Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Dispelling The Myths.

Megon Champion
Jun 13
9 min read

Wooden background with the word autism in white

Lately, there has been a lot of talk within the media at large about what Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is. “What causes it?”, ”How people who live with it cope”, ”Are they functioning members of society?” and other concerning comments along these lines. This article is here to dispel these limiting myths and correct some of the major misinformation about ASD out there.

What Is Autism?

Autism is a difference in the way a person's brain works that shapes how they interact with the world around them.

Autism isn’t a disease: with Autism the goal is not to “cure” it. Instead, it is to find ways to make use of an autistic person's strengths and help them manage their weaknesses.
Autistic people are neurodivergent: Neurodivergent people’s brains are different from what’s typical or expected. They may excel more in certain areas and need more support in other areas compared to their neurotypical peers.
Autism is a spectrum: Autism is a spectrum in the sense that there’s a very wide range of personality traits, strengths and challenges that may be experienced by each autistic person.
Autism is often misunderstood: For a long time, doctors and people have said and done things that we now know are wrong or even harmful to autistic people. Plenty of autism myths still exist, and it takes time to get the truth out there. We can’t erase the past but we can learn from it.

What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

ASD is the full medical name for Autism. The diagnostic manual known as the DSM-5 defines ASD as a difference in brain functioning that affects how a person communicates and interacts with others. This brain difference also involves various aspects of a person’s behaviour, interests or activities.

How Common Is ASD?

ASD is relatively common with 1in 31 children in America and over 1 in 100 people in the UK being diagnosed with it. However, this number is likely higher as marginalised people are less likely to get a diagnosis. This could be because people don’t realise that autism affects all ages, genders and diversities.

ASD may seem to be more common nowadays. This is most likely because healthcare providers have more knowledge and resources than in the past. This means they are better able to diagnose and support autistic people. This ultimately leads to a rise in diagnosis.

What Causes ASD.

Let's start with the most important fact: there is no link between vaccines and autism. Multiple studies have been done to prove this fact.

So what causes ASD? Doctors and researchers have not found a single cause of ASD yet. It is most likely a combination of genetics and certain things related to pregnancy and birth. The interaction of these things leads to the brain differences we see in ASD.

Prenatal Events (environmental factors).

These events may increase the risk of ASD in your child:

Giving birth early.
Becoming pregnant over age 35.
Reduced oxygen to the fetus during pregnancy or delivery.
Becoming pregnant within 12 months of having another baby.
Smaller than expected fetal size (intrauterine growth restriction).
Having gestational diabetes.
Using certain medications while pregnant.
Having bleeding during pregnancy.

It’s good to remember that while these prenatal events may increase the risk of autism in your child, they do not stand alone in causing ASD. Therefore you should never blame yourself should your child end up with ASD.

Genetic Factors.

There is not one unique gene variation currently linked to ASD. This is what makes Autism different from other genetic disorders.

Each Autistic person may have their gene variation or multiple gene variations that lead to their specific brain differences. In some cases, no gene variation may show up, however, this does not mean that genes do not play a role but merely scientists have not done enough research yet.

This wide range of gene variation also means that genetic testing doesn't work for Autistic people.

Is ASD Inherited?

There have been some patterns between siblings for researchers to believe that it is.

We also see a higher prevalence of autism in some genetic syndromes, like Fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. With these syndromes, your child is autistic but also has a wide range of other developmental changes. Each syndrome is passed down through the generations either through one or both parents.

What Are The Characteristics of ASD?

These characteristics are what healthcare workers will look for to see if someone has ASD and what level of support they will need in the future. They are broken into two main categories:

Difficulties with social communication and interaction. These affect how your child socialises.
Restricted and repetitive behaviours, interests or activities. These affect how your child acts.

How Your Child Socialises.

This is broken down into three different age ranges because you socialise differently at different stages of life, so one size does not fit all.

