1. MYTH: Autism is caused by poor parenting (or vaccines, toxins, diet, nutrition, or screen time).
Autism is a life-long neurological processing difference (meaning we’re born Autistic and we die Autistic) that is NOT caused by external factors of lifestyle choices.
Research has consistently shown that Autism is largely genetic, with brain structure and functioning differences present from early development.
The myth that vaccines cause Autism originated from a retracted and discredited study that has been debunked numerous times.
2. MYTH: All Autistic People are introverts who hate socializing.
The myth that all Autistic People are introverts who hate socializing is a harmful and inaccurate stereotype. Autistics are just as diverse as non-autistic people are in this respect.
While I fit this stereotype more than most (as an Autistic Person who prefers quiet, more solitary environments most of the time), even I crave social interactions and enjoy being around other people from time to time.
I prefer to socialize in smaller, more intimate settings – in one-to-one or groups of four people or less (anything else becomes overwhelming to me).
Even the most introverted Autistic People may yearn for meaningful social connections. Many Autistic People desire time around other people, and some Autistic People even consider themselves to be extroverted.
3. MYTH: The Autistic brain type is rare.
According to the most recent report by the CDC, 1 in 36 children have been identified as Autistic.
Additionally, the CDC Data we use to determine Autism prevalence historically has always focused on children, meaning late identified Autistic People and Autistic adults aren’t even considered in the data.
This also doesn’t account for the families who won’t allow Autism screenings (due to cultural differences) and underprivileged kids (who may have less access to medical care and are often left out of screenings).
Less marginalized Autistics, especially those who are cis, straight, white, male, and financially privileged (who have better access to healthcare and are more likely to be taken seriously by their medical providers), are more likely to be seen as Autistic. While those of us who are less privileged will have our Autism seen as other things (mine was labeled “bad behavior” when I was growing up).
If we come from families who don’t have as many resources, we are more likely to slip through the cracks, being diagnosed in adulthood (if we are even diagnosed at all).
Because of this (and a few other factors), I suspect the actual number of Autistic People is even higher than 1 in 36.
4. MYTH: Autism is only found/diagnosed in young boys and children.
Truth: I am a nonbinary human who was diagnosed Autistic as an adult at the age of 29.
Though our diagnostic criteria and many medical providers have biases towards young, white boys (and Autism used to be considered a little boy’s condition by many), we now know Autistic people come from all ages, genders, races, and orientations.
5. MYTH: Autistic People don’t experience feelings or empathy for others.
Empathy is a spectrum, and Autistic People can be found in all places along that spectrum (just like non-autistic people can be).
Some Autistic People have overwhelming hyper-empathy and emotional experiences. In contrast, other Autistic People have much lower, lesser levels of empathy and lower emotional experiences (and there’s nothing wrong with that).
Sometimes, I have so much empathy it physically hurts or makes me feel sick – this is one reason I can’t watch movies and TV where people or animals are being beaten up, injured, or having medical procedures done to them (even though it is acting) – because I feel their pain as if it were my own.
We may express our empathy differently, but that doesn’t mean our empathy is less valid than any other type of empathy other people experience.
When I feel too much, I can shut down, which makes it look like I am cold and uncaring, but in reality, I care so much that I can become bogged down by all the feelings welling up in me at once.
More on hyper-empathy in THIS POST.
It can be harder to empathize with experiences you don’t have (and needs you do not understand) regardless of one’s NeuroType. This is where the double empathy problem (and the confusion between cross-neurotype communication can cause trouble) comes in.
More info about the double empathy problem is in THIS POST.
I feel lots of empathy, often for people who fail to show me the same compassion and grace I give them.
I’m reasonably good at understanding other Autistic People (and how they will perceive my actions and thoughts); however, I DO struggle to know how non-autistic people will interpret and perceive me (as they struggle to understand how an Autistic Person will interpret their actions).
Non-autistic people are just as bad at (if not worse at) understanding Autistic People as we can be at understanding them, with one exception – Autistic People are often EXPECTED to learn to understand and speak the non-autistic language. At the same time, non-autistics don’t have the same pressure to comprehend how Autistics communicate.
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