Autism Misrepresentation

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In my search for understanding and knowledge of self, researching Asperger's in hope to discover therapy that can be administered personally and of my own volition, I have realized that those responsible for marketing Autism Awareness have sadly misrepresented the disorder, giving the general impression that all individuals on the Spectrum are extremely intellectually and/or physically impaired.
Generally speaking, those with Autism who are displayed in the media on a national or international stage are often children, the strategy being that it evokes more sympathy in the average human being. When an adult on the Spectrum is featured in interviews, articles, or documentaries they usually are intellectually impaired and have an IQ that is either far below average, making them legally disabled.
Although I understand again that the purpose is to illuminate them in a way that makes them less threatening, it does give the wrong impression of Autism Spectrum Disorder as a whole. Portraying adults with Autism in this manner may mislead the public into thinking that Autism may be a severe mental illness or a chromosomal disorder such as Down Syndrome.
Being that so little is known in the medical community and in the general public, you would think that what would be needed to bring awareness to Autism research is to exhibit those with High Functioning Autism who possess special gifts, so as to shed light on the possibility for great civil contributions from those on the Spectrum if given the proper learning, physical, and emotional therapy.
It has become apparent to me that the people who have changed the course of human history with innovative research and implementation of art and science such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Ben Carson, John D. Rockefeller, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, Ayn Rand, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and many others have Asperger's Syndrome.
It would behoove those interested in bringing awareness to the cause, to bring stories like these to the foreground so all may take interest knowing the exceptional talents possessed by those with High Functioning Autism.

Indeed, I believe it behooves us to bring our stories to the forefront.

Autism, to most people, is a combination of some kid twirling a rope or spinning a top, plus Rainman.

This is why WrongPlanet exists.

I agree with you. I thought I didn't have an ASD because those I saw portrayed were all lower functioning than me and the aspies I've met in person were different to me and I thought im not like that though. On the front page of wrong planet there is a video about Darius McCollum, a man who really likes buses and trains and I watched it, he spoke like an NT ( some people have an odd voice and speech ) and had picked up fairly good basic social skills to be able to get to know the train /bus drivers and do what he did, but he is still autistic even though he has some skills.

I think I'm kind of more like that but I don't commit crimes lol. I mean as in my social skills are alright to get me by in things that need doing and I talk like any other person but do actually still have an ASD

No proof, one can only speculate based on mostly on historical accounts of social presentation by people who were clueless about autism because the knowledge was just not there at the time. Little way to know sensority sensitivities, stims in private, what they were like as young children. Do not get me wrong I suspect some of these people and doubt others on this list myself but that is as far as I can go without evidence. 10 Percent of autistics are sevants so it it is likely some Autistic people changed the world. Saying that and saying people who were demonstratebly different changed the world is enough to make the needed point.

The intellecualy impaired Autistic stereotype is hurtful because of peoples lowered expectations and infintilization of us. But there is another Autistic stereotype that has hit the scene in the last 10 year the socially awkward genius. Every TV show has at least one of these type charactors now. It was a good thing when it started in that it eased the ret*d stereotype but enough already, it is counterproductive at this point. For actual autistic high intellegent people thier struggles internally to get to that point are minimilized if they are recognized at all. A lot of people think autism is a fake disease or people on the "mild" end of the spectrum are not really autistic just using the label because they are a special snowflake because it is so funny on TV.

Thing is by law of averages most of us are not near the very "low" or "high" end of the spectrum. Companies are not going to hire us as thier programmers to show the world and convince themselves how progressive and diverse they are. If we are luckly maybe we get a minimum wage got job through vocational rehabilitation. If you are are not at either end of the spectrum it is if you do not exist. We do exist and recieve the negative effects of both stereotypes.

If you want to talk about misrepresenting autism it might be wise not labelling a bunch of people as being autistic with no proof whatsoever simply because they have had a positive effect on the world.

I agree with ASPartOfMe that there can be misrepresentation at both ends of the functioning spectrum. It's as misleading and damaging for the general public to only be shown examples of autism in which great disability is the reality, as it is to have the world believe that if you're not that kind of autistic, then you must be Sheldon Cooper or at least a Sheldon wannabe.

Not every person on the autism spectrum is severely disabled, but also, not every person on the autism spectrum is Mensa intelligent, highly gifted and destined to be the next Bill Gates -- another "speculated autist" but not established.

Mostly, many are populating the middle reality and are nothing like either extreme stereotype.

Don't mean to derail, but why are people so insistent on making Bill Gates an autistic hero? Do they not realize he made his money off sweatshops? Likewise, Steve Jobs.

I personally don't hold Bill Gates to be anything at all. But others have seemed to. I mention his name only because he is another example of one of the list of people whom some people believe to be autistic even though it's never been proven, established, diagnosed, announced etc. The OP posted a list of people he believes had or have Aspergers, all unfounded, and I mention Bill Gates only as yet another.

Personally I have no investment in his being on the spectrum, I don't know and don't care. But people like to think he is and I don't know why either -- maybe because they hope for him to be a beacon. I don't invest in any of that.

I'd also like to note I've never personally been invested similarly in the character Sheldon Cooper either, the way some people may appear to be.