9 Misconceptions about autism.

Autism is a condition that is greatly misunderstood. Despite more people being diagnosed than ever before especially in adulthood, there’s still a lot of misinformation. The autistic spectrum is extremely broad and no two autistic people are the same. It’s not a black and white condition that presents itself in one way. You have those at the very severe end who have intellectual disability and cannot care for themselves and those at the very mild end that present far less symptoms and signs. This doesn’t mean though that they aren’t impacted and don’t struggle. I am on the milder end of the spectrum but autism still impacts and effects me. I struggle with daily life and interactions with others. Here are some common misconceptions that neurotypicals have about autism.

1. You have zero social skills.

Having autism doesn’t mean you’re antisocial and can’t interact with others effectively. You can have decent social skills as I do, but struggle in social situations. I’m polite, friendly and am able to hold a conversation without talking over people or speaking at length only about certain topics. I am able to engage in small talk even if I don’t enjoy it.

Many people think that I can’t be autistic because I have good social skills and am able to identify poor ones. After all neurotypicals can have poor social skills too…