Autism: Social Disability?

From the point of view of the acceptance of the majority group, the person with autism or Asperger is bordered, it is not understood that it should be accepted in the group, given its difficulty for this interaction.

Every day more people refer to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as social disabilities, and it indeed has a lot of social components. We are not talking about a matter of physical health, but about a social health one. One of the most significant problems that the person with ASD faces is the social exclusion at all levels, which in many cases also affects the family.

This exclusion generates a series of problems. The society in which the person with ASD must develop is usually not prepared for the social inclusion of such a “novel” concept of diversity.

Is autism a social disability?

Initially, the term “social disability” was attributed to people who were at risk of social exclusion because of poverty or race. In the case of people with autism, it’s the difficulty to establish channels of social interaction according to the accepted cultural norm of the environment in which the person lives.

The person with autism is ruled, it’s not understood that it should be accepted in the group, because of its difficulty for this interaction. The social group is simply inaccessible to those who present a minimum degree of difficulty. Therefore, the “disability” of the person isn’t something attributable to it, but rather a social imposition.

This social exclusion can affect not only the person with ASD but also their family members. Most people with ASD don’t have problems of mobility or health, but they do have deficiencies in the communication aspects of social management. Gaps that can be improved if the person has access to the media and to society, which generates an interaction that could help them integrate with their peers.

Although there’s much talk about inclusive education, the reality is that it doesn’t exist. It’s not the education the one that should be inclusive, but the society. Technicians, specialists, relatives, and affected people see with despair how the future of these people is obscured by the lack of consideration and inclusion.

Autism spectrum disorders aren’t known, they aren’t understood; thus they aren’t contemplated. This situation entails the elimination of the identity of the person with ASD.

More inclusion, less rejection!

Autism itself can't define a person, the use of the attribute as a social conditioner entails the impulse of exclusion, and of the social rarity.

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Autism: The Difference of Being and Having

Autism doesn't define the person. You are not autistic, you are a person, and you have autism.

Nowadays it is very usual to refer to people who have autism as autistic. "My son is autistic," "he is autistic," and it is curious how "having" has been replaced by "being." Autism does not define the person; you are not autistic, you have autism, and you are a person. However, it seems normal to define a person as autistic, in addition to pigeonhole in a behavior that has little to do with the reality of autism.

Autism doesn't define the person

We must begin to banish that stigma; people are not autistic, they have autism. We already put things too difficult for people who are in the Autism Spectrum Disorder to also mark them as something weird with a word.

Society has a great ignorance, which leads us to be conditioned by absurd messages. Autism is something much more complex, affects one in every 175 children, causes terror in the parents of children diagnosed precisely by that way of pigeonholing society.

People can be tall, skinny, or even blonde. Although such definitions are only intended to define certain particularities, however, the term “autistic” has been extended to define, classify and label people who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

It is, in short, a way to establish boundaries between the social group and people with autism. Although it may seem a vulgar question of the lexicon, finally the definition confuses and stigmatizes the person suffering from the syndrome mentioned above.

We must begin to demystify autism. In the world there are more than 1,000,000 people with autism and deserve all our respect and support, beginning by not looking at them as something outside the world or defining them as special beings.

We must start to demystify autism, starting by not looking at them over our shoulders or defining them as "special" beings.

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When Did Vaccines Start to Be Associated with Autism?

It has nothing to do with the quality of vaccines either.

Over the past decade, many things have changed in the world. People started using their phones as job sources, countries changed policies about this or that, the public opinion shifted towards this other thing. And not all shifts have been in a positive direction. One of the most significant, yet outrageous changes in opinion started way back in 1998 when a health professional created a theory that warned against the use of immunization techniques, claiming a relationship between vaccines and autism.

This claim was (and is still) supported by a large margin of the population, and it’s still one of the worst things to happen relating to contagious and preventable diseases. This has created a danger to the general society, all created by false claims of vaccines being a direct source of autism, and correlating to other developmental conditions. The one who started this phenomenon of fake claims: Doctor Andrew Wakefield.

Why did Dr. Andrew Wakefield related vaccines and autism?

Wakefield, a gastroenterologist and an investigator, selected a group of eight children with autism for his studies. Its conclusions pointed out only one shady fact: a correlation if the application of an MMR vaccine (for measles-mumps-rubella) with a gastrointestinal disorder the affected the pervasion of specific peptides into the brain tissue. He presented an investigation that showcased this conclusion, and led to a snowball effect: people assumed that vaccines had a significant impact on the increase of Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. This against the reality, autism diagnoses increased by a better understanding of the diagnostic criteria.

Fast forward a few years, and the effect on society is almost impressive. Many people turned into staunch supporters of this theory, which prompted reputable scientist to challenge that affirmation. And the results of their investigation were terrific: the whole report of the new scientist proved that Dr. Andrew Wakefield performed his studies under almost illegal settings. The study was done without a control group, without in-depth analysis of the chemical defect that pointed out to the relationship between vaccines and autism. Without basis whatsoever, the study was debunked and Dr. Wakefield’s license, revoked.

His scientific misconduct banned him from practicing medicine. But the damage was done: people across the world now are believers of the relationship, and many avoid vaccinating their child based on the fake study that former Doctor Andrew Wakefield provided. This notion, reaching it’s 20th anniversary this year, is the proof that scientific knowledge can be used negatively.

At Autism Soccer we believe in the power of science to help people, and we do it with responsibility. That’s why children have instilled a profound love for sports, as science has a realistic backup when it comes to benefits for their development. Contact us to become a sponsor, or to be a part of our team.

