5 Things To Know About Autism

Autism is a pretty common condition that affects people from all walks of life, all around the globe.  Despite the fact that it is relatively common, it is one of the most misunderstood conditions out there. So, I decided it was time to post a few facts about autism that I think could help those who struggle to understand. 

It can be frustrating for us with autism, as we find ourselves not only frequently misunderstood. But also having to live our lives educating people who think they know how our autism affects us better than we ourselves know. It is not uncommon to have people be judgmental towards up, to receive hurtful comments or even have people question if we have autism at all. 

So buckle up and get ready for a little education. 

1. Families Dealing With Autism Need Help and Support

No matter who you are, it can be hard to admit to yourself that you need extra help or support. The truth is even once they accept that they need that extra help and support the next hurdle is to work up the courage to reach out. Many people don't know where is the right place to find support and to find the right support for themselves and their families. 

I think it is essential to know that even "High Functioning" autism can be a challenge for the family, not only for the family but also for the person with autism. When you get into situations where the person is less able to be independent, such as those with "Low Functioning Autism" the effects on the family can be huge. If anyone you know has a family member with autism, let them know that you are a safe person to reach out to. If you want to go the extra mile educate yourself not only on autism but also on what support is available in your local area. 

2. People With Autism Have Feelings and Emotions

It is often portrayed in media that people with autism lack emotions. That they are cold, distant people that don't know how to empathise with others. Although there are some issues that autistics generally struggle with understanding their own emotions. Anyone who has been close with someone on the spectrum knows that not only do we have emotions but we can feel them very deeply. 

I know that I often feel emotions very strongly. But my ability to under those emotions and the way they affect me is less than ideal. This is one of the reasons it took so long to get the help that I needed for my mental health. I struggled through much of my life with mental health issues but my inability to identify and then explain what was going on in my own mind. This was a massive roadblock to getting the correct support and medication. 

3. There Is No Cure for Autism

It is commonly asked by parents about finding a cure for autism. And I can understand why as many younger autistics struggle and may cause difficulties in family life. But there is no cure for autism. There has been quite a lot of research done into finding a cure or a way to detect autism during pregnancy. 

The truth is, most people who are autistic go on to live fruitful productive lives. Many of these autistics when asked are completely against the idea of both an outright cure for autism and early detection. It can be difficult for "normal" people to understand this but autism is part of who we are. It is as much an identity and community as it is a medical diagnosis. 

Although I understand that there are a small number of autistics that face severe and life-limiting issues from their autism, the fear is that this cure will be used to take away the identity from many people before they have the capacity to decide for themselves what they want. It is also an issue if we use early detection as many pregnancies could be ended when the child could have gone on to live a full life.

4. People With Autism Are Not Broken

It is easy for "normal" people to hear that autism is a medication diagnosis and go on to believe that we have something wrong with us. Or go on to think that we are broken in some way. But this simply isn't true. Yes, autism is a medical diagnosis, and yes it has specific ways that it affects people. 

The truth is to get an autism diagnosis, there is just a pattern of behaviour. This pattern indicates that the person in question thinks and feels a certain way. There is nothing to say that this difference in thinking and feeling is wrong, just that it is different. We like to use the term neuro-diverse, to mean we are mentally and neurologically diverse compared to what is considered normal. this is opposed to older terms such as mentally handicapped or disabled, which tend to have a generally negative connotation attached to them. 

5. Not All People With Autism Are the Same

Autism is known as a Spectrum condition, and this is specifically because we are all different. Not only as people but also in the way in which we are affected by the condition. It shouldn't really need to be said, I mean if all of the "normal" Neurotypical people are different from one another, then why wouldn't we, as neuro-diverse people also be a variety? 

People with autism can be Loe to high functioning, we also often have a range of different co-morbid diagnoses. These can range from PDA to OCD, a common one is ADHD which I have myself. Then as time goes on it is often seen that people with autism struggle with a range of mental health issues. Depression and anxiety are common. It is thought that these occur for any number of reasons, much like the occurrence of mental health issues have a wide range of reasons in "normal" people. 

Did you know all of these facts, or have you learned something new today, either way, I would love to hear from you. also if you are autistic is there anything you think I've missed?

Thanks for reading,

Spec.