The Misconceptions Of Autism In The Media

In the non-fiction book “How Autism Freed Me To Be Myself” Rosie King explains how people think of autism as a condition that looks the same in every person who has it. In King’s words, people think those with autism are bad people, she says, “I googled what autistic people are... and it comes up with suggestions as to what you’re going to type. I

It’s easy to diagnose a case of autism early on based on the “autistic spectrum”, but what really counts is if the diagnosis ends up being correct on in later years in “Autism “Cures”?” (2011), Thomas Sowell opinions his view of autism, as being an opinion not very many readers would expect, but an opinion that may relieve parents, of an “autistic child”, from emotional trauma and heartache. To support these opinions, Thomas Sowell gives two really well-thought-out experiences as to what “Autism “Cures”?”, really comes down to: Sowell mentioned that kids diagnosed with autism began developing socially, as well as talking more as the years passed, some parents even made the comment that they wished their kids would keep quiet- this situation hints to Sowell that maybe those kids weren’t truly autistic after all: the second encounter Sowell experienced, was a study of late-talking children with his colleague, Professor Stephen Camarata, each of the men were to observe a group, Professor Stephen Camarata observed the kids diagnosed to have autism, as Thomas observed another group, and soon to find out that both groups of children had similar characteristics on the “autistic spectrum”- this lead Sowell to believe that there are more false diagnosed kids than what one would believe.

Before completing the assignment of reading “Thinking in Pictures,” by Temple Grandin, I did not have much knowledge about autism. My only understanding was autism was some sort of neurological disorder that is seen similar to mentally handicapped individuals to someone with little understanding, like myself. I am very thankful to have been given an assignment like this one that gives me more knowledge of something I should already have in my line of work (though I am sure that was the whole purpose of the assignment, to educate the ignorant). I now have a better understanding of the cause, learning process and functioning of different levels of this defect.

Offit, Paul A. Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure. New York: Columbia UP, 2008.

When reading the first chapter of Ten Things Every Child with Autism wishes you Knew by Ellen Notbohm, multiple thoughts ran through my head. I honestly feel that she did an excellent job expressing the thoughts about autism. In my point of view autism is so much more than a diagnosis. Two important people in my life have autism and honestly, they are the most amazing individuals I have ever met. The authors words that brought tears to my eyes was, “My autism is part of who I am, not all of who I am” (Notbohm 17). This statement moved me, because individuals with autism are so much more than a label. Individuals that have autism are talented, intelligent, caring, kind, and funny. We should not judge or treat an individual different by the way they express themselves. Each individual is unique and should be able to express themselves in their personal way instead of being labeled in a negative way. I have personally encounter individuals use words such as, “that autistic boy” or “just leave him other there, he doesn’t understand the material because he is autistic”. When I hear people says these negative things, it makes me angry and sad, because I believe that they have not fully comprehended the diagnosis as well as not allow themselves to get to know

The article that intrigued me the most was Autism’s First Child. One quote in particular. “Some form of ASD is now estimated to affect one in every 110 American children.” My brother is one of them. That’s mainly why I ranked this article as number one. I can personally relate to the majority of what was written. Also, it really brought out a lot of emotion from me, making me sad, mad, and happy all at the same time, which is what good writing should do to you. Reading how Donald has had an overall happy and successful adult life has allowed me to feel hopeful that my brother can too. Additionally, I believe that this piece of writing had the most meaningful purpose to it, letting people understand what it is like to have or know someone with

Baker (2017) investigated the portrayal of autism in the media, particularly in newspapers. The analysis of the data revealed predominantly negative imagery when discussing autism and as a results, this negative representation of autism indeed affects the perception that the society holds. The research investigated the language used and topics discussed when mentioning autism. The results showed that more than 25 terms were negative when describing the situations the people with autism and the people that surrounds them experience. The examples include the words such as struggle, burden, problem, mental, etc. The results also showed that the topic of ‘Quality of life’ is in the special interest of the media. The majority of the articles were

Millions upon millions of people would die everyday form deadly disease and there was nothing anyone could do about it.  As a result, vaccinations were created to stop the sickness and mass tragedy that came along with them. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations (MMR), that are supposed to help are being questioned by people believing they are linked to Autism. Numerous studies have shown that there is no connection between the two. The holes and lies in this theory are prevalent when looking in depth at how this theory was established, whom it benefits if it's true, and the facts that disprove it.

