The Stigma of Autism

If you say the word autism to someone, various conceptions may come into their mind. It depends on who you ask. Sometimes their view on autism is based on past experience, or sometimes it is based on what they have read or seen in the media. Real or fictional portrayals of autism can all have an influence. Sadly, in my personal experience. The pre-conceptions of autism are seldom positive.

Sometimes they imagine the worst-case scenario, where a criminal who happened to be diagnosed with autism is convicted of a heinous crime such as murder. Sometimes they imagine a savant, a super genius who excels in a particular field, but lacks empathy and desires to avoid all human contact. These extreme examples do not represent the autistic community at all. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning it exists in varying degrees of severity and challenges across a vast scale.

Some people with autism struggle with language and communication. They may be non-verbal. Others have milder forms of autism and have never been diagnosed, or misdiagnosed with other conditions. One thing most autistic people have in common to varying degrees of severity is problems with social communication, interaction, and repetitive behaviours and interest. They may also have different ways of learning.

The word autism is derived from the Greek word ‘autos’ which is a literal translation of the word ‘selfism’. This came from a time when only the most severe cases of autism were recognized as such. In modern times, autism is better understood as existing on a wide spectrum. Despite this, however, people can still have a hard time understanding this. They find it hard to imagine someone with autism who wants friends but struggles to initiate the skills needed to form friendships. They can’t imagine someone with autism having a career in a people-oriented profession such as nursing, marketing, or retail.

The statistics on employment for autistic people are very bleak. Some statistics show that as little as 15% are currently in any type of employment.

It’s time these stereotypes were eradicated through better education and understanding.

Trance.