April is Autism Awareness Month.
With no school comes no social stigma- I can finally feel comfortable being open & honest with others.
Today, I am telling you all that I am #ActuallyAutistic
This is a thread debunking common Autism stereotypes and sharing my experience.

What exactly is Autism, though?
Autism is a genetic disorder that effects one's ability to interact & communicate. Autism is suspected to develop from mainly genetic means and has NOTHING to do with vaccines!

Autism is also a spectrum disorder, which means that no two cases are alike! There's more minor cases with minimal impact and major cases with more severe impacts. I myself happen to lean more towards the minor end, so it doesn't afflict me quite as seriously as others.

Unfortunately, talking about Autism brings up a bunch of the myths, so I (sadly) have to address them and show the truth of the matter.

The 1st one is probably the worst one: "Vaccines cause Autism"
No. The truth is, there isn't much research into what causes Autism (which is part of why awareness is important), but there is at least one thing the medical field knows for sure- IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH VACCINES!

The 2nd one is just movie, TV views of autism. And let me tell you, they aren't accurate. Autism is a spectrum disorder! Every case is different. The TV man tries to model off of stereotypes- don't let that trick you. The best way to know Autism is to know people with autism.

There's also the myth that Autistic people don't express emotion. Couldn't be more wrong. We're humans, not robots! Our body language is different from yours. Again, the best way to know autistic body language is to know autistic people. Many of us have our own individual cues.

This myth also goes the other way around- that autistic people don't understand emotion. Wrong! Autistic people struggle with interpreting non verbal cues- eg you could flirt with an autistic person, but we won't have any clue! You'll have success through direct, verbal cues.

And don't even get me started on the people who are demeaning, or look down on autistic people! Honestly, if you do that, then fuck you. Everyone has differences, even you and your mother- respect that! You're not going to make any friends just beating down on everyone.

Let me end this thread with advice for everyone.
Parents, be involved. It may seem tough, but make sure your child reaches his/her potential!
Friends, outsiders, whatever: We don't understand bodytalk! Be direct!
If you have any questions, etc the replies are open.