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LaFrance Nesbitt

Ms. Kenly

British Literature

26 April 2018

Should Autistic people be discriminated?

How often do you have a discussion with a friend about autism? The topic about autism

barely pops up into anyones conversation these days, and I find that kind of peculiar. The

question that I would like to understand is should people with autism be discriminated? with

Discrimination is a common barrier faced by people with disabilities in need of lifesaving care.

Only a handful of states have banned bias in transplants. Until more states act, this

discrimination will continue.

Having autism can really hurt people because professional doctors sometimes decide not

to treat them. For example, a family was discriminated by several hospitals trying to help their

son who was in the need of a heart transplant and had to go state to state to find help. In the

article, DISCRIMINATION ALMOST COST MY AUTISTIC SON HIS LIFE, it says “Because of

our sons disability the doctors at our local children’s hospital told us would that no facility would

perform the transplant and we should prepare for him to die.” Whatever hospital that told this

family, that they should prepare for their son to die, should be shut down because they was being

very disrespectful and not doing their job correctly. Autism refers to a range of conditions

characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal
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communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not

one autism but many types, caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental

influences. There’s also Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. People with

Asperger syndrome usually have some milder symptoms of autistic disorder. They might have

social challenges and unusual behaviors and interests. However, they typically do not have

problems with language or intellectual disability.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder, also known as “atypical autism” is people who meet

some of the criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome, but not all, may be diagnosed

with PDD-NOS. People with PDD-NOS usually have fewer and milder symptoms than those

with autistic disorder. The symptoms might cause only social and communication challenges.

Normally, autism mostly affected in children rather than adults. The cause of autism is still

unknown and there is not telling when there would be a cure.

Although, there is no cure for autism, there are treatments and education approaches that

can address some of the challenges associated with the condition. Intervention can help to lessen

disruptive behaviors, and education can teach self help skills for greater independence. But just

as there is no one symptom or behavior that identifies people with autism, there is no single

treatment that will be effective for everyone on the spectrum. Treatment must begin as early as

possible and focus on the individual’s unique strengths, weaknesses, and needs.

People with autism should not be discriminated towards anybody. A family was

discriminated by several hospitals trying to help their son who was in need of a heart transplant
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and had to travel state to state to find help. In the article DISCRIMINATION ALMOST COST MY

AUTISTIC SON HIS LIFE, it says “Because of our sons disability the doctors at our local

children’s hospital told us that no facility would perform the transplant and we should prepare

for him to die.” Regardless of what disability anybody have you should not say anything as

disrespectful as what those doctors at that hospital told this family. It was actually unprofessional

and that hospital should face some type of consequences for how they handled this situation.

The family thinks since their son has a disability, the doctors at the hospital did not want

to help for whatever odd reason. The cumbersome computer and heavy batteries that hang from

outside the body had the power to extend his life. The local hospital that they have in their area,

failed to make them aware that this therapy existed and could have extended his life. Luckily, the

child survived and is doing well. He spent numerous times back and forth being hospitalized

going through open heart surgeries and countless procedures.

My friend has a seven year old cousin who was recently diagnosed with autism spectrum

disorder. He has his own language and likes to put things in his mouth. He is very smart, knows

how to read, and plays the piano, but sometimes wanders off outside and does not listen. When

he gets scared, he tends to spin around in circles. He is very repetitive and repeats everything you

say nonstop. His parents wanted to get him treatment from a children’s hospital, but was turned

down. For some reason the doctors declined treated the seven year old because he was autistic.

Though we've made enormous strides in changing the conversation, there is so much more we

need to do to stop discrimination. Adults and children with disabilities in need of organ

transplants should be afforded greater legal protections. Their lives are inherently worth saving.
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Autism is a life sentence of mental solitary confinement. You’re often alone and

misunderstood by people because you see the world through a different prism. However, one

good thing about autism is that you have a unique way of thinking and envisioning things that no

one else does. That special way of thinking can be put to good use through the arts and other

places. People with autism should deserve the same respect and chances as anyone else.

Well, autism doesn’t have to be deliberating. It does present tough challenges but they are

smart enough and strong enough to handle it. Calling it a “life sentence” is perpetuating the

belief that is is some kind of disease and its giving in to the propaganda created by those who

don’t understand it and benefit off of the grants and pharmaceutical industries. When someone

tell another person that they have autism, for some reason they would say that they feel sorry for

them, or that they are sorry to hear that. You shouldn’t feel sorry for someone because they have

autism. It’s actually a natural part of humanity. And it has greatly benefited humanity in a wide

number of ways through out of the box thinkers who were most certainly on the spectrum.

