Thinking Critically about Text and Images
Read “Dating on the Autism Spectrum” and answer the following questions. Then “submit” your work.
Question 18.34
1. Connotation What connotation does the word act (para. 23) have? How does the use of quotation marks around the word affect your understanding of its meaning?
Question 18.35
2. Tone Describe the tone of the essay. What does it reveal about Shire’s attitude toward people on the autism spectrum?
Question 18.36
3. Sources What types of sources does Shire use to support her thesis? What other types of sources might she have used to make her essay more convincing?
Question 18.37
4. Objectivity How objective a view of people on the autism spectrum does Shire present? Identify any words, phrases, or examples that seem intended to influence the reader’s emotional response to the article. Does her definition seem euphemistic or incomplete? Support your answers with evidence from the text.
Question 18.38
5. Visual Examine Figure 18.4. Do you see any trends? How significant is the increase? What reasons, besides an actual increase in the number of children with autism spectrum disorder, may account for it?
