Katie Roche's Blog

No, We’re not “All Somewhere on the Autistic Spectrum”

April is Autism Awareness Month. Awareness of Autism has grown vastly since the first Autism Awareness Month in 1988. While Autism awareness has many upsides, it has also led to misconceptions. A poll undertaken by Autistica found that 46% of respondents agreed with the statement “we are all somewhere on the autism spectrum” .This is astounding. Don’t the public understand how dismissive this statement is?

How did we end up in this mess? In the past, campaigns focused on the most severe cases, portraying Autism as a tragedy. Now, Autism is shown in a more positive way, focusing on the least disabled people with Autism and the contribution they make to society. While this has reduced the stigma, it has come at a cost. Autism is seen as a set of idiosyncrasies that don’t impact on a person in a meaningful way. More like a personality type rather than a disorder. But Autism isn’t an occasional social faux pass or an odd little habit. It’s persistent and disabling. To be diagnosed with Autism, a person must have symptoms to the extent they cause disability. Like having no friends because you unintentionally upset people. Or neglecting daily chores because you’re so deeply focused on something else. That aspect of Autism has got lost in awareness campaigns that promote a positive image of Autism. Consequently, people make these well-intentioned statements. While it’s good that Autism is no longer stereotyped as profoundly disabling in all cases, it’s inaccurate to reduce it to a personality quirk.

Also, the public misunderstands the word “spectrum”. A spectrum means Autism varies greatly in severity and the way it manifests. It does not mean “everyone is a bit Autistic”. Indeed, there are other spectrum disorders. For instance, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and psychotic spectrum disorders. Yet nobody says “we’re all on the foetal alcohol spectrum somewhere” or “everyone is a little bit psychotic”.

Perhaps this is because Autism is less stigmatized than other disorders. Or maybe public misunderstanding stems from how Autism is portrayed in the media and in awareness campaigns. The media portrays Autism as a binary of the profoundly disabled and eccentric geniuses. Most people with Autism fall into neither of these categories. Even many with mild autism (formerly known as Asperger’s Syndrome) still experience difficulties in everyday life.

This trivialization has a negative impact on people with Autism. Almost everyone with Autism needs support. Whether that be welfare benefits, social care, adjustments in work, or in education. The notion that Autism is trivial puts that support in jeopardy. If we’re all on the spectrum somewhere, why does a person diagnosed with Autism need any adjustments? Couldn’t they just make more effort? Consequently, those who make decisions on support will not appreciate what a person with Autism needs. That could be an employer who refuses to make reasonable adjustments. Or a welfare system that no longer appreciates the extra costs Autism brings. Or even family members who don’t appreciate the struggles a relative with Autism faces.

The idea that we are all on the Autism spectrum ultimately represents a failure of awareness campaigns. Future awareness campaigns must show the full range of disabilities within the autistic spectrum. Not concentrate on either the most capable people or only the most severely disabled. If the public understood what Autism is, then so many people wouldn’t endorse such an ignorant and ill-informed statement.

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