Unraveling the complexities of autism.
This article is an addendum to my book, Invisible Parents: Hidden Secrets of Special Needs Parents: A Book of Hope, and my intention is to keep special needs parents updated on the most current research.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)is a neurological and developmental disorder marked by challenges in social communication, light, sound sensitivities, and repetitive behavior (Höfer, J., et al., 2017). It is the complexity of the disorder that creates misconceptions and myths that don’t facilitate growth in autism communities. As I’ve said often in previous pieces, special needs parents must fortify their parenting arsenal with truths, not falsehood. Let’s unravel this complexity, explore the varied experiences within the spectrum, and discuss what science knows about ASD.
Early Signs: A Parent’s Insight
Parents and caregivers often notice early signs of ASD before a child turns one. By the age of two or three, these symptoms become more apparent. Some children may show mild functional difficulties, only presenting in the classroom, while others show hearing impairment and triggered physical outbursts. Because of the varied and individualized aspect of symptoms, proper diagnosis is intricate. Early diagnosis, however, is vital and can empower the path to your child’s future.
Social Communication Deficits: Recognizing the Cues
Parents may see various cues, such as a lack of sharing interests, difficulty with emotional comprehension, and aversion to eye contact. Speech may be absent or unclear, and abstract ideas taken literally. Making friends is awkward because the child cannot establish normal social boundaries. A child might have hearing impairments, have difficulty with speech, or experience sensory processing disorders. Other symptoms may include:
Rigid behaviors
Hypersensitivity to sound, light, and touch
Niche interests
Resistance to change
Behavioral outbursts
Lack of displays of happy or sad
Risk Factors: Debunking Myths
To truly understand what ASD is, it’s necessary to clarify what it isn’t. In their seminal research, both Dr. Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger used a series of case histories to form clinical insight into autistic disorders that today helped formalize the autistic definition.
While the methods of representing and diagnosing ASD have changed, largely because of the work of Kanner and Asperger, stereotypes (and medical fallacies) in autism still exist (Rosen, N., 2021). Popular media represent much of what society learns about ASD, and this information is often false.
Often, media representations of autistic abilities contribute to a skewed divergence between the traditional image of autism and the clinical reality of the autistic condition. Here are some of the most prevalent myths about ASD:
1. Bad parenting causes ASD
A diagnosis of ASD in your child can be heart-wrenching, yet one of the most common emotions is guilt. While parents may feel a sense of relief that their child finally has a name for their dysfunction, they may also blame themselves for their parenting skills (Samadi et al., 2012; Selimoglu et al., 2013).
They may believe others will judge them as a poor parent once they learn of the diagnosis. While researchers developed theories supporting nurture as a possible factor behind ASD, parental styles do not cause neurodevelopmental disorders (Crowell, et al., 2019). Roller coaster emotions are perfectly normal, but the way you raised your child leading up to a diagnosis did not cause your child’s ASD. If anything, parents play a vital role in interventions to help their child.
2. Vaccines Cause ASD
Perhaps one of the most nefarious myths about ASD is that vaccinations are responsible. Studies show that there is no connection between receiving a vaccine and developing ASD.
The National Academy of Medicine (formally the Institute of Medicine) reviewed eight vaccines for children and adults. The review found those vaccines are safe, except for allergic responses and other rare disorders (Institute of Medicine, 2012). A 2013 CDC study supported that research showing that vaccines do not cause ASD (Pediatr, J., 2013).
The CDC study focused on the imperative vaccine antigens given during the first few years of life. Antigens are particles in vaccines that enable the body’s immune system to produce disease-fighting antibodies. Vaccines use inactive parts of an antigen to trigger an immune response in the body. Current vaccines include a blueprint for the antigens instead of the antigen itself. The weakened version of the blueprint/antigen does not cause disease in a person receiving the vaccine but sparks their immune system to “attack” as it would on an actual pathogen.
The results of the CDC study demonstrated that the amount of antigen from vaccines was the same in children with ASD and those who did not have ASD. Many studies attempted to disprove this finding, but there is no evidence of a link between vaccines and ASD.
3. Autism can be outgrown or cured
The myth that ASD can be outgrown or cured in a child’s lifetime is a dangerous notion. If parents believe that ASD disappears as the child ages, a child may not get the proper support throughout their life (Jones, S., 2019). This myth can also lead to a lifetime of false perceptions for the autistic person; they may believe they are a failed neurotypical person instead of a successful autistic human.
This myth originated when studies showed that 7–9% of children diagnosed with early ASD had no symptoms of the disorder in later childhood (Shulman, L., et al., 2015). The explanation for all of this “outgrowing” were common misdiagnosis of ASD.
The Journal of Child Neurology examined the records of 569 children diagnosed with ASD between 2002 and 2013. It discovered that 7% no longer met the diagnostic measurements, and many were diagnosed with other behavior disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), mental illness, or anxiety disorders (D’Agostino E., et al., 2019).
Masking
Some autistic individuals hide their ASD symptoms. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), some high-functioning autistic individuals with high IQs can mask their symptoms. In society, they present as individuals previously diagnosed with ASD that outgrew their disorder (Fein D., et al., 2014).
Masking takes an exceptional amount of emotional and physical energy. It often leads to burnout, exhaustion, and depression (Livingston L., et al., 2017).
4. Individuals living with ASD cannot show affection
Another common myth is the idea that individuals with ASD are bereft of empathy or emotion. What is true is that individuals diagnosed with ASD show emotions in very different ways that many don’t recognize. Most individuals with ASD have few issues expressing their emotions and processing the feelings of others.
Part of the stigma of this belief involves individuals who have another disorder in addition to ASD. Alexithymia, a condition that makes understanding one’s emotions difficult, is common in low and high-functioning ASD (Griffin, C., et al., 2016). Alexithymia occurs in different degrees of severity in 40%-65% of the autistic population (Young, E., 2019).
Individuals with alexithymia often cannot recognize facial expressions and other nonverbal emotional cues, such as tones of voice. In contrast, individuals with ASD struggle with the cognitive processing of emotions and feelings, but can perceive empathy and understand emotional levels. More specifically, ASD individuals grapple more with emotional competence and recognition of social cues (Shah, P., et al., 2016).
Further perpetuating the confusion is sensitivity to sound, light, and feelings. For example, an abrupt, physical embrace may overstimulate an autistic child and cause a perceived resistance to affection. There are, however, individuals with ASD that can express and understand emotion, and that have no issue giving and receiving affection (Catalano, N., (2020).
Conclusion
In the intricate journey of raising a child with autism, information is a guiding light. Learning what ASD is and understanding the continued myths help keep parents on an educated path. Debunked by peer-reviewed research, these exposed myths help the autistic community avoid dangerous decisions and make special needs parenting safer.
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