What is societie's view of autism (AS)?

[Jollyelbow974]

I have always had AS and always felt that society looks down on people like me?

I have never felt I had strong social skills, but I do talk, usually just to my closest friends.

Anyways I usually feel like people are always looking at me weirdly or even talking about me thinking I am not aware of it. I also feel like I have odd or intimidating characteristics (physical, social, etc.)

How does society usually view those with autism or AS. And what do they do physically that makes them so off from everyone else.

[Quiet Rebel]

Hi Andrew. My oldest child (four-year old daughter) is autistic. She is starting to become very verbal, and she's a very bright little girl, very eager to learn and learns quickly, and also has a difficult time in social situations (particularly with large crowds and/or people she does not know well). However, she is a social person, which many "typical" people don't understand. I have found that many people hear a lot about autism but are very ignorant of what it is and what it entails. I suppose that can be partially attributed to the fact that the autism spectrum is quite broad, and you may have heard the saying, "If you met one autistic person, then you met one autistic person." Treatment is also quite varied, and everyone also has a million and a half opinions about what "causes" autism. When I take my daughter out in public, she has several mannerisms she does in order to get proper sensory input and/or just to calm herself down. Therefore, people stare a lot. It doesn't bother me so much when those who stare are children, but when adults do, or when adults are staring along with their children, that really angers me. I could stare at them for talking loudly on their cell phones in public, you know? So why is my daughter so weird because she jumps up and down? I find the behavior of "typical" people much more offensive or bothersome in public.

So based on my experience, here is what I have learned society thinks (not everybody, but these are opinions that have been expressed to me through people I know or the media):
1. I must have done something "wrong" when I was pregnant to "cause" my daughter's autism;
2. I simply need to discipline better;
3. My daughter wasn't verbal because I wasn't encouraging her talking;
4. All autistic people are not social (actually, they ARE social creatures, but they just approach social situations differently!!!);
5. Autism can be cured, or it must be cured. I say nonsense. If we don't even know what causes it, how do we cure it? And why should it be cured?;
6. Autistic people are "retarded." This is a big anger trigger for me. This is one of the reasons why some of my older family members have a hard time accepting my daughter's diagnosis; they have it in their minds that she's mentally deficient in some way, or that it's shameful. My grandmother still doesn't acknowledge that my daughter and two of my nephews are autistic. In her mind, they just have a few problems that will go away, and all the doctors are wrong;
7. Quite a few people have asked me if my daughter has any "special talents." That's better than assuming she's "retarded," but autism does not equal Rainman, for crying out loud;
8. I think many people who don't understand autism try to make me "feel better" by comparing things their children do to my daughter. For instance, when I say she has difficulty dealing with large crowds, some friends will dismiss that with "Oh, that's her age, and my [insert random child's name here] was like that until he/she was four. She'll get over it." Uh no, douchebags, she won't "just get over it."

Overall, I say screw what society thinks. My daughter is the way she is for a reason, and she is a valuable person like anyone else. She's awesome, and I wouldn't have her any other way. Yes, her condition makes life complicated for her and the entire family in some ways, or at least we have to approach some things in life differently. Still, I think she has the capability to live a full life. With 1 in 88 kids in the U.S. being diagnosed, I'd say it's time for society to wake up and start learning about this!

Best of luck to you. Try not to worry about what other people think. I'm quite sure you're fine just the way you are.