Walking down the street, most everyone appears to be an average person whether they are on the phone, in a hurry, or with their family. What is unseen, however, is the internal difficulties each person faces: depression, stress, or even a developmental disability. Autism is a developmental disability that is becoming more and more prevalent, affecting one in fifty-nine births in America each year (“What is Autism?”). Because autism ranges from mild to severe/profound, a spectrum has been created to account for each severity. Some people are mildly impacted while others are nonverbal and severely impacted. Living with autism, one is susceptible to several unseen internal difficulties that many average people take for granted. For example, autism affects one’s ability to communicate and interact with others. This results in great challenges for those diagnosed with autism in regards to social life.
Those diagnosed with autism are often overlooked but have significant potential in contributing and interacting with society. Some individuals with autism are known to be intellectually gifted and can contribute to many different aspects of the environment around them. Many influential scientists are suspected to have had autism, like Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton. Likewise, Tim Burton, creator of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Nightmare Before Christmas” also has autism and is impacting society through his stories.
People diagnosed with autism experience difficulties that can hinder their social interactions. Persistent difficulties with social communication are common among those on the autism spectrum. Because those on the spectrum interpret language differently, it is crucial to be explicit when talking to them to avoid confusion. This challenge to communicate can result in behavior problems as well. For example, those diagnosed with autism may not understand the social rules of how close to stand next to someone. Trouble with social reciprocity is also common, shown through isolation. People diagnosed with autism also exhibit an intense reaction to stimuli. If the music is too loud, they may react in a way that may seem bizarre to the onlooker, such as covering their ears and hiding under the table. Education settings are also very overwhelming for children on the autism spectrum due to loud noises, bright lights, and sudden changes. Experiencing difficulty in language, social reciprocity, and reaction to stimuli, and challenging education settings, living with autism alters one’s social life significantly but can be overcome.
Those diagnosed with autism often experience difficulty in language. Part of this difficulty includes interpretation. For example, the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs” would confuse someone on the autism spectrum; they may actually think it is raining cats and dogs… Slang terms are used in most conversations, so it can be quite hard for someone with autism to understand and follow the conversation. Part of interpretation of language also deals with social cues that normal people often take for granted. Inability to read other people's facial expressions, emotions, or body language proves to make the social lives of people with autism harder because they cannot interpret how others feel about them. This can result in making the person with autism’s social life more challenging.
Difficulty in language can severely limit a person with autism’s ability to communicate how they feel, what they want, or what they need especially at a young age. Young children are often told to “use their words” when upset, however, those on the autism spectrum experience difficulty doing so, which can result in aggression towards others, things, or themselves. If one cannot communicate, then aggression becomes apparent and social life minimizes. Further, Dr. Jennifer Zarcone, a senior behavior analyst at Kennedy Krieger Institute, noted that she is “more likely to see kids with more communication difficulties who are having more problem behaviors" (“What’s Really Behind Challenging Behavior in Autism?”). These problematic behaviors can limit the social life of those with autism because they are not able to properly act in social settings. Her findings continue the notion that communication issues hinder the social life of people diagnosed with autism.
Temple Grandin, a very influential person on the autism spectrum, is an advocate for the autism community, but she is also a professor and author. In her autobiography, she explains the difficulties of having autism and all that she has had to overcome. Grandin did not speak until three and a half. Prior to learning how to talk, she would often scream to communicate. Language came to her slowly, but afterward, she experienced difficulty hearing hard consonants. Grandin endured speech therapy, a common treatment among those diagnosed with autism. Temple Grandin also explains how common it is for those diagnosed with autism to feel isolated because they cannot communicate. Isolation can occur because it is hard for people on the spectrum to make social connections, but it is also hard for other people to see the person with autism’s perspective. Language is an important concept in communication, which is often challenging for those on the autism spectrum.
