LizK Report post Posted May 7, 2008 Doing presentation at work about autism and want to include common myths. Things like can't be autistic because gives eye contact/affectionate etc. Come up with a few but mind gone blank ! So wondering if could help me especially myths or misunderstandings that have directly affected you. Thanks Lx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jo jones Report post Posted May 7, 2008 hi i have recently done autism awareness training again and i have the workbook here so will give u the myths that i have in there,,people with asd cannot talk,people with asd cannot work,,people with asd die young,,just by lookin you can tell if a person as asd,,,autism is curable,,,all autistic people are good at drawing,,it is not possible to help a person with asd,people with asd have a low iq,,,, hope these help to spring the mind,,, i completed a 3 day course through work it was briliant,, day 1 was autism in depth, day 2 was sensory dysfunction and asd, and day 3 was social stories it was a brilliant course,, and really was helpful and very informative and has helped me to understand much more!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted May 7, 2008 Girls don't get autism. Adults don't get autism. People with autism do not speak. People with autism are really good at maths. Autism is just an excuse parents use for bad behaviour. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted May 7, 2008 They: Can/Can't Do/Don't Will/Won't Have/Haven't Are/Aren't etc etc etc.............. An autistic person: May/May not Could/Could not (that applies to the negatives/myths too - autism MAY be something parents use as an excuse, autism MAY be associated with savant skills, autism MAY compromise work opportunities/MAY be associated with elective and physical mutism etc) Is an individual, not a diagnosis. Is as different from every other autistic person as every non-autistic person is different from every other non-autistic person. Autism is a label applied to a collection of possibilities - it is not a recipe or a list of ingredients. Contents may vary from those shown on label and may settle during transit(?) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deeejar Report post Posted May 7, 2008 S/he can't be autistic, s/he is smiling Children with autism can't/don't play S/he can't be autistic, s/he is too bright S/he just needs more discipline, S/he might talk 'properly' if the parents talked more with her/him S/he is not autistic, the mother is just depressed, or has munchausens syndrome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ogsplosh Report post Posted May 7, 2008 (edited) Children with autism have no imagination Edited May 7, 2008 by ogsplosh Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted May 7, 2008 I was just coming back to add that one about imagination Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Suze Report post Posted May 7, 2008 they are all like that guy out of Rainman ..........he looks normal ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kazzen161 Report post Posted May 7, 2008 That they can learn eg: to take turns in 6 weeks - just like that - just because it is written on their IEP - without anyone helping them to learn the skill. If our children could just pick these things up from other children - they would have done so by now! "He will just have to .... learn to compromise/take turns/share/cope with timetable or staff changes" - it is not just a case of him making more effort - he is not just being difficult, he can't do these things. That children "get over asd" - it is a lifelong condition. That if a child's behaviour improves after more help is given - it is becasue more help is given and he is less stressed - if you then remove that help - he will become more stressed again and his behaviour will deteriorate - the asd has not been "cured" by the help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justamum Report post Posted May 7, 2008 (edited) Just found this blog autism and parents with a mental illness The one used at me....his home environment/circumstance are too blame for the majority of his problems. In other words he is not autistic it's the parents. Edited May 7, 2008 by justamum Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sesley Report post Posted May 7, 2008 Doing presentation at work about autism and want to include common myths. Things like can't be autistic because gives eye contact/affectionate etc. Come up with a few but mind gone blank ! So wondering if could help me especially myths or misunderstandings that have directly affected you. Thanks Lx he doesn't look autistic what does a autistic person look like how did he get it is he in mainstream school he is the most difficult asd person we have ever had?how easy are children anyway Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluefish Report post Posted May 7, 2008 what is his special talent! he will grow out of it! Counting cards is what he will be good at.... look at rainman! What are you worried about ALL kids do that! ahhhhhhhh Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hsmum Report post Posted May 7, 2008 Hello, I have just run a workshop on ASDs at work. I started with a quiz that included some common misconceptions. The misconceptions included most of the above and also: 'children with ASDs come from cold and unemotional families' (a now outdated psychological theory), 'children with ASDs come from dysfunctional families' (no, but the challenging behaviour can create chaotic family life), 'children grow out of ASDs' (no but they learn strategies to cope and mask their impairments); 'people with ASDs have a special ability or talent' (not always, pnly 10% or 6% of ASD population are Autistic Savants) and so on. The quiz opened up a lot of debate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted May 7, 2008 Hmmm... one interesting facet of this is the very one I was trying to highlight - that many 'stereotypes' seem acceptable if they are the stereotypes we deem acceptable. Personally, I think all forms of stereotyping are at best problematic and at worst disabling... Assumptions like 'he can't help it' are as damaging as assumptions like 'he can help it'... Many of the assumptions here seem to absolve parent and child of any responsibility for anything whatsoever, with out children labelled as 'victims' instead of 'terrorists' and ourselves as perfect, blamesless parents who couldn't do any wrong if our lives depended on it. I realise that pointing this out may not be very popular, but IMO myth-busting means looking at the reality even if it isn't what we want it to be. Anything less just provides an alternative set of equally flawed 'myths' Our children, we as parents are wonderfully complex individuals and can be flawed/gifted in exactly the same myriad ways as the rest of the human race. If we position ourselves or them as something outside of that or 'other' we're guilty of exactly the same things Liz's presemtation wanted to help overcome. