What did you think about adults with autism?

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If there was a time in your life you didn't know anything about autism, what did you use to think that happened to adults with autism?

Everybody, even if they don't have any knowledge of autism, has at least heard of little kids who have it but not too many people seem to know what happens with those children as they reach teenage years and later adulthood.

I didn't use to devote too many thoughts to this issue as well but if I was asked then about my opinion, I'd probably say that maybe autistic people die pretty young or that they are simply taken to nursery homes because as they get older, taking care of them becomes too difficult task for their families (I used to associate autism only with severe mental retardation in that time).

I never heard of all that until I was diagnosed

I knew about autism from movies I watched as a child. In each case those people were children and were very severely affected.

yeah most don't make any istinction between down syndrome and autism

Um, I never really thought about it. I suppose I thought, they grew up and still had problems, I don't really know to be honest here

People who lived with their parents and avoided social contact.

For the most part, I was right.

Hi there,

Really, my perception of autism was a long time very, very, very, very ignorant.

When I was nineteen I had a severe meltdown and started reading stuff 'bout psychology in a despaired attempt to find what made me what I am. Then (~1989), the books I read didn't contain that much info about autism. The one-way-ed stuff like the boy sitting in a corner wishing to be left alone and not interacting at all with anyone or anything. Then, not sure, in the books I read, you seem to have only the Kanner-autist and I wasn't like that, althought when confused, angry and frustrated as a little boy I had that kind of behaviour as well. Withdrawel and drawing cars all the time.

Adults with autism, bizarrely now knowing I am one, didn't even exist in my mind and really I had no idea at all.

But hey, here we are on this Planet, us adults (of course younger <18/21 too), strange how live evolves.

Best of luck,
C.

I never really thought about it...all I knew about autism was what I saw in the movie Rainman ¬_¬

I just remember autism from certian movies, but all i heard was that autism was nonverbal, in their own world constantly, rocking 247, drooling, etc... Its sad thats how so many ppl interpret autism, growing up everybody knew something was wrong with me, but everybody knew despite what the doctors say that i wasnt mentally ret*d, everybody knew it was something else. I wasnt rocking 247, i can drool hahaha, and def wasnt in my own world 247, heck i dont even think i rocked much as a child at all, dont think i even flapped much either. Well anyways yea its sad, but u know whats even sadder is if u think about it, there are prob so many autistic adults stuck in institutions jsut rotting away while nobody knows that they may be capable of other things, if i ever become big or up there with money wise, ill fight to try to get every autistic any age out of situations like being abused, put in stray jackets, left alone for hours on hours and give the opportunity to live life for once.

_________________
Being Normal Is Vastly Overrated

Once upon a time, I was very ignorant about autism like many others still are, and I don't think Rainman helped my views about it. And I thought that autistic people would never be able to care for themselves and have to either only live in a home or with their parents or siblings. But.. fortunately I woke up, a while before my recent diagnosis! I think a lot of people still fail to see that autism is a spectrum disorder and talk about stereotypes.. many probably view autism the same as I once did. What I thought of people who had autism in some cases may be the case but in many other cases.. obviously not at all.

I'm an Aspie here and the first time I heard about autism was during the late 1970s from a TV movie about a mother interacting with her autistic child and finally getting a "break through" and hearing her child speak for the first time. By today's standards the movie may not be that great but it stuck out in my mind for some reason. I even remember asking my mother if I was autistic when I was younger and her reply was a simple no. For some reason, I did not completely believe her.

At that time, people with autism were thought to be non-verbal as children and then more like the rain man without the knowledge and funny sayings. I, myself, thought that Autism had a pretty narrow scope until I stumbled upon Aspergers about 6 years ago. I think my misconception was derived from the medical community misdiagnosing people for years along with my lack of interest into anything medical.

Out of the 100+ people with autism I know (or have an awareness of) about 6 or 7 are children. In contrast, I know of about 4 that are older persons.

I used to think it was severe retardation too. But I saw a show a few years ago explaining it and high functioning, I remember thinking I could belong to that category, but then forgot about it. The person I met that was for sure a high functioning autistic was a very intelligent young man, who pointed out my characteristics. I have a uncle who said he figured it out years ago.

Anyway I know a lot about it now, and I feel there must be some higher purpose I learned about it, even if it just turns out I'm a NT who just resembles an Aspie.

Well, I saw Rainman and kinda envied him on how he influenced everyone to get his way. And for being able to flash-count.

am never thought anything,as treated everything,whether human or not the same.
it was only once in adulthood, am started to understand differences like autism/other DD,mental illness etc,am was ignorant about the technical stuff to do with those disabilities,but also had an understanding for them,including those who were SMI [severe mental illness]-some of them being aspies with SMI,who sister worked with.

there are some WPers around today who still think the same stereotypes about [kanners] autism and lfa,so not much hasn't really changed,apart from there being better awareness,respect and support.

I didn't think about it much. When I thought of autism I thought of one of my mom's coworkers sons.