Are You Still Believing These Common Myths About Autism? The Surprising Truth Revealed
If you ever find yourself at a dinner party, stuck between someone passionately debating the secret dangers of vaccines and another convinced every person with autism is a savant who can count cards at Vegas, you know you’ve entered prime myth territory . Autism spectrum disorder—ASD for those of you who mix up your acronyms—is diagnosed in 1 in 31 children in the US, according to the CDC . That’s a staggering number, yet somehow misinformation spreads even faster than TikTok trends . Why is it so easy to believe that every autistic kid is a math prodigy, or that vaccines come with a side of Bill Gates microchips? (Spoiler: If there’s a microchip in my body, it’s still not helping me find my keys .) The Onion, in stellar satirical form, sets out to pop these pesky myths—one punchline at a time . If you’re ready to rethink everything you thought you learned from your uncle’s Facebook page, this is the article for you . LEARN MORE.According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 31 U.S. children is diagnosed with ASD, also known as autism spectrum disorder. The Onion dispels the common myths surrounding autism.
MYTH: Autism is caused by vaccines.
FACT: There is no scientific evidence that the microchips inside vaccines are linked to autism.
MYTH: All autistic people are good at math.
FACT: All autistic people are good at Wave Race 64.
MYTH: Bad parenting causes autism.
FACT: Bad parenting causes people to believe that bad parenting causes autism.
MYTH: Only boys can be autistic.
FACT: Girls were given access to the spectrum in 1983.
MYTH: There weren’t autistic people in the past.
FACT: Who do you think categorized all the bugs?
MYTH: All autistic people have a special skill.
FACT: Autistic people are often just as useless as the rest of us.
MYTH: Autistic people will use martial arts to kill my family.
FACT: The Accountant and The Accountant 2 are works of fiction.
MYTH: Some people with autism may never work.
FACT: That’s awesome, good for them.
MYTH: You should have been much, much nicer to your classmates with autism growing up.
FACT: This one checks out, actually.
