autism
What to know
Autism is a neurological phenomenon that manifests in various atypical ways of thinking, communicating, and behaving. It is classified clinically as a developmental disorder, but many in the neurodiversity movement reject the pathologizing connotations of that label.
Autistic behavior has been recorded for centuries and is sometimes misdiagnosed as schizophrenia or schizoid personality disorder. Leo Kanner, an Austrian American psychiatrist, was the first to use “autism” to describe the autistic neurotype in 1943. In Germany the following year, Hans Asperger coined the term “autistic psychopathy.”
Autism became a formal diagnosis in the 1980 version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which defined it as a “pervasive lack of responsiveness to other people, gross deficits in language development and (if speech was present) peculiar speech patterns such as immediate and delayed echolalia, metaphorical language or pronoun reversal, and bizarre responses to various aspects of the environment (e.g. resistance to change, peculiar interest in or attachments to animate or inanimate objects) manifest before 30 months of age.” In 1994, the DSM loosened the criteria to span five conditions: autism, Asperger’s, PDD-NOS, Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder. In 2013, the DSM-5 combined the separate categories into one label, autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Degrees of autism were assigned levels: Level 1 for those with the lowest needs for support and Level 3 for those with the highest.
Some autistic people live entirely independently and others require significant daily support. When characterizing autism in broad terms, capturing this range is important for accuracy and to promote understanding of its diverse expressions.
The neurodiversity movement views autism as a natural variation in brain function that adds valuable diversity to the human experience. The movement advocates for social acceptance, support, and accommodations that recognize autistic people’s needs, strengths, talents, and distinctive ways of being. Avoiding deficit-based or stigmatizing language when reporting on autism minimizes harm and builds understanding. Neurodiversity advocates also stress the importance of having autistic people directly involved in the representations, decisions, and policies affecting their communities and care.
Research conducted over decades has found genetic and environmental factors linked to autism and found no link to vaccines. With respect to acetaminophen or Tylenol, experts consider the medication safe during pregnancy; some studies have identified the possibility of an association with autism, others have not, and no research has established causation, which is a crucial distinction. Immediately countering unfounded claims related to the causes of autism is necessary to avoid spreading misinformation.
Diagnostic debates
Autism diagnoses have risen steadily since 2000, and there’s evidence that much of that growth has been driven by those with lower needs. Some clinicians and caregivers have begun to call for a separate classification of “profound autism” for people with severe impairments, to ensure that they are sufficiently represented and supported by autism research and accommodations. Some autistic activists and their allies oppose splitting the diagnosis, saying that doing so would marginalize people with less visible struggles, invalidate their experiences, and fail to offer the support they require.
While those advocating for profound autism as its own diagnosis call for research into possible causes and cures, many in the neurodiversity movement reject the idea that autism needs a cure and advocate for research designed to reform ableist systems (e.g., by understanding how mental health providers can best serve autistic people or how employers can offer reasonable accommodations for autistic workers). The neurodiversity movement argues that therapies designed to eliminate behaviors like fidgeting or avoiding eye contact don’t address the well-being of autistic people, but rather the discomfort of people around them.
Centering the diverse experiences and perspectives of autistic people—even when reporting on caregivers, research, or programs—will help ensure those most affected are accurately represented in coverage. While person-first language (e.g., “individual with ASD”) distinguishes a person from their condition and is sometimes used by families, self-advocates often see autism as core to their identities, like gender or race, and prefer identity-first language (e.g., autistic person). Follow an individual’s preference whenever possible. Some autistic individuals may call themselves “autists” or “autistics,” but using this term to describe someone who doesn’t self-identify that way can be read as making a choice for them. Non-autistic people in this context are called “allistic.” As with any identifier, only include where relevant and necessary, and identify people equally.
Additional resources
- What Is Autism? (Neuroqueer)
- Neurotribes by Steve Silberman
- Avoiding Ableist Language: Suggestions for Autism Researchers (Autism in Adulthood)
- Should the Autism Spectrum be split apart? (The New York Times)
Summary
Autism is a neurological phenomenon that manifests in various atypical ways of thinking, communicating, and behaving. It is classified clinically as a developmental disorder, but many in the neurodiversity movement reject the pathologizing connotations of that label. The neurodiversity movement views autism as a natural variation in brain function that adds valuable diversity to the human experience. The movement advocates for social acceptance, support, and accommodations that recognize autistic people’s needs, strengths, talents, and distinctive ways of being. Avoiding deficit-based or stigmatizing language when reporting on autism minimizes harm and builds understanding. Neurodiversity advocates also stress the importance of having autistic people directly involved in the representations, decisions, and policies affecting their communities and care.