At this point, there are so many myths surrounding autism that it’s difficult to know what’s true and what’s not. Unless someone close to you has been diagnosed with autism, then you may be in the dark when it comes to the disease.
For starters, autism affects one in every 68 people. Boys are 4.5 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Furthermore, regressive autism is twice as common among African-American children compared to white children.
Here are four of the most common myths about the disease debunked just for you.
1. Autism is caused by vaccines.
Ever since Jenny McCarthy stated that she believed that the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine was the cause of her son’s autism, panic and fear started to set in among parents everywhere. However, according to several reports, including to this one by the Institute of Medicine, there’s no direct correlation between autism and vaccines.
2. There’s an epidemic going on.
Yes, it’s true that there are more diagnoses than there were say maybe 20 years ago, but there isn’t necessarily an epidemic going on. It has more so to do with increased awareness, along with better education and diagnostic methods these days.
3. Children with autism don’t have any emotions.
Just like anybody else, children with autism feel emotions, but the difference is that they have difficulty expressing those emotions, which can sometimes lead to tantrums.
4. Autistic children cannot speak.
When it comes to autism and communication, the symptoms vary. Some children have little to no verbal skills while others rely on sign language to communicate with the people around them. But, the good news is that there are several ways parents can help their non-verbal children communicate more effectively.
For more information, visit Autism Speaks. Their Autism Response Team (ART) members are specially trained to connect families with information, resources and opportunities. They are available to answer calls and emails from 9am to 1pm local time.
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