Autism Spectrum: Atypical Minds in a Stereotypical World

My son has autism. Hyper imbalanced atypical traits across the spectrum. We weren't allowed sleep the 1st 4 years. He was years late with speech. We had to guess then respect every single pattern he created for himself to cope with everything. We've had tons of help that didn't help. Some even said things like "well, I guess you guys'll have to suffer and hope it'll get better". So eventually my wife gave up trying conventional help and let me do my thing, when previously I wasn't allowed and this dualism in how we saw we needed to approach the problem, caused a near break between us, so I relented until this moment where she gave up. What I ended up doing with my son is via meditative listening in the forest near our home, make him stop hearing everything individually but since he couldn't filter out any, make him "see" it as a classical concert (and later jazz as he grew up). Once this mechanism was automated within ... We've been blessed with a good sleeper, a superb learner and a sweet kid able to cope with the world almost as if he was typical. He's still quirky and can make my blood boil but ... that's (as he says it) all part of the concert.

"Should we treat children with autism with therapy, or celebrate them for who they are?" -- A bit of a loaded question. How about giving them the help and tools they need to cope with an environment full of people who don't think or perceive things they way they do, without treating them as though they have a disease?

It's sad how often people with autism are misunderstood or misjudged. I remember back when I was 8 years old; my teacher told me that I was too dumb to ever go to a ‘normal’ school. The same teacher also took away my encyclopedia, saying that it was ‘too difficult’ for me and never gave it back. I have an above-average IQ... Having autism does NOT mean you're dumb!

I am a high functioning autistic teenager and autism is one of my special interests, I research it for hours at a time, I think that autistic people should be taught how to understand allistic people but not be changed in such a way where they hide their true selves.

As an autistic person, I’d say both for sure. Overcoming social situations has been tough but I’m far better and more comfortable than I have been in years. Teaching them social cues and maintaining their way of thinking is crucial. Do this without treating them as an idiot please

My mother told me that I was hyper focused on things ever since I was aware of my soroundings. In my early childhood I wasn't interested in people so much so that i didn't remember the names of most of my classmates. I didn't even know how to tie my shoues till i was 10. I turned out ok but I still don't understand flirting.

I am a 20 year old female recently diagnosed with autism (high functioning Asperger's, so as a girl especially, it went unnoticed - only the effects were clear - I'm easily stressed, have social anxiety and experienced repeated bouts of depression/ suicidal thoughts throughout my teenage years). I think what we really need is therapy, to help us cope. Especially people diagnosed as adults would benefit from this, because we lived our whole lives with certain perceptions of ourselves as a result of not realising we have neurodiverse brains. I'm currently at a top university studying a STEM subject, which took no small amount of effort and self-imposed social isolation to achieve. It's difficult to feel like all I can be proud of is my achievements, because I'm a social car crash...

“We are different, not less.” - Temple Grandin

It's so interesting bc a lot of the "stereotypical" signs of Autism are displayed here, but individuals with Autism are soo different! For example, my brother has Autism and he is unable to talk, but he is the most affectionate, kind, funny, outstandingly intelligent individual who loves to be around others and go to family parties - so everyone is very different!

The point of therapy should be to give tools for people with ASD to navigate the world better as opposed to changing them

As an autistic myself, I can say all of this is very accurate. I'm diagnosed as an high functioning autistic with an IQ at about 130. I have a difficult time socializing with others, reading emotions and social cues. I especially have major difficulty understanding if someone is being sarcastic, lying, or joking. Because of this I never had any friends in school. I actually got so used to this that when ever someone tries to start a conversation with me and try to get to know me, I'm privately very suspicious about what that person wants. I also like to spend a majority of my time by myself and stay in my room, only coming out if called, use the bathroom, or eat. I live in Alabama, a very conservative part of the US so people I interact with have no idea or are not well informed on what autism is, so people just thought I was some weird quiet kid. Things were really bad in middle school because of that and I was bullied constantly to a point that I was suicidal and had to be homeschooled for a year. I was shoved into lockers, harrased, ridiculed, and ostracized. I still remember having to sit alone in the school lunchroom because of my terrible social skills. I had a better time socializing with my pet cat and imaginary characters than an actual human being. I enjoy focusing on the tiniest details and aspects on my favorite topics, which are history and art for me. I like hyperfixating on things such as vexillology, the study of flags, maps, history (mostly WW2 and Civil War history, bit I also enjoy other historical topics), and ect. I usually don't do with others because I'm afraid that I'll be seen as annoying and be further ostracized. Not many people my age are into the things I enjoy. I also tend to see the world in a more logical and reasonable perspective. I appear on the outside as neutral and unemotional, but my mind is very much active and emotional. I just have difficulty showing it. Because of my tendency to see the world in a more logical way, I'm not much of a religious person and identify as an atheist. But I usually keep that to myself considering where I live. Alabama is very conservative and my neighbors, coworkers, and family members tend to look down on that sort of belief. But I also understand why other people are religious and the importance of religion. I'll respect their opinions and beliefs as long as they respect mine. I have no quarrel with people who have different opinions. My mom is the only person I feel comfortable around and feel safe to be myself. She was very patient, caring, and loving. She also raised me to be more and has made me the person I am now. It's thanks to her efforts that I can hold a job, drive a car, currently be in college, and many other things the doctors who diagnosed me said I'd never achieve. My step father also helped me become who I am. He taught me how to ride a bike, introduced me to several things that I now enjoy such as video games, historical reenactments, etc. All I'm trying to say is that autism isn't a disease for a disability, it's a personality and all I and my fellow autistic brothers and sisters want is to be treated like a regular human being. We don't want anyones sympathies or hand outs, we just want to feel included and valued in society. Also, I need to remind everyone that autism is a spectrum disorder, and autism varies from person to person. Not all autistic people are like Sheldon Cooper or Shane Murphy.

