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MYTH:

Autism is a Mental illness.

FACT:

Autism is a neurologically based disorder of development. It is not considered a mental illness.

MYTH:

Children with Autism are mentally retarded.

FACT:

Although mental retardation may frequently coexist with autism, not all children with autism are mentally retarded. The intelligence quotients of children with autism span a range from very low to very high.

MYTH:

Children with autism are unruly kids who choose not to behave.

FACT:

Certain aggressive behaviors may be symptoms associated with autism. There may be many reasons why certain children with autism sometimes demonstrate disruptive or aggressive behaviors (confusion due to language deficits, sensory sensitivities, high anxiety, low tolerance for change, to name a few); however, these behaviors are not "chosen" by the child.

MYTH:

Bad parenting skills causes Autism.

FACT:

There is no evidence what so ever that states autism can be caused by poor or improper parenting, contrary to what may have been believed in the past. The term "refrigerator mom" was very popular many years ago. This term meant that the mother was cold, removed from her child, or not involved as the medical profession thought she should have been. We now know this is extremely wrong!!!

MYTH:

Cold or distant mothering causes autism. 

FACT:

Autism is a biologically caused brain disorder. It does run in families, however, and some mothers and fathers of autistic children who seem extremely shy, socially awkward, or distant may themselves have very mild forms of autism. 

MYTH:

Most children with autism never learn to talk. 

FACT:

With early identification and intensive intervention, as many as three-quarters of children with autism are able to talk. Those children with autism who never acquire spoken language often have severe mental retardation in addition to their autism, making the learning of language especially difficult. With training, however, even these children can often learn to communicate non-verbally. 

MYTH:

Autism can be caused by vaccinations. 

FACT:

At least two large studies have looked for a link between vaccinations and autism and did not find any evidence for it. Autism usually first appears within the first two years of life, at a time when children are receiving many immunizations. The appearance of autistic symptoms shortly after an immunization is bound to happen some of the time solely by chance. 

MYTH:

Children with autism are completely cut off from human relationships. 

FACT:

Children with autism have abnormal social relationships, but they have relationships nonetheless.