NAMI Mercer County

Families Meeting the Challenge of Mental Illness

autism

Advocating for ASD

By

Angelina Villalva, NAMI Intern

As humans, we have an innate drive for social connection with others. It is foundational to not just being emotionally stable, but as a basic need as essential as food and water. When that gets taken away, we tend to struggle quite a bit. 

At some point in your life, you probably have felt a moment of feeling ostracized. Left outside of the group. In other words, the odd-one-out. Can you remember what it felt like to be in that moment? For a lucky group, they’ve might’ve had the occasional buffer but for the most part live unafflicted from this fear. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for adolescents and young adults who live with ASD. 

ASD stands for autism spectrum disorder. This is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects the way that people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Due to this, people with ASD commonly experience feelings of social isolation and problems in forming relationships. 

The word spectrum in ASD refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity that can be present in various individuals. Some autistic people have intellectual disabilities, while others do not. Some require significant support in their daily lives while some need little to no support and can live independently. However, getting early treatment for ASD can make a big difference in how severe autism presents later in life. 

Signs of autism are usually seen around 2–3 years old. These can include(but are not limited to): 

  • Having poor eye contact and little to no expression on their face
  • Doesn’t speak, have delayed speech, or lose the ability to say words/sentences as they could before
  • Make the same movement over and over again (rocking, spinning, hand-flapping, etc.) 
  • Become withdrawn or aggressive
  • Doesn’t respond to their name 
  • Have unusual, stiff, or exaggerated body language
  • Sensitive to light, sound or touch but may not be affected by pain or temperature

Today, there is no single known cause of autism. A common misconception is that ASD is caused by vaccines, but this has been disproven as untrue. In fact, the original study in which this claim originated was retracted due to poor design and questionable research methods. Others suggest genetic and environmental factors have a correlation, but this does not apply for all ASD cases.  

As social beings, struggling to make connections can be very distressing and affect us in all parts of our life. For people living with autism, facing this struggle is part of their reality. It can feel overwhelming, and incredibly lonely at times. However, it is important to note that no one is ever alone. Not only are there resources available for those who struggle with autism, but also for those who live without it and can support those who do.

I highly encourage you to check out the resources below to find more information and support. 

Resources: 

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