Autism Facts
There are a lot of myths about Autism. Part of our job is to create more awareness and acceptance.
We have shared some of the facts below:
- 15 – 35% of Autistic people identify as LGBTQ+
- Autism stems from the Greek meaning “self.” Autism literally means “alone.”
- There is no cure for Autism.
- Autism varies from person to person, once you’ve met one Autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.
- There’s no such thing as “looking” autistic.
- Autism is not a disorder, it’s a neurological difference.
- Individuals with Autism can be very creative and find a passion for music, theatre and art.
- “The world gets better for autistic people every time people listen to us, rather than simply talk about us.”
- We’re not all on the autistic spectrum – It’s a phrase you’ve probably heard from someone, and another common misconception. Diagnosis is complicated and many of us can empathise with and even experience some of the signs of an autistic person, such as social anxiety or even heightened senses. It is a combination of these factors, however, that leads to a person receiving an official diagnosis, and we now know that it is an actual difference in brain activity. We are either autistic or not autistic. Those who have autism are on the spectrum somewhere, and those who are not are not considered to be on the spectrum.
- In 2017, Sesame Street debuted a character with autism named Julia. The puppet is the first muppet to be on the autism spectrum.
- Most of us don’t “suffer” from autism. We usually just suffer from the way we are treated because of our autism.
- Parents do not and cannot cause autism spectrum disorder. Although the multiple causes of ASD are not known, it is known that parental behaviour before, during and after pregnancy does not cause ASD.
- Autism is not caused by bad parenting.
- Autism has no known cause.
- Every Autistic person has their own unique mix of traits, strengths, needs, sensory systems, interests and personality.
- All Autistic people are 100% Autistic, there are no functioning labels.
- Many Autistic people put subtitles on for every show they watch, even if they have a strong sense of hearing. This may be because of the auditory processing differences and delays.
- 63% of Autistic children are bullied at school.
- 71% of Autistic Adults are unemployed.
- Many Autistic adults have been previously misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar and many other mental health conditions.
- Autistic people are up to 8x more likely to experience gastrointestinal (GI) issues than Neurotypical people.
- Up to 80% of Autistic people may meet the criteria for ADHD.
- Signs of Autism in girls can present themselves differently and as a result can be misdiagnosed or missed.
- Autism occurs across all ethnic, socioeconomic and racial groups.
- Depression affects an estimated 7% of children and 26% of adults who are autistic.
- An Autism diagnosis doesn’t change who you are, it explains why you think differently.
- It is widely speculated that Isaac Newton, Andy Warhol, Albert Einstein and Bill Gates are all Autistic.
- Research has shown that dogs are linked to improve the quality of life in autistic children.
- Around One in 67 people in the UK are Autistic but many adults have never been diagnosed.
