The Top 3 Misconceptions About Autism

There is an Autism Epidemic
This misconception, like many misconceptions about anything you could possibly fathom, is due to using a word improperly. There is no doubt there are more diagnoses of autism now than there were 20 years ago, or any time in the past for that matter, but this has little to do with the misconception at hand. The idea that there has been an epidemic of autism means that there is no more autism than ever before. However, the majority opinion is that, though there are more diagnoses now, there is evidence to believe autism has always been just as prevalent. Therefore, most consider it a misconception to believe autism is more widespread today and it is only correct to believe there are more diagnosis of autism.

Parents Cause Their Children to Have Autism
This misconception can be disproved by studies and observation, but it can also be dismantled by the causes of autism itself. However, some believe that parents, particularly mothers, can cause their children to have autism by not loving them enough, or by being cold and affectionate. While parents' actions can deeply affect their children, there is no evidence to suggest autism is linked with this sort of behavior in anyway. Moreover, the worst part about this misconception is that it causes some to automatically think parents are unloving or unqualified because their child has autism. A great number of loving parents have autistic children. In fact, the mere fact that they notice something abnormal about their children and have them examined by a doctor at such young ages should suggest the misconception's opposite.

There is not one cause for autism. Therefore, parents could not possibly pull the correct strings to cause autism in the first place. Moreover, experts believe autism is the sum of a number of biological abnormalities. While there are studies that biology can be effected by emotions and experience, there are simply too many biological abnormalities which are not thought to be effected by environment for this misconception to have any ground upon which to stand.

People With Autism Are Dangerous
This misconception comes from the fact that people with autism are different, and people who are different tend to be more closely watched. When people hear about someone with autism creating a disturbance, they may make a generalization that everyone with autism is dangerous, especially because autistic people are harder to understand or predict. But this misconception is merely the product of unskillfully qualifying information and sensationalism.

WORKS CITED
Salahi, Lara, and Radha Chitale. "10 Myths About Autism - ABC News." ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News - ABC News . ABC News, 2008. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=6089162.