The word “autism” seems to be everywhere these days.
Whether it’s a neighborhood child down the road, kids at your child’s school, or just relatives and friends, the frequency of autism diagnoses is certainly on the rise.
But what about those cases that escape diagnosis? In some cases, autism may be disguised as something else, fooling practitioners and even baffling the person affected. Among the Black population, especially, autism may be hard to pinpoint.
Thanks to various cultural, systemic, and social variables, adults with autism may go undiagnosed for years.
So let’s break it down. Here are six reasons autism in Black people can stay hidden, and more importantly, how you can notice it.
High-function masking is basically the conscious or subconscious hiding of autistic signs and behaviors. In Black autistic adults particularly, masking involves adapting to societal norms and tweaking or changing certain behaviors to seem more ‘normal.’
Take, for instance, a person with autism who studies and then copies the behaviors of others around him or her to fit in. These behaviors may seem forced or plastic, but with practice, the individual can learn to become a ‘chameleon.’ Especially in non-black settings, Black individuals with autism may echo how their non-Black peers talk, move, and even think.
Individuals with autism may hide or disguise stimming, using clever mannerisms, movements, or excuses for their activities.
RELATED: 15 Things Everyone Should Know About Autism
Whether it’s Black, white, or any other culture, communication is key. However, what happens when communication seems like a massive ordeal? What happens when it doesn’t come naturally and requires extensive ‘study’ to perfect?
We’ve all heard of ‘ebonics’ and we’ve all heard jokes about ‘being white’ or speaking white. But did you know that these popular themes are actually advantageous to people with autism? Given their tendency to obsess over narrow interests, individuals with autism may learn to study and master these methods of communication.
They can learn how to make eye contact, how to change voice tones, and how to use common slang and expressions that their peers use.
One of the main signs of autism is the obsession over narrow interests. While we all have our particular preferences and hobbies, people with autism take this to another level. In many cases, they may focus on something to the exclusion of numerous other things that matter.
Sometimes, this may show up in stereotypical manners. Sometimes, among Black people with autism, it may be perceived as just a strong interest and nothing more. For example, a man might scrutinize and analyze sports statistics day and night. Perhaps, a girl spends huge amounts of time listening to a certain music genre, breaking down the instruments, vocals, and other aspects.
Whether it’s an obsession with NFL football predictions or daily weather patterns, it can be easy to excuse these abnormal focuses. After all, modern culture puts heavy emphasis on pop culture, media, and sports, so obsessing over them may just seem like super enthusiasm, and not the symptom of autism.
Let’s say a Black adult has a particular sensitivity to light or noise. If he or she has developed coping mechanisms, this problem may go unnoticed. Or the individual may simply suppress it and not make a fuss. Whether it’s idiosyncrasies with clothing colors, food textures, or lighting, individuals may learn to deal.
For some Black individuals growing up in tough socioeconomic conditions, dealing with these sensitivities is a learned behavior. They may simply learn to ‘suck it up,’ given the larger problems facing themselves and their loved ones.
We touched on this briefly, but let’s go a little deeper. Basically, people with autism often isolate and spend time in their own worlds. This is typical. But what if this behavior is observed as simply ‘needing alone time’?
Again, in some marginalized communities, Black individuals may appear to just be dealing with life, when in reality, their constant isolation and detachment are signs of autism. This is important to note, especially if the individual constantly wears headphones or otherwise ‘tunes out’ the world when they should be more engaged.
Finally, systemic biases. In Black communities, there may simply be a lack of awareness concerning autism. This could lead to misdiagnosis or underdiagnosis, especially if healthcare access, good providers, and other resources are lacking.
At the end of the day, recognizing neurodevelopmental disorders in general can be hard. With autism spectrum disorders, it’s no different. Fortunately, by visiting with competent specialists and cataloging a range of symptoms (not just one or two), the undiagnosed can finally get the proper recognition and help they need!
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