Why do people equate autism with innocence?

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Well I guess it depends on the severity of the said autism, and the individual's ability to comprehend the notion of morality. However we are human beings and just like any other human being we all have distinct traits and attributes. Meaning that there are those of use who are nice or whatever and then there are those amongst us who have sh***y attitudes, ill intentions etc. So why do people like to infantilize individuals with autism? Is it because of our alleged childlike and naive nature? But despite that child like nature, that doesn't always mean innocence though... So why do people do this and perpetuate this?

I think it's the naive thing.

It doesn't bother me, though.

Is it bothering you?

People have always assumed I am innocent. Maybe it's because I'm quiet, I don't know why.

When I swore under my breath (note: this was mid teens) they freaked out and were like "I didn't know you knew swear words!".

People genuinely are in awe about it and were really thrown back.

I am very naif and gullible. I also can't use rude words very well IRL (such as fúck etc). That makes some people think I'm rather innocent. My coworker is really amused when I use rude words (my recent favorite is cúnt) because it doesn't really suit me. He says he is influencing me (as if I were a child). But I can be quite sneaky when I have to.

I think many autistic people have an innocent-like side as well as other sides. Socially awkward people probably look innocent.

Social awkwardness appears like innocence to people who don't know any better.

I have a strong Forrest Gumpian component to me.

The guy just resonates with me. I think sleeping on a shrimpboat, while driving a lawn mower around my local school, is my idea of bliss. And that nice house Gump inherited!

I think it is the relative social naivety and reticence. It seems easy to project innocence on "quiet types". But in my personal experience I have learned the hard way that can be a perilous assumption.

I know nothing about it.

Since I remember I was always considered guilty and liar no matter what I did or said. It was always my word vs my bullies word and guess who was better with body language and explaining what happened? Yup. They were. I was punished many times because teachers and parents were thinking I was the bad kid that was picking on everyone, crying without a reason and imagining things that didn't happen.

It was traumatic to me.

Because of that I am afraid of doing anything that has a risk of me being suspected of something bad because I know suspicion = punishment in my case since I could never successfully protect myself from false accusations as a kid.
For example I always take bills from any shop I am in if I am planning to go to another shop afterwards (so I have a prove in case someone suspect me I took it from their shop) and I make sure I show my mobile phone or tissue to shop camera before I put it back into my pocket in case someone imagined I put there something else. Fortunately noone accused me anything serious since I am an adult but I am still afraid it might happen because I was commonly a victim of false accusations in school.

The fun part is I have never considered doing anything bad and my moral code is well developed. I cannot understand why people intentionally hurt each other. I learned how to use white lies and sarcasm with age but that's it. I would never lie to make someone hurt and if I do something wrong I will just admit it because telling I didn't do it and figuring out how to prove I really didn't would be a huge pain - in such situations I still tend to believe that everyone knows what I know(although I logically know it can't be true) and my lies wouldn't make sense even if I tried lying.

Yes, people always assume that I'm some unintelligent, unimportant person with the mind of a child.

It's mainly because I don't speak much, and I'm s**t at communication of course

Because they think the people with autism are naive and good-intented. However you never know if there may be a Mengele out there amongs us.

IMO: Because NTs equate maturity mostly from social maturity...


The impression of being perceived as innocent is both beneficial and and annoying sometimes.
Sure, I get to do most of my intentions but people mistook me for not knowing any better. -.-
But to be honest, sometimes I want to get rid of my own innocence.

I'm sick of leniency because I might not learn. But I don't want to be treated like a crap either just because, which is obvious.

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Yet at the same time, some people are very suspicious and afraid of us.

Psychologists seem to often link it with violence and aggression, as does the media.

Most people think autistics behave childish or have childish interests which they link to innocence

Disagree with the premise. Most people associate lack of eye contact with a person lying to hide something.