Toddler:

Prefers to play by themselves (continuing beyond age 2).
Does not follow your gaze or look at things you’re pointing to.
Use your hand as a tool to pick up things they want.
Doesn’t respond to their name.
Looks away rather than looking you in the eye.
Seems uninterested in taking-turn games like peek-a-boo.
Doesn’t seek you out to share something they’ve discovered.

Older Child:

Has difficulty noticing social cues.
Talks about a narrow range of topics.
Speaks in a monotone or sing-song voice.
Has one-sided conversations (no back-and-forth).
Has difficulty using and understanding body language.
Seems uninterested in starting a conversation.
Has difficulty expressing their feelings or understanding how others feel.

Adolescent:

Appears standoffish when around others.
Has trouble understanding what others mean.
Doesn’t understand certain social rules like greetings or personal space.
Doesn’t initiate social interactions.
Has difficulty seeing something from someone else’s point of view.
Has difficulty mixing spoken words and body language.
Gets along more easily with younger kids or grown-ups.
Has a hard time building relationships with peers.

How Your Child Behaves.

There is not always a clear line between normal childlike behaviour and autistic behaviour. The biggest thing to be aware of is if this behaviour will cause challenges for your child at school, at home and later at work.

Toddler:

Shows strong interest in a specific object you wouldn’t expect, like a wooden spoon or fan.
Repeats the same words or phrases (echolalia).
Reacts strongly to certain fabrics or other things on their skin.
Repeats the same motions — like flapping their hands, rocking their body or spinning in circles (stimming).
Does the same thing over and over with a toy or part of a toy — like spinning the wheels of a toy car.
Reacts strongly to certain fabrics or other things on their skin.
Won’t eat foods of certain textures.
Gets very upset by changes to their routine.
Lines toys or objects up in a particular order and resists anyone changing it.

Older Child/Adolescent:

Has intense or highly focused interests — like certain topics or collections.
Repeats certain words or phrases from books, movies or TV shows.
Strongly prefers familiar routines or patterns of behaviour.
Has difficulty transitioning between tasks.

Difference Between Characteristics In Boys And Girls.

Unfortunately, girls are less likely to be diagnosed with ASD than boys. Many factors could lead to this including misdiagnosis of ASD as anxiety or depression.

The main differences are as follows:

Impact of IQ:

Girls with higher IQs tend to model their behaviour on those around them. They create coping mechanisms to fit in even if that is not true to their nature. They learn to get through life by putting in extra effort to manage day-to-day responsibilities,

Females display “socially acceptable” behaviours:

Girls with ASD often engage in activities that are seen as socially acceptable such as reading or art. They are often shy or quiet which is seen in some cultures as the right behaviour for girls whereas boys are expected to be loud, aggressive and extroverted.

These main differences plus other factors such as differences during play and fine and gross motor skills further lead to girls struggling to get an ASD diagnosis.

What Strengths Do ASD People Have?

People with ASD have a wide range of strengths and they are very unique to each person. They can include:

Strong nonverbal reasoning skills.
The strength to speak out or “go against the crowd” even if it’s not the popular thing to do.
The ability to focus for long periods of time and gain expertise on a topic.
A strong sense of right vs. wrong, leading them to follow their moral compass even when no one’s watching.
A knack for connecting with people of all ages.
The ability to express themselves directly and honestly.

Why Is It Known As Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Simply put it is known as a spectrum disorder because each person that has been diagnosed with it requires different levels of support to navigate life. The DSM-5 diagnostic manual breaks it down into three main levels and even under these main levels each person can have a different experience.

Level 1 Autism - Requiring Very Little Support.

Level 2 Autism - Requiring Substantial Support.

Level 3 Autism - Requiring Very Substantial Support.

Image reference: ASD levels of severity | Autism Speaks

Why We No Longer Use The Term Asperger's?

There are two main reasons. The first reason is that Dr Hans Asperger, for whom the type of Autism is named, has a problematic past in terms of his ties to National Socialism and the Nazi Party.

