Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a deeply complex developmental disorder, characterized by difficulty with social interaction, repetitive actions and hyperfixations, difficulty with processing emotion and various physical tics (rocking, flapping arms, etc). The severity of these symptoms are extremely variable, and different autistic people may varying levels of support.
Despite autism having such a wide range of symptoms and characteristics, the public perception of autism is still pretty narrow. This is, in part, because of how autism is represented in the media, often as a white, verbal man with amazing abilities. Socially awkward with strange rituals, yes, but still exceptional. While this is one good representation of autism, it’s not the only kind of autistic person. It’s important that autism is represented more wholly in the media, as TV and cinema are the main ways that most people will be exposed to the disorder, affecting perception as a whole.
The first misconception to tear down is the perception that people with ASD are mainly white men. Popular media rarely portrays autism in a meaningful capacity, and even when it does, that autistic character is a white man. The disorder doesn’t affect any ethnicity, gender or sexuality more or less. Anyone can be autistic. However, according to the CDC, white children are consistently diagnosed more often than Black children (20% more likely) and Hispanic children (50% more likely). Gender is an even more prevalent factor when it comes to diagnosing autism. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), men are four times as likely to be diagnosed as women. Women are often misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety and/or depression instead of ASD. While depression and anxiety often come with autism, that is not the extent of the disorder.
Another misconception of autism is that all people affected with ASD are geniuses, or have savant-like abilities. According to NCBI, while some people with the disorder do display extraordinary memory, mathematical skills and organizational skills, this is only true for about 10% of people with ASD. While it’s true that autistic people typically have a higher IQ on average, they also have a higher rate of intellectual disability (by definition, an IQ below 70) when compared to neurotypicals. It’s called a spectrum disorder for a reason: symptoms and intelligence vary greatly between different people.
This nuance is lost in general media, where autistic people are often mathematical geniuses like Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, talented medical professionals like in The Good Doctor or have exceptional memory like in Rain Man. The problem isn’t with the individual portrayal of the characters, more the trend as a whole. Only one type of autism is being shown.
Being non-verbal is another facet of the autistic community that goes unrecognized. Social difficulties are common within the autistic community, many people having difficulties initiating social interaction or keeping a conversation going. However, a non-verbal person doesn’t talk at all, typically as a response to overstimulation and anxiety. This condition doesn’t prohibit them from communicating at all, as a non-verbal person can think and write just fine, but the act of speaking feels painful. According to NCBI, 25-35% of autistic children are non-verbal, but again, this is something that is overlooked in most media.
ASD is a largely misunderstood disorder, not only because of media, but because of general public ignorance. People with autism are just that: people. They are not dangerous. They aren’t more or less likely to be a genius then a neurotypical. They simply process things differently. Unfortunately, most people reading this don’t have the sway to actually influence how autism is represented in the media, but anybody can educate themselves further. Autism Explained by the Psychology in Seattle podcast on Spotify and YouTube is an easy, accessible discussion on autism, explaining some of the misconceptions about the disorder and sharing personal experiences on life with ASD. Everyone wants to feel understood, even more so when that person feels misunderstood by society. So by educating yourself, you can better accommodate autistic people in the workplace, at school, or even in your home. After all, one in 45 people are autistic, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Odds are, you know someone who is, whether they know it or not.
Photo courtesy of MGM
