Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by problems in interaction and communication with others, atypical and repetitive behavior. As a rule, such symptoms can be found in children in the first few years of life. However, sometimes the initial stage of development is normal, and problems appear later.
Society treats these people ambiguously. Someone is neutral, someone – with sympathy, but there are also those who themselves bypass them, not forgetting to form myths that do not correspond to reality at all. The most common of them are collected in this article.
Myth 1: People with autism are a threat to the safety of those around them
Of course, from the outside, their unusual behavior looks quite peculiar. Children and adults may suddenly shriek, become aggressive or, on the contrary, cower in a corner and not react to anything. The misconception about the danger of such actions stretches back to the times when the disease was insufficiently studied and equated to schizophrenia.
In fact, most people with autism spectrum disorder engage in quiet and even unnoticeable behaviors. By adulthood, most of them adapt and socialize, gradually learning the rules and norms of communication. Nevertheless, their behavior and reactions may differ markedly from those more familiar to us, which can alert others. It is important to realize that communication with them needs to be structured differently, with the right choice of words and gestures.
Myth 2: All people with autism have severe speech problems
It is not uncommon to hear the myth that children diagnosed with autism do not understand the lines to their own address and may never begin to speak if they have not shown an interest in communication at an early age. This claim has been around for a long time and has been criticized many times. Previously, the symptoms and features of ASD were studied slowly, which led to unfounded fantasies.
Specialists have proved that any child is able to interact with the surrounding world and well understands the speech addressed to him. But to achieve results, you need to choose the right style of communication. It can be visualization (demonstration of pictures and cards, a certain language of gestures and facial expressions), specially designed symbols and conventional signs, and in some cases even music. Patience and regular sessions with specialists allow you to develop and maintain the necessary level of communication.
Myth 3: People with autism are unsuccessful
Now it is difficult to say what this assumption is based on. The disease in no way prevents people from building a career, becoming world-famous. Among the most notorious personalities can be distinguished Hans Christian Andersen, Bill Gates, Charles Darwin.
It is not necessary to adhere to the opinion that a person with ASD will not be able to achieve significant results in life. These people are characterized by out-of-the-box thinking, and their brains work differently, which allows many of them to make scientific breakthroughs and achieve recognition.
Myth 4: Autism means genius
The opposite of the previous stereotype, which has no solid evidence to back it up. Such blind romanticization is inspired by numerous movie masterpieces about how an autistic child suddenly discovered genius and conquered the world with his abilities. In fact, the official statistics on this issue are rather disappointing. Researchers note that only 10% of the total number of people with ASD really have an outstanding mind and brilliant abilities. The disease itself has never been the only factor in obtaining a scientific degree.
Myth 5: People with autism cannot have relationships
For some reason, it is believed that people with a confirmed diagnosis are unable to properly communicate with others, therefore, the joys of friendship and love are not available to them. This misconception is very far from the truth. To communicate with them, you need to have tremendous patience and understanding. Most often, experts recommend listening and looking more closely at them, to the way of life that these people lead, to their habits and peculiarities. To any of them you can quite pick up a special approach and build a strong trusting friendship.
In addition, there are cases when people have created strong families, despite the disease of one or both spouses. Of course, we are now talking about mild and moderate forms of autism. In more complex cases, the picture is less rosy. But this does not mean that communication for the rest of us should be abandoned.
Myth 6: They are all the same
A stereotype ingrained in our heads because of identical images in literature and cinema. They paint two different portraits: either an eternally sullen, a little wild, but brilliant man who avoids interaction with people in every possible way, or a real aggressor who can bite and hit others if something goes wrong. In reality, it is impossible to make a single correct idea of who a person with ASD is.
It has many individual forms, symptoms and manifestations. In modern medicine, there are about 10 different diseases related to autism spectrum disorder. Much also depends on how the person himself and his environment cope with the problem. As a rule, it is possible to distinguish three striking patterns of behavior in ASD.
Mild degree. There is almost nothing to indicate a violation, except for a few not quite normal reactions and actions that can be taken for personal quirks.
Medium degree. With stable communication with the person, it becomes obvious that there are some disorders. For example, he or she may be shy about touching or hugging, avoid eye contact with the interlocutor, and behave a bit withdrawn.
Severe degree. In this case, people are detached from the outside world and are deep in themselves, in fantasies and dreams. It is almost impossible to build communication with them.
Conclusion
Autism is not a sentence, and it is important to realize that every person with autism spectrum disorder is unique. Despite myths, many people with ASD lead fulfilling lives, build careers, make friends and start families. Society must learn to see them not as a threat or an enigma, but as people with special needs for whom proper understanding, support and patience are important. Shattering myths about autism will help to create a more inclusive society where everyone can find their place, regardless of their characteristics.
