In the past ten years alone, our perception of autism has changed wildly. While most people used to have a very limited, specific image of what autism looked like, we now understand it to be a spectrum. Autism presents itself in different ways with each individual, and needs vary from person to person. But the various needs are not more or less important than others.
As a society, we’re talking about autism more now than we were ten years ago — and that could be a good thing. The nuances of the autistic experience are finally becoming well known, not just in the mental health world but in our culture and workplaces in general.
Rise of Diagnoses, But Not Occurrence
You may have heard someone dismissively declare, “Oh, everyone’s autistic these days.” This is a common misconception, and one that comes from the fact that autism diagnoses have greatly increased since the first discovery of autism in 1943. In a 2018 study of preschoolers in Oslo, Norway, it was found that 1 in 384 males and 1 in 1,722 females were diagnosed with ASD.1
But no studies seem to indicate that we have a higher prevalence of autism now as opposed to 80 years ago. Instead, we have a stronger understanding of autism and how it can look for different people. Neurobehavioral experts are also able to detect autism earlier, with most signifiers appearing between the ages of 12 and 18 months.2
The Emphasis On the Spectrum
Autism is an often abbreviated version of the full name of this neurological condition: autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The key component is that autism exists on a spectrum. But as many autistic individuals will tell you, this spectrum is not a straight line of “low autism or high autism.” Rather, the spectrum tends to look more like a circle or wheel, with different traits and needs landing on different places based on a few different categories:3
- Language
- Motor skills
- Perception
- Executive Function
- Sensory experiences
At the beginning of the autism awareness movement, we began to understand that even autistic individuals who had a less visible autism were still, in fact, autistic. Now, we’re beginning to move away from thinking of autistic individuals in terms of “high needs” or “low needs,” instead looking at autism as an umbrella for a wide range of experiences.
Awareness To Acceptance
April has actually been Autism Awareness Month since 1970. But in 2021, the name was changed slightly from Autism Awareness Month to Autism Acceptance Month. This one word makes an impactful change in the perception surrounding ASD. At this point, most people are aware of autism, though more awareness and normalization is still needed on a wider cultural perspective in order to promote acceptance. But what is more needed now is to foster a culture, from schools to workplaces and social gatherings, that are more inclusive and mindful of autistic individuals who inhabit them.
Autism In the Workplace
Autistic individuals still struggle to find employment compared to neurotypical job candidates. Differences around languages and social expectations during job interviews, training, and office culture can make it difficult for some autistic individuals to assimilate in the workplace as it is now. In the United Kingdom, only one-fifth of the autistic population is employed; however, 15% of the workforce identifies as autistic, among employers and employees.4
One good thing that has come about from the change in perception of autism is that more legislation has come out to protect autistic employees. In the UK, employers are required to make “reasonable adjustments.” In the American Disabilities Act, employers must also make “reasonable accommodations” for autistic employees. For autistic employees who might be sensitive to light or sound, the ability to adjust lighting or wear headphones at work has shown a significant impact on autistic individuals finding employment.5
More Media Portrayals
In the late 80s and early 90s, the movies we saw about autism were often very extreme stereotypes, with autistic characters either treated as genius savants or a burden on their families. Today, however, we’re seeing more and more portrayals of autism in the media, including portrayals written by autistic creators themselves.
Some of the more popular portrayals of autism — such as the ABC medical drama The Good Doctor or k-drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo — do still lean towards savant archetypes, but also include experiences of normal life, such as characters meeting up with friends after work or navigating their careers. Extraordinary Attorney Woo is also a break from the majority of autistic media portraying autistic characters as thin, white men.
These portrayals are not perfect and often still rely on old stereotypes. But they are examples of mainstream media centering autistic characters, rather than simply the supporting figures in their lives.
Through the #OwnVoices social media movement in the literature world, traditional publishing has been welcoming more autistic books by autistic authors, as well, across a variety of genres.6 And we’re seeing more autistic creators in general, such as Radford Sechrist, creator of the animated Netflix show, Kipo & the Age of Wonderbeasts.
Further Need For Change
The conversation around autism has improved drastically in the past ten years, but that does not mean that we should stop where we are now. In fact, the disparities between the way society treats neurotypical individuals and autistic individuals are still quite severe.
In addition to the statistics when it comes to the workplace, a 2021 study found that autistic students were more likely to apply to 2-year colleges than 4-year universities and less likely to complete postsecondary education compared to neurotypical students or even students with other disabilities.7 This is not, of course, because autistic students lack the skills needed for college, but rather due to the culture and resources available to them.
The best way to break through stigma and a lack of acceptance is through further education and further conversations about autism and autism acceptance. Rivia Mind remains committed to furthering autism awareness and autism acceptance, not just in April but throughout the year. Our skilled and compassionate clinicians are experienced in working with neurodiverse patients, including those with autism. Contact us today to learn more or to find a provider to get started.
Resources:
- Prevalence of Autism/ASD in the Capital City of Oslo, Norway – Özerk, Kamil, 2018.
- The changing face of autism: the fluctuating international diagnostic criteria and the resulting inclusion and exclusion — A Norwegian perspective – Chahboun, Shah; Stenseng, Frode; and Page, Alexander G., 2022
- Understanding the Spectrum (informative webcomic) – Rebecca Burgess, 2016
- Workplace Adjustments for Autistic Employees: What Is ‘Reasonable’? – Petty, Stephanie; Tunstall, Lydia; Richardson, Hannah; Eccles, Niamh, 2023
- Perspectives of key stakeholders on employment of autistic adults across the United States, Australia, Sweden – Black, et al., 2019
- Diverse Autistic Authors Are Changing Neurodiversity Representation in Books – We Need Diverse Books
- Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their First-Year College Experiences – Petcu, Stefania D.; Zhang, Dalun; and Li, Yi-Fan, 2021
