Fact v Fiction

Autism is a mental health condition

Not true. Autism is actually a neurological difference – MRI scans show distinctions in the ways that autistic and non-autistic brains receive and process information.

However, many autistic people do develop mental health problems. Approximately 40%¹ of autists have at least one anxiety disorder and the proportion of those who experience depression is higher amongst autistic people.

Mental health issues and anxiety are not inherent in autistic people and can often stem from a lack of understanding e.g. feeling pressure to fit into ‘normal’ life. Whilst autism is an intrinsic part of who a person is, depression for example, is no more a part of an autistic person’s personality than it would be for a non-autistic person.

Source: ¹The Medical Royal College paper

Autism mainly affects young children

False. Neither age, gender nor ethnicity matter – people are born autistic. Some autistic people don’t get a diagnosis until adulthood, but they have still been autistic their whole lives.

Many autistic adults try to hide  their autism as they feel they can’t be the real version of themselves for fear of judgement and lack of understanding. Find out more about masking.

Everyone’s a little autistic

This is a common misconception. Some people have autistic characteristics e.g. being hyper-focused or rigid in routines, but that doesn’t make them autistic.

Autism is about how the brain works. How you think and communicate; how you process information; differences in sensory experiences. Autistic and non-autistic people share many of the same characteristics, but autistic people see and experience the world in a fundamentally different way.

If you’d like to find out more, or think that you or your child may be autistic, you can get further information and on our support page.

All autistic people have a learning disability

This is not true. Current research¹ shows that over two thirds of autistic people don’t have learning disabilities or learning difficulties. However, many autistic people do have learning differences – a different way of learning. And this shouldn’t be viewed as negative: it might mean a greater ability to read as a young child or a way to identify patterns more easily.

Like everybody else, autistic individuals are just that: individuals. Some might require extra support – educational, employment or emotional – but this differs from person-to-person, just like non-autistic people.

¹gov.scot

You can tell someone is autistic by looking at them

Not true. There are autistic people in all walks of life; in different professions, of different ages, genders, ethnicities and religions. Autism doesn’t have ‘a look’. Nor does it always have visible, identifying characteristics, and when it does, they don’t apply to all autistic people.

Lived Experiences

Autistic people like to be on their own, they’re anti-social

This may be true of some autistic people, but it’s certainly not true of all. Just like some non-autistic people love socialising, whereas others would prefer a quiet night in with a book.

Some autistic people can find socialising more tiring than non-autistic people if they feel the need to suppress their autism to ‘blend in’. Where this is the case, it can take some autists time to recover their energy after socialising. But they’re not being anti-social; if anything, they’re actively making an effort to socialise.

Autistic people cannot show empathy

Not true at all. Many autistic people feel extreme empathy for others but may respond in a way that non-autistic people would not. For example, by sharing a similar experience of their own to indicate solidarity, by offering practical help, or by freezing and doing nothing because they’re unsure how to respond in a way that’s wanted or required in the situation.

Autism can be cured

False – autism is not an illness. Being autistic is part of who a person is, like their eye colour, and not something that can be changed or grown out of.

Each day autistic people navigate the world they experience – its challenges and positives. Some develop strategies and skills to do this on their own and some need support. Increased acceptance and understanding of autism are what’s needed, not a ‘cure’.

Autistic people always have other conditions

Not always. But more than half of autistic people have co-occurring conditions that can accompany autism.

Common conditions generally fall into one of four categories:

• Classic medical issues, such as epilepsy or sleep disorders;
• Developmental diagnoses, such as language delay;
• Mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression;
• Genetic conditions including Fragile X Syndrome.

Asperger’s is becoming more well-known, but this syndrome sits within autism and is not a separate diagnosis.

NHS Inform has more information on different autism profiles and co-occurring conditions.

All autistic people have special skills like Rainman

This isn’t true either. A small percentage of autistic people are savants, which means they have mathematical skills beyond compare or can produce incredible artwork. However, most are regular folk.

You can argue that experiencing the world in a different way – if embraced and understood – can bring something brilliant to every aspect of life. In which case then yes, this is a special skill.