{"id":3416,"date":"2021-03-14T20:47:56","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T20:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/?page_id=3416"},"modified":"2024-11-26T02:54:29","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T02:54:29","slug":"seven-myths-on-adults-with-autism","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/seven-myths-on-adults-with-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"SEVEN MYTHS ON ADULTS WITH AUTISM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2i83nc-5606c6a69d46c6a19710f559d9369807\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-2i83nc-5606c6a69d46c6a19710f559d9369807{\npadding-bottom:10px;\ncolor:#000000;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-2i83nc-5606c6a69d46c6a19710f559d9369807 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-2i83nc-5606c6a69d46c6a19710f559d9369807 .special-heading-inner-border{\nborder-color:#000000;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-2i83nc-5606c6a69d46c6a19710f559d9369807 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-2i83nc-5606c6a69d46c6a19710f559d9369807 av-special-heading-h3 custom-color-heading blockquote classic-quote  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_hr  avia-builder-el-first '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Seven Myths on Adults with Autism<\/h3><div class='av_custom_color av-subheading av-subheading_below'><p>by Emily Crawford-Thompson, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  class='hr av-4tnj3a-a6d3c222fa42cd337f501418d91fcf75 hr-default  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-2r0mp2-51ff478213b5752426cec1b2cd835046 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1111 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/illuminate-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"Man Holding Illuminated Lightbulb\" width=\"300\" height=\"162\" srcset=\"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/illuminate-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/illuminate.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cI don\u2019t work within the normal social pauses.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It began in graduate school, when a young college student came into our clinic frantic, desperate for help. \u00a0Next to his desperation, the first thing that struck me was his earnestness.\u00a0 There was a genuineness, a raw honesty I found both endearing and heart wrenching.\u00a0 He rapidly explained how he had fallen in love with a girl who did not reciprocate his feelings.\u00a0 He was articulate, but something was different.\u00a0 He seemed to want help, but it was hard to interject his rapid rambling speech.\u00a0 As his story unfolded, it was clear that he had misread his beloved\u2019s cues for many months, and she was actually quite clearly another\u2019s beloved.\u00a0 How had he missed it?\u00a0 I marveled.\u00a0 Something about this young, hurting man was strikingly unusual.\u00a0 It was the way he looked, or rather, didn\u2019t look quite at me, the unique way he spoke and phrased things, and his apparent cluelessness about social interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It just so happened that at that time, I was working under the mentorship of a psychologist with expertise in identifying and treating Autism.\u00a0 She taught me to dispel one of the first of many myths I would encounter in my career helping adults on the autism spectrum:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MYTH 1: <\/strong><em>People who are highly intelligent often lack social skills.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>FACT: <\/strong>It is a common misconception that intelligent people are less socially skilled; highly intelligent neurotypical people have social skills that match their intellect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Our intelligent and broken-hearted friend had been previously mis-diagnosed with just about everything in the book, from Bipolar Disorder to Borderline Personality Disorder.\u00a0 Unfortunately, there is still a lack of understanding, even among mental health professionals, about the various ways Autism Spectrum Disorder can present in adults.\u00a0 In fact, it wasn\u2019t until 1994 that high-functioning forms of autism were acknowledged at all.\u00a0 His social struggles, it turns out, had been mis-attributed to his high IQ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cI am always told, \u2018Don\u2019t say it <\/span><\/em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">that <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">way,\u2019 and then they use the same words I just said.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As my career progressed, I became more and more invested in helping adults on the autism spectrum.\u00a0 I saw that while this population is often tragically misunderstood, they are also more common than we think.\u00a0 Chances are, you know someone on the spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MYTH 2: <\/strong><em>Autism is rare.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong>FACT: <\/strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ncbddd\/autism\/data.html\">Current estimates<\/a><\/span> are that 1\/59 children have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.\u00a0 This diagnosis remains one of the most common <em>and <\/em>least understood in the mental health field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have found many individuals on the spectrum to be articulate, delightful, intelligent, and talented people who need help appreciating and building on their strengths.\u00a0 As Temple Grandin said, &#8220;Parents get so worried about the deficits that they don&#8217;t build up the strengths, but those skills could turn into a job.\u201d\u00a0 Unfortunately, even when the possibility of Autism is recognized, even professionals sometimes hesitate to diagnose, thinking:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MYTH 3: <\/strong><em>Adults will not benefit from a diagnosis.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>FACT: <\/strong>Symptoms of Autism sometimes become more problematic later in life, with the increased responsibilities and need for social interaction that come with employment, and the pressures of social-emotional reciprocity in intimate relationships.\u00a0 A diagnosis can unlock doors to important vocational and relational help, and many adults express relief to finally have an explanation for their difficulties.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Adults who are newly diagnosed with Autism are truly survivors\u2014they have lived with multiple problems in an overwhelming world, often with little or no explanation as to why these things that come so easily for others are so difficult for them.\u00a0 They have often developed adaptive coping skills and are quite resilient.\u00a0 The quotes throughout this article, by adults with Autism, illustrate just a sample of the bewilderment they often feel.\u00a0 In fact, many individuals have described feeling like \u201caliens\u201d on the \u201cwrong planet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MYTH 4: <\/strong><em>People with Autism lack empathy. