index.php? 1478.
Oxford Dictionaries Online (2012). Available at http://oxforddictionaries.com/
Solomon, A. (2008). The Autism Rights Movement. Available at http://nymag.com/news/features/47225/.
Willey, L. H. (2012). Polar Communications. Celebrating individual differences. Available at http://www.aspie.com.
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Published
2014-04-01
How to Cite
Shavrina, N. (2014). Beyond the others’ world: An essay about the experience of social work with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. Journal of Comparative Social Work, 9(1), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v9i1.112
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Section
Essays