Busting the Autism Stereotypes
Autistic but not brainless
Overturning stereotypes of and with autism new data suggest that even children with autism are subject to race and gender stereotypes. This result constraints theories of stereotype acquisition and social cognition in autism.
Autistic people do not only have mental disorder challenges. They still have to cope with the attitude of others towards them. Some people are supportive of this challenge while some others are either ignorant or uncaring.
The worse part of the challenge is that even when autistic individuals find support and understanding from family and friends, the vast majority of society is uncaring. This leads to stereotypes, which can result in hatred, embarrassment, or other unhappy situations. By becoming educated about autism, you can help others in your community cope with this disorder and show more concerns.
Autistic people are challenged people and they need understanding, compassion, and care. They did not ask to be born that way. They are individuals who need to be appreciated and care for. Other diseases and disorders have their own sets of rules, but autism is such a complex medical condition, that everyone reacts differently to it.
Some autistic people are real over-gifted people while some are completely challenged individuals. The gifted ones can be musicians, scientists, artists, etc.
Each autistic person has its own individual traits. The common denominator among them all is that they have challenges in communicating what they feel. On the contrary, many autistic people are happily married and in love. Forming relationships is more difficult for most but can be accomplished over time.
This stereotype is perpetuated in the movies and on television because the story of a talented person fighting disadvantages (such as autism) makes a good plot. However, this is not the norm, so nothing more than the best they can personally do should be expected from an autistic person.
3 Common Stereotypes of Autism
Challenged versus able autistic individuals.
Some autistic individuals can be completely independent while some need 24x7 attention. The first category is rare. There is another category who are in-between; they can do some certain tasks completely alone while they might need some help in doing some others.
The autistic mathematician.
Autism is not equal to mathematics. Someone can be autistic and not having any mathematic skills at all.
In some a rare case, when an autistic child is good a maths, it can really be a genius. One thing is clear, whether the child is born a genius like Einstein or not, with training it can be above average in maths.
People with autism are savants.
A savant is an extraordinarily gifted person. He knows above the averagely intelligent person. A famous example is Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Rainman — an autistic savant gifted with an extraordinary memory. However, not every individual on the spectrum is a savant. In fact, it is estimated that 10 percent of individuals on the spectrum have savant abilities.
Do you need more resources ( Blanket, Tools, Books) to help that Autistic Child? Watch these videos.
3 Celebrities Who Debunked the Stereotypes:
Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd is an actor and screenwriter who is famous for his roles on Saturday Night Live and in Ghostbuster. Aykroyd says his condition contributed to the inspiration for the hit movie Ghostbusters. He told the Daily Mail, “One of my symptoms included my obsession with ghosts and law enforcement — I carry around a police badge with me, for example. I became obsessed with Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born.”
Temple Grandin
This is a famous professor of animal science at a prestigious institute of higher education. She started speaking at age three and a half years. Grandin is not only a professor of animal science, but she has become an outspoken advocate for the autism community. TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010. HBO produced a biopic based on her life called Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes.
Alexis Wineman
Miss Montana 2012 became the first Miss America contestant with autism to compete in the pageant. Autism Spectrum disorder was detected in her at age 2. She succeeded in becoming Miss Montana. By using her platform as her guiding light, she reached the top 15 in the Miss America competition and won America’s Choice Award.
Do you need more resources ( Blanket, Tools, Books) to help that Autistic Child? Watch these videos.
