Autism: An inside look.

“Nobody learns the same. By attempting to divide people into boxes, we not only discredit their experiences but also make it more difficult for people to seek the help they need. This is for fear of being put in the "different" category.” - Anonymous source.

Autism is a general term for a group of complex conditions associated with brain development. This means people with Autism can have communication challenges (verbal and non-verbal), difficulty with social skills, and sensory issues (sensitivity to light, touch, or sound). With Autism, there is a spectrum. Where you are placed on the spectrum is defined by how high or low functioning you are. For example, someone who needs less support and can function in a general school environment would be lower on the spectrum. Throughout this article, I plan to give an inside look at the learning disability by interviewing two people. They each have different perspectives as one is a learning support teacher and one is a high functioning person with Autism.

In the US alone, approximately one in every 68 children is diagnosed with Autism.

Our first source is Ainsley Taylor, the upper school learning support teacher. She has mainly worked with students that are higher functioning. Also, she teaches older students. She generally works with students that function in the "general education environment." Students who do not need a particular school or a specific classroom environment are whom she is referring to. Our second source is the anonymous person who was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome when they were ten years old. They are very high functioning because of support from learning support teachers and their parents. I will refer to this person as Liz throughout this article.

Challenges for people with Autism

Along with the condition comes many challenges. Some include that students with Autism must get support with their social skills. Some can struggle with observing social skills and cues, as well as what we think is merely understanding them. This is why for Mrs. Taylor her job is to mainly break down the social constructs that most people without Autism have already been taught and teach that to children with Autism in a somewhat "scientific" manner. Although, often with “early intervention” from a young age, they often go on to learn and develop strategies and methods. With the right help, they learn skills to help them cope as teenagers and adults. This is not outgrowing Autism, just mending their struggles.

Another struggle is society based. Misconceptions about Autism often paint the community in many different lights. Some include: people with Autism can "see numbers in their heads." Ironically, only one student that Mrs. Taylor has worked with loved math and excelled at it. Liz herself struggles with the subject. Also, they all allegedly have photographic memories. A disappointing one is that they can not successfully participate socially. Many of Mrs. Taylor’s students have disproved that theory. Once becoming aware of their strengths and challenges, they can participate fully. Lastly, people often describe them as emotionless and robotic. They have emotions, although expressing them can be challenging. Using the term “always” when discussing Autism is often false as there is a wide range of variability among the community.

When Liz was asked about the most challenging thing they experience with Autism, they responded with, "Probably just most school systems not having the support necessary for me and my diagnosis." They praised the school they are currently at for providing a vast range of support with everything from extra time to calculators in their math exams. This kind of support has not always been available in all schools. They were also disappointed by the fact students, and some adults, make Autism a "meme." They use the term incredibly disrespectfully. This a result of the internet exploiting the condition entirely falsely. Unfortunately, I am sure a handful of us have experienced this first hand. I can recall countless times I have heard the phrase, "That is Autistic" or other variations. It is vital to understand the term and use it maturely, respectfully, and correctly. 

Autism Speaks data shows that up to 85% of adults with Autism are unemployed or underemployed. This is because of jobs not being mindful of supporting the needs of people with Autism and not taking advantage of their strengths.

Thoughts on neurodiversity

A somewhat controversial term used within the Autism community is neurodiversity. "The term neurodiversity first interred discourse around the disability community in the late 1990s." Mrs. Taylor explained. "The term was used for people to understand that people with Autism are diverse. Though their brains are different from what we call neurotypical brains, we should celebrate those differences and accept them. Also, we should not try to treat it as a medical condition that needs to be cured, but rather as a form of diversity we should celebrate." She went on to give examples that were given the same idea. Race and sexuality were among the list. These examples ranged from anything that we do not want to cure or change but instead celebrate.

Soon, it became quite problematic because the idea of school tends to counter the idea of neurodiversity since people have to read, write, and complete tasks the same way. School is quite a social environment, which is suitable for certain people but not others. "We do not often change tasks in school enough to support the idea of neurodiversity. So what is challenging about the term is we like to say everyone is different, but we do not always allow that to happen within the school community. Then people feel like we have to quote on quote cure people or help people overcome challenges that get in the way when you are in a typical institution like a school.” Personally, Mrs. Taylor supports the term. As for Liz, they said, "I think its an okay umbrella term, although I think it is important to realize that there is no real such thing as Neurotypical and Neurodiverse.” To help people with Autism be succesful in school and support the term, teachers should be encouraged to be direct and have none nuanced communication. Also patience is critical. "I feel as though if my teacher gets frustrated, so do I." Liz said.

Is Autism a bad condition?

When Liz was asked if they think Autism is a negative condition, they said it could be extremely frustrating and aggravating. They would never call it a negative thing, however. That would be countering all the work societies done on acceptance and inclusivity of disabilities. Autism has been their main challenge in life, but they do not view it as an adverse condition whatsoever. It could hinder one's life if they do not get the support necessary, but some of the world's greatest wonders had Autism. A rather cool part of having Autism for Liz is their sharp memory, which can be linked back to Autism.

If they had the opportunity not to have Autism, would they take it?

"If you had the opportunity not to have Autism, would you take it?" This question challenged Liz since they have never been "neurotypical." So, imagining a life without it is difficult. They made it clear that it depends on what stage of their life they are at. If I had asked them a few years prior, they would have said yes because of their struggles. Now it would take a bit of thought, which they found quite interesting.

Both sources show the diversity within the community. After interviewing Mrs. Taylor and Liz, it goes to show that everyone should be inclusive, educated, and aware. Tim Burton and Satoshi Tajiri are among some of the famous people we know who have Autism. If you want to support and learn more about Autism, 2 April is World Autism Awareness Day. I suggest taking a moment of your time to acknowledge and support the community. Autism is a fascinating subject and I hope more people will take the time to further their understanding of the topic.