In today's world, some autistic people are afraid of telling people that they have autism,

because they would be treated differently. Some would often be ashamed of it because they may

feel like if they didn’t have it things would be different and things in their life could have gone

better. Their parents could be treating them differently than their siblings, and if they like tried to

impress their parents it would be a little harder. Therefore, their social life would not be easy at

all and if their friends doesn’t notice the autism, they would fail to inform them.
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People may treat autistic people as omniscient superhumans or some mentally disabled

person with the mental age of a 5 year old. I know for a fact that they would hate being treated

like that, which is why they would fail to mention to some people that they are autistic. To me,

it’s the fault of other people for not understanding people with autism. I don’t think they come

off as that different than them. If someone doesn’t want an autistic person around because of

something that they can’t help and because they were born with it, then that’s their problem.

There is honestly nothing wrong with having autism, and they should not be treated any

differently.

Society today reflects on autism as being useless and needing help with everything as if

they are handicapped or disabled. Some people would actually help just to feel as if they are

doing a good deed and it would make them a better person. They get ashamed for something that

they can not control, and nowadays any social disorder is in the same category as “mentally

retarded”. I personally think that mentally disabled people should not be singled out and put into

a little group because they have a disability.

In the article, AUTISTIC PEOPLE AREN’T REALLY ACCEPTED--AND IT’S

IMPACTING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, it says “While medical professionals have become

much better at diagnosing autism, many people with the condition feel it is still not accepted as a

potentially positive aspect of who they are.” This is why many prefer the term “autistic person”

rather than “person with autism”.


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For the research, they surveyed 111 cognitively able autistic adults about how their

experiences of autism acceptance related to their mental health, and many commented on

experiencing a negative reaction. Unfortunately, they still don’t know why autistic people are at

a higher risk for mental health problems than non-autistic people. Researchers recently published

research that shows a lack of acceptance can significantly impact on the mental health of autistic

adults. Up to 70 per cent of autistic people experience mental health conditions such as

depression and anxiety, according to some research. These findings suggest that simply feeling

accepted plays a key role in a person’s mental health. But do other people accept autistic people

for who they are. We are just starting to learn about camouflaging in autism, and more research

needs to be done to understand the impact it could have on autistic people’s lives. For people

who have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition, autism can be an integral part of who

they are. If you feel like others don’t accept you for that part of your identity, this could impact

on your mental health.

My moms friend son has autism, and he is often misunderstood. He is extremely high

functioning and to others he act “normal”. Calling him normal is a little insulting because he is

different than the average kid. He do indeed have the average intelligence. He take 3 advanced

placement classes, but what no one knows or undergraduate is the turmoil that goes on in his

head. He have a sensitivity to extremely bright lights and very loud noises, he’s childish and

immature and very socially awkward and can only communicate well through writing, and he

have like little meltdowns when he’s under too much stress. He gets frustrated when he can not

do something that a “normal” person can do because everyone says that he should be able to do
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it, but he can’t because he process things differently and more slowly than others his age. He has

to live with constant reminder that he’s different and it takes time to do certain things.

He actually learned how to control some of his breakdowns, he got used to bright lights,

and he’s gotten better at communicating. He have friends that love him and treats him like

everybody else. His parents and teachers boost his confidence by saying that he is smarter than

he think he is. His friends love how friendly and outgoing he is, which is a trait not everyone

have. Autism is a barrier that we have to break. It’s not deliberating. In some ways they’re just

like us, but there’s a tiny difference. Autistic people have lots of talents and have the ability to do

things that some may not be able to. They can function and succeed but it may be a little

challenging than for most people.

Research suggest that having an older father may increase a child’s risk of autism.

Children born to men 40 years old or older were almost six times more likely to have an autism

spectrum disorder than 30 years old. Maternal age seems to have little effect on autism risk. One

in 10 extremely premature infants tested positive for autism. Children who are born more than

three months early have doubled the expectations got the rate of autism. Any children with

autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain but may be extra sensitive to sound, touch, or other

sensory stimulation, which may contribute to a reluctance yo being cuddled or hugged. Other

disabilities that fall within the Autism Spectrum category include Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-

NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified), Rett Syndrome, and

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. As early as infancy, a baby can show the three hallmark
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features of autism which are communication challenges, impaired social interactions, and

repetitive behavior.

According to the CDC, 1 in 6 children in the United Rates had been diagnosed with an

Autism Spectrum Disorder. In the 1980s, autism prevalence was reported as 1 in 10,000. That

means back then many children was not really being diagnosed with autism at the time. It was

more like a “rare” disorder. But now-a-days more children are being diagnosed with it. Girls

with autistic symptoms may be suffering from Rett Syndrome. The syndrome affects mainly

females, because male fetuses with the disorder rarely survive to term. Development is typical

until 6-18 months, when language and motor milestones are lost.

In families with one autistic child, have a 1 out of 20 chance of having a second child that

will also be diagnosed with autism. This is greater than the risk for the general population.

