Discrimination against autistic people

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Discrimination against autistic people is the discrimination, persecution, and oppression that autistic people have been subjected to. Discrimination against autistic people is a form of ableism. [1]

Contents

Prevalence

Research published in 2019 used data from more than 8,000 children in the University of London's Millennium Cohort Study, which tracks the lives of about 19,000 people born in the United Kingdom starting in 2000. Out of the children selected, 231 were autistic. The study from the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that these autistic children were more likely to engage in "two-way sibling bullying", meaning being both a victim and perpetrator of bullying. [2]

Further research published in 2017, a meta-analysis of three studies, demonstrated that "first impressions of individuals with ASD made from thin slices of real-world social behavior by typically-developing observers are not only far less favorable across a range of trait judgments compared to controls, but also are associated with reduced intentions to pursue social interaction." [3] The meta-analysis continues, "These patterns are remarkably robust, occur within seconds, do not change with increased exposure, and persist across both child and adult age groups." [3] This may be why autistic people have "smaller social networks and fewer friendships, difficulty securing and retaining employment, high rates of loneliness, and an overall reduced quality of life." [3] Smaller social networks, fewer friendships, and loneliness correlate with severe health outcomes. According to a paper published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior , "Health risks associated with social isolation have been compared in magnitude to the well-known dangers of smoking cigarettes and obesity." [4] Furthermore, according to the UK Office for National Statistics, the unemployment rate of autistic people may reach 85%, the highest rate among all disabled groups studied. [5] Autistic adults are also more likely to face healthcare disparities, such as being unvaccinated against common diseases like tetanus and being more likely to use emergency services. [6]

Autistic people are also less likely to graduate from high school, college, or other forms of higher education, further contributing to high rates of unemployment and lower of quality of life. [7] [8] This failure to successfully complete education can be in part attributed to a lack of support from educational institutions. In the US, only one third of autistic children in public schools receive special education services. [9]

In the United States, people with disabilities are victims of violent crime three times as often as people without disabilities. The Bureau of Justice Statistics does not report separately on autistic victims, but it does note that the victimization rate is especially high among those whose disabilities are cognitive. A small-sample study of Americans and Canadians found that autistic adults face a greater risk of sexual victimization than their peers. Autistic respondents were more than twice as likely to say they had been the victim of rape and over three times as likely to report unwanted sexual contact. [10] In 2018, a large scale study found that autistic girls were almost three times more likely to be a victim of sexual abuse. [11]

Discrimination in media and culture

Representation of autistic people in media has perpetuated myths about autism, including characterizing autism as shameful and burdensome for family members, advertising fake cures for autism, and publicizing the long-disproven arguments surrounding vaccines and autism. These myths are perpetuated in mass media as well as news media and social media. [12] Stigmatization of autism can also be perpetuated by advertising from autism conversion organizations, such as Autism Speaks' advertising wherein a mother describes having considered murder-suicide in front of her autistic daughter or the NYU Child Study Center's advertisements where autism is personified as a kidnapper holding children for ransom. [13]

Moreover, the autistic behavior known as stimming is frequently referred to as "distracting" and the way autistic people naturally talk is often described as rude. [14] Stimming specifically is often targeted in therapies such as Applied Behavioral Analysis, despite autistic people's belief that stimming is "vital to self regulation". [15]

In the United States, recently published research [16] shows that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has not funded grants focused on the treatment of physical health disparity conditions, such as insomnia, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions, in autistic adults across four decades of research funding. McDonald and Scudder (2023) explicitly distinguish health disparity conditions that affect the lives of autistic people from research grants focused on the cause, cure, and prevention of autism. Although their research focused on autistic adults without an intellectual disability, the research did not exclude this population and found a lack of funded grants focused on the treatment of health disparity conditions for autistic adults with intellectual disabilities. The research describes several systemic discriminatory "nodes" of practices and policies that may contribute to the apparent discrimination in research grant funding. These include the exclusion of disability populations from groups designated for physical health disparity research grants, the designation of autism as a "primary disease;" a designation used as a rationale for some National Institutes of Health (e.g., the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) to exclude research focused on autistic populations from grant funding review, and the pressure on early career researchers by academic institutions (that receive NIH funding) to either change their research topic or their population for NIH grant applications and to avoid challenging NIH policies until they are at a more advanced stage in their career.

