Alex Plank Character Story: Building Bridges

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Alex Plank is the author of The Lancet's Major Report on Future Care and Clinical Research on Autism and a patient with Asperger's syndrome. In this article published in The Lancet, Alex tells his story of growing up, and the work and life that followed.

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Alex Plank is an autism advocate, neurodiversity advocate, writer, actor and filmmaker who grew up "harder than most." "I'm often bullied; I don't know how to make friends, and I blame myself for my mistakes." Plank said. There was no hint of self-pity in his tone; he was now thirty-five or six years old, and this was simply describing the situation of a young autistic patient who grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the early 1990s. At the age of 9, Plank was eventually diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. He discovered it with typical proactiveness and serious investigation, and he maintained this trait as an adult. Plank says he has always been a "curious person." "I went through a lot of documents and read every detail carefully... I went through the whole cabinet [of my parents]... Locate the file that outlines the diagnostic results. They didn't really intend to hide it from me, they just hadn't found a suitable way to tell me. Plank smiled, but apparently, it wasn't an easy experience. At that age, "you would think that diagnosing a disease was something you did wrong... Unfortunately, it was a stigmatized perception that still exists today without any substantial help. ”

As Plank gradually accepts the diagnosis, and as society as a whole becomes more aware of autism, another huge change is happening: the internet is coming into everyone's life. "I don't know any other autistic people." Plank continues, "So, as a teenager, I decided to go online." There was no social media at the time, only scattered small websites. "On one of the sites, I got to know Dan [Grover]... We decided to make a very good website that was better than all the sites that existed at the time, and we did. Plank smiled again and said that he now "talks like a child." The website Wrong Planet was born and has a far-reaching impact. Asked about the origin of the site's name, Plank explained, "Both of us felt like aliens who had come to the wrong planet. Moreover, the name of the site also shifts the focus from "there is a problem with us" to "there is a problem with the planet." Founded to connect an individual and is still growing, the site's reach has expanded to include parents and professionals; Plank explains, a "super site for autism," a large community where "people can post messages and ask questions; there are articles, videos, social skills guides, TV show reviews, and more."

While the on-screen depictions of autism are still deficient, for Plank, the entertainment industry has been a central part of his life since he was very young. Plank explains, "I've loved movies since I was a kid. I would watch TV and even learn social skills through TV movies to understand how people behave. "As Plank gets older, acting itself becomes an important skill. In middle school, Plank enjoyed acting. "It's the way I'm able to make friends because it's all scripted." Today, Plank argues that entertainment plays a very important role in raising the profile of people with autism and improving their lives: "Changing society's perception of things requires changing the way people tell stories. ”

Plank has directed and starred in television shows with autism roles, including the American remake of the Danish-Swedish co-production thriller The Bridge and the medical drama The Good Dcotor. Plank said that he really liked the original "Bridge", the protagonist (Saga Norén; the AMERICAN version is Sonya Cross) has autism, but turns his personality traits into his own strengths, and has a complex inner emotional life. Plank agrees, "In this world, she behaves like an alien, she is different from everyone else, but she accepts this and sees it as a part of herself." I genuinely think it's a powerful thing to do. So when I worked with Diane Kruger (who plays Sonya Cross) and the writers of The Side Bridge Mystery, I think one of the very important things is not to frame this as a stereotype of autism. "But at every stage of the filmmaking process, including writing, showing, producing and acting, representation and engagement are also crucial." I hope that people with autism can audition for any role. Plank continues, "Most roles don't have to be played by typical neurotics. ”

Plank is a member of The LancetCommission on the future of care and clinical research on autism, actively participates in international campaigns and is passionate about improving representation of the life experiences of people with autism in the study. "Studies are often conducted without any form of information provided by people with autism ... I think that's a problem because the result will be that the study doesn't provide much value to the people who actually want to help." In addition, Plank also hopes to bring about health changes for people with autism, "The health care system has become difficult to run, especially in the United States... People have trouble even making an appointment. But Plank also takes time to relax, bringing Max Plank (Plank's service dog, not the theoretical physicist of the same name) with him on walks and bikes, improving his flashlight to get ready for night hikes, and working on his Land Rovers. Plank expects the future to be neurodiverse, a future that is "inclusive of us, where we will be valued and treated fairly by society, where we will participate in conversations about us, and where we will be on TV shows." If he met his younger self, Plank would say to him, "Everything will be fine and you will have a good life." "Plank is also really going to great lengths to create a better world for children who now have autism. END

Chinese translations are for reference only, and all content is based on the original English text.