Where is this autism spectrum of ours headed?





I agree with those sentiments.

Thirty years ago, the largest percentage of kids diagnosed with autism also had some degree of intellectual disability and were by any standard, near 100% disabled.  Today, the majority of kids diagnosed with autism do not have intellectual disability and most will grow up to live and work independently.   That's not because the number of kids with intellectual disability has dropped; it's because the autism diagnosis is applied to a much broader swath of population. 

To understand how this has happened one need only look at how the phrases used in the definition are interpreted.  For example, "Substantial communication impairment," was at one time a euphemism for, "unable to have a conversation."  Today it can mean that, or it can mean, "has difficulty reading body language and interpreting unspoken messages."  The range of meaning of those three simple words has expanded tremendously.



As the autism spectrum expands to encompass more people with progressively greater verbal and written communication skills, those individuals have begun speaking for themselves.  By doing so, they are altering the public's perception of what or who an autistic person is or may become.

This reshaping of perception has moved the public's concept of autism higher on the IQ range, with more and more people seeing "autism" as a euphemism for "eccentric geek," or, "genius," which is most assuredly is not.  Popular television shows like Parenthood and Big Bang Theory reinforce that trend.


What might we do about this?





Autistic brain differences may indeed be a component of creative genius, but they are more often a contributor to significant disability.  We need to balance our own desire to "think positive about our potential" with the need to keep the public more in touch with current reality and the services we so desperately need.

The autism spectrum still includes a large population - several hundred thousand in the US alone - who currently have no realistic hope of substantial employment.  That is a tragedy.  And it's not because they are discriminated against.  It's because they are disabled.  Not only that, they are disabled for reasons we don't understand and in ways we don't know how to fix.


For this New Year, I wish for all of us to keep our more challenged brothers and sisters in mind whenever we discuss autism with the public.  It's great to be upbeat, but for many, autism remains a crippling disability.  The fact that some of us emerge from disability as an adult does not make the challenges faced by others who do not any less real or meaningful.


Recent Posts in My Life With Asperger's

April is Autism Awareness / Acceptance Month


Neurodiversity: What Does It Mean for 2015?

Neurological Diversity is a fact of life, gift and disability alike

High Functioning Aspies Don't Know What Real Autism Is

Divisive opinions about the true nature of autism only hurt our community

Recognizing Autism and Emotion in Brain Scans

MRI imagery separates autistic from neurotypical with 97% accuracy.

Jerry Seinfeld and Autism


