DEFINITIONAL REPORT

DEFINITIONAL REPORT

Steve Silberman writes about science for Wired magazine, which published his influential article “The Geek Syndrome” about people with autism in 2001. Silberman hosts several “conferences” on the online community site The Well, and his Twitter account has made Time’s list of best feeds. He has a forthcoming book on autism and neurodiversity.

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Reading the Genre

Question

1. What key terms does Silberman define in this short report? Read through the text, and when he defines a key term or theory, underline it. How important are these definitions to Silberman’s report?

Question

2. This short report might also be seen as a long definition of “neurodiversity.” How does the report center on the term, and how does the focus on one term help the reader to understand a larger issue like autism in new ways? (For more on organizing reports by definition, see Organize by definition.)

Question

3. It is notable that Silberman does not just reference doctors or scientists in this report, though those are the people who most often define autism in our culture. Discuss the significance of the sources that Silberman does cite in this report, and comment on how he establishes the authority of each source. Why do you think he focuses on the sources he does? (For more on where and how to find sources, see Chapter 37, Chapter 38, and Chapter 40.)

Question

4. WRITING: Neurodiversity is a neologism, an invented word. Every year, the Washington Post publishes a list of the best neologisms of the year. Search through some of these lists and find a word that intrigues you. Then write a report about where exactly this word came from and the cultural impact it has had.

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