Redefining "Normal": Autism Explained

Our society has a habit of labeling everything that slightly deviates from the norm as a “disease”, especially within mental health. While things have certainly improved nowadays, people with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD continue to be viewed as outsiders from the world. Let’s take a look at what ASD really means.

The thing that many people fail to understand when talking about or learning about autism is that it is a spectrum disorder, meaning that there are varying levels of intensity of autism. Some people have low-functioning autism, meaning that it doesn’t interfere with their lives greatly. Some people have high-functioning autism, meaning that it plays a significant impact in the way they live. Since autism isn’t the same for everyone, autism is often called austism spectrum disorder, or ASD for short.

Like many mental health disorders, scientists don’t really know the exact cause of autism. According to NIMH, “research suggests that genes can act together with influences from the environment to affect development in ways that lead to ASD.” Risk factors for ASD include having older parents, having siblings or other family members with ASD, having a low birth weight, and also having genetic conditions like Down or Rett syndrome. However, scientists are still trying to figure out what the exact psychological cause of autism is. However, the Natural Health Society has shown that ASD has nothing to do with vaccines or lack of good parenting, contrary to many people’s belief. Autism is also not an “infection” that can be spread to other people.

Some symptoms of ASD include repetitive behaviors, trouble with social interactions, such as not making eye contact, or not listening to other people, and being sensitive to changes, both in routine and physically. Many people with ASD also have a specific interest in a subject that they might spend extensive time researching or talking about. Symptoms usually appear before the age of 2, and include a delayed reaction in talking or not being able to look at people. However, while these symptoms are more easily identifiable in men, it’s much harder for women and girls. Women tend to “camoflauge” their autism. For example, they may force themselves to make eye contact or try harder to interact socially by preparing jokes or topics ahead of time. While men do this as well, it’s more common in women. In addition, prior to recent studies, people believed that autism was only present in men. While that has been disproven now, it’s still a lot harder for women to get diagnosed.

Some treatments for autism include medication and behavioral therapy. Medication tends to help people with autism control their feelings of irratiblity, hyperactivity, attention problems, and repetive behavior. A similar form of treatment is behavioral therapy. Autistic people might be refered to psychologists or other doctors that can help them become more socially adept and help them better adapt to our world.

People with autism don’t have something wrong with them. They don’t need to be “cured”. Autistic people simply see the world differently from us. The fact is that our society simply favors neurotypical people, and tends to push neurodivergent people to the margins. However, it’s time that that changes. Autistic people have brought persepectives and ideas to the world that we wouldn’t otherwise have. While we love to celebrate their successes, it’s time that we look back and take a look at how we as a society have hindered them from reaching what they could be in the past better accommodate them into society in the future.