Difficulty with social reciprocity is also very common among people with autism. Social reciprocity is the “back and forth flow of social interaction” (“Social Reciprocity”). Skills of social reciprocity are shown in young children by smiling and interacting with others. An impairment of social reciprocity, which is common among those on the autism spectrum, involves inactivity in regards to social games with a preference for solitary games. Those with autism who prefer solitary games ultimately suffer from a lack of social life. Isolation can occur because autistic people do not have the same skills of social reciprocity to make friends and interact with others.
Temple Grandin experienced slight problems with social reciprocity, but she suggests that the best way for children on the spectrum to develop important social skills is for parents to intervene early. For example, Grandin’s mother had a caregiver watch out for Grandin to prevent her from retreating into an isolated corner. Teachers also taught Grandin the importance of patience through board games. In the 1950s, social skills were fundamental in children’s upbringing, so Grandin learned important skills, such as shaking hands and eye contact. If children on the spectrum are taught social skills early, they may have more productive social interactions.
Social reciprocity is a common skill among most people. This skill is shown in the book Beloved by Toni Morrison. Sethe’s younger daughter, Denver, is obsessed with getting her older sister Beloved’s attention and affection: “Denver is a strategist now and has to keep Beloved by her side from the minute Sethe leaves for work until the hour of her return…” (Morrison 143). If Denver had autism, she would not care nor try so hard to gain Beloved’s attention. Social interactions are different in those diagnosed with autism, so Denver’s need for attention would not be conveyed. Furthering the idea of need for attention, Sigmund Freud suggests in his book, Civilizations and Its Discontents, that human beings join themselves to others by means of sexual love within family groups: “One may suppose that the founding of families was in some way connected with the period [with] the need for genital satisfaction…” (Freud 29). People with autism find it challenging to make those social connections that Freud believes to be essential to the individual in society. Freud, thus, believes that the person with autism would not succeed in society since they lack the social reciprocity needed to make these connections with others. Persistent difficulties with social interaction lead to struggles for those with autism in making friends.
Intense reaction to stimuli is yet another symptom individuals diagnosed with autism endure. The autistic brain is either hypersensitive or hyposensitive to outside stimuli. Normal brains have the ability to filter out outside sounds, sensitivities, and extreme sights. This ability is significantly hindered with the autistic brain and can result in the individual feeling uncomfortable or distracted. This can trigger abnormal behaviors such as wandering, picky eating, crawling under a table to hide, outbursts, and many others. People with autism can, therefore, experience problems with interacting socially due to their inappropriate reactions to outside stimuli.
Sensory issues are among the most common problems people with autism experience. Temple Grandin noted she experienced hypersensitivity: "From as far back as I can remember, I always hated to be hugged. I wanted to experience the good feeling of being hugged, but it was just too overwhelming. It was like a great, all-engulfing tidal wave of stimulation, and I reacted like a wild animal. Being touched triggered flight; it flipped my circuit breaker. I was overloaded, and would have to escape, often by jerking away suddenly” (“Sensory Issues: Seeking and Avoiding”). To solve Grandin’s problem, she created her own squeeze machine: a device she used to apply pressure throughout her whole body as if she was being hugged. This machine ultimately helped cease Grandin’s anxiety and panic attacks.
Hypersensitivity that Grandin deals with can cause fight or flight responses, which can be a scary feeling. The person with autism could, therefore, develop a fear of sensory stimulation. In fact, Temple Grandin became fearful of anything that rotated or made a whirring noise. Such items would set off panic attacks (“Temple Grandin Biography”). Similarly, in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the character Willy is uneasy because his house that once set apart is now surrounded by apartment buildings: “They should’ve had a law against apartment houses” (Miller 17). Willy ultimately feels closed in, a feeling someone with autism can experience in regards to change around him/her. Viktor Frankl suggests in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, that the proper way to deal with the fear produced by fight or flight responses is through logotherapy. “Now, in logotherapy,” Frankl explains, “the patient may remain sitting erect but he must hear things which sometimes are very disagreeable to hear” (Frankl 98). Frankl proposes that one should try to force the fear to come true in order to make them go away. This approach could help the person with autism’s fear of sensory stimulation. Adapting to outside stimuli can allow those with autism to become more integrated with society.
