Autism is a very complex developmental disorder. Autism can present itself in many different ways, different symptoms and different severities. These differences in cases of autism are called the autism spectrum. The autism spectrum is very complex and not linear whatsoever. Think of it more as a circle or a color wheel, each color representing a different presentation of autism. Typically by psychiatrists autism is categorized by the amount of care that a person may need, a level one meaning they are high functioning, a level two meaning they may be lower functioning and a level three meaning they are most likely non verbal. But these levels really don’t describe the severity of a case of autism because a level one autistic person can have many life inconveniencing symptoms the only thing that sets them apart from level 3 is being “high functioning”. In autism high functioning means you are mostly likely able to cope with many symptoms, you are verbal and can mostly take care of yourself. No two autistic people experience life or their symptoms the same and that is what makes autism so complex and hard to understand.
The first official diagnosis of autism ever was in 1943 by Leo Kanner, and was called Kanner syndrome. Before that autism was believed to be a type of schizophrenia. Kanner syndrome at the time was a term to describe a certain set of possible autism symptoms. These autism symptoms described by Leo Kanner included difficulty socializing and communicating, and sensory issues or hypersensitivity to noises, tastes, textures etc. This diagnosis by Leo Kanner was the first time the term autism was recognized as its own condition. The next year in 1944 Hans Asperger published an account of children who experienced symptoms similar to what was described as Kanner syndrome but possessed the ability to excel in language or other schooling. By the 90s Aspergers and Kanner syndrome became terms used to describe specific sets of symptoms on the autism spectrum then called autism disorder. These terms have now been mostly phased out, in 2019 aspergers and Kanner syndrome were both retired as terms to describe specific types of autism and it all folded into the autism spectrum.
There are many symptoms some people with autism may experience. Such as sensory issues, which can be sensitivity to sound, certain smells, certain textures of food, clothing or physical items. Hypersensitivity which can cause noises to seem louder then they are, lights seem brighter, food can taste stronger, typically a disliked food. Trouble with socialization, which comes down to difficulty understanding tone indicators or how to formulate a proper conversation. These are only some of the symptoms one could experience with autism, but because the spectrum is so large there are so many different symptoms that fall under autism.
Many people believe that autism only affects children similar to ideas about addiction. But just like other neurodevelopmental disorders autism continues to affect people into their adulthood. Just as with most neurodevelopmental disorders some symptoms of autism can get better with age but that simply isn’t always the case. Higher functioning autistic people may grow out of some symptoms they had in early childhood but other autistic people may require care for the rest of their life. Another misconception is that you can “fix” or “heal” people with autism, autism can not be cured, only soothed. People are born with autism. You can not get autism from vaccines, eating the wrong food or being friends with someone with autism. Although there is no exact cause as to how or why kids are born with autism, research shows that autism can be passed through a parent having it, typically the father.
In conclusion, from the historical evolution of its diagnosis, to Kanner’s initial identification to the broad spectrum we now recognize today, we’ve come further and further in understanding this complex developmental disorder. Autism presents a variety of challenges and symptoms that can vary widely among individuals. In order to truly support autistic people in our society we must learn and understand that the term autism doesn’t mean that someone has to look, act, or have a certain set of symptoms to have autism.
