Most people have heard of autism spectrum disorder, but many have limited or inaccurate knowledge about people with autism.
Sue Kabot, executive director of the Autism Institute at NSU’s Mailman Segal Center, mentioned that common characteristics of autism are disordered social-communication skills and less flexible, more concrete thinking. Sometimes, this alternative style of thinking leads to people with autism having extreme interests or skills that the individual prioritizes above all else. Other common behaviors include routine-oriented living and inconsistent responses to sensory stimulation.
People with autism are much more than the qualities or behavioral patterns associated with disorders. They have a wide array of interests and talents, and are often capable of much more than stereotypes warrant. Kabot said that stereotypes often imply, directly or indirectly, that people with autism are unintelligent. In reality, “Disability: A Diversity Model Approach in Human Service Practice” states that people with autism simply have differently developed intelligence, high in some areas and low in others.
Additionally Kabot said, “People expect everybody with autism to have a lot of unusual mannerisms like rocking or twiddling their fingers in front of their eyes, and most people with autism don’t engage in those stereotypical behaviors.”
Related to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, people with autism often face a brigade of barriers. Kabot explained that, because they often have difficulty in the social realm, people with autism may avoid social interaction, which impacts their ability to effectively function in both academia and the workforce, realms both based on communication. On a more personal level, this social difficulty may also impact personal relationships. People may not want to engage with people with autism because they reject those differences, and people that do engage might be unaware of how to do so in way that does not upset the subject.
For anyone unsure about how to interact with someone with autism, Kabot suggested, “Approach them a little more gently or slowly. They may take a little longer to process the language that you’re using when you’re talking to them. You have to be patient and recognize that their conversational skills are not going be necessarily the same as other people you’ve interacted with.”
In regards to stereotypes and stigma of autism, the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), recognizes efforts to both change language surrounding autism and to acknowledge the many similarities people with autism have to people without it. Some professionals have suggested changing “disorder” to “condition,” reinforcing the idea that autism is a variation rather than deficit.
Similarly, Kabot said it’s important to recognize people with autism all have different strengths and weaknesses, just like anyone else, and we should celebrate those strengths. Just as anyone else we encounter, it’s crucial that we judge every person with autism as an individual and do not allow preconceptions to influence our perspective of a person.
As for future prospects for people with autism, it’s crucial to recognize that there is no “cure,” nor should there be any need to conceive of one. Further, people with autism are currently underemployed and pushed into dependent roles, even if they are capable of more.
In response to this issue, Kabot said, “I think we really have to work very hard to develop a range of options to support people with autism as they grow up and teach them to be independent. [We should] give them options for affordable houses and for different levels of support and assistance if they need it.”
