Autism, 1.0.1.
We should all know more about autism than we currently do.
Hi! I’m Laure, a passionate tutor with 2700+ hours of experience helping students navigate through their learning journey.
Over the last 7 years, I’ve supported children and teenagers with very different profiles.
Some of them are procrastinators.
Some of them are high potentials.
Some of them have a dys. Dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia,…
Some of them are lost in their learning process and objectives.
Some of them recovered from rare diseases and are still learning to cope with the consequences.
Some of them suffer from very low self-esteem and are learning to trust themselves.
Some of them have a different story.
Some of them are on the autism spectrum.
And some of them are a combination of several of the above.
Why this article? Because over the last years, I’ve seen how misconceptions about autism are affecting autistic people on all levels of their lives, including education. And we can all relate to it: if you do not feel understood, it makes your entire life more complicated to navigate through.
Because this month is autism awareness month, here are the top 3 pieces of information about autism that I believe everybody should know, so we make school, workplaces and society a better place for them.
1. Yes, autism is a spectrum, but no, that doesn’t mean ‘we’re all a little bit autistic’
But first, what does that even mean, ‘to be autistic’?
As explained by NHS, ‘autistic people may:
find it hard to communicate and interact with other people
find it hard to understand how other people think or feel
find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable
get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events
take longer to understand information
do or think the same things over and over’
They may also:
be very often misunderstood by people around them
need structure, clarity, predictability and alternative forms of communication
have low, middle or high needs for specific support.
Recognizing yourself in one of these dots? Alright! But that doesn’t make you a tiny little bit autistic.
Saying ‘we’re all a little bit autistic’ is basically saying:
that we should all get diagnosed with it, ending up in saying there’s no point in diagnosis
that autism isn’t ‘really’ a handicap: if we all have it to some extent, then it’s not really a handicap anymore.
that we should all benefit from at least some of the adaptations that autistic people are struggling to get to feel better in our society (school adaptations such as being allowed to take their tests in a silent room or with noise-cancelling headphones, for instance). It’s close enough to saying: ‘Stop complaining and asking for favors, we all struggle sometimes and yet we learn how to manage on our own.’ Autistic people struggled to get some adaptations because they desperately needed them. Not so we all start whining to get the same because ‘it’s not fair’.
2. Yes, autism may affect a student’s school results, but no, it doesn’t mean they cannot be successful at school.
Suppose you’re asked to write a 1hr essay or solve a complex math problem in the middle of a nightclub, with constant changes in lights and people partying all around you.
Sounds ridiculous? And yet, that’s pretty much what we’re asking to an autistic student who would be easily overwhelmed with bright light and noise. Their neighbor’s ruler falling on the floor feels pretty similar to them as it could feel for you to have someone yelling in your ear. Yes, very, very uncomfortable.
Once diagnosed, autistic students usually benefit from adaptations, such as being allowed to take their exam in a separate room with dimmer light. But what about students who have not been diagnosed yet? These will not benefit from the adaptations that they need, resulting in poor exam results because they couldn’t sit their exam in good conditions.
Samely, autism doesn’t mean they will have a bad job.
Just like school is learning to adapt to these students, the workplace is slowly starting to. And will need to.
3. Yes, autism is only one word, but no, it doesn’t have only one definition.
Again, autism is a spectrum.
And people on that spectrum have different personalities, different stories, different backgrounds.
Some people still use the expression ‘Asperger’s syndrome’ to define their form of autism, when this is the diagnosis they’ve been given. Some others refuse to use those words, because Mr Asperger wasn’t exactly a great man, and they believe their condition shouldn’t be associated with him.
Some people prefer to use the expression ‘I’m autistic’, some others prefer to say ‘I have autism’, some others ‘I am on the autistic spectrum’, and probably some others use expressions I don’t even know of.
No, these are not useless distinctions. These simply show the nuances each of them decides to use when defining a big part of their lives. They are not bothering you with needless precisions. They are opening a door so you can understand them better.
Autism is not:
a disease that can be cured
preventing people from living a full life
the same for everyone concerned
implying a higher or lower level of intelligence than average
caused by bad parenting or other clear causes.
And autism is by no means just about disability and challenges. Autism can:
play a small or a big part in people’s life. Not every autistic person necessarily feels like this is a major brick of their life.
provide abilities, perspectives and chances. It can open the minds of people who know autistic people, for they have a different view on our world and bring new and innovative solutions to the table.
support the development of an inclusive, diverse society. By adapting to and learning from autistic people, we’ll bring new ideas to the table, which can benefit to all in the long run.
To each our own limits: while I have worked with several students on the autism spectrum, and love getting to know them, I am not an expert about autism. This article has been proofread by Joanne Theisen, a fantastic consultant in Luxembourg about autism. You can find her website and blog here.
Recently, she also co-founded a new platform, Hasilux, with the idea of centering all information related to autism and school inclusion in one single place. Eager for more? Don’t hesitate to pay it a visit!
I really enjoy reading your articles Laure. Food for thought, every single time!