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When someone who has been gone a long time suddenly returns, there is a lot of catching up to do.
I was invited to blog for Psychology Today in 2010, shortly after my book about autism spectrum disorder was published. I was honored, and eagerly accepted the invitation – but soon discovered that my skin was not thick enough to deal with some of the on-line trolls. I was taken aback, and retreated from the field, although I continued to receive comments to my existing posts. (And now, looking at my blogger’s dashboard, I see that my posts have received over 100,000 views. Thank you! )
Meanwhile, the rest of my life was progressing. I helped a lot of families in the office, and gave a lot of national presentations. In 2014 I came to the difficult decision to retire from clinical practice. Not because I had to, but because “it was time.” The right time (but also the hardest time) to leave the stage is at the height of one’s powers - or, like Bilbo Baggins, to give up possession of the Ring of Power before the ring possessed him. After the difficult task of removing the ring (which did not want to let itself be removed), Bilbo retires to Rivendell to write his memoirs. Letting go of office practice – like removing the Ring – was hard. My wife and I are also retiring (not to Rivendell, but to North Carolina). And, like Bilbo, I look forward to having more time to spend on my writing – including not only my own memoirs, but a return to this space, to participate in the discussion about autism spectrum disorders (we’ll have more to say about the use of the plural noun - “disorders” – in future posts).
Although I have decamped from the front lines and moved to the rear, I still hope to put my 40 years of experience to good use – while remaining mindful of the adage “Generals are always busy fighting the last war.” The field of Autism Spectrum Disorders continues to expand exponentially in all directions. In terms of keeping up with the field, I find myself in the same situation as an ant on the surface of an ever-expanding balloon: the horizon keeps stretching further away in all directions. I am also reminded of an old riddle: Q: “What’s the difference between a physicist and a philosopher?” A: “A physicist knows more and more about less and less (i.e., subatomic particles like quarks and muons), while a philosopher knows less and less about more and more (i.e., broad philosophical propositions about “Truth,” “Free Will,” etc.). I intend to occupy a middle ground: I hope to continue making contributions to knowledge about ASD in the particular. At the same time, I plan to leverage my seniority (I’m 68) to speak about about ASDs in general with what (I hope) is the voice of experience, and the wisdom of age (Age comes to us all, if we're lucky enough. Wisdom - not necessarily).
In this space I intend to visit or revisit a variety of issues, including (but not limited to):
• What we really mean by “ASD”
• Explosion or epidemic, and why it matters
• Where does autism come from (genetics, environment, and the two-hit hypothesis)
• Coming full circle: The relationship between ASD and Mental Illness, and why we need to revisit the painful legacy of the 1950s.
• ASD: A disorder, or another way of being? Neurodiversity, Political Correctness, the Medical Model, and more.
• Therapies: The good, the bad, and the ugly (or, at least, the dubious and unproven)
• ASD and the Law (family court, juvenile justice)
• Why there is no single “autism community” – and what to do about it.
And whatever else you want to hear about that I may have some knowledge of (more about me here: www.drcoplan.com )
My posts here will complement, but not duplicate, the posts on my own blog and Facebook page. You may want to visit those, to catch yourself up on where I have been in the past several years, and to get a better idea of who I am.
It’s great to be back, and I look forward to a lively interaction with you all. To that end, I invite you to submit questions / comments / topics that you would like to see addressed in this space.
