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Do you think Autism has a negative image?

White_Dragon

One thought keeps cropping up and would like to get your views on this topic. Do you think Autism has a negative image in a general sense? Until recently I knew very little about it and from the little I did know I thought of TV programmes like the A word. More recently, now I am a bit more attuned to things, I've noticed on the media/TV that autism is portrayed as a mental health condition. Patience seems a more positive view and a bit of an exception. I watched unforgotten recently on ITV and there was a lad on that they clearly had problems but all they talked about was his autism. Then I was watching the news earlier on and there was a young girl who sounded like she took her own life but had previously been arrested as suspected far right terrorist. Again they mentioned she was autistic.

Maybe I am just seeing more negative cases?

Would be interested to understand what you think?

It seems like a real barrier to me in terms of being open about being autistic when its potentially perceived in negative way? 

  • Perhaps the image would change if autism is mentioned in positive news rather than always when it is negative. So in the same way as the statements,..mother of one or whatever- although we could also ask what relevance the number of children or not someone has.

  • White_Dragon said:
    Do you think Autism has a negative image in a general sense?

    in a word, yes.

    The majority of people I have worked with and family members have little clue about it other than there is something wrong with autists "in the head" which brings an immediate avoidance from them and marginalisation.

    Most autists I have seen in the media fall into a fairly narrow category of mid-to-high functioning but with either a powerful intellect or/and special interests relevant to the show.

    I guess most of the rest of us just aren't interesting enough for people to want to watch - actually that seems about right.

    I think the younger generation i growing up with a lot more exposure and tolerance for autists so this has to  be a good thing. It does mean we have to wait while to older, more ignorant generations fade away into obscurity for widespread understanding to be the norm.

    I wonder how other countries will manage this?

    In Brazil there is little mention of it at all in the media and autists are largely pushed out of way as an inconvenience. This was a big part of why I took up mentoring school leaving autistic teens to teach them survival skills in the real world.

  • Oh definitely. Whenever I tell people about my diagnosis (which is all the time) they look at me like that's a bad thing, which I should be sad about ... I'm actually happy about it, as it provides such clarity and understanding - This to me is completely indicative that there is a negative stereotype out there.

    It doesn't bother me, as I just gleefully explain that I'm happy about it (cue the bewildered look on their face)

    As with anything in this life, Autism isn't the cause of badness in people - A terrorist who's autistic does not mean every autistic person is a terrorist, anymore than a drug smuggling Columbian makes every Columbian a drug smuggler !!

  • I think many people do have a negative image of of autism, but then I think they do of all sorts of disabilities, mental and physical. I think things like Patience help, but then there's so many violently negative images of it too, like that perosn who stabbed those poor girls in Stockport. It's very easy to just seen screaming headlines and when something so shocking happens to look for something to blame it on and autism's an easy target. No one wants to get into the nitty gritty mess of failing mental health services, because the person obviously had a lot more going on than autism.

    Another thing that dosen't help is that it seems to be part of the culture wars, with people like Kemi Badenoch saying there's to many of us being diagnosed, especially worries about the number of adults being diagnosed. I wonder if it's some kind of diagnosis envy with NT's running around feeling left out, or worrying if they migh "catch" it, or a more general fear that they're not the majority that they like to think they are and that society may have to fundamentally change to accept the new reality that there's many neurologies and that we're all valid and equal. I think there might also be an unexpressed fear that we maybe cleverer than them!