Hello humans,
I know it’s been a while, since I last posted; basically year 13 is hard. Since going back I’ve barely had a minute to think never mind sit down and write something that isn’t A-level related!!
But this week something t caught my attention and I just knew I had to say something about it.
On Monday evening I think as sat eating my dinner when I got a notification on my phone from the news app - a telegraph article. I clicked on it and saw that it was about autism, so immediately I was interested as this was being talked about in the mainstream media.
The title read “Coaching parents found to prevent autism diagnosis by two-thirds”
I was outraged that language such as ‘prevent’ was being used to describe how autism can be treated. Autism is not preventable. The article was about a study carried out by the University of Manchester and the University of Western Australia. The study suggested that intense online coaching of parents had led to the preventing of autism diagnosis.
The study said: “What is missing in autism therapy is work at the early stage before diagnosis when all the crucial development processes are happening”
Well, I argue that what is missing in autism therapy is in fact the support prior to and after diagnosis. In some areas of England it can take three years to be given an official diagnosis, and this time is usually without any support. I also believe that to improve autism therapy, organisations needs to speak to autistic individuals themselves to better understand how to support.
The study itself is is potentially dangerous for young children who are subjected to the ‘coaching’ in attempting to prevent autism, i believe that the reality of this is that this will lead to an increase of vulnerable and traumatised autistic teenagers and young adults due to the pushing of conformity.
I also find fault with the article as it described children as ‘at risk’ suggesting that autism is ‘catchable’ and worse treatable! Being autistic is not a bad thing, it’s not preventable, people do not get better from autism.
I think that having this kind of narrative within the mainstream media is damaging as it perpetuates the idea that autism is a disease that is needing a cure, when in reality autistic individuals are asking for support and to be heard.
For me, I am at a place where I am comfortable with my diagnosis and am not upset by this article in terms of how I will see myself, however I know that my younger self would have found seeing a study like this so mainstream really difficult and harmful.
I want there to be a positive conversation about autism within the media, in which autistic individuals are heard and not in a tokenistic manner.
I’m not trying to be an advocate and I can only speak for myself and my opinions, whereas this article completely disregarding an autistic voice which feeds into the narrative that autistic people are not capable to express themselves.
I’m really frustrated that this idea is being presented in the media, and wish that autism could be portrayed more positively and without the idea of needing a cure!
I am autistic but that is not the only thing that defines me; I am more than my diagnosis but autism does contribute to who I am, and this study ignores that completely. You can’t just cut the autism out of my brain because then I wouldn’t be me.
I’m not naive enough to think that this post will achieve anything in the mainstream media, however I hope that people who do read it see the autistic voice that the mainstream media is lacking.
See you next time,
E x