Autism: A New Awareness
So, as you are all probably aware, April is autism awareness month. And if you ever leave your home, you’ll probably find flyers hung up just about everywhere broadcasting things like:
- Autism affects as many as 1 in 150 children and 1 in 94 boys
- Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world
- More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with diabetes, cancer, & AIDS combined
- Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
- Autism has no cure!
There will mostly likely be a collection of exclamation points after each line, and possibly the web adress for autism speaks. No doubt there will be a puzzle piece or perhaps several on the flyer. But all this scaremongering does little to actually help autistics or the individuals who care for them. Sure, they’re raising awareness, but not all publicity is good publicity.
If you are thinking about hanging up an autism awareness flyer, here are some things you might want to write instead:
- There are autistic people employed in every imaginable profession.
- Autism is not a synonym for stupid or retarded. In fact, many autistics have average IQ’s, and some have IQ’s far above the normal range.
- Autistics fall in love, get married, and even have children.
- With proper support, most autistic adults can live independent or semi-independent lives. However, the majority of states have little to no support for autistics above the age of 18.
- Autism is incurable. But when asked, many autistics respond that they do not want to be cured.
- Autistic children have a profound effect on their families. Their siblings are more empathetic, nurturing, and accepting of other’s differences than their peers. Their parents learn to enjoy life’s small joys, and celebrate each new development.
- Although their expression may be atypical, autistics can still feel emotions. Autistic or not, it hurts when someone stares at you, calls you names, or belittles your existence.
Let’s get the ball rolling on changing the public’s opinion of autism.
Autism: It’s not what you think.
Awesome, awesome, awesome.
This is the reality of an autistic adult.
Bravo! Well written.
Well-done, again. No, it’s not what you think. Three cheers for you!
Loving your other side of autism essay. Fantastic.
You are incredible! I posted some of those typical facts on facebook today, and feel very silly about it now. I have heard a lot about you from my friend Trish at Another Piece of the Puzzle. I’m thrilled to finally see your blog and will continue to follow.
Keystone Autism Services just signed a provider agreement for the first adult autism services in the state of Pennsylvania. We will be serving 200 adults in the community. Please watch for updates on the facebook page and the keystonehumanservices.org website for more information about the Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP). It’s really exciting.
Great post, Cale. I’ve posted a link to it on my FB page. Very well said.
I love it! I’d much rather see your flyers all over town than some of the others… Thanks for posting.
It’s not 1 in 150. That’s bogus. They’re including every socially awkward math whiz and half the eccentrics. Sorry, but I don’t consider that kind of thing to be autism. I don’t want people to be hurt by being told that they have a genetic brain deficiency when they don’t.
I also don’t believe that autism is incurable in all cases.
I take issue with your notion that autism is a “genetic brain deficiency.” That makes it sound like part of the brain is missing or broken. Autism is not a brain deficiency it is a brain difference. It is one thing to call autism a disability; it would be difficult to argue that autism does not have some disabling attributes or that there is a lack of ability in a certain area. But your assessment goes beyond the notion of disability and into the area of deficiency, and it is there that I think you are wrong.
Perhaps you need to meet some more autistic people. Really interact with them for awhile. You will come to see that they are not “brain deficient” not in the slightest.
I agree with Frogger and I think that there is actually a higher incidence of autism than 150 in a hundred because that number is created by a very lopsided diagnostic criteria that focuses almost solely on how autism presents in boys. Not in girls, or adults of either gender.
Autism often only makes it difficult to function in this society because this society has been built by people who are wired differently. Many Autistics are only “handicapped” in that they are not wired well for how things have been set up by mainstream society. If society’s rules, customs and practical applications were created by Autistics it would be the “normal” people who struggled to make their lives work in a situation that was not well designed for them.