Psych Club: Autism Presentation

Front

Autism is a mental health disorder.

Back

False

Answer explanation

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, but people on the spectrum are much more likely to have co-occurring mental health disorders.

Front

Autism is an intellectual disability.

Back

False

Answer explanation

Autism is not an intellectual or mental disability. Autistic individuals have varying levels of intellectual ability, and some do have mental disabilities, but not all.

Front

What percentage of adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism?

Back

2.2%

Answer explanation

The CDC estimates there are 5,437,988 (2.21%) adults with ASD living in the United States as of 2017.

Prevalence is found to be higher in men than women. This figure does not include those who might be on the spectrum but undiagnosed.

Front

Autism is caused by vaccines.

Back

False

Answer explanation

No, there is nothing linking vaccines to autism. This myth was born out of a study in 1998 that has since been retracted, and newer research finds no evidence to support this claim.

Front

People with autism lack empathy.

Back

False

Answer explanation

Autistic people often feel just as much empathy, if not more, but can express it in atypical ways. Of course, empathy levels vary among individuals.

Front

Do autistic people understand sarcasm, humor, and other social norms and nuances?

Back

It depends!

Answer explanation

This is a stereotype: every individual has a different perspective. Difficulties in social-emotional reciprocity may pose challenges with recognizing tones and facial expressions, but it does not equate to not understanding.

Front

Can autism be cured?

Back

No

Front

Do all autistic individuals have the same symptoms?

Back

No

Answer explanation

That's why it's called a spectrum!