The second reason is when the DSM-5 was updated the levels of Autism folded from five to three to give a broader understanding of ASD. The original five levels are as follows and some healthcare providers may still use these terms today:

Rett syndrome.
Asperger syndrome.
Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
Childhood disintegrative disorder.
Autistic disorder.

At What Level Will An ASD Individual Not Be Able To Function In Society?

A lot has been said about ASD people and their ability to function in society. Whether they can work, live on their own and whether they contribute to society in other ways.

Unfortunately, this does not have a straightforward answer. Someone who for example has a level 3 diagnosis may still be able to hold down a remote job without having to interact with people on a day-to-day basis whereas someone with a level 1 diagnosis may not be able to work without some level of support.

The best thing to remember is that like normal people, ASD individuals all have different needs and support levels and one size does not fit all when it comes to them lending their strengths to society.

Getting An ASD diagnosis.

The main basis for getting an ASD diagnosis is observation and screening. These screenings can happen as early as your child’s 18 and 24-month check-up with the paediatrician if you have noticed anything unusual. If this is the case they will then refer you to a specialist who focuses on ASD diagnosis and treatment.

Criteria For Getting An ASD Diagnosis.

Your child must have all three of the following:

Developing and maintaining relationships: This involves seeking others to spend time with and sharing interests together. It also involves judging how to approach others and which behaviours are appropriate in different situations. ASD children may not initiate or develop friendships in ways their neurotypical peers expect.
Social-emotional reciprocity: This is the back-and-forth nature of socialising. The most common example is a conversation. One person says something, and the other person responds. ASD children may engage in such give-and-take socialising less than expected.
Nonverbal communication: These are things like eye contact and body language — movements and subtle gestures that add meaning to the words we say. ASD children may not use these cues in expected ways, and/or they may not understand what others mean by them.

And your child must do two of the following:

React more than expected to sights, sounds and textures and/or seek out sensory experiences: Reacting more than expected (hyper-reactivity) means getting overwhelmed or upset by sensory input like big crowds, loud noises and certain textures. On the flip side, some kids seek out sensory experiences because they’re underwhelmed by what’s around them. This involves sniffing or touching certain objects for longer (or more often) than other kids might.
Engage in repetitive movements, use of objects or speech (stimming): This means doing or saying the same thing over and over, more than you might expect. For example, your child might repeatedly make the same hand motions, move one part of a toy or say a certain phrase.
Have very intense or unusual interests: This is interest in a certain object or topic that’s stronger or more consuming than you’d expect.
Insist on the same routine or ways of doing things: This means relying heavily on sameness and resisting change. Your child may want to do tasks a certain way or in a particular order and get upset by attempts to do things differently.

Is There A Test For ASD?

There are no blood or lab tests for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Some providers may order a genetic test, however, this will not diagnose ASD but may help narrow down the cause of the ASD.

Treatment for ASD.

ASD is not a disease or condition so there is no treatment as such. There is no need to “cure” it.

However, there are a series of support and management therapies that help build needed skills. These management therapies can also teach family members coping strategies for supporting ASD family members. The earlier these therapies are started, the more likely they are to benefit an ASD patient in the long run.

Some therapies include:

Behavioural therapy.
Family therapy.
Speech therapy.
Occupational therapy.

Treatment For Co-occurring Conditions.

ASD can come with a range of co-occurring conditions. These include:

Sleep disorders.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
Anxiety disorders.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder.
Intellectual disabilities.
Bipolar disorders.
Epilepsy.
Depressive disorders.
Digestive issues, like constipation.

Treatment for these co-occurring conditions can include:

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Medication.
Referrals for educational support — for example, to create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Conclusion.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is as the name says ultimately a spectrum disorder. This means that each person who has it experiences it differently. They all add to our world in their own unique and wonderful way. And with the right support and management, ASD people can go on to live a completely fulfilling life.