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Autism awareness: Let’s bust some myths

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MYTH: IT'S OBVIOUS WHEN SOMEONE HAS ASD. This is an incorrect assumption about how ASD (autism spectrum disorder) presents in individuals. While some traits are common in many people living with ASD, it is a spectrum disorder. People can experience ASD in different ways and to varying degrees (1,2,3). It's important to remember that much of the diagnostic research has been carried out on test groups of (primarily white) males. This means that the tools for detecting ASD are often biased, and can lead to delayed diagnosis
MYTH: EVERYONE WITH ASD IS EITHER LIVING WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY OR A GENIUS. ASD is not a learning disability, it's a neurodevelopmental disorder. People living with it might have restrictive and repetitive behaviours, interests and/or actions (2,4). Anyone of any intellectual-level can be affected. Assuming a person's intellect puts undue stress on them and prevents them from being their authentic self (4).
MYTH: ONLY MALES CAN HAVE ASD. #ScienceUpFirst It was thought that ASD affected one female for every four males. This ratio is now believed to be closer to one to three. This means a lot of females were not being diagnosed. Even less is known about gender diverse individuals and ASD (7,8). In addition, research shows that females living with ASD tend to hide their traits through a technique called "masking". Often feeling more pressure to conform to social norms, it's common for them to hide signs that they're neurodivergent making diagnosis much more difficult (7).
MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ASD CAN'T FORM MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS. ASD can affect how a person communicates. For example, ASD can impact how a person verbally responds to others, and how they understand non-verbal social cues. This does not mean that people living with ASD can't or don't want to form meaningful relationships with family, partners, friends and coworkers (4,9). Most ASD individuals have the same desires for love and relationships as anyone else., It's the ways in which they express themselves that can look quite different from a neurotypical perspective (4).
MYTH: VACCINES CAUSE ASD. The initial study that made the false claim linking the MMR vaccine to ASD was critically flawed, and has been retracted. Numerous studies since have demonstrated the lack of evidence for this link. Nevertheless, the original, misguided, paper, continues to be cited by misinformers (10,11). While there is no established link between thimerosal (the main component of the vaccine) and ASD, the ingredient was removed from vaccines out of an abundance of caution. It's noteworthy that despite its removal, there has been an observed increase in autism rates (4,12).
CONCLUSION: -There is still so much for us to learn about ASD, as well as neurodivergence in general. Something to remember is that you can never really know how someone else perceives and navigates the world. Even though it might be different from how you experience it, this doesn't mean that it's wrong or bad. It's important that we educate ourselves and learn to diversify our social skills to enable us to interact with a wider number of individuals beyond the neurotypical norms.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly misunderstood condition. It can affect anyone and although there are, to date, many genetic markers that may be associated with ASD, there are also many gene-environment interactions that could be factors as well, but we still do not know the exact cause (4,13,14).

It’s important to underline that research should prioritize the consultation, autonomy, well-being, and informed consent of autistic people, which has not always been the case (15).

Women, gender diverse individuals and people of colour are often missed or misdiagnosed. Though the reason for this is unclear, it means that many people living with ASD do not receive a diagnosis until later in life (4,14).
People with ASD are a diverse group of individuals. They have different strengths and needs, so it’s best to get to know them as individuals, assumptions can be hurtful. As in any situation, approaching people with kindness and patience can help you get insight into their perspective of the world.

Sources: https://tinyurl.com/SUFAutismMyths

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