Sunday, January 15, 2017

Autism Exists!


Autism exists!!!

Oh, wait, you already knew that? But that's all you need to know to have awareness, right? No? Hmm, well, how about instead of posting silly sentences that doesn't promote autism *understanding* you share this:

1) 2014 CDC statistics have 1 in 68 kids as being autistic. Since the definition of autism is expanding and changing all the time, and since girls on the spectrum are often missed, it's probably more than that. That means, unless you're a hermit, you're probably meeting more autistic people than you realize.

2) Autism is a spectrum; that means that there are variations and differences in various degrees of intensity. There will be people who you don't think "look" autistic, but are. If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person. Don't expect all other autistic people to act the way the one person with autism that you know does.

3) Asperger's and "High Functioning Autism" are now known as ASD (autism spectrum disorder) level 1. Unless the person identifies *themselves* as an Aspie, try to use current terms.

4) Most people on the spectrum do not enjoy being touched by people they aren't very close to. (I mean, do YOU want to be touched by strangers?) So while all autistic people are different, it's a good rule of thumb that unless someone is in IMMEDIATE DANGER, keep your hands to yourself.

5) Don't bring up vaccines. Seriously; DO NOT. I don't care which way you think, don't bring them up unless you WANT to come across as a clueless jerk.

If you never have anyone on the autism spectrum in your close social circle, then this is the main stuff you should know. If you do have someone in your family or close social circle who is on the spectrum, the best source of information it the person themselves (or their parent if they're a child.)
If you'd like some more information of what NOT to say, here's a link to my blog post about that.

Please share for actual Autism Understanding that helps the community.

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