I thought it would be a good idea to mention this too because many people with selective mutism also have autism as well.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disorder. It is not a mental heath problem or an intellectual disability. It is characterized by challenges with things like social skills, repetitive behaviors, sensory sensitivities, speech and nonverbal communication.
You cannot be "a little bit autistic" like some believe. Autism is a spectrum and you can only be either neurotypical or neurodivergent. Because some autistic people don't visibly or outwardly display symptoms or conform to stereotypes, it makes sense why people will say things like this, because they aren't educated and believe misinformation.
Autism is caused by genetics, environmental factors etc. You cannot get rid of it. It is permanent and not a bad thing to have. Although we struggle with many things neurotypicals work just fine with, we still have our own strengths like memorizing and learning information quickly, logical thinking ability, excelling in academic areas like science, engineering and mathematics. It is partly because they need logical and technical attention and don't rely on social interaction.
People with autism do want friends. Too many people believe we don't. It is a myth. Individuals on the spectrum struggle with communication and social skills, making it hard for them to express what they want to express.
Vaccinations do not cause autism. Honestly, why should you believe they do? Sounds insane to me. The misconception may come about partially because vaccines are administered around the time that potential signs of autism typically become visible to parents and doctors. But it is only and fully a coincidence. Scientists have proven this as fact that to believe it causes autism is incorrect.
Another myth is chelation is a safe treatment for autism. Carers may have their child take chelation, which involves taking certain medications to remove mercury from the blood. These treatments are based on unsupported reports that mercury causes autism. But in truth they are really unsafe and do more bad than good. Especially to your body. It could end up in kidney failure. Anyways lets just get back to what I said before, you cannot get rid of autism. It is permanent. And yet healthcare professionals still recommend this.
Autism symptoms are:
✧Reduced eye contact, lack of response to their name or indifference to caregivers
✧Delayed movement, language, or cognitive skills
✧Seizures
✧Gastrointestinal symptoms, like constipation or diarrhea
✧Excessive worry or stress
✧Unusual levels of fear (either higher or lower than expected)
✧Hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive behaviors
✧Unexpected emotional reactions
✧Unusual eating habits or preferences
When I was a little girl I remember being in the kitchen with my dad and we brought out Pascall marshmallows. When I picked up one of the marshmallows I had an unpleasant reaction to it. I complained that it felt funny and my dad was just confused. He told me that it didn't feel funny to him but I still continued to say the same thing. It was touch sensitivity which was a sign for autism for sure.
Another thing I used to do and kind of still do is eating bolognaise in an odd way. I will eat the meat, vegetables and cheese on the top first and then eat the spaghetti afterwards. I thought it was normal to do that, but my family have noticed and told me how weird that actually is. I really don't understand why I do it but I guess it gives me some kind of pleasant feeling. Mixing it all up is just overrated. I will tell you more about alarming things like this later in the book.
At the top of the page is an example of an autism wheel. It is a model that shows the various aspects of autism and how they interconnect with one another. Every Autistic person is different to each other, and that is why the word 'spectrum' is used because it shows how autism is experienced differently by different people.
