Autism, as defined by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, is a neurological variation that occurs in about one percent of the population and is classified as a developmental disability. Eilidh Cage from The Independent reports that “Up to 70 per cent of autistic people experience mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety”.

 

       Difficulty interpreting sensory input is a key symptom of autism. A neurotypical, or not-autistic person, receives sensory information from the outside world in a direct line to the brain. The brain then determines how the body should respond to the stimuli. In an autistic person, the lines of communication from the outside world to the brain and then from the brain to the body are tangled and disconnected. This causes sensory input to often be painful and can overwhelm the brain. Stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, is one way that a person can regulate their sensory input. Rocking back and forth, humming, and covering the ears are some of the most common stims. These either create sensory input to ground the person or they block out sensory input to prevent the person from getting overwhelmed.

Autistic person often experience learning in a different way. One example of this is executive dysfunction. Someone with executive dysfunction may understand what they have to do, but are unable to complete the task because they do not understand the steps to completing the task or are unable to get started. This is different from a lack of motivation. In this case, the person has the drive to complete the task but are physically incapable due to neurological condition. Executive dysfunction can affect anything from finishing a project for school, doing a load of laundry, or even making a simple meal.

 

       Another symptom of autism is difficulty with communication. Autistic people tend to have difficulty behaving and reacting in socially appropriate ways. Craig Erickson states, “An early lack of interest in eye contact may cause children with autism to miss out on social cues, leading to low social motivation and interest down the road”. Most autistic people who have difficulty with eye contact claim that making eye contact in or out of a conversation is more than difficult, it’s painful. They then have difficulty into adulthood understanding body language and conveying emotions facially.

 

       A severe lack of understanding surrounds individuals with autism. Most people are unaware of what autism is or have many misconceptions about the symptoms and how they affect people with autism. Autism awareness is a step in the right direction, but autism acceptance is the ultimate goal. Eilidh Cage also writes, “While medical professionals have become much better at diagnosing autism, many people with the condition feel it is still not accepted as a potentially positive aspect of who they are”. We as a society have a better understanding of what autism is as a variety of symptoms, but what we have not yet achieved is an understanding and respect of the autistic individual.