In an education setting, those with autism experience a different school experience than the average student. It is common for kids with developmental disabilities like autism to experience different treatment in school than kids who do not have a developmental disability. The general classroom is a social environment that encourages interaction and communication. This can cause the student with autism to experience great stress and anxiety due to their challenges with social reciprocity. Research shows that it is crucial to understand “the link between academic learning and social and emotional competence” in order to increase the student with autism ’s connection to the school as well as an increase in academic production (“Supporting Students with Autism in the Classroom”). In doing so, the students with autism can feel more included in a way that is adapted towards their needs.
Upon graduation from high school, support from the school system towards individuals with autism abruptly stops. This can be quite difficult for the student with autism to adapt to change, but it can also be quite difficult for their post-graduation plan. Because support is not always guaranteed upon graduation, the individual with autism is often faced with poor educational or work opportunities. In fact, a 2015 study reports that “only 36% of young adults with autism attended college or vocational schools, and 58% held a paying job between high school and their early 20s” (“Life After Graduation For Young Adults With Autism”). This can prove to be very troubling for those diagnosed with autism to be involved in society. Those with autism often do not have enough experience to obtain a job outside of school, even if they performed exceptionally in school. Temple Grandin suggests that children with autism should learn life skills through parent and teacher help in order to have the skills necessary to help them obtain a job.
Temple Grandin shared her school experience in her autobiography. In fact, “if algebra had been a required course for college graduation in 1967, there would be no Temple Grandin as the world knows her today” (“About Temple Grandin”). Grandin expressed that she did not understand the concept of algebra, which is the basis of math. Despite this confusion on Grandin’s behalf, she designed a “cattle restraint system that is now used on nearly half of the cattle in the US” (“About Temple Grandin”). In the 1960 school setting, Grandin was able to fully understand the material and eventually go on to obtain a doctoral degree in animal science. Grandin suggests that schools should offer classes that complement the three different types of specialized thinking: photorealistic visual, math/pattern, and word thinkers. In doing so, students with autism would be better prepared for their future while also being able to thrive in more interactive areas. Offering classes that complement different specialized thinking “teach important career skills and provide opportunities for students to have social interactions with their peers,” Grandin suggests (“About Temple Grandin”).
While Temple Grandin was able to overcome difficulties due to her developmental disorder, the school environment still proved difficult for her. The halls were extremely noisy with a lot of movement and light. To Grandin and other people diagnosed with autism, this setting is confusing and can be very overwhelming. On top of a difficult school environment, the social environment is just as difficult, Grandin shared. She explained how the other students would be mean and call her names like “retard.” Grandin’s peers also teased her for her odd behaviors, such as repeating words or even having tantrums. Grandin, as most people with autism experience, also spoke very bluntly, which resulted in negative attention and teasing (“Temple Grandin Teacher Sheets”). Grandin offers insight into the life of the autistic brain that captures what life is really like on the spectrum. Grandin’s school incidents go to show that people on the autism spectrum often have negative school experiences because they struggle socially.
The person with autism interacts within society significantly different than the average person. Those diagnosed with autism are remarkably impactful in society just as other people are. People with autism, however, endure difficulties that others do not have to endure. Language difficulties, for example, are common among those with autism. It is often hard for the person with autism to interpret, comprehend, and express their emotions, thoughts, needs, and wants. Social cues, such as eye contact, is problematic as well. Trouble with social reciprocity presents problems for those with autism. Because the skills of social reciprocity are problematic for those on the autism spectrum, isolation is common. Intense reaction to stimuli is also troubling for those diagnosed with autism. Hypersensitivity is more common, presenting behavioral problems that impede social life. Challenging education settings also show to be problematic for those on the spectrum due to the high demand for social interaction. While having autism presents problems, those diagnosed with autism often overcome these challenges and prove to be able to interact in society.