Challenging Misconceptions about Autism

Despite a recent increase in awareness, autism is still largely misunderstood by non-autistic people (also known as ‘allistic’ people). This is partly due to the prevalence of misconceptions and stereotypes relating to autism, especially those perpetuated by the media. Despite often being mentioned with innocent intentions, the perpetuation of such misconceptions can be very harmful. In fact, the traits that are largely associated with autism are not congruent with the experiences of many autistic individuals from under-represented backgrounds. Therefore, I will be exploring the ways in which stereotypes and misconceptions can cause harm, the ways in which autism can present across under-represented groups, and my own experiences of growing up as an autistic female.

Personally, I’m quite open about my diagnosis of autism; I have no shame in sharing the fact that I’m autistic if it’s relevant to the conversation or if I believe that I could benefit from reasonable adjustments. Disclosing the fact that I’m autistic, however, is often met with misinformed (albeit well-meaning) responses. I’ve heard a lot of these kinds of comments throughout my life, with some of the most memorable being:

·      “I’d never have guessed; you don’t look autistic!”

·      “You must only be mildly autistic; you’re a great conversationalist”

·      “Really? My distant relative’s friend’s son is autistic and he’s nothing like you!”

This is by no means a dig at the people who have said these things; with the abundance of misinformation floating around, it’s no surprise that many people internalise inaccurate stereotypes. Within the media, autism has historically been associated with specific tropes, such as the trope of the socially awkward, Caucasian male who excels at maths, adores franchises, and whose autistic traits (such as sensory processing difficulties, stimming and literal thinking) provide comic relief. The character of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory is an example of this trope; many viewers assume that he’s autistic, even though this has never been confirmed within the show, which highlights the prevalence of stereotypes relating to autism.

Some more common stereotypes and misconceptions about autism include:

·       All autistic people are introverted and socially awkward

·       All autistic people are rigid and literal thinkers

·       Autism is a ‘new’ or ‘modern’ condition

·       Autism isn’t a disability

·       Autism is only present in Western cultures

·       Autism is caused by vaccines / modern medicine

·       Autistic traits are the result of an individual’s upbringing

·       Autism can be ‘cured’

·       All autistic people struggle to show emotions and empathy

·       Autistic people are violent

·       Autism is caused by vaccines

·       You can tell if somebody is autistic by looking at them

·       All autistic people possess the same traits, e.g. an intolerance of loud noises

The issues caused by such misconceptions include, but are not limited to:

·      Autistic people’s individual struggles being overlooked or dismissed because they do not fit very limited stereotypes

·      High-masking autistic people, especially autistic females, being dismissed or denied the support that they desperately need

·      Heightened discrimination against autistic people from global-majority backgrounds

·      Heightened focus on the presentation of autism in Western societies

·      The dismissal of cultural factors that may affect the presentation of autistic traits

·      Perpetuation of the assumptions that autistic people lack empathy or are violent (this is very rarely the case, even though some autistic people may have meltdowns and struggle to portray empathy in a neurotypical manner)

·      Social exclusion and discrimination

·      Internalised ableism resulting in barriers to education, training, employment and healthcare

Of course, there are some autistic people who do possess stereotypical traits, just as there are some neurotypical people who also possess the same traits. My aim isn’t to dismiss these individuals, but to demonstrate that autism is a neurodevelopmental condition with traits that exist on a spectrum; a spectrum that is much more nuanced than a scale ranging from ‘less autistic’ to ‘more autistic’. It's also worth noting that scientific evidence shows no causal association between autism and vaccines. The autistic brain exhibits unique structural and functional differences compared to the neurotypical brain, with significant differences present in the cerebellum, amygdala and hippocampus. Autistic brains exhibit altered patterns of connectivity, a potential reduction in synapses, and differences in neurotransmitter systems. Genetic factors and developmental differences are thought to be the predominant causes of these differences. This is a very brief overview, but there is an abundance of evidence to support the fact that autistic behaviours are not a choice.

I am aware that as a white, British individual, I am very privileged in many ways. Therefore, I cannot speak for autistic people from global-majority and/or non-white backgrounds, even though this is a very important issue within itself. However, I can provide some insight into how my autistic traits manifest as a female, and how this has impacted my life. Considering the fact that I displayed autistic traits throughout my childhood and struggled significantly at school, I wasn’t diagnosed until the age of 13 (which is still significantly earlier than many autistic females). The characteristics that I now know to be autistic traits, such as struggling socially, having a slow processing speed, needing predictability/routine, experiencing sensory issues, copying others, extreme fatigue, having intense obsessions/hyper-fixations, executive disfunction, difficulty switching tasks, being extremely anxious, over-analysing everything and failing to see the ‘bigger picture’, were dismissed due to my quiet nature.

