- [Narrator] Hey, Psych2goers!
This is Part Two of Five myths about autism.
If you wanna watch Part One,
check the link in description.
With that said, here are five myths about autism
written by our autistic specialist writer,
and based on research into the most common myths
among the public.
Number one, The Empathy Myth.
On any list of autistic traits,
communication and emotion will be mentioned.
Unfortunately, early researchers only saw
the most extreme cases and got the wrong idea about
this seemingly flat tone of voice and facial expressions.
And this led to continued misunderstandings about
how autistic people feel empathy.
Research shows that empathy actually has two components.
Cognitive empathy is the ability
to understand another person's thoughts,
desires, and beliefs.
And effective empathy is the drive
to respond to another person's emotional state.
On an average, autistic people demonstrate
a lower cognitive empathy than control groups,
but the effective empathy is the same.
In other words, autistic people always care about
what you're feeling, but they don't always recognize
what emotion you're feeling or why.
The link between emotional feelings
and emotional expressions
can be disconnected in autistic people.
So when they do respond to another person's emotions,
the results can appear flat or unaffected on the outside,
but be assured they're likely feeling a lot on the inside.
Number two, The Behavior Myth.
Were you ever thrust into a completely
unfamiliar setting as a child?
The results can be stressful for anyone
and autistic people are no exception.
A lack of understanding about autistic stress response
has led to continued misconceptions about
what these behaviors really mean.
In the ignorant early days of autism research,
autism was mistakenly thought to be a variation
of schizophrenia and defined by negative behaviors.
Some people can be anxious about unfamiliar behaviors
and demonize what they don't understand.
We now understand that autistic people are likely
to have other conditions like sleep problems, anxiety,
and depression, to be overwhelmed by their surroundings,
or to have difficulties communicating their wants and needs.
This leads to constant stress and frustration,
which can manifest in unhealthy and unpredictable ways.
But don't be fooled.
The real challenge of autism
isn't the outward appearance of behaviors.
It's the underlying friction between the individual
and a stressful environment.
Number three, The Friend Myth.
Making new friends can be tough, right?
For those who find it really tough,
there can be a temptation to just give up.
This kind of social isolation
can give off a misleading impression
but that's out of tune with their real desires.
The misconception that autistic people don't want friends,
has led to self-fulfilling prophecies
where other people don't reach out to autistic people
because they assume it will be unwanted.
In reality, many autistic people desire
social relationships, but they find it challenging
to maintain stable, high-quality friendships.
Even worse, a majority of autistic adults have reported
that their childhood interactions included traumatic events,
exclusion, and bullying,
which can lead to self-isolation out of fear.
Autistic people feel loneliness like everyone else,
but creating meaningful connections requires support
of friends with a true understanding
of autistic differences and needs.
Number four, The Intimacy Myth.
If making new friends is tough,
finding a partner is even tougher.
There's a similar misconception to the previous one
that can lead to even more ignorance
of autistic people's wants and needs.
And the misconception that autistic people
aren't interested in intimate relationships
is another form of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Unfortunately, some parents of autistic children
who face daily challenges,
can be anxious about the future and be in denial
that they will become adults with even more challenges.
They can deliberately ignore any possibility
of intimate relationships as a way of insisting
that they'll be children eternally.
By refusing to give them any awareness or guidance,
these parents set them up for failure
and sabotage any possibility of adult relationships,
which gives off the wrong impression.
In reality, autistic people desire intimate relationships
like everyone else,
but they're exhausted and confused
by the complex expectations and interactions involved.
The uncertainties can be overwhelming
and can also lead to withdrawal and self-isolation.
And number five, The Life Trajectory Myth.
Charities aimed at helping autistic individuals often
emphasize the most sympathetic cases.
While this practice is well-intentioned,
it can lead to some people getting the wrong idea.
If I asked you to picture
the typical autistic person in your mind,
what kind of person do you envision?
Is it a young child?
Although children can be autistic,
there's a false impression
that only children can be autistic,
which leads to the misconception
that autism can be outgrown.
This false impression is caused by
the availability heuristic,
a mental shortcut where people think
that more memorable cases are more typical or important.
In reality, autism can be found across the entire lifespan,
but that all cases are not publicized
as often as childhood cases,
this affects funding and adds to the challenges
of autistic people growing up
as they often become an eligible for support services,
once they become legal adults,
but even when support goes away, autism doesn't
as it's a core part of a person's being.
So there you have it, 10 myths about autism.
The next time you see a claim about autism
pause for a second and reflect on
whether it might be a misconception before deciding
to accept it or not.
Even better, like and share this video
to help spread correct and respectful knowledge
about autism in society.
Research shows that pre-bunking misinformation
is more effective than debunking it,
meaning that it's best to spread corrections throughout
the public before the misconceptions reached them.
And you can help us with that.
Thanks so much for watching,
and we'll see you next time.