On the Spectrum

 I have worked with people with Autism for the last 2 years. During the course of those 2 years I have wondered on occassion if more people in the world are on the spectrum than have actually been diagnosed. Being on the Spectrum does not necessarily mean that you are highly disadvantaged. Actually, you might be quite the opposite, you might be highly intelligent, highly functional. Autism affects people differently. So while there might be two people with autism in the same room they may be displaying different behaviours. 

In children it can be easy enough to identify autistic traits. These traits might not always lead to an autism diagnosis but may result in something else been diagnosed. If you have a child sitting in the corner not interacting with other children in the room or not sharing toys you  may get concerned. Maybe they are an only child and they are not used to having others around. But then maybe they don't have the social capacity to interact with others. As I said, in children it can be easy enough to identify when something is not right.

However, identifying it in adults can be more dijfficult. Yes, maybe a person is withdrawn, not very social but that does not necessarily indicate that they are on the spectrum. By the time a person reaches adulthood they could have a significant amount of past trauma to deal with. And maybe as they are dealing with that trauma they withdraw from the world around them and have no interest in being social. Personally I know that when I am dealing with emotional stuff I withdraw from others, I'll ignore texts, I won't answer calls and I just don't want to be around people. Obviously as an adult I have responsibilities and I have yo work etc. These responsibilities help me from totally withdrawing when life gets difficult. But does it mean that I am on the Spectrum? To be honest, it could, but then maybe withdrawing is a learned coping mechanism. Growing up I was never encouraged to feel sad emotions so I withdraw. I have major trust issues, is that because I have been hurt so much in the past, let down? Or do I have Autism? Who knows? Who cares? It doesn't strongly impact on my life, it just means that I am more cautious of who I let in.

I started this piece wondering if there are more people on the Spectrum than diagnosed. There very well might be but what does it matter. If people are able to function well it shouldn't matter if they are on the Spectrum or not. Nobody is perfect. We do not need to put a label on a person just because they are different, do not function like us. The only benefit of being diagnosed in adulthood as been on the Spectrum is getting supports to help you, especially mental health supports. Maybe you are struggling to process something from your past even with the greatest of supports. With a diagnosis the proper psychological supports can be put in place to help you to overcome these issues. I am certainly not walking around looking at everybody wondering if they are on the Spectrum. Nor will I. I take people where they are at, I do not need to attach a label to them. As they present is as I take them. I understand that we all have our fair share of stuff to deal with so I like to treat the people I meet with compassion, understanding that they have there own crosses to bear. They do not need me to make them feel worse about how they are, who they are.