Many people react adversely or do not know how to act around autistic people because they do not have basic insights into autism. They do not understand what it is like to be autistic or why autistic people behave in a certain way. As such, here are some key perspectives on autism, including what it is, how autistic people might see the world, and how their difference in perception can affect their behavior and how they present themselves to the world.
What is Autism?
Autism is a neurological and developmental disorder that is now classified as a disability. Autistic people have impaired social abilities and show signs of repetitive behavior. This affects their work and educational and social lives, and the signs of autism will be present from an extremely young age, whether they were diagnosed at the time or not.
How Can You Help?
Although you might never be able to fully understand the world that an autistic person experiences, there are steps that you can take to help them. There are now many apps for adults with autism available. These apps can encourage two-way communication between you and your autistic loved one. They might be able to provide support that can prevent meltdowns and build up life skills, while also enabling the autistic person in question to express their needs. This means that you should look around for the right app for you, as each one provides a different service.
How Do Autistic People See the World?
Autistic people often see the world and interact with it differently from neurotypical people. However, not all autistic people are the same and not every autistic person will struggle with every known trait of autism. Some autistic people will need more support than others. While some can live independently, others are entirely non-verbal and will need constant care throughout their lives.
Many autistic people have a strong sense of justice and see situations in black and white. Some are highly imaginative, while others rely entirely on literal thinking. Most autistic people struggle to grasp the nuances of social convention, and might struggle with turn-taking, as well as interpreting other people’s emotions, meaning, and tone. However, many autistic people are hyper-empathetic. Many autistic people are also highly observant. Importantly, autistic people often have heightened or reduced sensitivity to certain senses, such as light and noise.
How Does This Impact Their Behavior?
These differences can impact the behavior of autistic people as they might come across as awkward, rude, or blunt when they are not trying to be so. This is because they speak directly and honestly, or without the social niceties that others add to their day-to-day speech.
Not only this, but the struggles that many autistic people face can lead them to have a meltdown or a shutdown, especially if they are overwhelmed by conflicting and intense sensations, or if they are particularly struggling to interact with the world at the time. If an autistic person has a meltdown, this can mean that they struggle to manage their emotions and gain control of their body. They might get upset, cry, shout, or hurt themselves, as well as perform repetitive movements, otherwise known as stimming.
An autistic shutdown is the opposite. An autistic person might completely withdraw and be unable to communicate, going completely non-verbal. They might even find it difficult to move and might sleep for long periods. If this continues, it could lead to burnout, which is when an autistic person feels completely exhausted. During this period, they might lose the inability to mask and might stop being able to interact with the world in the ways that they have learned to. They might also struggle even more with sensory input. They might need to take time off work when this happens.
These basic insights to autism, benefits not only individuals who are on the autism spectrum but also those who interact with them.