Only a few people really know about autism. They don't know what it is or what it represents for person life. That's why when they get to know an autist, they don't know how to treat him and probably think it's a problem. But is autism really something negative or do we just see it like that because we don't know anything about it? I think this is important because a lot of people has autism and don't even know it. Some others know they have it but think it's something negative and don't use their opportunities. Everybody should be informed about it and know at least the advantages or disadvantages it has and that it's not a mental illness. Autists have lots of advantages that non-autistic people don't have like their ability in visual or auditory tasks. Normally autistic people have a much better memory than the others. Autism is not like a headache, it's something you are born with and which you will die with. It's a way of living, thinking and behaving. On the other hand, autism has disadvantages like the difficulties to socialize and empathize, but we can minimize these issues just by trying to get them involved in our society and giving them our support. I think autism can't be described as an advantage or a disadvantage. It's just something different and we can't pretend to make them think like us.
What do you think? Is autism an advantage or a disadvantage? Is autism a gift? What do you know about autism?
Aida Vera