Here’s What Pauline Hanson Doesn’t Understand About Students with Autism

Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation Party, has once again caused chaos with her words.  

It’s been a couple of weeks since Senator Hanson made her speech in Parliament regarding autistic students in mainstream class rooms.

The majority heard these comments—that autistic students should be removed from mainstream classrooms—and likely knew immediately that they were wrong. However, do people understand why her comments were bad, and what they really exposed?

Senator Hanson’s comments revealed an underlying issue that is too common in today’s world: the lack of education many have about autism and other disabilities. This issue is one seen too often, and Senator Hanson’s ignorant comments captured it perfectly.  

Senator Hanson has categorised all 164,000 autistic Australians (as estimated by the ABS in 2015) under one umbrella, when they are in fact all different and have different needs. Some, you will never be able to tell are on the autism spectrum. Throwing everyone on the spectrum into one basket happens a lot, and it’s not fair.  

This little QLD friend of mine is keen to loan Pauline Hanson some books so she too can learn how to think before she speaks #autism pic.twitter.com/laUjBlVtMe

— Jo Hirst (@thegenderfairy1) June 24, 2017

Sweeping generalisations create stereotypes and result in many people’s needs being forgotten. This is exactly what Pauline Hanson’s request for classroom segregation did. Yes, some students on the spectrum will greatly benefit from specialised classrooms and attention; however, others will not and do not benefit from this. 

The lack of knowledge does not just stop at autism, but extends to the majority of disabilities and mental illnesses. (Approximately one in twelve students are classified as having a disability.) People like Senator Hanson need to be educated about autism and other disabilities in order for autistic students to be able to access the right support and feel comfortable in their school and social environments.  

Her comments are particularly harmful because she could have made many autistic students feel like they did not have a right to be in classrooms shared by neurotypical students. What she does not see through her narrow-minded statement is that removing autistic students from mainstream classrooms will only be limiting the ability for both autistic and neurotypical students to learn.

Senator Hanson’s claim that neurotypical students are “held back by those others” is not exactly correct. Studies show neurotypical students actually benefit socially and academically from the autistic student just as much as the autistic student benefits from the neurotypical student.

As for the personal effects on families with autistic children, Senator Hanson’s comments likely did not sit right. Parents of autistic children already give up so much; they do not need to hear that their children should be segregated and not get the same opportunities as other people’s children. Parents should not have to defend their children from ignorance, nor should they have to explain to their child Pauline Hanson’s comments. Parents have said that they are disgusted and hurt beyond imaginable, with Nicole Rogerson, Autism Australia chief executive and mother to an autistic child, saying she felt sick when listening to Senator Hanson’s “repulsive, bigoted and hurtful” comments. These parents definitely have a right to feel this way.

There is more evidence and studies supporting the opposite of what Senator Hanson said, and little to none supporting her claims. The problem is that she does not understand the issue, nor what autism actually is, and this is in the case for too many people in Australia today. Autism is a part of life, and we should not be pushing it to the side.

Ciara Burren is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. See more student contributions here.

Photo: Facebook (Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain)