HC

Autism is a cognitive disorder that affects the ability to communicate and interact.  April is Autism Awareness month, and April 2nd has been denoted as World Autism Day.  Many people do not understand this disease, and there are several myths and misconceptions about it that need to be addressed.

 

1. Autistic people have miraculous special abilities

While some are good at math, puzzles, or have amazing memories, people like Rain Man are few and far between.

 

2. It’s fake

Some people still believe it’s just an excuse for bad behavior or parenting, but autism is an established neurological condition.

The brain is wired differently, resulting in delayed language development, strong dependence on routine, sensory processing issues and difficulty in dealing with others.

 

3. It’s new

It is not new, just more prevalent in recent years.  Additionally, people with autism in the past were institutionalized.

 

4. You can prevent it

Autism is most likely genetic, but no one knows for certain what causes it.

 

5. You can cure it

Unfortunately, no. Those who believe this will talk about The Window, an invisible casement through which you can pull your autism-affected child, curing him/her.

In practice, most of the so-called remedies don’t work. Things like dietary intervention can help in some cases, but, as Autism Research Institute director Dr Steve Edelson says, ‘if a practitioner claims to ‘cure’ autism, run in the other direction’.

 

6. Vaccines cause autism

No. Mercury has not been used for years, and a supposed link between the MMR vaccine and autism has been entirely debunked.

 

7. All kinds of autism are the same

There’s a reason they call it a spectrum – we’re all on it, some further than others.

Different people have different combinations of traits. 

 

8. People with autism don’t interact

Autistic individuals interact when they want to.  Their social cues are not always intact and they may be slower than other people, but many of them are capable of holding conversations just like you or me.

 

9. People with autism cannot handle change

Most can, provided the transitions are managed in a way that makes them comfortable. Many autistic people do not like when things are out of order because they like rules, but if it is explained to them effectively, they should be able to cope with change.

 

10. It’s just a tantrum

There’s a difference between a tantrum – a power play from a child – and a meltdown, which is a loud, uncontrollable emotional outburst resulting from neurological overload.

 

11. Children grow out of it

A significant, headline-grabbing few, have developed to the extent that their diagnosis no longer applies, but this doesn’t happen very often.

MORE: Family ordered to leave Iceland because autistic son was out of control

 

12. People with autism lack empathy

They don’t always instantly understand how their actions relate to others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t teach them.

 

 

13. Autistic children cannot engage in imaginative play

False. They can create rich, imaginative worlds – they just have difficulty understanding why other people can’t see them.

 

14. Families of children with autism just want sympathy

Maybe some do, as you can see some of them wear their hearts on their Facebook timelines. Most of us just want you to understand why our family member is running away, screaming, or why he refuses to sit still.

 

These myths are the reasons we need an autism awareness month.  If people understood more about it, that’s one step closer we are to finding a cure.