Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sarah Grimsley

Autism Spectrum Disorder

We as humans naturally put labels on people. We put people in categories and once they are put into that certain category, we think nothing more of them except the reason that they are in that category. People that are put in categories are most of the time misunderstood, for example people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are probably one of the most misunderstood groups of people. Three myths that most people have about people with autism is that they are automatically classified as “special ed,” that all autistic people are the same, and lastly that autism is caused by vaccinations.

MYTH 1: A PERSON WITH AUTISM IS AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED SPECIAL ED.

Just because someone has a neurodevelopmental disorder does not automatically classify them as “special ed.” According to the article “11 Myths about Autism,” “People with autism have normal to high IQ’s and some may excel at math, music, or another pursuit.” People with autism do usually have a specific thing that they really excel at or that they are really interested in. Whether that is something in academics or whether it is something such as trains, cars, video games, or music. In the article “Growing Up Undiagnosed” a guy named Andy did not get diagnosed with high functioning autism until he was 26 years old! Andy says, “ Today, I have a fantastic social life and a number of great friends and I’m also about to start a sports coaching course at a residential college.” He has even taken driving classes so he can get his driver's license! ( Growing Up Undiagnosed). People can learn from Andy’s story, that while there are some people with autism that may be mentally underdeveloped, that doesn’t mean everyone with autism is. There are people like Andy who have ASD and live a perfectly normal life. Therefore we need to stop classifying all autistic people as “special ed,” because who knows, they could be smarter than you.

MYTH 2: ALL AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE THE SAME.

Everyone is unique in their own way. This is how it is for people with autism as well. Autism is a spectrum disorder. According to the article “Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheets,” “The term ‘spectrum’ refers to to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability in functioning that can occur in people with ASD.” This means that not every case of autism is the same, which indicates that not all people with autism are the same. There are different diagnosis of autism such as, Asperger Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheet). Some people with autism can function normally on a day to day basis, while others may have to have assistance with daily living (Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheet). People with ASD are just as normal and unique as people without ASD.

MYTH 3: PEOPLE WITH AUTISM GOT AUTISM FROM A VACCINE.

According to the article “Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism,” “Studies have shown that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing ASD.” No one actually knows the specific cause of autism yet. According to the article “11 Myths about Autism,” “ The rate of autism has increased by 600% in the last 20 years. In 1975, an estimated 1 in 1,500 had autism. In 2014, an estimated 1 in 68 had an autism spectrum disorder.” No one knows why or how such a large increase in the number of cases of autism occurred, but what they do know is that vaccines are not the cause. There should be no worry for the parents who chose to vaccinate their kids and no regret in the parents that have children with autism because there is no link between vaccinations and autism. Some scientists think that autism could be a genetic link. Families that have a biological child that has been diagnosed with ASD, are more likely to have another child with ASD. So parents who don’t vaccinate their kids, please respect the choice of other parents who chose to vaccinate their kids. Vaccines are given to help prevent diseases, not to create disorders. Why are we making people with autism believe that if they didn’t get vaccinated then they would be what society classifies as “normal.” They are normal and unique in their own way and society should be more accepting and open to people with ASD, because they were born that way and that’s perfectly okay.

As you can see, people that have ASD are highly misunderstood. They are not “special ed,” they are not all the same, and a vaccine did not cause their disorder. People with ASD are smart, unique, and beautiful individuals. Most of them have the same shot that others do at living a perfectly normal life. We, as humans, should never underestimate people that have a neurodevelopmental disorder or any other kind of disorder, because they are real people too. They have real feelings and sometimes those feelings can get hurt just like ours because of how other people have misunderstandings about them and how sometimes people underestimate them. People with ASD can do whatever they set their mind to.

Works Cited

“Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheet.” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2017, https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Aut ism-Spectrum-Disorder-Fact-Sheet. Accessed 20 September 2017.

“11 Myths about Autism.” Autism Speaks, 2017,

https://www.autismspeaks.org/node/113471. Accessed 20 September 2017.

“Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 November 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html. Accessed 20 September 2017.

“Growing Up Undiagnosed.” The National Autistic Society, 2017, http://www.autism.org.uk/about/adult-life/stories/growing-up-undiagnosed.aspx

Accessed 28 September 2017.

Allen,Jody. "Do You Suspect Your Child Is On the Autism Spectrum?" Stay at Home Mum, 2017, https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/activities/do-you-suspect-your-child-is-on-the-autism-spectrum/ Accessed 30 September 2017. (picture)