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I'm autistic. Yup, going to an event where there were a lot of people talking at one time was torture! Even with my noise reducing headphones I could still hear them shouting.

I never thought we would bring a child into the world with challenges we did not understand until her 20s. It is heart breaking to think we could have supported her if this was talked about and understood better. My wife suffers from depression and anxiety, my oldest daughter with anxiety and BPD, but autism, in our youngest's case, is more subtle and we never knew how it was affecting her - her challenges remain huge and something we work to support her with - more information, support and resources are critical. Thank you for your work

Therapy doesn't mean trying to change the kid to fit in 🙄 it's about giving them the tools to work through their difficulties and manage their emotions, communicate better and ultimately experience more happiness. It's definitely visible how happy a kid is when they learn certain skills and work through situations that were once overwhelming.

I'm neurotypical, but I'm a HUGE medical and science dork! I'm taking this as something to keep in mind for any potential future interactions or future children I may have. The last thing I want to do is upset or overwhelm someone unintentionally! Thanks for the insight!

As a 71 year old on the spectrum I know that I would have benefited greatly from a diagnosis and therapy when young. I don't need to be "cured" but I still have asocial traits, anxiety and a resulting life long depression. I knew I was different. I was treated as though I was "wrong". Finding out that I am on the spectrum was a bit late at age 65.

I grew up during a time before autism was properly diagnosed, so because i was a quiet lone child at school teachers and my mother would force me to hang around with other children in an attempt to make friends, i hated every minute of it but i did learn to fit in, i might not properly understand every social situation but i can pass by without being recognizably different. Basically what I'm saying is be patient with the autistic but don't walk on egg shells around us, we know when we're being patronized

Have 2 siblings both part of the spectrum... Both different but also similar in different ways. As they are my younger siblings, I can't help but have affection for them as they are my blood. But it does feel lonely in not having the more normal experience, especially when hearing what peers would say about their experiences with their siblings. It took a long while to accept both of them, as it would since I was very young when I was told of their condition. As I grew up I realised more and more how dealing with them changed me, I don't think of behaviours outside the norm as weird as it's my own normal to see. I instinctively try to assess everyone's behavioural patterns and classify them so I can deal with them differently to achieve mutually beneficial relationships. My parents were fair in giving attention as they age the amount we needed, but me obviously needing less still meant I got less. It gave a false impression of being less tended to. I used to get mixed feelings about my own achievements as my siblings received similar praise for much less, although they might have had to do more effort for that. It's tough because the full picture is only understood taking their condition into account, and skimming the surface as I'd do with everyone else gives false impressions. Between the both of them, I tend to respond to each as I'm responded to. So I end up being more affectionate with the youngest as she's affectionate herself. The other one is more introverted and speaks less, and doesn't know how to show affection, so there's less warmth and more neutrality in our relationship. It's never not going to be tough with them, and the misconceptions will never end either, but I wouldn't trade then for anyone.

After working with children having ASD for over 40 years, I must say that this is a very generalized overview of ASD. The spectrum is HUGE and goes from highly functioning "genius-savants" all the way to nonverbal, delayed, self-injurious, totally dependent individuals. It is truly unfair to say simply, accept them the "way they are," without considering those who have severe difficulty coping with life due to the "way they are." Those who need help with communication, socialization, activities of daily living, even simple self-care like brushing teeth and bathrooming, should be tended to, taught and cared for with compassion, and practical training. I've noticed that as ASD has become more recognized in recent years, people tend to think of those mildly or moderately affected with this condition. My sibling who had ASD needed constant care, training and attention without which he would have never had the quality of life he deserved.