"What is Autism?" 5 Easy Explanations
Hi readers!
I hope you have enjoyed having more frequent posts recently. I have been feeling super inspired.
Throughout my life, I have had to explain to people what autism actually is. This is something I only stopped struggling with one or two years ago. I would find myself confused over what I should share, how to explain it so the person would understand or genuinly what autism was.
Growing up, I always knew Bill was "different". When I was young, my parents would explain it to me by saying that there was "a part of his brain missing." This made sense to me when I was younger, but now, not so much.
These people I have to explain it to, friends, family, teachers, babysitters, parents, coaches, they don't need long-winded science definitions. So here are 5 quick and easy explanations summing up Autism.
1. Autism is a Spectrum Disorder.
This essentially means that there are a wide variation of symptoms that a "sufferer" could possess. This person, based on these symptoms, then falls somewhere on an imaginary line which decides whether they are high functioning, low functioning or neither.
2. Just because someone is "high-functioning", doesn't make it any easier.
This is partially from personal experience. My brother was initially diagnosed as "high functioning", along with some other things such as ADHD. You would think that this makes it easier to deal with, but this is only partially true. Low-functioning does imply some things, such as severe learning disabilities and difficulty speaking up to around age 10, however high-funtioning doesn't exactly come with "perks". When you hear "high functioning", people like Bill Gates and Albert Einstien come to mind. Not all high-functioning autistic people are geniuses.
3. People with Autism are all different from one another.
If you have met one person with autism, you have had exposure to ONE TYPE of autism. Every single person exhibits different symptoms. Yes, there are the common themes that parents initially notice that allude them to possibility of autism, but these are extremely rarely similar to another case. Some people may be chatty, others silent. Some may never sit still, others will never want to move. Every case is different.
4. Children with Autism will rarely "outgrow" it.
Autism is a life sentence. You cannot outgrow it. However, studies to indicate that with early diagnosis and proper care symptom can reduce and have a significantly improved outcome.
5. There is no known "cause" for Autism, and there is no cure.
No one knows what caused autism, and this is a fact. There are many conspiracy theories about faulty vaccinations, but this makes about as much sense as the well-known theory that The Royal Family of the UK, along with the Bushes, the Clintons, and many other rich, prestigious families, are actually man-eating shapeshifting lizard-people from the fourth dimension. It is generally accepted that autism is caused by abnormalities in brain structure and function. Additionally, there are many treatments in the form of medication and therapy, but nothing can just make it "go away".
People with autism also have many special strangths and abilities. It isn't all either unrealistically high IQ's or not being able to read until you're 40. These people are accepting, kind and the most passionate people I have ever met.
I hope that you are able to use these 5 simple explations to explain to someone who maybe doesn't know a lot what autism is, or maybe you yourself now know more about this disorder.
I look forward to hearing your feedback (:
Love,
E.