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hsmum Report post Posted May 7, 2008 Hmmm... one interesting facet of this is the very one I was trying to highlight - that many 'stereotypes' seem acceptable if they are the stereotypes we deem acceptable. Personally, I think all forms of stereotyping are at best problematic and at worst disabling... Assumptions like 'he can't help it' are as damaging as assumptions like 'he can help it'... Many of the assumptions here seem to absolve parent and child of any responsibility for anything whatsoever, with out children labelled as 'victims' instead of 'terrorists' and ourselves as perfect, blamesless parents who couldn't do any wrong if our lives depended on it. I realise that pointing this out may not be very popular, but IMO myth-busting means looking at the reality even if it isn't what we want it to be. Anything less just provides an alternative set of equally flawed 'myths' Our children, we as parents are wonderfully complex individuals and can be flawed/gifted in exactly the same myriad ways as the rest of the human race. If we position ourselves or them as something outside of that or 'other' we're guilty of exactly the same things Liz's presemtation wanted to help overcome. I completely agree with you Baddad. The myth-busting exercise is, however, an effective way of opening up discussion. Also, if the presentations are given in a work/educational setting, an exercise which examines stereotypes and misconceptions can help us to (a) explore our own attitudes and ( equip us with more infomed responses. The 'misconceptions' about 'dysfunctional' families and 'cold unemotional' parents were thrown in to highlight changes in psychological theory and the effects of challenging behaviour. In all the presentations that have had this sort of quiz, many of the the statements are typically answered with 'sometimes; and 'maybe' . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kazzen161 Report post Posted May 7, 2008 When I say "he can't" - I mean he can't without being helped/taught/supported/practicing - I don't mean he will never be able to learn to do it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizK Report post Posted May 8, 2008 Thanks everyone ! That's been really helpful ! Lx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizK Report post Posted May 8, 2008 Hmmm... one interesting facet of this is the very one I was trying to highlight - that many 'stereotypes' seem acceptable if they are the stereotypes we deem acceptable. Personally, I think all forms of stereotyping are at best problematic and at worst disabling... Assumptions like 'he can't help it' are as damaging as assumptions like 'he can help it'... Many of the assumptions here seem to absolve parent and child of any responsibility for anything whatsoever, with out children labelled as 'victims' instead of 'terrorists' and ourselves as perfect, blamesless parents who couldn't do any wrong if our lives depended on it. I realise that pointing this out may not be very popular, but IMO myth-busting means looking at the reality even if it isn't what we want it to be. Anything less just provides an alternative set of equally flawed 'myths' Our children, we as parents are wonderfully complex individuals and can be flawed/gifted in exactly the same myriad ways as the rest of the human race. If we position ourselves or them as something outside of that or 'other' we're guilty of exactly the same things Liz's presemtation wanted to help overcome. I agree absolutely with this! I have always maintained that my son is an individual not 'autism on leg'. Of all the autistic children I've met they are all as uniquely different as my NT friend's children. Just as I abhor the notion that autistic children are just naughty, I hate the idea that autism absolves you from any responsibility, like a 'get out of jail free' card! Autism does occur in dysfunctional families and whilst Not being the cause probably doesn't help how the autism presents or is managed. I prefer to think of autism as a reason to promote greater understanding not an excuse. However the ideas I'm looking for are more concrete things like 'can't have imagination' 'doesn't affect girls' 'you grow out of it' that are clearly incorrect but which you still hear from some HCPs (who I am talking to) especially around diagnostic issues. I think I will end my final bullet point as autistic people are all different though! Lx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmuir Report post Posted May 8, 2008 Hi I know my kid can be unpredictable and inconsistent. Just because he can manage something one day, doesn't mean he'll manage it the next. In addition, I was forever being told that he is imaginative. That may be the case on the surface, however, if you actually listen and observe how he plays and what he says, you can identify half a dozen of his favourite TV programmes/DVDs (mainly On the Buses, Laurel and Hardy, etc). Eye contact is another sticking point ? my son's eye contact is variable. His eye contact can range from being very good to inappropriate. Best of luck with the list. C. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cariad Report post Posted May 8, 2008 Children with autism have no imagination they are all like that guy out of Rainman ..........he looks normal ... OMG people are so ignorant and this thread has cheered me up no end. Why oh why do people think all Autistic people are genius's, also my DS has a fantastic imagination. He can sit and draw and make up cartton type stories for hours! What about being Autistic means you are locked in a world of your own, until they repeat back every word you have said for the past hour! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EmmaB Report post Posted May 8, 2008 I was told once dd could not have ASD because she pointed to a picture of a train! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smiley Report post Posted May 8, 2008 [/indent]Autism is a label applied to a collection of possibilities - it is not a recipe or a list of ingredients. Contents may vary from those shown on label and may settle during transit(?) Very well said the BD man. Can i nick the above for my talks?? I likey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laz Report post Posted May 8, 2008 Autistics do not feel the cold So said a national autistic society support worker once upon a time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
taran0 Report post Posted May 8, 2008 well here's oneI have asd but noone believes me.that's stereotype because they have a certain idea of what a personwith autism is. taran Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jomica Report post Posted May 9, 2008 "He's like a little dog - you just have to train him" - so said ASD specialist teacher before I got up and walked out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roseweave Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Aspergers doesn't exist/is the new ADD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andrea Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Aspergers syndrome the adult form of add Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
