
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disability that can result in difficulty reading social cues, nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors, and special interests. I was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old, which is rare because women have a significantly harder time getting diagnosed with autism. There are a few autism misconceptions I want to go over, to help set the scene for how this blog will portray my experience with autism.
1. This blog will avoid using present day discussion of Asperger's Syndrome. While originally I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, it has been removed from the DSM 5 due to its Nazi origins.
2. The terms high functioning and low functioning will not be used to describe autistic people. Hans Asperger (the same guy we get Asperger's Syndrome from) worked with Hitler to categorize autistic people into high functioning and low functioning individuals. People who were considered low functioning were sent to the gas chambers, and people who were considered high functioning were sent to work for the Nazis. These terms are being phased out to insead specify each person's unique and individualized support needs.
3. This blog will not support Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks does not have adequate autism representation on its board, and seeks to cure autism. In conducting research by viewing other autism creators, this organization does not speak for the autistic community.
4. While I am slowly becoming an autism researcher, this blog will primarily focus on my experiences with autism, and my personal opinions. Please seek out information from other autistic creators as well to learn about multiple perspectives. This is a growing community and I am so proud to be a part of it!
Thank you for reading about autism. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to message me in the questions tab, or reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next week!
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