Autism Behavior and Social Norms

What color is the autism awareness bracelet? If you are a health professional, parents of an autistic child or a social worker you may know. There will not be a large number of members of the general public that will be aware that it is light blue.

Autism Behavior is generally not understood. This has historical roots, the disease has only been isolated for fifty years, and at first it was regarded as a mental disease. The sufferers were retarded and would never learn. In general there is little information known about mental illnesses, but autism has suffered from a marked amount of urban myths.

Autism Behavior and Prejudices

Autism behavior is difficult to explain, it is often highly individual, and demonstrates different levels and spectrums. Until recently autism was hidden away behind closed doors. What we could not see we did not want to know of hear about.
The public cannot begin to understand autism behavior with the historical barriers in place. It is generally not known to be a real neurological disorder, which makes it as real as meningitis or measles. The difference is that measles is not a life long condition. Many people still cannot deal with mental illness; they lack the experience to formulate an approach.
Many people feel that autistics are themselves to blame for their condition; they could have the potential to behave normally. They fail to understand that they are displaying normal behavior, which is normal autistic behavior.
The very unpredictable nature of autistic behavior means that there is a strong likelihood that it will be written off as crazy. Another public perception is that they are out to get something. In a way they are, though they are not aware of it, they want and need understanding.
Historically autistics have been shunned, and ridiculed, they were often restrained, physically restrained for the majority of the time. There failure to communicate and enunciate their needs has meant that even in mental institutions they were treated as being mentally sub normal. The roots of autism behavior therapy were in methods of torture.

Normal autism behavior appears to be socially inept and awkward, it is, and autistics shun human contact. They do not display social graces; they are unaware of the benefits of small talk and chitchat. They cut to the chase they don’t waste words. Their ineptness is not a lack of social training; it is a response to a neurological condition.
Autism behavior and responses cannot be explained quickly, they are complex and hard to treat and as a result, autism behavior will always remain in the realm of the three aforementioned ‘enlightened’ groups. The earlier treatment is started the easier it is to change behavioral responses, but it is still an uphill struggle.

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