Immigration

In the United States, the Trump administration supported restrictive immigration policies that discriminated against autistic people. Under these policies, autistic immigrants faced deportation. [17] [18]

In Canada, autistic immigrants have been denied citizenship or they have faced deportation due to the perception that they are a "burden" upon the Canadian medical system. In 2018, reforms in Canadian immigration law were announced, the reforms are supposed to make it easier for autistic and disabled immigrants to migrate to Canada. [19]

New Zealand effectively prohibits the immigration of autistic people. [20]

Australia's health criteria have prompted criticism about its immigration policies. Australia forbids the immigration of people who would be exceptionally costly for the nation's health care or social services. Autistic people are subject to this policy. [21]

Singapore, which is renowned for having rigorous rules and regulations, also has severe immigration laws. According to these laws, prospective immigrants with long-term conditions, such as autism, could be turned away by the country's immigration officials.[ user-generated source? ] [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asperger syndrome</span> Neurodevelopmental diagnosis now categorized under Autism Spectrum Disorder

Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome, formerly described a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. The syndrome has been merged with other disorders into autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is no longer considered a stand-alone diagnosis. It was considered milder than other diagnoses that were merged into ASD due to relatively unimpaired spoken language and intelligence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Controversies in autism</span> Controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves

Diagnoses of autism have become more frequent since the 1980s, which has led to various controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves. Whether autism has mainly a genetic or developmental cause, and the degree of coincidence between autism and intellectual disability, are all matters of current scientific controversy as well as inquiry. There is also more sociopolitical debate as to whether autism should be considered a disability on its own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conditions comorbid to autism spectrum disorders</span> Medical conditions more common in autistic people

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that begin in early childhood, persist throughout adulthood, and affect three crucial areas of development: communication, social interaction and restricted patterns of behavior. There are many conditions comorbid to autism spectrum disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Baron-Cohen</span> British psychologist and author

Sir Simon Philip Baron-Cohen is a British clinical psychologist and professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Cambridge. He is the director of the university's Autism Research Centre and a Fellow of Trinity College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurodiversity</span> Non-pathological explanation of variations in mental functions

Neurodiversity is a framework for understanding human brain function and mental illness. It argues that diversity in human cognition is normal and that some conditions classified as mental disorders are differences and disabilities that are not necessarily pathological.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism rights movement</span> Disability rights movement for autistic people

The autism rights movement, also known as the autistic acceptance movement, is a social movement allied with disability rights that emphasizes a neurodiversity paradigm, viewing autism as a disability with variations in the human brain rather than as a disease to be cured. The movement advocates for several goals, including greater acceptance of autistic traits and behaviors; reforms of services - i.e. services that focus on improving quality of life and well-being instead of suppression and masking of autistic traits that are adaptive or not harmful or imitations of social behaviors of neurotypical (non-autistic) peers ; the creation of social networks and events that allow autistic people to socialize on their own terms; and the recognition of the autistic community as a minority group.

High-functioning autism (HFA) was historically an autism classification where a person exhibits no intellectual disability, but may experience difficulty in communication, emotion recognition, expression, and social interaction.

Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, especially in "language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living". Developmental disabilities can be detected early on and persist throughout an individual's lifespan. Developmental disability that affects all areas of a child's development is sometimes referred to as global developmental delay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masking (personality)</span> Social process

In psychology and sociology, masking is the process in which an individual camouflages their natural personality or behavior to conform to social pressures, abuse, or harassment. Masking can be strongly influenced by environmental factors such as authoritative parents, rejection, and emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Masking can be a behavior individuals adopt subconsciously as coping mechanisms or a trauma response, or it can be a conscious behavior an individual adopts to fit in within perceived societal norms. Masking is interconnected with maintaining performative behavior within social structures and cultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism therapies</span> Therapy aimed at autistic people

Autism therapies include a wide variety of therapies that help people with autism, or their families. Such methods of therapy seek to aid autistic people in dealing with difficulties and increase their functional independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stimming</span> Repetitive self-stimulatory behaviour common in neurodevelopmental disorders

Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as "stimming" and self-stimulation, is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other repetitive behaviors. Such behaviors are found to some degree in all people, especially those with developmental disabilities such as ADHD, as well as autistic people. People diagnosed with sensory processing disorder are also known to potentially exhibit stimming behaviors.

Mental distress or psychological distress encompasses the symptoms and experiences of a person's internal life that are commonly held to be troubling, confusing or out of the ordinary. Mental distress can potentially lead to a change of behavior, affect a person's emotions in a negative way, and affect their relationships with the people around them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Societal and cultural aspects of autism</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classic autism</span> Neurodevelopmental condition

Classic autism, also known as childhood autism, autistic disorder, (early) infantile autism, infantile psychosis, Kanner's autism,Kanner's syndrome, or (formerly) just autism, is a neurodevelopmental condition first described by Leo Kanner in 1943. It is characterized by atypical and impaired development in social interaction and communication as well as restricted, repetitive behaviors, activities, and interests. These symptoms first appear in early childhood and persist throughout life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism spectrum</span> Neurodevelopmental disorder

Autism, formally called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by deficits in reciprocal social communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Other common signs include difficulties with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, along with perseverative interests, stereotypic body movements, rigid routines, and hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input. Autism is clinically regarded as a spectrum disorder, meaning that it can manifest very differently in each person. For example, some are nonspeaking, while others have proficient spoken language. Because of this, there is wide variation in the support needs of people across the autism spectrum.

Sex and gender differences in autism exist regarding prevalence, presentation, and diagnosis.

Connie Kasari is an expert on autism spectrum disorder and a founding member of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Kasari is Professor of Psychological Studies in Education at UCLA and Professor of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is the leader of the Autism Intervention Research Network for Behavioral Health, a nine-institution research consortium.

Autistic masking, also referred to as camouflaging or neurodivergent masking, is the conscious or subconscious suppression of autistic behaviors and compensation of difficulties in social interaction by autistic people with the goal of being perceived as neurotypical. Masking is a learned coping strategy that can be successful from the perspective of autistic people, but can also lead to adverse mental health outcomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism and LGBT identities</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double empathy problem</span> Psychological theory regarding individuals on the autism spectrum

The theory of the double empathy problem is a psychological and sociological theory first coined in 2012 by Damian Milton, an autistic autism researcher. This theory proposes that many of the difficulties autistic individuals face when socializing with non-autistic individuals are due, in part, to a lack of mutual understanding between the two groups, meaning that most autistic people struggle to understand and empathize with non-autistic people, whereas most non-autistic people also struggle to understand and empathize with autistic people. This lack of understanding may stem from bidirectional differences in communication style, social-cognitive characteristics, and experiences between autistic and non-autistic individuals, but not necessarily an inherent deficiency. Recent studies have shown that most autistic individuals are able to socialize, communicate effectively, empathize well, and display social reciprocity with most other autistic individuals. This theory and subsequent findings challenge the commonly held belief that the social skills of autistic individuals are inherently impaired, as well as the theory of "mind-blindness" proposed by prominent autism researcher Simon Baron-Cohen in the mid-1980s, which suggested that empathy and theory of mind are universally impaired in autistic individuals.

