What is the general view of autism awareness?

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Among people on the spectrum, I mean. Upon learning that I most likely have AS...I immediately *assumed* that autism awareness was much higher than it actually is, and I think that a lot of people who don't really know anyone who is autistic or have a reason to think about it also assume that people who are dealing with autism have systems in place and have it all figured out. So, of course, I set out to find the help that I just assumed was waiting just around the corner with open arms, and was slapped in the face by the reality of autism awareness - that it is actually very low, and I was shocked. I was shocked to learn that my friends and family are not going to be supportive, but instead they're going to respond by being insulted at the suggestion that autism could be in the family, and disbelief. I was shocked to learn that my therapist literally knows nothing about autism and refuses to discuss it with me. I couldn't believe that she tried to tell me that a "melt-down" is "normal behavior" in order to avoid the topic. Upon seeking alternative assistance, I was than shocked to learn that despite the fact that I live near a mid-sized city, there are NO adult autism services available, but rather I have to be placed on a waiting list that is months out to be evaluated on the other side of the state. I was shocked when my husbands therapist "humored him" by giving him the AQ test and couldn't believe that he got a 32. This is a mental health professional who has read (and later recommended) Tony Attwood's books, and still couldn't recognize a person on the spectrum.

Anyway...all of this makes me feel a lot of anger! I guess I'm angry because I feel like there are a lot of people out there that would want to become involved in providing assistance, if they only knew that there was a need. I feel like life for autistic people could be a lot better if awareness was higher. This got me wondering if other people on the spectrum feel this way as well? I feel like I want to do something about this, but I also feel like I can't until I get diagnosed because no one will take me seriously.

So what are your views of autism awareness? Do you feel any passion for raising it? Am I just an ignorant fool? lol Thanks everyone!

In my country autism is viewed as a disease. The only Internet forums that deal with ASD are directed to and populated by despairing NT families who complain how "cursed" they are for having "handicapped children" and how hard it is on them and how the therapy they subjected their kids to gives them "hope for tomorrow".
Just now I've read a thread where some nice lady is panicking that her 3 year old son was diagnosed with "atypical autism".


So, go figure.

Autism is a disease. There is nothing wrong with autistic people, just autism. The same way I'm against cancer, but I'm fully supportive of cancer patients. Most people on here have mild Aspergers. Yeah, based on their experiences, it's far from mild, but compared to full-blown autism: inability to communicate, zero understanding of social cues and social situations, zero social functionality, unable to live independently/hold a job etc., most Aspies have it well.

For the people who have great inner talent but autism is preventing them from letting it shine, then it is a disease. Everyone is different of course.

With all of the media hype over ASDs nowadays, albeit often sensationalized and potentially hurtful (i.e., Autism Speaks), I think that autism awareness is fairly high. That doesn't mean that the Rain Man stereotypes aren't still largely in play, but I don't get an impression from the general public of autism being viewed with all that much stigma compared to other neuropsych disorders. Since it's being described as a "neurodevelopmental disorder" and a "brain difference," as well as the fact that it's thought of largely as a children's disorder, I feel that when people hear someone has autism, they don't blame the individual as much for their odd behavior. Yes, there is still judging and such, but I think lots of people view the autism diagnosis of worthy of sympathy compared to other neuropsych disorders.

Do we see the same amount of awareness regarding the neurobiological background for, say, major depression? Or schizophrenia? Of course not. Mental illness is still perceived by many as being the person's "fault," and overprescription of psychiatric medications in this day and age only adds to people thinking that people are "faking" symptoms or taking medication as an "easy way out." Even with the large amount of misconceptions about ASDs still out there, I think many people would consider calling someone "autistic" as an insult to be somewhat offensive. But look how many times people use labels like "crazy" or "psychotic" or "obsessive" or "bipolar" to joke around, and nobody says a word about it...

Autism isn't a disease.

According to Merriam Webster, autism is definitely a disease:

"an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors : sickness, illness—called also morbus; compare health 1"

Why do you say austism is not a disease?

aspergers is not a disease it even says so on the footer of this site. its a neurological disorder

Thank you. I've always been told it's a neurological / developmental disorder.

If this site and others always told you that two plus two equals five, would it become true, or would it be a good idea to ask what they base their position on?

Is it possible that disease and disorder are synonyms in which mere convention dictates that disorder is used for mental conditions and disease for physical?

But that would make no sense. I was always led to believe that diseases are progressive. Most physical disabilities aren't progressive.

This discussion of disease is largely semantic. For me a disease is caused by a pathogen. So polio is a disease but cerebral palsy is not. In the mental health community autism is considered a developmental disability and would be grouped with down syndrome that is caused by a chromosomal trisomy.

Where it gets tricky is there are genetic conditions like PKU and Tay-Sachs that are caused by genetic errors but are still considered diseases. The difference seems to be these "diseases" are progressive unlike down syndrome or autism.

How can you claim that it is a disease or disorder if you don't even know what causes it and how it works?

However, what is known so far suggests that it's neither.