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>FACT: <\/strong>Yes, individuals with Autism often struggle to identify and express emotions, they can easily overlook nonverbal cues, and they may often speak without tact. \u00a0However, the ability to feel deeply and have profound empathy is not absent, and in many cases, may actually be pronounced. Some individuals actually experience so much empathy that they become easily overstimulated and overwhelmed, which can disrupt their ability to effectively process and appropriately respond in the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cPeople think I\u2019m weird.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have heard many well-meaning individuals refer to individuals on the spectrum as \u201cantisocial.\u201d\u00a0 While antisocial has a whole other connotation for those of us in the mental health field, and I think what people are often trying to say is \u201casocial,\u201d this is still not quite accurate.\u00a0 In fact, many individuals on the spectrum are desperately lonely and strongly desire friendships and romantic relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MYTH 5: <\/strong><em>People with Autism don\u2019t want friends.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong>FACT: <\/strong>Individuals with Autism vary just like everyone else with regard to how introverted or extraverted they are.\u00a0 Autism is a condition, not a personality.\u00a0 Many individuals with Autism are painfully aware of their social struggles, and have a deep longing to connect with others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In recent years, I have begun to see a lot more women who wonder, \u201cCould I be on the spectrum?\u201d \u00a0One woman came to me almost uncontrollably tearful, having felt misunderstood and hopeless for many years.\u00a0 As she disclosed her pain, she fell to the floor of my office crying, wondering why she has been persistently teased, rejected, and ignored.\u00a0 Traditional treatments for anxiety and depression were unsuccessful for her, and she felt that her providers failed to understand just how difficult relationships are for her.\u00a0 Now in her 30&#8217;s, she shared how she has only recently learned that basic hygiene improves her social interactions.\u00a0 She tearfully expressed her disappointment that \u201cI\u2019m not a better friend.\u201d She also said that she can \u201csocially freak people out\u201d because they often do not get her jokes and misinterpret her intentions.\u00a0 She was, like many adults I have encountered, deeply relieved to have a diagnosis and hope for more effective interventions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MYTH 6: <\/strong><em>Autism is a male condition.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong>FACT: <\/strong>Autism is more commonly diagnosed in males; however, females are often underdiagnosed.\u00a0 Women tend to be better at \u201cmasking\u201d their symptoms, and the diagnosis is often missed in high-functioning females who tend to be more emotionally expressive than males on the spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is an incredible variety of men and women who may have this diagnosis; many of them are high-functioning professors and engineers and artists.\u00a0 Sometimes they are referred to as \u201cquirky,\u201d \u201ceccentric,\u201d \u201cdifferent,\u201d or \u201cunique.\u201d\u00a0 Often, their humor is subtle, unexpected, and brilliant.\u00a0 Their loyalty and passion for social justice are just some of their many admirable traits; the range of characteristics on the spectrum of autism is no different than the variety of personalities seen among neurotypicals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MYTH 7: <\/strong><em>Autism is a homogeneous condition.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong>FACT: <\/strong>There is actually a remarkable degree of variability among individuals on the autism spectrum.\u00a0 As my mentor taught me, \u201cIf you\u2019ve met one person with Autism, you\u2019ve met one person with Autism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4008 size-square\" src=\"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Emily-updated-photo-180x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Emily-updated-photo-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Emily-updated-photo-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Emily-updated-photo-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Emily-updated-photo.jpg 206w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/whoweare\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Emily Crawford-Thompson, Ph.D.<\/a> <\/span>is a Licensed Psychologist in Columbia, Missouri who has worked with adults on the autism spectrum since 2009 professionally, and throughout her life personally. She has co-presented on Autism Spectrum Disorder with <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/davidjfinch.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">David Finch<\/span><\/a>, a humorist and author of the acclaimed New York Times best-selling memoir, The Journal of Best Practices.\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/services\/psychologicalevaluations\/adult-autism-columbia-missouri\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more about Dr. Emily&#8217;s work with adults with Autism here.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section av-n6u3v-1322e2a124e5011970c11b00a701cf83 main_color avia-section-default avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-3416'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-m69o7-bac33e746381e0248be9eaaf780fac1d\">\n.flex_column.av-m69o7-bac33e746381e0248be9eaaf780fac1d{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-m69o7-bac33e746381e0248be9eaaf780fac1d av_one_half  avia-builder-el-4  el_before_av_one_half  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><p><section  class='av_textblock_section av-lhu4b-2db01b68bd74e7646fcc746b53d91c79 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">THREE SIMPLE WAYS TO CONTACT COLUMBIA PSYCHOLOGY HEALING CENTER LLC:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">1.EMAIL <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><a style=\"color: #ff6600; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"mailto:emily@columbiapsychology.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">emily@columbiapsychology.com\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2.CALL 573-818-7010\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">3.<\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">REQUEST A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION BELOW<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-11ep7-427de12d1c0a89754da725ed8738302a-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last '><a href='https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Referral-for-Psychological-Evaluation.pdf'  class='avia-button av-11ep7-427de12d1c0a89754da725ed8738302a av-link-btn avia-icon_select-no avia-size-x-large avia-position-center avia-color-blue'  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"  aria-label=\"REQUEST A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION WITH DR. 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I saw that while this population is often tragically misunderstood, they are also more common than we think. Chances are, you know someone on the spectrum.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3416","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3416"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27187,"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3416\/revisions\/27187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbiapsychology.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}