Being a Professor on the Autism Spectrum
About Stephen Shore
If you need to find Stephen Shore, look for a person wearing glasses and an Adelphi University hat. He once repaired bikes in his dorm room for a good amount of money and he is now a professor at Adelphi University. That he is on the spectrum might seem surprising, but he’d be glad to share his experiences with you and how it has shaped him over the course of his life.
What does being autistic mean to you and how do you believe it has shaped you over the years?
“It means that I [process and perceive] information from the environment differently than most people. What it causes is differences in communication and social interaction and various other aspects of interacting in the environment.”
You are always wearing a hat, why do you wear it and what does it have to do with your autism?
“Most people think this hat’s a fashion statement. It is in [a] way, it’s been to support my university but really the reason why I wear it is because of recessed lighting fixtures in ceilings. Being under those for me is probably like looking into a spotlight for most other people, so this is my accommodation for that.”
Do you believe that as a person on the spectrum you get any privileges?
“I like to think of them as accommodations more than privileges. So for example: The person parking in a handicapped parking lot [has] a reason they need that. Being able to park closely [for] someone who has difficulty walking. What that accommodation does [is] it gives that person or people [a] chance at being able to participate in the community… Maybe they look like privileges, [but] really what it is [is a] level [of] giving people a chance of success. There are some accommodations that I need that may have to do with the lighting. When I’m in a restaurant the music is too noisy and I have to ask them to turn it down and often they will. That's sort of [an] accommodation…I have some accommodations at the university that I don’t need. Such as when I was a student I didn’t need extra time but many autistic people do and so it depends on the person.”
“The potential of autistic people is just like everybody else, it’s unlimited.”
-Stephen Shore
If you were to meet someone who has never talked to a person on the spectrum how would you approach them about it and why in that manner?
“I will start with those of us on the autism spectrum [who] perceive our environment differently and process it differently. And so as a result [we're] going to have differences in how we communicate, how we socially interact, and also the intensity of our interests. That's a characteristic of autism as well as other sensory differences. [The way I cope with people who act in an unkind way is] I explain what the differences are and why we behave differently and sometimes the other person will understand. And sometimes they just won't and we kind of part ways.”
““You’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.””