References

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  3. 1 2 3 Sasson, Noah J.; Faso, Daniel J.; Nugent, Jack; Lovell, Sarah; Kennedy, Daniel P.; Grossman, Ruth B. (1 February 2017). "Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments". Scientific Reports. 7: 40700. Bibcode:2017NatSR...740700S. doi: 10.1038/srep40700 . ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   5286449 . PMID   28145411.
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  5. ↑ Putz, Catherine; Sparkes, Indiana; Foubert, Josephine (18 February 2021). "Outcomes for disabled people in the UK - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Nicolaidis, Christina; Raymaker, Dora; McDonald, Katherine; Dern, Sebastian; Boisclair, W. Cody; Ashkenazy, Elesia; Baggs, Amanda (2012-11-21). "Comparison of Healthcare Experiences in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey Facilitated by an Academic-Community Partnership". Journal of General Internal Medicine. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 28 (6): 761–769. doi:10.1007/s11606-012-2262-7. ISSN   0884-8734. PMC   3663938 . PMID   23179969.
  7. ↑ "Attrition Issue: Why Students with Autism Drop Out - the 61% Project".
  8. ↑ "Autism Statistics and Facts".
  9. ↑ MacFarlane, Jaclyn R.; Kanaya, Tomoe (2009-03-10). "What Does it Mean to be Autistic? Inter-state Variation in Special Education Criteria for Autism Services". Journal of Child and Family Studies. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 18 (6): 662–669. doi:10.1007/s10826-009-9268-8. ISSN   1062-1024. S2CID   143938436.
  10. ↑ Pitney Jr JJ (2015). The politics of autism : navigating the contested spectrum. Lanham. ISBN   978-1-4422-4960-8. OCLC   907022313.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ↑ Ohlsson Gotby, Vide; Lichtenstein, Paul; Långström, Niklas; Pettersson, Erik (September 2018). "Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders and risk of coercive sexual victimization in childhood and adolescence - a population-based prospective twin study". Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines. 59 (9): 957–965. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12884. ISSN   1469-7610. PMID   29570782. S2CID   4238219.
  12. ↑ Holton, Avery; Farrell, Laura C.; Fudge, Julie L. (March 28, 2014). "A Threatening Space?: Stigmatization and the Framing of Autism in the News". Communication Studies. 65 (2): 189–207. doi:10.1080/10510974.2013.855642. S2CID   145668002 . Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  13. ↑ Waltz, Mitzi (February 16, 2012). "Images and narratives of autism within charity discourses". Disability & Society. 27 (2): 219–233. doi:10.1080/09687599.2012.631796. S2CID   143756605 . Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  14. ↑ "Asperger's Doesn't Mean They're Rude". Psych Central. 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  15. ↑ Taylor, Elinor (2 October 2023). "Beyond 'bad' behaviors: A call for occupational scientists to rethink autism". Journal of Occupational Science. 30 (4): 575–590. doi:10.1080/14427591.2022.2136231. S2CID   253503104.
  16. ↑ McDonald, T. A. Meridian; Scudder, Audrey (2023-01-13). "Mind the NIH-Funding Gap: Structural Discrimination in Physical Health–Related Research for Cognitively Able Autistic Adults". Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05856-w. ISSN   0162-3257. PMC  10762646. PMID   36635433. S2CID   255773930.
  17. ↑ "Immigrant families with severely ill or disabled children now face deportation by Trump administration". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  18. ↑ "Trump Administration Seeks To Bar Immigrants with Disabilities". Disability Scoop. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  19. ↑ "Father of son with autism calls Canada's new immigration policy a 'blessing for all of us'". Global News. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  20. ↑ ""Burdens" and Borders: Disability Discrimination in New Zealand Immigration Law". Equal Justice Project. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  21. ↑ Doherty, Ben; Knaus, Christopher (23 February 2017). "Outcry after Sydney doctor faced with deportation over autistic child". Guardian. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  22. ↑ "4 Countries that don't allow Autistic immigrants - StrangerMiles". 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
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