What Is Autism?
As more and more people are diagnosed as Autistic in the US and around the world, or begin to realize on their own that they may be somewhere on the spectrum; odds are that if you aren’t autistic yourself, you probably know someone who is — so, what is Autism?
In short, Autism is a set of neurological differences that result in a set of Autistic traits, which may vary from person to person. Autism is most strongly associated with differences in social behavior, but as more and more people with Autism speak out and narrate their own lives, the understanding of Autism has broadened to include many sensory and cognitive differences. Many who are diagnosed with Autism have been at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement, arguing that autism and other neurodivergence’s like ADHD are natural and valuable parts of the human genome and human experience. Although the exact causes of neurodivergence are unknown, autism has existed for a long time — diagnoses are rising because of increased understanding and awareness of the many ways autism can appear, not because autism is a “disease” that is spreading.
Beyond those basics, the most important thing to know, and a phrase you’ll hear often, is that autism is a spectrum. This means that there isn’t one set of traits or behaviors that defines autism for everyone. Most people who are diagnosed with Autism struggle with social cues to some extent, but the degree is different from person to person. Most people with Autism have sensory sensitivities, but the degree of sensitivity and the specific senses affected will vary. Many people diagnosed with Autism struggle with verbal communication, but this may range from being completely nonverbal to situationally mute to hyperverbal. Many people with Autism have co-occurring neurobiological conditions like ADHD, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy, but many do not.
People with Autism also have a spectrum of strengths — one stereotypical image of Autism is a nonresponsive, nonverbal child, but another is of the Autistic savant, an Autistic person with genius-level abilities. Most Autistic people are not savants, but many do have advanced skills in pattern recognition, or a depth of knowledge in the areas that most interest them. A perceived “lack” of social skills often means that, someone with autism is honest, authentic, and straightforward. Some studies even indicate that someone with autism is more likely to make ethical decisions, even without peer pressure pushing them to do so.
Although some Medical communities try to categorize people with Autism as “high” or “low-functioning,” or assign them to different “levels” of Autism; the Neurodiverse community prefers to talk about specific support needs. Those kinds of categorizations are often used to deny services to “high-functioning” people with Autism because they don’t “really need” them, while simultaneously taking away choices and services from “low-functioning” people because if they’re permanently low-functioning, there isn’t any point in helping. Neither of those strategies are acceptable, and the Neurodiversity movement exists alongside the disability movement to ask for basic human rights and support for everyone. Furthermore, a level of “functioning” changes based on how much pain and stress a person is experiencing, and how well their support structure and coping mechanisms handle that stress. Some people with Autism have very high support needs and others can live independently; but all are genuinely Autistic.
With greater understanding and awareness of what Autism really is, we can create better support systems that allow all people diagnosed with Autism to thrive.
I’m a father and advocate for my son who was diagnosed with severe Autism at 4 -1/2 years old. He is now an adult who will be 23 in February 2022. This journey has taught me and my wife a lot, and I want to share what I know from personal experience to anyone who will read it.
