People really not understanding the spectrum of autism???

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I think what you're seeing is really the result of a generational issue. Years ago, there wasn't a "spectrum" the way there is now. Autism was viewed as a much more one-dimensional diagnosis, and people didn't see autistic individuals functioning in society. That is not to say they didn't - they just weren't diagnosed as autistic!

It was the ones who ended up in institutions who didn't do too well, and Kanner blamed the institutions for that, not their innate capabilities.

So yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine whom use to come over my house a lot when I was growing up whom I havent seen in years, told him I was diagnosed with autism..........................

He was like "What? your not autistic, I never saw you handflap, or rock, you had a great personality, I've seen you smile, laugh and enjoy yourself! Even though you didnt really socialize, didnt start talking in complete sentences until the 2nd or maybe 3rd grade, acted extremely weird,, i thought it was just because you were extremely shy, depressed and probably a premie as a baby!"

I didn't know how to reply!

He then went on saying "We all knew something was wrong with you and we knew even though the doctors said you were Mentally ret*d, that it really didn't make any sense because you were so smart. Everybody just tried to be there as much as we could!"

Then he goes "You seem so social now then you ever were a child, I know as a child you didnt even care or have any interest in people, but now you seem sometimes to be life of a party, even though you still cant talk right, and still act extremely weird, You actually are at weddings now, and you have a boyfriend, you can't be autistic, because if so, that would mean you would be autistic as a child and be an autistic adult, right, so wouldnt that mean you shouldn't have a boyfriend or be social now?"

I was like wow!

He then kept saying "How can you be autistic if you didn't handflap, or rock, actually became verbal and now have a boyfriend?"

I asked him "So you mean to say since, I didn't handflap as a child or rock, had a great personality, smiled and laughed, could eventually talk, and now as an adult seem more social, can be the life of the party, and have a relationship, and eventually move on in life... I can't be autistic at all???"

He replies "Well yes, aren't all autistic adults suppose to living in group homes or institutions or need constant 247 supervision?"

I told him "to go read books on temple grandin and etc, and went on saying autistic children become autistic adults, some who are nonverbal more on the severe side stay that way into adulthood, and some grow into higher functioning verbal adults, it depends ALL on the individual!"

He says "How come you don't hear about the ones who become higher functioning then?, how come you only hear about autism in children? I only know what to look for in autistic children, and that when they grow up they are put away in institutions or group homes. And Autism is autism, there is no such thing as he/she autism or life threatening autism or autism with hope or autism with no hope! and Anyways How come you don't hear about autistic adults at all?"

I replied "I always wondered the same thing about the adults, and autism isnt just autism, no individual with autism are the same, and autism can improve and some can grow up and live a happy life"

He goes "I don't doubt your autistic, clearly you were more severe as a child, and we all know how far you've come, actually talking to people, engaging in conversations, being social, i don't think I ever seen you do that as a child but I didn't know that children with autism can ever be more then nonverbal, handlfapping, rocking, or screaming, tantrum making, or dangerous for that matter! Why don't you ever hear of those adults who grew up as a child nonverbal, and now as an adult verbal and if autism is so different, How come when you look at signs of autism, its all the same?"

I then explained that a lot of people are trying to change all of that..

He replied "Well thats good, because everybody I talk to only think every person with autism will never ever be able to live a normal life, and usually are charaterized by their handflapping, toe walking, rocking, usually are nonverbal and very dangerous!"

I then started educated him about autism and the spectrum as much as I could...


I was soo surprised at the whole thing! Hes not the first person i heard that from, how i cant be autistic as a child, because i didnt do the stereotype handflapping, rocking, and how I smiled and laughed as a child? Like what? Or how autistic children automatically grow up to be autistic adults in institutions or group homes??? It made me wonder why isn't there more awareness about the spectrum rather then the signs of autism? Like why instead people say these are the signs, instead put, these are just some signs to look for, not every autistic does these. Or just because that child doesnt handflap or because he doesnt avoid eye contact he can't be autistic, HUH?! Or Why isn't there a lot more awareness about autism adults and what their doing today, wouldn't parents of newly diagnosed children want to know?

There should be so much more awareness on the spectrum on how every autistic is different, on how all those signs or red flags does not fit the whole criteria for autism!

Instead every site should say especially after stating the signs or red flags of autism...Each sign of autism varies for each individual..
Three areas of development that are affected by EVERY individual with autism are: Social interaction, communication and behavior!
..and..
EVERY CHILD OR ADULT WITH AUTISM IS DIFFERENT
..and..
Autism is not a death sentence, some individuals with autism do IMPROVE and CAN live successful lives!



Does anybody else agree with me?

Many doctors believe Asperger’s is significantly overdiagnosed—so much so that it might singlehandedly account for why there has been such a dramatic uptick in the total number of autism-spectrum diagnoses handed out each year.

Bryna Siegel, a child psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco, was a member of the DSM IV working group. She says she “undiagnoses” Asperger’s far more frequently than she diagnoses it. For every 10 children who come to see her with a diagnosis of Asperger’s, she “undiagnoses” nine

Peter Szatmari, another child psychiatrist who was part of the DSM IV effort, also believes Asperger’s has been stretched too far. “I remove the diagnosis about 50 percent of the time,” he says.