These Are Some Of the Top Myths About Autism

Let's face it, many people are ignorant about what autism really is, and just like with other things they "invent" their own facts because of their ignorance. Therefore, bringing in some very big misconceptions into the table. This article lists some of the top misconceptions about autism. Here they are in no particular order:

First in the unordered list is the misconception that autism is a mental illness. Autism is a developmental disability, not a mental illness. Now, there is a difference between a mental illness and a developmental disability. A person with a mental illness is usually competent and are able to care for themselves, though sometimes they can have depressions or moodiness that will vary from rational to irrational. Persons with a developmental disability normally have trouble in areas of life, like self-sufficiency and self-care and may only function up to a certain age level that's far younger than his or her actual age. A person with a developmental disability may also have a mental illness in addition to their disability but a person with a mental illness does not necessarily have a disability. Another difference between the two is that a developmental disability is permanent whereas a mental illness is treatable.

And then there's the misconception that people with Autism are mentally retarded: Some of them may actually be, but not all. Autistic people are usually not just autistic. More often than not, they are autistic and have other issues like ADHD, OCD, Mental Retardation, Dyslexia or sensory issues. Some of these persons can't speak, some are deaf, some are blind, but this is true with all people in general. This in no way means that ALL autistic people are mentally retarded. A lot of autistic people have average or above average intelligence. It's just that they may have no way to communicate that intelligence sometimes and once they find a way, they are much better and their intelligence is completely evident.

And this one is also one of the most common misconceptions about Autism, that people with the said disability will never contribute to society: While it may be true that an autistic person may need some job coach training, the truth is that with a little help, ANY autistic person can find a way to contribute to society. They can perform tasks just as well as other normal persons can.

Now that you know, you should make the effort to spread the word whenever you get a chance to in order to help out people with Autism to be accepted better into society.