7 Important Facts About Autism Everyone Should Know

Autism is far from rare, yet this neurolodevelopmental condition is frequently misunderstood. Let's take a look at some of the most important things you need to know about autism spectrum disorder, and do some myth-busting along the way!

1. Autism is pretty common

Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network estimates that one in every 59 children are on the autism spectrum. Because autism is a lifelong condition, autistic children grow up to become autistic adults — but because awareness of the condition has only recently began to increase, many autistic adults remain undiagnosed. Around two percent of the entire human population is approximated to be on the autism spectrum. 

Autism is still identified in boys about four times more often than in girls. It's unclear, however, whether this is because autism is truly more common among males, or because females tend to manifest slightly differently and are simply more likely to fly under the radar and remain undiagnosed. 

2. Autism impacts the way a person interacts with other people

Autistic people see the world — and the people in it — differently, and relate to others in atypical ways. Autistic people may, for instance, find it difficult to initiate conversations, know how to reply to things said to them, maintain friendships, and understand other people's feelings and reactions. Autistic people may outwardly behave in ways that throw neurotypicals (people without autism or other conditions that make them neurodiverse, like ADHD) off. They may have trouble making eye contact, could have an unusual tone or volume of voice, and have a peculiar vocabulary, for instance. Some autistic people are non-verbal or minimally verbal. (This doesn't mean they cannot communicate through other means, such as augmentative and alternative communication devices.)

Autistic people are also notorious for their love of routines and sameness and distress when faced with change. They may become overwhelmed by sensory input — things like bright lights, strong smells, and crowds of people — and are often very passionate about specific topics. To cope with life, many autistic people engage in "self-stimulatory behaviors", or stimming for short. This can feature movements like hand-flapping and fidgeting, or repeating phrases or making sounds. 

3. Autism isn't a mental illness or an intellectual disability

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition — which essentially means that autistic brains are fundamentally wired differently. It's a state of being, not a mental disorder like depression or schizophrenia. Autism also isn't, like some people think, an intellectual disability — autistic people span the whole range of possible IQ levels, from below-average to highly intelligent. The condition itself can officially be diagnosed with or without intellectual impairment. 

4. Autism isn't caused by vaccines or bad parenting

5. Autism functioning labels can be deceiving

The fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders divides autism spectrum disorder into three levels. At level one, which is also often called high-functioning autism or mild autism, a person will require some support to function optimally and to navigate social relationships and interactions.

At level two, a person will require much more support because they will encounter substantial challenges in social relationships and daily functioning. Level three, often called low-functioning or severe autism, would be applied to autistic people who need very substantial support. These people, the DSM-5 says, may be non-verbal and become greatly distressed when faced with small changes. 

Many autistic people are completely outraged by these functioning labels. They "box people in" in a way that means very little. Someone stuck with a level one label may be expected to function at a much higher level than they actually can, for instance, while someone considered to be "severely autistic" may not be taken seriously as a result of this label, though they can function extremely well with the right support. Furthermore, the very same person may meet the criteria for level one autism one day, but become mute when faced with stress and obstacles. 

6. Autistic people aren't antisocial and don't necessarily lack empathy

The ideas that autistic people don't feel empathy and that they're "in their own worlds" and simply don't care for other people that much are particularly toxic. Many people on the spectrum are indeed socially isolated, but this is despite the fact that they would very much welcome more friendships into their lives. Autistic people may have trouble "reading" non-autistic people's non-verbal cues, but that doesn't mean they don't care about your problems, pain, or happiness. Autistic people usually very much want friendship and definitely care — they may just express this in ways that are unusual to others. 

7. An autism diagnosis isn't 'the end of the world'

If your child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, or you yourself are, it may trigger all sorts of "doom and gloom" feelings and thoughts — at least partially because of the stigma that is still attached to this diagnosis. An autism diagnosis is by no means the end of the world, however. Autistic people can live full and fulfilling lives. They can fall in love and raise families. They can do jobs they love, and make incredible contributions to society. They can (pretty much like everyone else) learn to understand and accept themselves and others — they can be happy and make others happy. Autism may make a person different, but it certainly doesn't make a person less.