All of a Piece?

"If we value independence, if we are disturbed by the growing conformity of knowledge, of values, of attitudes, which our present system induces, then we may wish to set up conditions of learning which make for uniqueness, for self-direction, and for self-initiated learning." Carl Rogers

Autism. What do you think of when you think Autism? Somebody sat on the floor in the corner of the room, locked into their own little world, rocking backwards and forwards? A savant such as David Tammet who can perform mind bloggling mathematical calculations at break neck speed? Disability or Opportunity?

Now ask yourself what Daryl Hannah, Dan Ackroyd and Gary Numan all have in common? Or Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Jim Henson and Alfred Hitchcock? The answers? The first group have all been diagnosed as having an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, the second group have been identified as displaying charcteristics typical of an ASD.

When Ashleigh was diagnosed as being on the spectrum, the Consultant told him that the first thing he must do was an internet search on famous people on the spectrum. The results were intriguing. Some of the world's most creative and innovative people are, or were thought to be, on the spectrum. Their original thought patterns enable them to carry the world forward. The hurtful thing though is that people have preconceived ideas about autism and those ideas are usually incorrect. Even people who should know better, made statements to us when Ashleigh was diagnosed that I find hard to understand given that they'd known Ashleigh for 13 years and knew that he was none of the things that they were implying. Eric's Aunt told me that anyone on the Autistic Spectrum was beyond the pail, and the wife of a friend of Eric's said that anyone on the spectrum should be locked away from society with their own kind where they and everybody else would be happier. Moreover, the mother of one of Ashleigh's friends told her son he was to stop seeing Ashleigh because Autistic people are dangerous.

But the autistic spectrum is just that, a spectrum, it encompasses people who can barely function or communicate to people who are extremely intelligent and able to function independently. People on the spectrum are no more "all of a piece" than any other group of people. They are individuals who share a common triad of difficulties centred around communication and interaction.

People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, and which can cause them considerable anxiety. In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family and social life may be harder for them. Other people appear to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other, and some people with autism may wonder why they are 'different'. The extent to which somebody experiences these problems varies. Think of each element of difficulty on the triad as part of the mix on a radio mixer where in each individual any element may be set high or low giving infinite variations.

For people with autistic spectrum disorders, 'body language' can appear just as foreign as if people were speaking ancient Greek. Many have a very literal understanding of language, and think people always mean exactly what they say. They can find it difficult to use or understand:

• facial expressions or tone of voice
• jokes and sarcasm
• common phrases and sayings; for example, saying something is "cool" might cause confusion if it's not cold
  

Some people with autism may not speak, or have fairly limited speech. Others will have good language skills, but they may still find it hard to understand the give-and-take nature of conversations, perhaps talking at length about their own interests. Socialising doesn't come naturally - it has to be learned. They may:

• not understand the unwritten social rules which most of us pick up without thinking: they may stand too close to another person for example, or start an inappropriate subject of conversation
• appear to be insensitive because they have not recognised how someone else is feeling
• prefer to spend time alone rather than seeking out the company of other people
• not seek comfort from other people
• appear to behave 'strangely' or inappropriately, as it is not always easy for them to express feelings, emotions or needs.

Difficulties with social interaction can mean that people with autism find it hard to form friendships: some may want to interact with other people and make friends, but may be unsure how to go about this.

Social imagination allows us to understand and predict other people's behaviour, make sense of abstract ideas, and to imagine situations outside our immediate daily routine. Difficulties with social imagination mean that people with autism find it hard to:

• understand and interpret other people's thoughts, feelings and actions
• predict what will happen next, or what could happen next
• understand the concept of danger, for example that running on to a busy road poses a threat to them
• engage in imaginative play and activities: children with autism may enjoy some imaginative play but prefer to act out the same scenes each time
• prepare for change and plan for the future
• cope in new or unfamiliar situations.

Because I have seen and experienced the difficulties that misconceptions about Autism create, I am passionate about raising awareness of the truth. Autism is an invisible disability and this makes it difficult to alter misconceptions.. Generally, somebody with Autism looks no different from anybody else, although sometimes, in some cases, their mannerisms may be a little odd. Autsim is far more common than most people realise many estimates put it at 1 in 80 to 1 in 100 people. Many people remain undiagnosed for life. So, the chances are, whether you know it or not, you probably have regular contact with somebody on the spectrum.

The world will only move forward and become a better place when we all learn to accept individuality. We are not all of a piece and we should celebrate and encourage diversity whilst assisting with any difficulties that being different might bring living in the very social environment of today's world. Maybe if we could achieve this the world would truly be at peace.

Acknowledgments: Layout created using Mystic Dreams Template by Sunfire
Inspired by the Tuesday Meme Heads or Tails
National Autistic Society for information regarding the triad of difficulties