Disclaimer,
Before we get into anything. I want to add a little disclaimer that this post is based on my own personal experiences. It is also what I have observed and experienced with my own Autistic child.
So yes. If you have not yet read any of my other posts, I have Autism. And my child is also Autistic.
There are many posts documenting our experiences and our therapies.
This post is my no means a way to say that these facts resonate with everyone.
Or to say that these are the only facts about Autism.
Because it isn’t.
Everyone experiences Autism differently and everyone on the ASD spectrum have different ‘facts’ of their version of Autism that they live with.
However, these are mine and other peoples ‘facts’ that I have come across and have documented.
I believe it is a good idea to read some books on Autism. Especially if you are looking for more information regarding Autism.
And while I do think that it is best to read and learn information from people who live with Autism and have been trying to understand it their whole lives. I also recommend that you read some books.
One of these books is called, “The Official Autism 101 Manual” which is great in introducing the topic of Autism from professional experts on Autism.
About Autism
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. It can range from mild to severe.
Some individuals may have mild symptoms and be able to live independently. While others may require significant support and assistance throughout their lives.
Regardless of where on the Autism spectrum you or a person you know sits on. Autism is a lifelong thing that we live with and have to deal with every moment of our lives.
The characteristics of Autism can be observed as early as infancy or toddlerhood.
AND THERE IS NO CURE!
It is part of our personality and absolutely not a disease.
We found out our child is diferent since 1 and a half years old. We might have noticed a little earlier than that actually.
Some people like us, have decided to place our children into various therapies. This is to help them understand and control their Autism. So that they can get the help that they needed in order to function fully and independently.
Some of the common symptoms of Autism include,
- Having difficulty with social interaction and communication.
- Restricted interests or constant repetitive behaviors.
- Being delayed in speech and language development.
- Having difficulty with eye contact.
- Struggling with understanding emotions and
- Having trouble expressing emotions.
I have written a post on what the POSITIVE aspects of having Autism which you can read here, “10 Positive things about being Autistic‘
As well as what the possible NEGATIVE things about living with Autism. That you can read here, “10 Negatives of being Autistic”
Lets get started with the actual post now!
Facts about Autism
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Autism is a spectrum disorder:
Not any 2 Autistic people are the same.
Nor are their experiences the same.
And between each other we might prefer certain aspects of our Autism that others might hate.
Some Autistic people need much more care and help throughout their lives because they struggle to function on their own. And it shows.
Whereas, other Autistic people might not even have any ‘visible’ Autism. Their struggle is mainly internal and ‘invisible’. So with that first look you would not know that those individuals struggle at all. Masking is real yall!
2. It’s a neuro-developmental disorder:
This means that it affects the development of the brain and its functions.
Developmental disorders which affect the brain basicallly mean that the persons:
- Emotions.
- Their ability to learn.
- Ability to self-control and
- Their memory function
are all affected.
Some of these might be hyper slow or hyper developed.
3. There is no single cause of autism:
Autism is believed to have multiple causes. Including genetic and environmental factors.
There is no one single cause that can explain why someone develops Autism.
I have heard a lot of comments speculating that Autism develops because the mother had a difficult pregnancy. Or a difficult birth.
Or trauma which occured during one or both of those things.
Falling, or bumping your head also does not cause Autism.
While we are still unsure about the causes of Autism, it is most likely a combination of things. We do know however, that genetics definitely play a role!
4. It’s more common in boys than girls:
Autism is more commonly diagnosed in boys than in girls. Also according to the CDC, boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with Autism than girls.
This year (2023), the Center of Disease and Control prevention also reported that roughly 1 in every 36 born children in the United States alone are diagnosed with having Autism.
A point to note, however, is that Autistic girls are much better at masking than Autistic boys. At least, it is so in my personal experience.
Moreover, girls tend to be much more able, from a young age to mimic identially. Specifically, common behaviours that they see among their peers. This can help them mask their Autistic tendencies even more.
Because of this, it might cause professionals much more difficulty in diagnosing girls with Autism than boys.
5. It’s not caused by vaccines:
There is no scientific evidence to support any claims that vaccines cause Autism. Specifically, people claim that there are major faults in the MMR vaccine. And, that when these vaccines are given to young children, cause defects in the brain chemistry. These developing brain defects then translate to Autism.
Multiple studies have been conducted to investigate this claim.
6. It’s a lifelong condition:
Autism is a lifelong condition. We found in particular that placing our child in therapy has siginificantly helped them learn to manage their symptoms.
It is definitely worth nothing that symptoms change over time.
Autistic children most commonly exhibit different symptoms than their adult counterparts.
Examples of this include Autistic children throwing tantrums or hiding away in their rooms.
In Autistic teenagers, it may appear as wearing headphones and staying in your room for most of the time.
Or attending an event and then being reclusive for some days after the event has ended.
In Autistic adults, it can be seen as being an introvert or socially distant.
Anytime there is a new development in an Autistic persons life, their habits might change to accomodate the new development. So that the Autistic person is able to better deal with it.
7. It’s a communication disorder:
Autistic people prefer people being blunt and honest. But we are in a place where we must constantly read between the lines and learn and understand whenever words have double meanings. AND the potential of what those double meaning may mean.
Autism affects communication and social interaction skills. Individuals who are diagnoses with Autism can struggle in understanding social cues and nonverbal communication, which can make social situations challenging.
In addition to this, understanding and expressing emotions can also be a massive undertaking. And extremely energy draining I should add.
Furthermore, we might not know the socially correct way to address someone. This can lead to people getting offended, when really, we meant no offence at all.
To clarify. We have no clue about what we actually said to offend you.
To add to that, society is consistently changing what is socially acceptable and what it is. And I will be honest with you. As an introvert and a socially reclusive person, it becomes very difficult to keep up.
8. It’s often accompanied by other conditions:
Most people with autism have additional conditions.
These can include:
- Anxiety,
- Depression,
- ADHD, and
- Sensory processing disorder.
Sometimes it can make life extremely hard to deal with!
9. Early intervention is critical:
Early diagnosis and intervention can make a significant difference. The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier the interventions. And so, the earlier the support can begin.
We know this. And studies support this. My child is proof of this.
Their anxiety has reduced. As well as their panic attacks.
And my child has now learnt to better handle emotions.
My child is doing currently in speech therapy, ABA therapy and PRT therapy.
And my god, the improvement is amazing.
We have been doing these therapies with my Autistic child since the age of around 2 years old.
So it has been quite a few years now.
This is why it is so important to get an early diagnosis. Unfortunately, countries like the United Kingdom have extremely long waiting lists by years and years in order to get a child diagnosed.
So this can seriously delay any form of early intervention therapies which might be available.
On the other hand you have the United States, where it can be extremely costly to go through specialists to get a proper diagnosis. Whether, it is for yourself or a child.
And this means that it is unfortunately, unaffordable for a lot of families.
10. Autistic individuals can lead successful lives:
With the right support and treatment. Individuals with Autism can lead fulfilling and successful lives without experiencing trauma.
Otherwise, if you are anything like me. You will still get there – with being married and having children. Holding down a job and also having hobbies. However, you will get there with a lot of trauma and baggage.
Leaving Autistic individuals to fend for themselves is really not something I advocate for.
We are people are think, process, evaluate, experience and see things differently.
And unfortunately society does not yet cater to us.
Having someone around us to help us understand how things work and why things are the way they are. As well as how the majority of other people function is ideal.
Autistic children who do not have support can grow into insecure, anxious and self conscious adults who are really struggling with life.