I strongly believe that many stereotypes of autism are based upon a specific set of traits that can be observed in some autistic males. Statistically, autistic females are much more likely to go undiagnosed until adulthood, or to be mis-diagnosed with mental health conditions such as anxiety disorder. The reason for this is likely due to a combination of genetic predisposition and social conditioning. Many autistic females develop strong ‘masking’ skills as a way to cope with a hostile society. They may imitate their peers to fit in and memorise conventional conversation topics, actions and gestures. Furthermore, common ‘special interests’ amongst autistic females include celebrities, beauty, animals, music, books and TV shows/films. Such topics may be viewed as ‘socially acceptable’ interests for women, and women who hyper-fixate on more unconventional topics may be treated differently to those who don’t.

I imagine that the dismissive comments I have previously received after disclosing my autism diagnosis are a reflection of my ability to mask. During my early childhood, my autistic traits were much more obvious. I had very strong hyper-fixations on things that weren’t popular amongst my peers (a memorable example being classic Tom and Jerry cartoons), I often had uncontrollable public meltdowns (despite being otherwise very quiet), and I would follow very rigid routines. Because of this, I was bullied at school, labelled as ‘spoiled’ and ‘selfish’ by some adults, and struggled to make friends. Over time, I learned to keep my interests to myself and began to mimic others, even if it made me uncomfortable. My hyper-fixations also shifted over time: as a teenager, I hyper-fixated on specific bands and the people I was crushing on at the time. The only thing separating my hyper-fixations with conventional teenage interests was the intensity of my obsession. My tendency to become fixated on a specific topic morphed into something more sinister when I experienced several close and traumatic bereavements, the first of which occurred when I was 15. As a way to cope with overwhelming emotions, I unconsciously began to obsess over calories, food and my weight. I was subsequently diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. My eating disorder was never driven by a desire to look ‘skinny’; rather, the physiological impact of starvation numbed difficult emotions and provided a feeling of control. During a very difficult period of my life, the rigid routines and rituals associated with anorexia ensured that every day was a predictable repeat of the last, which gave me a sense of safety and distance from potential threats. It’s predicted that up to 35% of people diagnosed with an eating disorder are also autistic. Upon reflection, it makes sense that autistic people are prone to developing thought processes and behaviours that provide routine, predictability and solitude in an often overwhelming and unfair world. Additionally, autistic people are more likely to experience intolerances to certain tastes, textures, smells and visual stimuli. They are also more prone to developing specific 'safe-foods', routines/rituals relating to eating and fears around eating, such as the fear of choking.

It's worth noting that routine, predictability and solitude are not desired by all autistic people. The idea that all autistic people are introverts with rigid thinking styles is another stereotype. Many autistic people are highly creative, spontaneous and emotionally intelligent. Lots of autistic people are also sensory seeking, meaning that they actively seek out sensory stimuli, such as lights and loud noises, to self-regulate. I know multiple autistic people who need constant stimulation and company in order to function. Although this opposes the typical stereotypes associated with autism and I can’t relate to their needs, this doesn’t mean that they’re any less autistic – nor does it invalidate their individual struggles. 

Furthermore, it isn’t uncommon for autistic people to have a mixture of all of these traits. Personally, I need routine, predictability and solitude to function. However, I also love to go to coffee shops, bars and concerts with friends when the plans have been made in advanced. I’m quite creative, I can think ‘outside the box’ and I’m a big fan of live music, even though I’m not great with sudden loud noises. Even though I can be socially awkward at times, I can engage in small talk with both familiar and unfamiliar people. I’m often complimented for being ‘polite’ because I’ve memorised scripted conversations for almost every occasion. However, just because I can do all of these things, I do find that they massively drain my energy. My abilities also fluctuate day-to-day, and oftentimes, I need several days of alone time to self-regulate after an intense interaction or event. I have a much slower processing speed than the average person and if I overwhelm myself by taking on too much, I can completely lose my ability to function. These factors, when paired with my various disabilities/chronic health conditions, affect my ability to engage in tasks associated with daily living and limit my employment opportunities.

It's estimated that only around 22% of autistic adults are in paid employment in the UK. This is likely due to barriers to employment such as a lack of understanding from employers, inaccessible recruitment processes and a lack of appropriate support. However, this doesn’t mean that all autistic people are unable to work. Many autistic people thrive in full-time employment and/or self-employment. On the other hand, some autistic people are completely unable to work or volunteer, and this is also perfectly valid.

Ultimately, autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that manifests in a diverse range of behaviours, thought patterns and traits. No two autistic people are the same and every autistic person has a unique set of abilities. The stereotypes of autism seen within the media may represent a percentage of autistic people, but the perpetuation of stereotypes can be harmful for those who don’t fit into them. For example, autistic people who don’t display stereotypical traits are less likely to be diagnosed and more likely to engage in harmful or self-destructive behaviours due to a lack of support. Autistic people from under-represented backgrounds are also more likely to face barriers to support. Therefore, it’s important to challenge misconceptions and recognise the many diverse ways in which autism can manifest.

-Kirsty