Stupid autism and aspergers myths/stereotypes

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What stupid autism and aspergers myths/stereotypes does everyone hate?




here are some that am hate..


High rate mobility,disabled parking spaces and the autist.
am get both high rate care and high rate mobility of disability living allowance for lf autism related impairments and high complex needs- dont have any physical impairments wrote down.
part of getting high rate mobility,is being able to get own car through the motability scheme,and am currently waiting for one-a metalic pale blue ford focus.
am will also recieve a blue badge as well,which will allow am to park in disabled spaces.
this is where the problems come in.

people always assume that anyone who gets high rate mobility,a motability car or a blue badge are physically disabled and anyone who isnt using a wheel chair or crutch or frame user when they get out of the car is using/getting them illegally.
it's that stupid disabled=able bodied stereotype,and it isn't helped that the recognised logo for disability is a wheel chair either.
many blue badge users in this country have some sort of severe either hidden physical dis. or brain related dis. that requires the use of a close parking spot,yet a lot of the discrimination comes from other disabled people.
many do not know how am affected and why am need a close parking spot,despite typing in detail.
So point to this [just in case am have not actually said it and have gone off onto something else] being autistic and without physical impairment does not mean cannot get HRM,a motability car or a blue badge.
am would think there might be some aspies who would possibly be able to apply [am know at least two including the well mentioned on wp 'aspie b****h from hell' and the aspie who used to live here but they both love public transport.

DLA is impossible for aspies and HFAs
-for any UK aspie or HF autie here,who thinks DLA is impossible because they dont have the 'right' labels,dont let that put off-get an adovcacy service involved and let them fill out the forms.
if are impaired enough by own AS or autism,they will give DLA-as DLA is not supposed to be based on the name of the condition firstly,it's supposed to be the specific impairments they look at.

Auties are not able to use forums or computers
-this is one thing am really hate seeing,and it's not WPers who say it because WPers have a lot more understanding.
these users say classic autistics are not able to use computers and forums so anyone who says theyre an autie online,isn't, or is so hf theyre not even autistic.
am often think,it really is saying a lot more about them than anyone with autism,usually judged on their young child rather than adults,they only see the one type of autie as well [the profound MR] LFA differs just like HFA differs.
just because communication might be difficult or impossible in one form,doesn't mean it is in another.

adulthood means being able to control meltdowns and have less of them
-does not apply to am/definitely does not apply to everyone.

living with other auties or aspies would be great
-it can be worse than living with anything else,having the same stuff inside does not mean it will be much better than with anyone else.


thats all can think of for now...

Educate! EDUCATE! EDUCATE!

People who can't speak, or can't express themselves well through speech, are mentally ret*d.

Aarrghh, aarrgghhh, aaarrrggghhhhh! I am a speech therapist (at least I will be by the end of June), and this stereotype *really* bugs me, because there are so many reasons someone might have difficulty with spoken language that have *nothing* to do with overall cognitive ability!

"High-functioning Autism" means that one can function relatively well in society. A few can, most can't.

AS equating to "mild" Autism means that AS is a "mild" condition. No, it's only "mild" in comparison to Autism, it's a severe condition when compared to "normal" [for the majority of afflicted individuals].

People with Autistic Disorder can't talk. There's a difference between having difficulty in putting thoughts to words, and being unable to talk.

People with Autistic Disorder who can't talk, can't type. There's a difference between verbalizing thoughts and typing/writing thoughts.

People with "HFA" can't be as impaired as those with "LFA". IQ doesn't determine one's level of severity, only one's verbal ability (verbal ability is just one facet that's affected by Autistic Disorder).

People with Aspergers are geniuses.

People with AS are good with math

People with autism are good artists

People with autism can do that math caculations in their head like Rain Man

People with autism don't talk

People with autism are incontinent

People with LFA are mentally ret*d

People with AS have no sense of humor

People with AS are unable to use sarcasm

People with AS are unable to understand idioms

People with autism and AS don't bully

People with AS don't play sports



Yes there are lot of stereotypes about us.

People with AS are all white, ratty litttle white nerds.

1) You don't have autism if you have great eye contact.

My son has great eye contact (well great enough to get away with the NT's) but his flat affect is so noticible.... No one ever considers that.

He has a dx of Autistic disorder and I consider high functioning.

2) Autistic disorder means you are mentally ret*d...

My son has a IQ of 92 and when he was dx'd with the Regional Center they sat down with me and said "It's so nice to see someone with Autism having such a high IQ" This backed up the claim of everybody thinking you have to be mr to have Autistic Disorder and thats just not true.

3) Your son is so engaging..... there's no way he could be on the spectrum.

Well ya, he is engaging when he's talking to adults, and if he wasn't on medication he would go on and on and on about his latest business ideas.

Lainie

You can't talk if you have autism?

Autistics never marry!

Doesn't autism mean your mentally ret*d?

How can you be autistic, you look normal???

People with autism actually go to social events?





I got all of those remarks before, even one like your not handflapping, you can't be autistic? like what? So sad how uneducated and dumb some people are !

Yep. People tend to forget the one-third to one-quarter with Autistic Disorder who have a normal level of intelligence on standardized IQ tests. We're just as Autistic as those with MR who have Autistic Disorder.

You can talk, so there's nothing wrong with you.

You look normal, so there's nothing wrong with you.

You're either profoundly ret*d or faking it.
These are the assumptions that I hate the most.

This is where a great deal of education and awareness is needed. Good luck with your career, keep on fighting the good fight.

"The body of autistic people is working perfectly fine. Autism is damage of the mind/soul."

That one got me really stumped me yesterday. I was like, what the hell? Since when does the brain not equate to a part of the body?

And what's it to mean my soul is damaged?

Last edited by Sora on 07 May 2008, 6:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

I don't like the math stereotype or savant.

Though they have apparently found a reason for the memory of the brain, they apparently haven't really found a reason for anything else, even if they have found chemicals and damage that can change it.

The soul is supposed to be what influences the mind which is like the overall action and intentions of the brain. So some consider the soul, and even the mind, to be different from the brain.

If such a person were to say... "The boy of autistic people is working perfectly fine. Autism is damage of the mind/soul." It could be, after correcting bad english, a way of saying... "The autistic boy is fine. Autism merely changes, or corrupts, your behaviour, goals, ambitions."

Sorry, I missed the d of body. It wasn't supposed to say boy. I must remember not to type a post after a nervous breakdown next time.

Oh, but they definitely meant that our souls are damaged. They actually went so far as to say that this 'soul' will keep the 'damage' after death. They did mean 'soul' as in eternal, questionable something that's beyond a medical definition.

There is something wrong with the rest of my body, my clumsiness and fine motor control problems are not something seen in the general population. And they are related to my other problems...

And the thing about the soul... do they see it in a negative or positive way? I know some other autistic people and when you get to know them they have a good heart.