Researchers are unclear as to why boys are diagnosed with autism more than girls, but some

think it’s had something to do with the X Chromosome. Scientists and doctors really base their

diagnosis for autism on how a child acts, they don't run any tests or anything in that nature.

Young boys are stereotypically rowdy and sociable. So when boys obsess with maps or avoid

group play and would rather be alone, society recognizes that behavior as neurologically

atypical, a symptom of their need to categorize and find routine.

When girls fixate on dolls or books, when they're obsessively neat or shy or quiet, that's

seen as normal defential female behavior. Early focus on so called “boys behavior” set the

perimeters for what doctors came to think of as autism. Girls with autism stuck close enough go
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other girls to look as if they were socially connected, bug in reality they were not connecting. I

guess you can say that they would try to fit in to make it seem like they are being social and not

isolating themselves from others. While girls and boys on the extreme end of the spectrum share

behavior patterns and are diagnosed in roughly equal numbers, girls in the less extreme end,

whose autism manifests differently than boys, have slipped under the radar.

In the article GIRLS WITH AUTISM OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED, it says “ Girls are often

misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder,

doctors who still think of autism as a disproportionately male condition often look for other

explanation. As a result, girls may miss out in early interventions.” Despite there being no reason

why women are less likely to be affected by autism than men, research presents us with a number

of ideas that could help us to understand why women with the condition are less likely to be

diagnosed.

Research and surveys are more focused on male characteristics rather than females

characteristics of autism. To this day, there is no research that focuses specifically on autistic

women, largely because the condition is seen as more common in boys than girls, and so boys

are routinely only included in research projects. The National Autistic Society days that because

of the male gender bias, women are less likely to be diagnosed with the condition, even if their

symptoms are equally as severe. The diagnostic criteria for Asperger Syndrome are based on the

characteristic of males. During childhood, boys are often more disruptive than girls so they

would more likely to receive more attention. However, this can lead fk girls going unnoticed as

their behavioral characteristics are seen to be less of a problem that needs investigating.
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Females with autism are better at masking their symptoms. In general, girls are more

skilled at fitting in with their peers and those with autism may try to repress their behavior so that

they don't stand out. Not only does this lead to symptoms not being spotted but it can also cause

mental health issues or cause the girl to act out and let go once they get home. The signs and

symptoms of autism amongst girls are less severe l. A study shoes from the Kennedy Krieger

Institute in Baltimore suggest that, whilst for boys the average age of diagnosis is three, the

average age for girls is four or older. This has been attributed to girls exhibiting less severe

symptoms, perhaps because they're repressing their behavior or because it's socially acceptable

for girls to be quiet.

In conclusion, anyone who has been diagnosed or for future preferences, will be

diagnosed, should not by all means be discriminated. It could lead to really severe damages to

their life and there is a high possibility that they could die. Hospitals should be the main ones

who should not discriminate against children with autism since they are so young, they will need

all the help they can get.

Work Cited:

Cage, Eilidh. "Autistic People Aren't really Accepted--and it's Impacting their.." The

Independent(Online), 14 Nov, 2017, pp. n/a, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com

.
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Carino, Jerry. "Why are Autism Cases Exploding, and what can be done about it?" Florida

Today, 25 May, 2017, pp. D.2, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

"Blast from the Past; Treating Autism." Economist, Jun, 2017, pp. 80, SIRS Issues Researcher,

https://sks.sirs.com.

Firger, Jessica. "How to Detect Autism: A Blood Test could One Day Provide Early.."

Newsweek, July, 2017, pp. n/a, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Hoffman, Jan. "Helping Autistic Students Navigate Life on Campus." New York

Times, 20 Nov, 2016, pp. A.1, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Kielburger, Craig. "Girls with Autism often Misdiagnosed." Times-Colonist, 30 July,

2017, pp. C.3, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Leung, Wency. "Young Adults with Autism More Likely to have Psychiatric Diagnosis.."

Globe and Mail, 14 Sep, 2017, pp. L.1, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Reinberg, Steven. "Vitamins Linked to Lower Risk." Hartford Courant, 22 Oct, 2017, pp.

D.1, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Rodakis, John. "Autism Research should be Financed Like Venture Capital." Wall Street

Journal, 29 Sep, 2017, pp. A.17, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.


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Ubelacker, Sheryl. "Autistic Characters Lead some New Series, but are they Realistic?"

Times-Transcript, 07 Oct, 2017, pp. C.14, SIRS Issues Researcher,https://sks.sirs.com.

Wang, Sam. "How to Think about the Risk of Autism." New York Times, 30 Mar,

2014, pp. SR.6, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Zaraska, Marta. "'it's Normal to Take Away our Children'." The Independent (Daily Edition), 17

Jan, 2018, pp. 45, SIRS Issues Researcher,https://sks.sirs.com.

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