Understanding Autism Resources: Insights, Information, and Support

For much of the general public, the word “autism” conjures a specific picture: A gifted but odd young boy with behavioral issues and some kind of profound, savantish knowledge, like Raymond Babbit from Rain Man or Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. 

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Although the diagnostic criteria for autism certainly include the precocious eccentric individuals that are often portrayed in popular media, autism is a wide and encompassing spectrum. Our understanding of its various manifestations is evolving all the time. As our understanding changes, so does how we diagnose and support autistic individuals.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras”? This metaphor, dating back to Dr. Theodore Woodword in the 1940s, reminds doctors what to prioritize when evaluating a patient’s symptoms. It tells doctors to focus on the most likely diagnosis (the “horse”) for the presenting symptoms before considering what’s less likely (the “zebra”), even if the unlikely zebra seems to fit. 

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Being autistic can feel like being a zebra in a world of horses—which is no wonder since autistic people make up only about 2% of the U.S. population. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication differences and a preference for sameness and repetition. It’s a specific constellation of traits, the presentation of which varies greatly from person to person. 

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Misconceptions around the autism spectrum and common biases mean that many autistic individuals go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. By some estimates, approximately 1 in 4 autistic individuals (and 1 in 3 autistic women) have received a misdiagnosis of a psychiatric condition before being diagnosed with autism. Autism is not a mental health diagnosis, but it can have some things in common with mental health diagnoses, and some clinicians who don’t specialize in autism might not be able to tell the difference.

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The misdiagnosis of autism matters to healthcare providers, educators, and, most of all, autistic individuals and their families. Keep reading to learn about the consequences of misdiagnosis and why autism might be misdiagnosed.

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts how an individual communicates and experiences the world. Autistic behaviors may include intense and limited interests, repetitive behaviors, sensory sensitives and difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions. 

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Autistic individuals may experience meltdowns. A meltdown is an intense and involuntary reaction to the challenges that autism presents, like intense sensory experiences, navigating tricky social situations and emotional dysregulation.

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In mental health circles, a trigger refers to an event or feeling that causes a strong emotional response. Neurotypical and neurodiverse individuals alike have triggers, and everyone’s triggers are different. A neurotypical person may feel sadness or nervousness when being confronted with one of their triggers. For autistic individuals, however, being exposed to a trigger can lead to a meltdown. 

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Meltdowns are stressful and incredibly unpleasant to experience. For autistic adults, meltdowns will happen occasionally, but having a better understanding of individual triggers may help them prevent meltdowns when possible.