Radio is a film based on the true story of James Robert Kennedy and Coach Harold Jones in the year 1976. The movie shines a very positive light on people with disabilities. A person with a disability is a person first and if others give them the time and attention, their special characteristics and skills begin to show and grow. In Radio, Coach Jones gives James, or more popularly known as Radio, the chance to develop into his greatest potential. Radio begins to have a large supportive network from the town of Anderson, South Carolina and TL Hanna High School all because of the single actions of Coach Jones.

I begin this critique of autism depiction in mass media relating my relationship with Connor because he informs my understanding of autism and colors my critique of media

According to the CDC, autism is “a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges (Facts About Autism, 2016)”. Autism was first discussed in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner, after he observed 11 children who had fixations on the inanimate environment rather than people (Quick Facts About Autism). It affects about one percent of the population, and is

Autism spectrum disorder still after decades is surrounded by misinformation despite the progression of scientific studies on the subject. Mitchell and Locke created an online survey to better evaluate the information surrounding autism spectrum disorder. Several questions were asked such as where they get information about autism spectrum disorder, where to get help, when it can be diagnosed, etc. It was found that most people get their information about autism spectrum disorder from the media or close friends instead of doctors or clinics. The people with accurate knowledge were people in school or who worked as childcare workers. Media was found to be a key source of information for minorities and this may have cultural implications. There are some minorities that are ashamed to discuss mental disorders and are unlikely to seek medical help. Culture has a huge impact on how people act and this includes how we seek treatment for perceived problems. Gona, Newton, et. al explored this on the Kenyan coast between two countries and across a variety of religious backgrounds. They found that there were several causes preternatural, biomedical exposures, and genetics. Witchcraft, curses, and evil spirits were viewed as causes of autism spectrum disorder which resulted in the use of healers or spiritual cures. Those who believed it to be of a biomedical cause went to health facilities for treatments. The interesting part was that the groups interviewed ranged through different

A time when I was challenged was when I spoke at my schools wellness conference and addressed my feelings about autism. When I first received my diagnosis, I was afraid to tell anyone because I knew about the stereotypes and I thought I would become a joke. However, as I became more comfortable in my own skin and I came to terms with my diagnosis, I slowly began to tell my closest friends about Asperger’s syndrome. Alongside school, I would attend appointments with a speech language pathologist who taught me how to cope and self-regulate when I started to have panic attacks. Eventually, I was able to educate other autistic children the techniques that help me. Moreover, I taught them how to self-declare.

Misinformation is spread through the media as a result of the perception of the role that the corespondent portrays. More specifically the author believes that authority figures talking in public about denying vaccines’s connection to autism, often leads to the solidifying of peoples views. February 28, 1998 The Lancet contained a study published by Wakefield et al that claimed vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination caused a higher chance of autism. The study was later disavowed by nearly all the authors and was retracted by the journal in 2004. The author of the news article states there is simply no scientific evidence that links vaccines to autism. However since this study has been released some of the public has altered their

In recent times, autism has gained attention because of the large scope of the problem. One of the most well-known facts about autism is it occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds (CDC). While researching about autism there were not many aspects that hindered my research. However, there was one source that had a negative connotation and had a small effect on the credibility of other sources. Volkmar, Chawarska, and Klin wrote a paper that stated: “information on autism in infants and very young children is limited.” Furthermore, the report also said “Delays in diagnosis were common and a diagnosis often was not made until age 4.) (Siegel et al. 1988, as cited in Volkmar et al. 2005, pg. 315-316). These statements produced uncertainty with my research, but the other sources outweighed those