The TL/DR...
- Autistic individuals vary widely in their characteristics, behaviors, abilities, and strengths—all of which may be influenced by the presence of any co-occurring disorders or disabilities.
- Misconceptions based on stereotypes of autistic people lacking empathy, being unable to communicate effectively, or needing to be "fixed" are inaccurate, harmful, and can contribute to prejudice, discrimination, ableism, and the marginalization of the autistic community.
- While there has been a shift within the disability rights movement from person-first language (e.g., “person with autism”) to identity-first terminology (e.g., “autistic person”) to reflect that autism is a natural neurological variation and an integral part of a person’s identity, the preferred choice of how to self-identify should be left to the individual and must be respected.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how an individual communicates, behaves, thinks, and interacts with other people around them. Because the characteristics of autism are often widely misunderstood by neurotypical people, autistic individuals can sometimes be exposed to stereotyping. One mainstream portrayal of autism coming out of Hollywood is Dustin Hoffman's Academy Award-winning performance as Raymond Babbitt in the 1988 film Rain Man. In the movie, Raymond is depicted as a high-functioning autistic savant who possesses remarkable abilities like being able to instantly count large numbers of items such as toothpicks, completing math calculations in his head at lightning speeds, and demonstrating a photographic memory of hundreds, if not thousands, of names, places, and dates (even telephone numbers from a phone book). Along with these skills, Raymond has an overwhelming need to stick to familiar schedules, routines, and rituals that make up his day-to-day life. His ability to perform the tasks mentioned here far exceeds that of a neurotypical individual. While the film raises public awareness of autism, Raymond's behaviors, characteristics, and abilities depicted in the movie are not universal among autistic individuals. Autistic individuals can display a broad range of characteristics, behaviors, and strengths due to structural differences in their brains.
Professionals who work in the field of special education say there are several myths and misconceptions that can influence how neurotypical individuals perceive autistic people. Some of these myths include the fallacy that autistic individuals do not communicate effectively or that they do not possess empathy for others. There is also a mistaken belief that autistic individuals do not have the capacity to understand that other people have their own thoughts, beliefs, desires, emotions, and perspectives, and that these will differ from their own. This is one component of socioemotional development that begins in early childhood, known as "Theory of Mind." Another harmful and erroneous assumption centers on the view that autism is a disease or affliction that needs to be "cured." This narrow mindset is contrary to the research-supported evidence which shows that autism is an inherent part of what makes an autistic person who they are. Myths such as these can promote bias, disability prejudice, discrimination, and ableism. It can also lead to unfairly denying autistic individuals the recognition of their strengths and resilience that they deserve. This can perpetuate the marginalization of individuals in the autistic community. George Mason University faculty recently shared their thoughts on the need for special education professionals to challenge and disrupt these myths and false assumptions. Participating in this discussion was Linn Jorgenson, associate professor of Special Education and director of Mason LIFE, an innovative program that provides young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities a full university experience in a supportive academic environment. Joining her was Grace Francis, associate professor of Special Education: Autism.
The presence of any co-occurring disabilities or disorders can influence an autistic person’s behavioral characteristics, abilities, and strengths.
A common misconception about autistic people is that they all share the same identical behavioral characteristics. This is not the case. Many autistic individuals have co-occurring disabilities or disorders that might include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety or depression, sensory processing issues, or other conditions that can affect their communicative, cognitive, sensory, learning, and social behaviors in a variety of ways. For this reason, it is important to assess an autistic individual for co-occurring disorders or disabilities to ensure that an effective, evidence-based intervention plan can be designed that will allow these individuals to reach their full potential and thrive.
Whether using person-first or identity-first terminology, the preferred choice of self-identifying should be left to the individual.
Within the disability rights and autism community there has been a change in the self-identifying terminology used by some advocates, shifting from person-first language (e.g., "an individual with autism") to an identity-first descriptor (e.g., "an autistic individual"). As noted previously, there is a belief held by some neurotypical individuals that autism is a disease that needs to be "fixed." In alignment with this thinking, the person-first language had long been used to place the emphasis on the individual as a human being, and to couch autism as a condition separate and apart or secondary to their primary identity.
In contrast, proponents of the identity-first terminology maintain that this wording better reflects the whole person from a holistic stance. They point out that identity-first language more accurately represents autism as being an integral part of the inherent make-up of that individual. They add that instead of portraying autism as a disease that diminishes the value or abilities of an individual, the identity-first language signifies that autism is a neurological condition that a person is born with. This simply means that an autistic person finds diverse ways to learn, communicate, socialize, and achieve their goals—ways they are comfortable with. Advocates say that autism is an example of the physiological variation that distinguishes all human beings from one another. In autistic individuals, this variation is specific to how their brains are structured. This diversity makes each autistic person unique and able to contribute their own perspective and world view from which others can learn.
Whether using person-first or identity-first terminology, the preferred choice of how to self-identify should be left to the individual and must be respected.
To learn more about degree offerings in George Mason University’s Special Education Program, please visit the program website.