On Telepathy Tapes

Dear Friends,

I am sharing my raw feelings about a controversial topic. Some of you have asked me about it. I am not sure if it is wise to post this publicly. However, as you presumably respect me and care about my perspectives, I am going to share it. Note that these are my own responses.

In short, I am pissed off about the Telepathy Tapes podcast. I am dismayed and angry. Yes, I know that some spellers might disagree. But all of the ones I have chatted with are similarly upset. I don’t want to hear anything about gatekeeping or silencing; that is what the producers and promoters of the podcast are actually in danger of doing to us. Their carelessness is a risk to wider access to communication.

If you are not aware of it, this is a podcast about how nonspeaking autistics are telepathic. It is super popular. But I urge care in following it or promoting it. It claims to broadcast how special and underestimated we are. But it doesn’t consider the real and negative impacts on us.

There is already widespread skepticism about my method of communication. This podcast adds fuel to the skeptics’ fire. What is the plan for how the claims of our telepathy will actually make our lives better? Sure, people might marvel and see more potential in our minds, but they might just think our whole community is delusional or some sort of circus attraction. This is like savants being treated as a spectacle to be amazed by, not as complete humans with dignity and rights.

I am also so frustrated that this sensationalizing of a particular phenomenon that some nonspeaking autistics might have (I am not one of them) is gaining so much more attention than work driven and directed by nonspeaking autistic advocates. Do we need to be portrayed as supernatural beings to be interesting? Do we not deserve attention for the more complete stories of all we overcome and how we want to be in the world?

I don’t doubt that some of my peers experience telepathy. If a speller says they do, I trust them. I am hypersensitive to sensory inputs in a way that neurotypical people find difficult to conceive of. And I do find a rhythm when working closely with a good communication partner, but that is more like brains in synchronized activities like being in an orchestra. My feelings about this podcast are not based on whether I believe in telepathy. It is entirely an issue of how such a thoughtless broadcasting about it risks making spelling more difficult to access. If spelling is not taken seriously, the opportunities available to me and my peers will be diminished.

So that is how I feel about it. I don’t claim to represent all nonspeaking autistics, but I am also not alone in these feelings. Many of my friends and I have been upset and anxious over this. I am hoping you can understand why.

Please be respectful and thoughtful in your comments.

Your Friend,

Danny