As a man living on the autism spectrum who struggles with mental health andphysical difficulties, I have been dependent on all areas of state provision at somepoint in my life. I was diagnosed when I was just 2 years old and attended a schoolfor people with severe learning difficulties. As a result of this, I am well aware thatthere is much to be celebrated within provision, but there is also very much whichneeds to improve. It is the ambition of this PhD to shine a light on the experiencesof people who, like myself, have been frozen out of the institutions whichdetermine our future and to propose a new set of practices which give us autonomyover our own lives.In the discourse surrounding neurodiverse people’s relationship with the state, areckoning has been taking place. Despite a consensus among professionals,academics, neurodiverse people and the families of neurodiverse people that morecan be done to serve the needs of those who use services, there is cynicism withregard to the possibility of improvement. These issues are compounded bydivisions between these groups with regards to what the solution to this deadlockought to be.This thesis conducts an analysis of the core values which underpin education,health and social care, focusing on the transition period and the problem of libertyand its deprivation within services; synthesising a range of theory across aspectrum of disciplines to reveal and analyse an ideology of care. To accomplishthis, I have undertaken a co-productive methodology. Drawing from participatoryresearch, I have interviewed, worked alongside and engaged with people, familiesand professionals to achieve a holistic analysis of services.Art practice, specifically the production of film materials to explore neurodiversityissues, is a core part of my practice. Art is used in some areas of neurodiversityresearch, most notably when testing the capacity to attribute intentions andemotional states to others. In the spirit of creating a more dialogical practice, thisthesis advocates for the personal and communal benefits of neurodiverse peoplecreating art as a means of overcoming cognitive divisions and not just consumingit. I do this by engaging in subjective, experimental film practice.The method of publication of this thesis is also significant. I have chosen to releasemy work as a blog with an irregular structure. I do this to realise one of my thesis’core arguments, namely that institutions should be willing to experiment with theirpractices in order to address issues with neurodiversity inclusivity. In this respect,the thesis format itself operates as an example of good practice.Overall, I argue that the system of values and practices which underpin provisionare animated by a morality of pity, as opposed to compassion, with both historicaland contemporaneous examples supporting my analysis. To counteract this, Ipropose an alternative morality of love. With that in mind, this thesis concludeswith a set of suggestions for a better state practice titled Prescriptions, with thegoal of demonstrating what a morality of love looks like in practice
Uncontrollable Behaviour: Questioning Perceptions of Neurodiversity in State Provision
Grant, S. (Author). Mar 2024
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy