The Digital Economy
    and why people on the autism spectrum must be included

The Future Is Now

The challenges faced by every state to be competitive in a digital economy also apply to people with ASD. Dr. Bronston has written this challenge to all people in the field of developmental disabilities in preparing youth for employment in the 21st Century.

THE FUTURE IS NOW –
AN ORIENTATION TO THE RELEVANCE OF DIGITAL MEDIA ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

William Bronston, MD*
March 31, 2010

THE EMERGING CONTEXT OF HUMAN RELATIONS AND POSSIBILITIES

All our children, the children in both advanced and developing societies and cultures, are growing up in a time of infinite new possibilities and, both material and cultural transformation unprecedented in human history. It comes simply as a result of the invention and applications of digital media communications and media technology. Certainly there are cadres of adults who, being responsible for the invention genius of our moment, have a sense of what is happening. But in the main, the overwhelming adult community, that is, people who grew up acculturated to pre digital norms of how things happen, how learning takes place, how work is organized, how social relationships and organization develop and operate, how the economy – making money, banking, investing, managing and doing business occurs in a national and international capitalist framework, the norms of the time it takes to do things and the spaces in which things are normally transacted, all the things that we all take for granted about reality, people who run and work in the world, do not understand that a paradigm shift has taken place among our children who have grown up with computer, wireless, mobile technologies as an ordinary phenomenon. This generation, youth younger than 18, are generally talked about as "digital natives" who assume that they can text, call, tweet, video, animate, play video games, see each other, find out anything, communicate anything instantly, anywhere, to anyone on the internet or with whomever has a similar mobile device with the buffet of capacities now installed in 2010 cell phone and electronic tablet technology.

Complete essay...

*William Bronston, MD: Physician-Advocate for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities, Dr Bill Bronston played an important role in exposing the horrible conditions at Willowbrook State School in New York. He had a twenty-eight year career as Medical Director and Consultant for the State of California, Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. Most recently Dr. Bronston founded Tower of Youth and hosts digital media competitions for students.