{"id":8015,"date":"2025-05-14T06:05:33","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T06:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mpelembe.net\/?p=8015"},"modified":"2025-05-14T06:05:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T06:05:33","slug":"everyone-isnt-a-little-bit-autistic-heres-why-this-notion-is-harmful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mpelembe.net\/index.php\/everyone-isnt-a-little-bit-autistic-heres-why-this-notion-is-harmful\/","title":{"rendered":"Everyone isn\u2019t \u2018a little bit autistic\u2019 \u2013 here\u2019s why this notion is\u00a0harmful"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aimee Grant<\/a>, Swansea University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I recently had a medical appointment and explained that I\u2019m autistic. It affects how I communicate and understand information, and sometimes I\u2019m misinterpreted<\/a> as being rude. The person nodded and replied: \u201cWell, everyone\u2019s a little bit autistic.\u201d They then shared something they struggle with, sometimes, when they haven\u2019t had enough sleep.<\/p>\n

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It wasn\u2019t the first time I\u2019ve heard that line, and I doubt it\u2019ll be the last. It happens often \u2013 not only in doctors\u2019 surgeries but in social situations, on social media and many other places besides. And it\u2019s not just me. Online spaces are full of autistic adults and the parents of autistic children expressing frustration at this phrase.<\/p>\n

So where does the idea come from, that autistic traits are merely universal human behaviour, just to an exaggerated degree in autistic people?<\/p>\n

To answer that, we need to understand what autism is. Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference<\/a>. You\u2019re either born autistic, or you\u2019re not. It\u2019s not something you develop over time.<\/p>\n

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Historically, autism has been underdiagnosed among many groups of people, although least affecting white boys. That isn\u2019t because other people are less likely to be autistic. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s because diagnostic practices<\/a> and clinical assumptions have been based on a narrow idea of what autism \u201clooks like\u201d. It fails to recognise that many autistic people \u2013 but especially girls and women \u2013 \u201cmask\u201d their autism<\/a>. This means they suppress their natural autistic behaviour to reduce the chance of a negative response from those around them. Fortunately recognition of masking is changing, albeit slowly. <\/p>\n

Challenges<\/h2>\n

The challenges an autistic person faces, and the distress we may experience, arise from our interactions with other people or the environment around us as a result of our neurological differences. <\/p>\n

Autism affects how we experience the world, how we communicate and how we process sensory information. Communication can be challenging for us, especially in settings where social expectations aren\u2019t clearly defined. <\/p>\n

We may also struggle with certain lights, sounds or textures. These experiences can fluctuate depending on how many difficult things have already happened<\/a> to us that day, our hormone levels<\/a>, and consequently how overwhelmed we already are.<\/p>\n

Autistic people often find comfort in familiarity and routine, and can become overwhelmed by unexpected change. To manage that, many autistic people \u201cstim\u201d<\/a>, which is short for self-stimulatory behaviour, and can include doing things like rocking or tapping, or fidgeting with an object. These repetitive movements can help calm us down or regulate sensory overload.<\/p>\n

When I teach about autism, I sometimes ask students to think about how they react to sensory discomfort or disruption. There\u2019s usually a long list of things. For instance, being irritated by roadworks, bothered by scratchy clothes or stressed out by a house move. These are all human traits. But they don\u2019t mean you\u2019re autistic.<\/p>\n

Life is often stressful<\/a>, so cortisol levels rise accordingly. That doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re autistic. It means your nervous system is working as it should. Likewise, noticing loud noises<\/a> or being anxious about change is perfectly normal. But it doesn\u2019t mean your brain is wired the same way as someone who is autistic.<\/p>\n

There are clear differences between autistic and non-autistic people, not just in the kinds of challenges they experience, but in how often and how intensely those challenges occur. Research shows that autistic people have significantly higher rates of sensory sensitivity<\/a>, communication differences, repetitive behaviour and social difficulties<\/a> than non-autistic people. For most autistic people, these aren\u2019t things that happen once in a while. They are constant features of life.<\/p>\n

If you think this sounds like you, there is a chance that you could be autistic. While we expect around 3% of people<\/a> to be autistic, only around 1%<\/a> of adults are diagnosed. <\/p>\n

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