Common Misconceptions About ASD

Post date: Jun 07, 2017 10:26:4 AM

Autism is one of the most misunderstood disorders in the world. Often, when children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or ASD, people have at least a single mistaken expectation of the child. Here are some of the biggest myths about children with ASD.

Image source: youtube.com

They are all geniuses.

Hollywood can be blamed for this. More often than not, individuals on the spectrum are portrayed as geniuses who can solve the most complex math problems in seconds. The truth is that only a very small percentage of those diagnosed with ASD have IQs that can rival the world’s best and brightest.

They are all inclined toward the arts.

This is another Hollywood-propagated misconception. A common expectation people have when learning that an individual has ASD is that somehow the said person has an inclination toward artistic expression. Again, it wouldn’t be the case if Hollywood didn’t generalize.

Image source: bristol.ac.uk

They are all the same.

This is possibly the most common misconception of individuals with ASD. People believe that once they’ve encountered a single individual, every other autistic person is the same. This couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Just like ordinary people, every person on the spectrum is different. They react to things differently, and they understand things differently.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the director of Research and Development at NTL Group. He is a neuroengineer with a background that includes neurodevelopmental disorders, among other discipline. Learn more about Dr. Cripe’s work here.