ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, is a condition in which the brain of an affected individual is “wired” differently, leading to challenges in several areas of life. Communication, cognitive patterns, emotional processing, and personality traits are some examples of categories in which autistic people experience these differences, or as some might view them, “deficits.” However, as I will discuss in depth later, these “deficits” are only seen as such because they are the minority. In an opposite world where 99% of people have an autistic brain, I can promise that those with non-autistic brains would instead be seen as the ones with certain “deficits.” Basically, most experts nowadays see autism as simply a different type of brain, or neurotype, instead of a disorder. Thus, many advocates now call it Autism Spectrum Condition in an attempt to de-pathologize it.
Whatever you want to call it, autism is something that I have only recently come across with my own diagnosis. I mean, I had certainly heard of autism before, but my impression of the condition was beyond uneducated. Most of what I knew came from classmates and stereotypical autistic characters on TV, which, as I’m sure you can imagine, was not quite accurate.
Once I discovered I might be on the spectrum, I did what I usually do with new and mysterious information: research. I indulged in YouTube videos, scientific publications, and personal blog posts on ASD, all of which opened me up to the controversial and fascinating world of autism. I knew my previous ideas about the topic might be outdated, but what surprised me was how outdated and ignorant much of the media still was.
I expected most of the information I found on ASD to follow a similar pattern I discovered growing up with other topics. For instance, homophobia was something popular and widespread in my hometown, but I found quite the opposite in most places online. With autism, however, the ignorance surrounding autism in real life seemed unfortunately much more prevalent online as well, which I will discuss further in several posts.
Now, truly understanding the lack of awareness and acceptance of people with ASD, I want my passion blog for this semester to focus on those exact issues. I will be discussing information about ASD in general, exploring the experiences of specific people with ASD, and especially addressing controversies about the condition. While I know that only a handful of people may read this blog, it still motivates me to know that even one person will learn from my work and use it to continue the progress of autism acceptance.
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I like how you pointed out that Autism is more like a different type of brain rather than “deficits” as you said. I love that you are taking us through your own personal journey of discovery and research. I also really like the motivation for your blog and can’t wait to come back in future weeks and read more.
I really like that you are doing your blog on a topic that is personal and in close connection to you and your life. ASD is a very controversial topic and like many, it is misrepresented through media.
My little cousin had been recently diagnosed with ASD, and people in the older generations do not understand this condition completely.
And I also loved the line, “In an opposite world where 99% of people have an autistic brain, I can promise that those with non-autistic brains would instead be seen as the ones with certain “deficits.”
I really liked your both academic and personal approach to this topic. Something I’ve learned with some family members’ diagnosis with other neurodiversities is that it is simply that: diversity.
Your style is also really connectable. Phrases like “I mean,” and “Now” just make the whole post very comfortable.
Can’t wait to read more!
Hey Amber, I think your goal here to educate as many as you can on this topic is very admirable. Because you are connected to this topic, you are the perfect person to spread awareness on autism and the entire spectrum it can be found on.
Admittedly, I myself am largely ignorant on the topic, and as you mentioned in your post, I find it hard to find unbiased information on these types of subjects online.
I hope you will be able to educate others with future blogs, and I wish you luck in doing so!
I absolutely love that you have an end goal for your blog: to educate other people on ASC. My older sister is a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analysis) who works with children with autism, and so I understand a little bit about the misconceptions and ideas surrounding autism. It makes me so happy to see how invested you are in the advocation and education process of this all. I’m really excited to follow along and educate myself more on the topic :)!
Thank you so much for sharing this part of your life with us! I am eager to learn more about ASD from you. I would love to see some images in next week’s post, but other than that keep up the excellent work!