David Covarrubias ENGL-1010 9/14/2017

The issue I choose to write about is the misconceptions of autism, also known as

(ASD)autism spectrum disorder. Autism is considered a new developmental disorder as it did not

clinically exist until 1944. Most people believe that autism is a mental illness but in reality,

autism is a neurological condition in which the brain process information differently. Another

misunderstanding people have about autism is that autistic people dont like physical contact and

cant have loving relationships. Since people with autism process things differently from

normal people, especially their emotions, so the way they make emotional connections with

others is going to be different as well. Another mistaken belief about autism is that Autism is

caused by bad parenting, in the 1950s a theory called refrigerator mother hypothesis

suggesting that autism was caused by mothers lack of emotional warmth, this has been

disproved for a long time but some people still believe this to be true.

The one issue I found most interesting is the misconception that having autism means that

youre dumb when people with autism tend to have either average or above average intelligence

levels. Having autism has nothing to do with how intelligent they are like I mention before

autism is just the difference in the way neurons in the brain communicate with each other, which

leads to complications with social interactions, communication skills. Many famous people and

notable figures in history are on the autism spectrum, Albert Einstein, Amadeus Mozart, Sir

Isaac Newton, even Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Albert Einstein was very intelligent yet had

difficulty with social interactions and had a hard time learning in school, it may have been

because he did not have the accommodations and different teaching styles that many autistic

children need. Because of this, it makes perfect sense that someone so intelligent would fall
David Covarrubias ENGL-1010 9/14/2017

behind in school, also his lack of social skills, he had a difficult time finding a job despite his

intelligence.

Steve Jobs (the co-founder of Apple Inc.) and Bill Gates (the co-founder of Microsoft), two of

the biggest tech mobiles in the world have shown to have high IQs but difficulties at times with

social interactions. People believed they fall on the autism spectrum.

Quite a few autism experts believe that bill gates to be autistic, these experts cite thing

like the distinct rocking motion gates displays when he concentrates, his shortened and monotone

speech patterns., and his habits of avoiding eye contact on the rare occasion he speaks directly

with someone else. These are all common characters of those on the spectrum, and evidence that

Bill Gates may be autistic. While no doctor has ever given Mr. Gates an official diagnosis, he

stands as a hero for many Aspies who look to his success with hope.

Steve Jobs definitely thought differently, he was often described as mercurial and he

was very creative. He was clearly a genius. He had an obsession with detail and perfectionism,

which are traits of autism. he often got personally involved with things like how many screws

there were in a laptop case, he also had an obsession with control. Steve was well known for his

temper.

Steve Jobs was also known for the enormous contributions he and Apple made to the

autism community. Steve brought touch screen computing to the masses, and as a result of the

iPad and the many other tablets and touch screen devices that followed, he helps many affected

by autism achieve a degree of independence that would simply have been impossible without

that technology.
David Covarrubias ENGL-1010 9/14/2017

The reason why I choose this topic is because of my 8-year-old brother, Jesus who was

diagnosed with autism at the age of 4, so it really hits home. What is it like to live with an

autistic child well, difficult will be an understatement, in our case Jesus is nonverbal which

makes it challenging to communicate with one another, he cant tell us why he gets suddenly sad

or angry, whys he crying or where it hurts. His lack of communication brings up one of our

biggest fears of Jesus being a victim of abuse since he is nonverbal he wont be able to tell us

who did it or what they did, which makes it a constant worry for us. The hardest challenge I

noticed with our family is our lack of knowledge. Growing up in the Hispanic culture, you are

taught that mental illnesses do not exist. For instance, depression is a subject that many Latino

families avoid in general. If you are depressed, you have too much time on your hands and

should work more. With autism, the child was given too much affection in their early

developmental stages which brought on the childs inability to communicate.

What Is Autism? Autism Speaks, 30 May 2012, www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism.

Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

What is Autism? Autism Society, www.autism-society.org/what-is/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017

.
GPS Blog | Lets Confront These Autism Myths. AngelSense, 19 Apr. 2017,
www.angelsense.com/blog/theres-more-to-autism-than-these-myths/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

Sole-Smith, Virginia. Myths About Autism. Parents, Parents, 11 June 2015,

www.parents.com/health/autism/myths-about-autism/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

Autism Myths and Misconceptions. PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 17 Jan. 2013,
www.pbs.org/pov/neurotypical/autism-myths-and-misconceptions/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.