Autism Myths
It's unfortunate there are countless myths about autism. For example, people with autism are aggressive is one common myth. Another myth supposes people with autism are all geniuses. Let's put some of these myths to rest now:
- People with autism are aggressive. While there are some individuals with autism who exhibit aggressive behaviors, most do not. Like most people, individuals with autism may get angry on occasion because of some type of discomfort. They may also feel frustrated because of their inability to communicate.
- Individuals with autism are a danger to society, to themselves and others. Again, like the general population, there are some people with autism who exhibit such behaviors. Most do not. There is absolutely no reason to fear an individual with autism. In fact, it's rare that people with autism react violently.
- People with autism are all alike. Nothing could be further from the truth. While some behaviors can be generalized, e.g. difficulty in social communication, they are as different as anyone else.
- Autism is a mental health disorder. What we now know about autism is that it's a biological disorder that affects the development of the individuals brain and its development.
- Autism is the fault of the parents. I have only one word for that claim: absurd. As far as we now know, autism has nothing to do with how the child was raised. Genetics overrides that foolish belief. In fact, environmental factors have little to do with autism. For example, identical twin studies show if one twin has autism, the other twin has a 90% chance of having autism as well.
- Autism can be cured. As of this writing, there is no known cure for autism.
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