Is Autism Automatically a Social Death?

A significant number of people think that the 1988 film Rain Man is an excellent source of information regarding the issue of autism. But in fact, it isn’t. Instead, according to a BBC report in 2007, films like Rain Man may have installed a number of misconceptions about this brain development disorder. And these misconceptions—some positive, some neutral, most of them damaging—are turning autism into a social stigma. But those who are well versed in the issue of autism know that autism does not automatically spell social death. While it is true that, based on the restrictions the disorder can cause, a child’s life can possibly be different compared to those without the disorder due to autism, it is also possible to make the child’s life as normal as possible.

In the BBC report, a survey said that many people believe people with autism harbor special talents or skills, as if in compensation to the other skills lost. However, this isn’t true. Not every autistic child has particular enhanced skills, like the character from Rain Man (played by Dustin Hoffman) who has eidetic memory. There are also many reports of people with autism excelling in music or the arts due to their enhanced sense of hearing, for instance (it should be noted that most people with the disorder do have overly sensitive hearing). Experts say that these special skills and abilities are, in fact, extremely rare. Unfortunately, many people do not know this, so they expect people with autism to be some sort of savant in a particular field. This causes the social stigma experienced by people with autism to be more severe.

Another cause of this stigma: the expectation that all autistic people are the same. Of course, they aren’t—the disorder affects people in different ways, with varying intensity. Some people with autism have severe symptoms, while others exhibit very few signs. In fact, it is quite possible to be autistic and have the ability to socialize with other people; the effects of the disorder may be evident in other areas. Again, not many people know this. Many generalize autism when, in fact, it is a treacherous disorder with varied end results. For instance, many people, especially in the past, exhibit autistic traits—yet they managed to live their lives normally. While some of aspects of their lives are limited, they function normally in other respects, mainly because the intensity of autism varies.

Just consider the list of people with this disorder, many of which have accomplished great things. Christopher Knowles, for one, is an acclaimed poet (who is well known for his work with theater legend Philip Glass) who was diagnosed with autism. Dan Aykroyd, a well known actor, has a mild Asperger syndrome. Pulitzer Award-winning author Tim Page (well known for his music criticism) also has Asperger.

Basically, the activities of an autistic person naturally depend on what he is most inclined to do, or usually up to what extent he or she is affected by the disorder. There are instances when the disorder is too severe, rendering a person totally unable to do these things. Still, one way to let them do what they can is to prevail against social stigmas. There is nothing be ashamed of about autism. With the proper care and nurture, a child can live fruitful against the odds.