Autism Soccer, growing to help children across the world.

Vaccines help to prevent many different and dangerous diseases. They are unable to cause harm.

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5 Ways to Help the Autism Community

Let's work to make the world a more inclusive place.

Have you ever met someone on the autism spectrum before? In the United States, about 1 in 68 children live with the condition. Their lives might be a little different from ours and, they might see the world in a unique perspective; but just like anyone else, they simply want to be happy. They want to have as much control as they can over their lives and have access to the services they need to improve them.

However, that’s not always the case. Even though we live in a more inclusive society, they still have to face discrimination and have trouble finding personalized therapies that, thoroughly, understand theirs and their families’ needs. There is still room for so much more research, as we’re still far from understanding what autism is, what it implies and how different autistic people’s brains truly function.

Whether you’re part of the community or you simply want to get involved in helping people with special needs, here are five ways in which you can join autistic individuals’ efforts to overcome their struggles.

Learn and discuss

The first thing you should take care of is having an open mind. People who don’t know anyone on the spectrum hardly ever get interested enough to understand what autism really is. There are a lot of general misconceptions, so educate yourself and bring the issue to a topic of conversation whenever is possible. Discuss what you know and spread awareness, start doing research and ask yourself some of these questions: are all autistic individuals the same? How many types of autism are there? What are the best ways to communicate with someone with autism? Ask friends if they know any autistic people and what do they think about the disorder. This can be an opportunity to talk about it without forcing it.

If you know someone with autism, be a good friend

There are many ways in which you can directly help if you know someone with ASD or a family with an autistic child. You can choose to leave them be or actively assist them as a friend. Give the families a respite from a life of therapies and medicines by inviting them over, talking to them, letting them know you’re there if they need you. If you have a child, organize play dates with their kid; families with autistic children can easily get isolated, and their kids will probably have trouble making friends, but they need it as much as any ‘typical’ boys and girls. It will help them learn social cues and interact with others. You might realize that these play dates might not be traditional, but they don’t have to be any less fun.

Become an advocate

Whether you’re someone with autism yourself or you want to help, speaking up is a great way to continue on this road. Become a public voice and spread as much information as you can. The Internet gives us the opportunity to reach people we would have never thought possible before, so you shouldn’t be afraid to use new tools to inspire others to take action!

Accept and listen more often

If you want to advocate for a cause, you have to be the primary example of the behavior you want to see in the rest of society. It’s not only about giving money and saying you support the autism community, but it’s also about listening to understand their needs and accept them just as they are. Value each person for their individuality, not for being part of the community you want to join. Make connections, make friends and help others see there’s nothing wrong with letting autistic individuals into your life.

Find ways to be more active

Look for organizations who work every day to help the autism community and join their efforts! Participate in their activities and spread information, so everyone gets to know what we’re up to and what our goals are. It’s essential that people understand why what we do is so important and why should they care. Find foundations like Autism Soccer and get involved with what we do. Organizations dedicated to autism are the best place to start if you don’t know how to help. We’re waiting for you!

All children deserve equal opportunities.

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What’s Autism Speaks Last Scientific Research Agenda?

What does the future of autism look like?

One of the most renowned organizations on autism research and advocacy, Autism Speaks, published on December its new scientific research agenda for 2018-2022.

The latest report’s aimed to define their funding efforts and goals to support and improve the lives of autistic individuals and develop a more personalized approach to therapies and treatments for people living on the autism spectrum. Just like they announced a year before, they dropped the goal to find a “cure” for the disorder and are instead concentrating their research to “enhance lives today and accelerate a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow.”

The three-year strategic plan is looking to deepen its research on unraveling the biology of autism, including its subtypes and dimensions, and translating their findings into practical solutions. To do this, they’ve developed seven objectives to follow on a two-pronged approach. The first one is dedicated to the need of accessing to effective behavioral therapy and adult services for autistic individuals and families, with the purpose of improving healthcare.

The second one includes the efforts of delivering “personalized, life-enhancing solutions for each person on the autism spectrum.” They’re building an open-access database (called MSSNG) with more than 7,200 fully sequenced genomes for people with autism and their families. Its goal is to help therapists and caretakers understand the many causes and types of autism behind every individual’s condition.

Based on these two goals, the seven objectives established by the new agenda go as follows:

1. Support research that uncovers the biology of autism to advance the delivery of personalized therapies and supports.
2. Support research that translates fundamental discoveries into potential personalized treatments ready for clinical testing.

3. Facilitate the clinical testing of promising life-enhancing interventions, including scalable and sustainable community programs.
   
4. Improve the measurement of autism and its associated features to enhance screening, diagnosis, subgroup identification and the tracking of change during clinical trials and across the lifespan.
   
5. Promote consensus building in research and the widespread use of life-enhancing research findings by facilitating engagement among leaders in research, clinical practice and the autism community.
   
6. Continually review research areas, and Autism Speaks science activities, to identify those ripe for culmination or transition to other funding sources in order to ensure that new funding areas complement rather than duplicate those supported by other funders.
   
7. Broadly and effectively communicate the strategic science plan and ongoing progress against its goals, with emphasis on engagement with the autism community.

If you want to know more about Autism Speaks’ research, take a look at the plan itself to find the strategies with which these objectives are set to be accomplished. To create this new agenda, the organization asked for input to more than 6,000 people related to autism in one way or another (families, researchers, among others). At Autism Soccer, we support every effort from scientists to improve the lives of those we love, especially children!

Which areas do you believe need more research?

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