There is a lot of misinformation about autism. Below is a sampling of some of the myths and mistaken beliefs that surround it. For a more comprehensive list of autism myths, be sure to visit Autism Spectrum Explained's Common Myths link.
Myth - Autistic people are dangerous.
Reality: Any person can be dangerous, but because autistic body language, social behavior, communication challenges, etc., are atypical, they are often mistaken as dangerous antisocial behaviors.
In an article published by Stanton E. Samenow, Ph.D. author of Inside the Criminal Mind points out that "individuals with an antisocial personality disorder also lack a connection to people but this is not due to autism. Aspects of their behavior may superficially resemble autism." READ MORE
In an article published by Stanton E. Samenow, Ph.D. author of Inside the Criminal Mind points out that "individuals with an antisocial personality disorder also lack a connection to people but this is not due to autism. Aspects of their behavior may superficially resemble autism." READ MORE
Myth - Autistic children will always be the way they are today.
Reality: People change - all people change. Autistic children grow and learn.
rethinking functional behavior — and the tyranny of made-up deadlines
by A Diary of a Mom
"...The book that I am reading, and can’t stop talking about, I Might Be You, was written by Barb Rentenbach. Barb did not have what we presumptuously like to call functional communication until she was nineteen and began using facilitated typing. At seventeen, she started, for the first time, to think in words. In her thirties, she published a book that I can’t stop talking about — not because it was written by someone who didn’t previously have words, but simply because it’s THAT good. Please, stop for a moment and take that in before you continue reading. It matters.
There are no limits, there are no deadlines, there are no closing windows that can’t at the very least be propped open with faith, persistence, patience and love. READ MORE
rethinking functional behavior — and the tyranny of made-up deadlines
by A Diary of a Mom
"...The book that I am reading, and can’t stop talking about, I Might Be You, was written by Barb Rentenbach. Barb did not have what we presumptuously like to call functional communication until she was nineteen and began using facilitated typing. At seventeen, she started, for the first time, to think in words. In her thirties, she published a book that I can’t stop talking about — not because it was written by someone who didn’t previously have words, but simply because it’s THAT good. Please, stop for a moment and take that in before you continue reading. It matters.
There are no limits, there are no deadlines, there are no closing windows that can’t at the very least be propped open with faith, persistence, patience and love. READ MORE
Myth - Autistic people lack empathy.
Reality - empathy varies from person to person (autistic or not); in many cases, autistic people have TOO MUCH empathy.
Let’s Talk About Empathy #Autism #Aspergers by Gretchen Leary
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of the word empathy is as follows:
1: the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it
2: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for empathy
From my personal perspective, as an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome, I want to discuss to Simon Baron-Cohen’s “Theory of Mind” and why I disagree with it. For me, every single emotion is intense. READ MORE
Let’s Talk About Empathy #Autism #Aspergers by Gretchen Leary
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of the word empathy is as follows:
1: the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it
2: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for empathy
From my personal perspective, as an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome, I want to discuss to Simon Baron-Cohen’s “Theory of Mind” and why I disagree with it. For me, every single emotion is intense. READ MORE
Myth: Autistic people are all alike.
Reality: Autistic people are each unique, and though they are all equally autistic, the ways in which that shows are all different.
The "Higher Functioning" Blogger by Yes, that too
So, I figured I'd run down what people seem to think is true of the autistic bloggers And I will point out which parts of the stereotype I do/don't meet and why each one is false.
So, I figured I'd run down what people seem to think is true of the autistic bloggers And I will point out which parts of the stereotype I do/don't meet and why each one is false.
- We are all considered high functioning by doctors. (I probably would be, since I can talk, but it's iffy because I have hurt myself stimming.) [Doctors can't agree on who is and isn't high functioning...because functioning labels have big problems. Which means we've got bloggers who haven't been given any functioning label, bloggers who've gotten both high and low at different points/from different people, and
basically any other way of being considered for these labels.] - We all speak. (I usually do, but not always. I am a part time AAC user.) [I believe I have listed non-speaking autistic bloggers before? I've met some of them too. READ MORE
Myth: Autism Can "Get Worse"
Reality: Not so much. Most regular fluctuations that you might see - like your child being 'more autistic' when they have a cold - actually come from your child having less energy to cope with the world. Depression and other comorbid issues can have similar impacts.
"Her Autism is Getting Worse": Perceptions Can Be Misleading by Creigh at Autism Spectrum Explained
The reality, however, is far different from that. Caley is just as autistic as she has always been. The difference, however, lies in her coping abilities. Ordinarily, Caley can blend pretty well with neurotypicals. But doing all the neurotypical-seeming things – dealing with changes in routine without showing the strain, coping with sensory input, etc – take energy. (See ‘the spoon metaphor’ for more on this.) And the instant that Caley gets sick, or is dealing with depression, etc, the energy she normally uses to help her deal with the neurotypical world is used instead for dealing with this new problem.
Here's Caley's explanation:
"Since I’m having to deal with other things, the energy I normally use to deal with things like making sure I seem neurotypical-ish and cope with sensory things is diverted. The supposed “bad things” about being autistic get emphasized more."
Without the energy to devote to blending, Caley’s autistic characteristics seem to strengthen. But, again, that’s not a change in her autistic-ness – it’s a change in the energy she can devote to blending in. READ MORE
The reality, however, is far different from that. Caley is just as autistic as she has always been. The difference, however, lies in her coping abilities. Ordinarily, Caley can blend pretty well with neurotypicals. But doing all the neurotypical-seeming things – dealing with changes in routine without showing the strain, coping with sensory input, etc – take energy. (See ‘the spoon metaphor’ for more on this.) And the instant that Caley gets sick, or is dealing with depression, etc, the energy she normally uses to help her deal with the neurotypical world is used instead for dealing with this new problem.
Here's Caley's explanation:
"Since I’m having to deal with other things, the energy I normally use to deal with things like making sure I seem neurotypical-ish and cope with sensory things is diverted. The supposed “bad things” about being autistic get emphasized more."
Without the energy to devote to blending, Caley’s autistic characteristics seem to strengthen. But, again, that’s not a change in her autistic-ness – it’s a change in the energy she can devote to blending in. READ MORE
BUSTING AUTISM MYTHS - Links related to busting general autism myths:
1. AUTISM MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
2, MYTHS ABOUT AUTISM
3. 10 BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT AUTISM FROM MOMS WHO KNOW
4. 8 Stunning Portraits of People With Autism That Shatter Stereotypes About the Spectrum
1. AUTISM MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
2, MYTHS ABOUT AUTISM
3. 10 BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT AUTISM FROM MOMS WHO KNOW
4. 8 Stunning Portraits of People With Autism That Shatter Stereotypes About the Spectrum
