get batslapped.
Why Cassandra Cain is important to me:
I grew up with a stammer, that became progressively worse when I was confused or presented with complex questions and not given time to think things out. It might have been a problem related to the other characteristics that led to me being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, it might have been unrelated. I often have whole days go by when I don’t feel up to making the effort to speak aloud without mumbling, slurring, or repeating sounds; at the same time, I’ve been told by friends and family that, when I make a speech or presentation, I’m exceptional. I suppose it’s because those are situations where it’s expected that you spend time beforehand thinking out what you’re going to say.
Very few people, even good friends of mine, really know about this. The people I live with, my own family, don’t really seem to be aware of it.
Cassandra’s speech impediment might be “learned” (though I have no reason to believe that my own is congenital), but it’s a major aspect of her character. It’s presented visualy in her Batgirl costume covering her mouth; it’s shown in the beat panels before she speaks, the ellipses between simple words and short phrases. We’ve seen her struggle with speaking clearly, learning from others, and most importantly, we’ve seen that her difficulty with speaking does not mean that she is stupid, slow to think, or incapable of fulfilling her duties. When she speaks, it may be slow, halting, and mostly monosyllabic, but what she says is powerful and clever, showing a mind just as capable as her body. She’s a hero: not in spite of it, but regardless of it.
Which is an example I really could have used, as a kid.
Reblogged because READ THIS NOW.
