Isn’t everyone a little bit autistic?
This is a harmful myth used to dismiss autistic people’s experiences. Only a small fraction of the population is neurodivergent. Neurodivergence includes a wide spectrum of conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, epilepsy, autism etc… Among this neurodivergent population, estimated to fall between 5% and 20% of the global population, a fraction will be autistic. Then an extremely small minority of these people will be high functioning autistics. These are the ones receiving their late diagnoses now. Considering gender will reduce that population even more. It is still rare for women and girls to receive a high functioning autism/Asperger’s diagnosis.
Why is everyone autistic all of the sudden?
Not everyone is autistic all of the sudden, but of course, raising awareness on autism, will create a surge in diagnoses simply because people will be educated to recognise the signs. There were autistic people 200 years ago, they simply weren’t diagnosed. Many autistics are receiving their diagnosis well in their 50s, 60s and 70s. This is not a generational trend. We are just less invisible now.
Why are so many people ‘self-diagnosed’?
The vast majority of late-diagnosed autistics first self-diagnose then seek a formal diagnosis if they wish. Autism assessments by healthcare practitioners are very accurate, so in that sense it weighs more than a self-diagnosis. However, some people claim that these assessments are not culturally sensitive enough or discriminate based on gender, age and race. It can take years to get an appointment and sometimes people have to travel internationally for it. It’s time-consuming and costly.
In that sense, formal diagnosis is not accessible to all. Some people also fall into the diagnostic grey area, they have autistic traits but aren’t autistic enough to be diagnosed. This is referred to as broad autism phenotype (BAP). People with BAP may choose to present themselves as self-diagnosed.
What is Asperger’s?
Asperger’s isn’t a diagnosis anymore. However, many autistics who were diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome still use it out of habit. Some diagnosticians will also use it informally with their patients because they believe that it is a useful distinction, Someone with Asperger’s didn’t have speech and motor delays in childhood and tend to have above average intelligence which allows them to participate to society more easily.
What is autism level 1,2 &3?
Nowadays autism is categorised into three levels. Level 1 being high functioning autism, level 2 moderate to low functioning autism and level 3 low functioning. The more functioning an autistic is the less assistance they require and vice versa. People with Asperger’s are technically included in autism level 1, however the validity of this ‘one fits all’ diagnosis is regularly put into question by patients and practitioners.
Is autism a superpower or a burden?
Autism is a different experience of life not a golden pass to high achievements. It could be a superpower if you decide that this is what you want it to be. Just like any other set of skills or talents, you still have to work for it. It is true that our different perspective on things can be a valuable asset when it is paired with a certain career path but autism alone won’t do much for you.
Do you throw temper tantrums as an adult?
They are called sensory overloads not temper tantrums. Autistics will either externalise or internalise their sensory overloads, in other words, some autistics have full blown meltdowns, while others will withdraw. The way autistics respond to their sensory overloads will vary throughout their life.
What does a sensory overload look like in an adult?
That will depend. It’s regressive, so from the outside it could look like someone losing their calm but an autistic meltdown is generally experienced in solitary. Most adults have enough experience and control over their meltdowns to quickly isolate and let it out in private. When privacy is not an option, it can make it much worse, but again for autistic adults with good self-control, it would probably look like a mild panic attack to an outsider. It’s mostly happening innerly.
What does a sensory overload feel like?
That will vary. People with auDHD can experience both autistic and ADHD meltdowns. The response depends on the triggers. A sensory overload can be induced by PTSD triggers, ADHD triggers, sensory sensitivities etc. Generally, we will be submerged by our emotions and be forced to drop the mask. Some autistics feel their emotions in full intensity and externalise them with stimming, crying etc. Other people are so overwhelmed by that intensity that their nervous systems completely shuts down. What you should take away from this, is that, it is an intense, uncontrollable, physical response to our environment, it’s much more than simply ‘not liking something’.
Do autistics have empathy?
Yes, we do but generally autistics will have an atypical empathy as compared to allistics. We are just different. We often struggle to connect with people because of the gap in how we perceive the world and how we communicate. So we may unintentionally come across as insensitive, rude or narcissistic.
Do autistics have feelings?
Yes. Lots of them. We feel much more strongly about certain things than allistics but we struggle to identify our emotions which causes us to have sensory overloads. Many autistics have alexithymia so we often need downtime to process and identify our emotions. Autistics need an extra safe space and tailored emotional education to healthily express their emotions and feelings.
Are autistics all asexual?
No, sexuality, just like autism, is a vast spectrum that encompasses a lot of diversity. Most autistics will have certain sexual preferences and boundaries as that will intersect with sensory sensitivities, maybe past sexual victimisation, gender expression etc. Everyone is different.
Can you catch autism?
Thankfully you can’t. Autism stems from a combination of genetics and environmental factors. You have to be genetically predisposed for external factors to trigger autism, but the environment merely affects the severity of someone’s autism. If you don’t have cases of epilepsy, brain tumours, trisomy 21, ADHD, autism, genetic mutations etc. in your direct family, you most likely don’t have autism.
Is autism like Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)?
No. These are completely different conditions. I still come across articles on autism featuring pictures of people with Down syndrome once in a while. It makes me roll my eyes all the way to the back of my head. Down syndrome is a genetic condition causing mental and physical disabilities and drastically reducing life expectancy. However, the occurrence of autism and Down syndrome in one family is not rare.
Can only boys have Asperger’s?
No. Many medical publications concur on the fact that boys and girls have extremely similar autistic behaviours between the age of 3 and 11. The gender shift that happens after the age of 11 is likely the result of puberty but also societal pressure on girls to conform to certain stereotypes. Society has a hard time making space for girls who differ too much from the norm, but will tend to accommodate boys in their differences. This social pattern resulted into generations of undiagnosed and unsupported autistics.
Are autistic people socially awkward?
Not necessarily. High masking autistics mirror people’s behaviours and speech, which makes us really likeable. Constantly putting on a mask is exhausting, most of us can not keep up with social demands.
How different is it to be autistic?
This varies from person to person, but it is quite different. We perceive everything differently. Many late diagnosed autistics thought that what they were experiencing was normal but realised later in life that it wasn’t. I thought for a very long time that my experience was completely normal. It is only as I grew up that I realised that very little about me falls within the realm of what is considered typical.
Are you super good at maths?
No, that’s a big cliché. I also don’t have a photographic memory. Some studies show that Aspergers are actually not particularly good at maths. Most autistics are just ‘normal’ but a few rare cases show mathematical prowesses.
Are high functioning autistics geniuses?
Far from it! Some high functioning autistics (HFA-formerly Asperger’s) are very gifted but this is not a rule. The majority of us will have an IQ that is above average without being geniuses either. So some of us will naturally end up in high level careers. The autism spectrum is large and encompasses all sorts of intellects.
Are high functioning autistics mentally challenged?
No. Just like we are not a geniuses, We do however struggle to handle our invisible burdens. In other words, our mental health is not always good. We may appear to struggle with simple notions but that’s because our brains are wired differently not because we lack intelligence.