Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Autism

We are sensitive to loud noises

When it was my 12th birthday, I invited a few friends, and my mom turned on my favorite music. Even though everyone said it wasn't loud, I still felt it was too loud.
Please don't make loud noises around autistic people - it can make us nervous.

I hate to admit it, but while I listen to loud music, I'm actually sensitive to loud noises. Screaming kids, for example - my ears can't stand that kind of noise.

I'm not really sensitive to loud noises unless I don't expect it. However, sometimes I listen to music at a loud volume, and I'm fine.

We have a hard time making friends

We also have a hard time saying hi to family we don't see often. I'm autistic. Last year, I went to a wedding in San Francisco. My relatives and cousins were all talking a lot to each other during the tea ceremony. (Some were from LA, some were from San Francisco, and some were from Philly, like me).
I had trouble saying hi to everyone because I didn't know how to approach them while they were talking to others. I wasn't in the right age range among them - everyone was either older or younger than me. I was 25, and many of my cousins were either in their 30s or teens, so I didn't really fit in. It also felt like no one acknowledged my existence.

We have a hard time with simple tasks

I'm 26, and I have no idea how to cook on the stove. I want to learn, but my mom is ridiculously overprotective of me. She thinks that if I cook with the stove, I'll accidentally burn the entire house down, so she won't let me do it.

When I read something over again because I don't understand it, I still don't get it!

And sometimes the complicated stuff is easier for us to understand.

"Autistic" is not a synonym for "annoying" or "stupid"

Non-autistic people can be annoying, too!

I'm autistic, and people call me annoying. I have absolutely no friends at school.

We get angry more easily

Eh, I get a bit angry sometimes, but it's rare for me to get SUPER angry! When I do get super angry, I suddenly gain what feels like infinite strength, and I'm strong enough to flip over furniture.
Moral: Don't make me angry!

True. I'm autistic, and I sometimes rage and freak out whenever I get mad. I try very hard to control my anger most of the time, though.

I also have depression and anxiety, which I read can also cause anger issues, so I get angry really easily.

We want more space

I went to an event at the library, and little kids were invading my personal space. I hate it when people take my personal space, especially when random people bump into you or get too close.

I absolutely hate it when people touch my hair or poke me. This happens the most in a crowd.

My mom gets mad at me when I don't talk to her. I wish she would understand that I like to be alone.

We can't control it at times

If they can't control it, why do people bully them?

Thank you! I wish I could tell people that, but they would just dismiss it as me overreacting.

We did not get it from vaccines

I hated anti-vaxxers at first because they were letting themselves and their kids get preventable illnesses. But when they spread the "vaccines cause autism" myth, my hatred for them increased.
Now, I hate them more than ever.

Please stop with that rumor. Please vaccinate your children.

Even if they did, an autistic child is better than a dead one.

We are 28 times more likely to attempt suicide

Imagine living with a highly stigmatized condition in a world that was built without consideration for people like you. There's all the noise and activity happening, fast-paced work environments, simple things not making sense, and few people with the patience to explain them.
Who wouldn't consider suicide at least once with autism? I know I have.

I've never felt suicidal, fortunately, and I'm not planning to give up on life because I know there will be lots of great things for me in the future.
I do feel sorry, though, for other autistic people who feel suicidal.

We may be smarter than the average person

I'm smart, and I hate know-it-alls. However, I do have a bad habit of unintentionally ending up as the teacher's pet because I never talk in class, while most kids my age talk a lot in class.

?

We have special interests

My special interests are Marvel and DC Comics, along with a little bit of movies and TV shows as well.

?

We have rapid mood swings as teenagers

Not just autistics, everyone goes through this. It is called teen angst. (Firmly) Look it up!

Autism is not the same as ADHD

Autism has a spectrum, and each individual is different

Well, "sufferer" is a bit harsh, but yes.

Many famous people have autism

I wish that way more rock and metal musicians would go get an autism diagnosis and admit that they have it to the world (the Wikipedia page doesn't have many of them). Surely many of us can be rock and metal musicians too, right?
I sometimes feel like I can't be awesome because there are probably many celebrities who don't know that they have autism, deny having it, won't disclose it, and so on.

Albert Einstein had autism, and he was one of the smartest people of all time!

Bill Gates, Isaac Newton, and the guy who made Pokémon happen.

We have a hard time talking to people

I'm barely able to bring myself to talk to people, mainly because I don't want to make a fool of myself.

We make movements that are hard to control

I have both Tourette syndrome and autism, and it sucks. My tics (uncontrollable movements) include repeatedly blinking my eyes and grunting. It really sucks.

We get scared, nervous, or anxious more easily

We love things that little kids like

I'm autistic, and I hate Dora, Caillou, Barney, Teen Titans Go!, and KPDH. I love kids' stuff like Toopy and Binoo, Backyardigans, Peppa Pig (unpopular opinion), Paw Patrol, Wonder Pets, etc.

It depends. I'm autistic, and while I like cartoons like Disney's Hercules and Rugrats, I really hate baby shows like Barney. I also like "grown-up" stuff like Criminal Minds and Hell's Kitchen.

I agree because I love The Backyardigans.

We have a hard time in social situations

Even though autistic people try to "evaluate," they deserve every right to be accepted in any social situation. It's already hard enough for them to be socially isolated, and that's very sad.

I had trouble saying hi to my relatives that I hadn't seen for years while attending a wedding once.

Our senses are more sensitive

Besides being sensitive to noises and sounds, we can also be sensitive to tastes, textures, etc.

We are humans, not animals

It is not uncommon to have autism

It's true! So don't act like it's their fault!

Boys are more likely to have autism

The idea that boys get autism more easily than girls is not only sexist, but it also highlights the lack of research on girls. Girls on the autism spectrum are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and therefore, they often don't get diagnosed until later in life.

It's a fact. Boys get it more often than girls. That doesn't mean girls never get it - they're just less likely to get it than boys.

I'm a girl, and I have autism. Wow! I'm lucky.

We have a hard time explaining our feelings

We do not have a mental illness

I just saw a popular list of the Worst Mental Illnesses a few minutes ago. I was curious to know what they were, and guess what was on there? That's right, autism! UGH! I HATE it when people say it's an illness and that it ruins their lives. In many ways, it can actually IMPROVE one's life!

We are more prone to depression

I have felt close to being depressed a few times. Unfortunately, that wasn't so long ago, which is why I took a break from this site. Not that I actually felt depressed, though - I was just stressed.
I would never fake depression.