by Jodie Wilde
Person A: "What do you think causes autism?"
Person B: "Genetics, mostly"
Person A: "But soooo many kids have it these days, there must be another reason, maybe something in the environment?"
The above quote is from a conversation between myself and the Speech Language Therapist (SLT) who assessed my daughter for autism. Person A is the SLT......
This wasn't my first (conscious) experience with a medical professional buying into and perpetuating damaging myths. A few years previously my daughter's paediatrician claimed that ADHD can be 'cured' (spoiler, it can't). Needless to say, he's no longer our paediatrician. There are so many myths and misconceptions about autism, you don't have to look hard to find them - in research, medicine, education, popular culture. Yet it continues to shock (upset?) me that I encounter these claims on such a regular basis, particularly from medical and education professionals. Some autism myths may be well-intentioned, others are unashamedly dehumanising. But all of them are based on ableist assumptions that autism is a personal deficit that needs to be 'fixed' or a tragedy that needs to be overcome. These myths contribute to the stigma and discrimination experienced by autistic people and they will persist as long as the deficit view of autism is dominant.
This post focuses on myths surrounding the causes and autism and what it means to be autistic. Check back soon for parts 2 where I tackle myths surrounding autism 'cures', and part 3 where I will discuss the impact of autism myths, stigma and discrimination on autistic mental health and wellbeing.
Myth: Autistic People Lack Empathy/are Violent/Aren't Interested in People
I've placed this myth at number one because it is probably the most pervasive, dangerous and damaging myth about autism. It is believed by medical professionals, educators and the public and its influence can be seen in all other autism myths. The stereotypic image of a disconnected, emotionless (or inappropriately emotional), and calculating autistic person dominates popular culture and associating autistic people with computers or machines is commonplace (please note: autistic people don't appreciate comparisons to Sheldon Cooper).
This myth has deep roots, dating back to Kanner's original description of autistic children as having "an innate inability to form the usual, biologically provided contact with people" and reinforced by autism researchers who have continued to dehumanise autistics by denying them Theory of Mind. As noted by Gernsbacher and Yergeau (2019):
...the erroneous claim that only autistic people, “together with robots and
chimpanzees” lack a theory of mind (Pinker, 2002, p. 62; see also Mitchell, 1997)
and are therefore “biologically set apart from the rest of humanity in lacking
the basic machinery” (Baron-Cohen, 2009, p. 73) echoes throughout
psychological literature, practice, and instruction (cf. Gernsbacher, 2007;
Yergeau, 2013; Yergeau & Huebner, 2017).
Thankfully, this myth is being increasingly challenged by both autistic self-advocates and research. The article by Gernsbacher and Yergeau (2019) quoted above highlights the (many) problems with Theory of Mind research. There is a growing body of evidence supporting Damian Milton's Double Empathy Problem which emphasises the bi-directionality of empathy and communication and highlights the fact that neurotypical people are equally poor at empathising and communicating with autistic people. In addition, research increasingly demonstrates that interactions between autistic people involve increased rapport and understanding.
Myth: Vaccines Cause Autism
This myth is damaging for both autistic and non-autistic people. The anti-vaccine movement has portrayed autism as a fate worse than death, to be avoided at all costs. The life of an autistic person is one that is not worth living - it's better to take risk your child's life to measles than have an autistic child. Anti-vaccine campaigns drawn on the lack of empathy myth to portray autistic children as unable to interact with or show love to their parents, and on the 'autism epidemic' myth to suggest that increases in autism diagnoses are due to environmental factors. This campaign of fear has been depressingly effective, reducing the number of vaccinated children, leading to measles outbreaks in major cities around the world and perpetuating the myth of children 'lost' to autism.
Thankfully, this myth has a robust body of evidence refuting it. The biological (genetic) origins of autism are without question. While there is some evidence that pre-natal environmental factors may influence the expression of autism, there is no evidence that any post-natal environmental factors (including vaccines, parenting, toxins, or medication) cause autism. Multiple large-scale, longitudinal studies have demonstrated there is NO LINK between vaccines and autism. Below are just a few:
Myth: Autism Only Effects Children
In a recent Australian study 22% of those surveyed believed that autism could be outgrown (and almost half thought it could be cured...more on that next post!). This is likely due to the predominance of children in portrayals of autism in popular culture and the fact that autism was originally classified as a childhood disorder.
The popular image of autism as a childhood condition has significant impacts for autistic adults The assumption that autism is something that can be outgrown or overcome leads to autistic adults being denied the support and accommodations they need. This is particularly evident in the workplace, with up to two-thirds of autistic adults under- or unemployed. In addition, linking autism with children and childhood behaviours contributes to stigmatised views of autistic adults as being less competent, functional and desirable than 'normal' adults. For example, over 20% of Australian adults surveyed reporting they would be 'concerned or very concerned" if an autistic person was appointed their boss or married a close relative. In contrast, views of autistic children are generally more tolerant, with only 5% reporting they would be 'concerned or very concerned' if an autistic child moved next door or made friends with their child.
I don't need to provide empirical evidence to debunk this myth. Autistic people are born autistic and they remain autistic. Autistic children become autistic adults. Autistic adults who receive a diagnosis later in life were autistic children. It is part of our DNA. Which brings me to the next myth...
Myth: The Autism 'Epidemic'
As the opening quote suggests, the belief that autism diagnoses are increasing at an alarming rate is pervasive across all levels of society. This myth has also been leveraged by anti-vaccine campaigners who suggest there must be a 'reason' for the 'epidemic'.
There has undoubtedly been an increase in autism diagnosis in recent years. There are a number of reasons for this increase, including:
the changes to the DSM-V when ASD became the umbrella term for 'classic' autism, Asperger's, and pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)
increased public awareness of autism and its presentation
increased understanding of the inherent biases of the diagnostic process (based on observations of white, western, male, children) that meant girls and racial/ethnic minorities were (and still are) under-diagnosed.
However, the prevalence of autism remains less than 2% of the population. Hardly the 'devastating epidemic' that autism fear campaigns continue to claim. And even if there was an 'autism epidemic', it certainly wouldn't be devastating!
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