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Chapter 1: What misconceptions about autism are discussed in this episode?
I have had it up to here with autism misconceptions. Today we are going to be going through the top 10 and we are going to be doing some myth busting. Welcome to Late Bloomers where we are busting myths.
eventually see what i've done there i loved it brought you by our amazing sponsor loop earplugs are you ready to bust some myths right now i'm ready got my bust in head on so this is like the top 10 autism myths so we're going to go through like one at a time and i don't know what you're going to say no all right fine and some of them made me giggle You'll see why.
So some of these myths I might not actually bust. I might be like, yeah, that tracks. I think I want you to bust every myth, but if it tracks, it will be an interesting conversation. Right. The reason we're doing this, you were diagnosed autistic last year. Yep. See, your eldest, my eldest stepkid was diagnosed when they were 11. Yep. 11 years ago, that is. 11 years ago, 11 years old.
Look at that bit of synchronicity. And yeah, we're just going to bring a bit of awareness or anti-awareness to what people get wrong. You ready for number one? I'm ready. All autistic people are good at maths, coding or science. Well, this is interesting because I actually am really good at maths, but not coding or science. And also, if I look at C, they're brilliant at a lot of things.
Maths is not... They were a bit of a coder at school. I feel like there's a kind of, I don't want to stereotype, but I'm absolutely going to. There is like a bit of a male, non-female and female stereotypes that happens because some of the autistic characters we've seen on TV, Rain Man, for those old enough to remember, Sheldon Cooper. Legend. Legend.
even sort of in the modern day atmosphere, Elon Musk and people like that, there is a, I don't know. Representation problem. There's a representation problem. Yeah, okay. Because actually a lot of autistic women, some will be great at maths or coding and science, but there'll be other areas of special interest and skill and not everyone has to have a special interest or a skill.
I think regardless of gender, I don't think that that myth is true because it will depend on what you're passionate about. Mine so happened, you know, I was running around as an eight-year-old saying I wanted to be an accountant when I grew up. Who the hell says that? So you're not a very good person to bust the myth that autistic people aren't good at maths because you are. Yes.
But we absolutely understand and know that that is not every autistic person. And what a perfect time to say, if you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person. It is a big spectrum. Yeah. Okay. I don't know how well we're doing on the myth buster. No, I think, yeah. Number two. Autistic people lack empathy and emotions. oh, this is rubbish.
So I'll obviously answer from me, right? And hopefully that's enough of a bust of the myth. I understand why people would say this. So I'm not like completely hating this myth. But the fact of the matter is, is I feel emotions very deeply, actually. What I have a problem with is expressing it. So you don't always see it on my face or in my tone, but it's there.
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Chapter 2: How do stereotypes about autistic people's skills affect perceptions?
For me, it's so linked to the physical feeling and look of it. Right. So mine's, yeah, mine's all internal. Is it like a thought or do you feel it somewhere? Like if you were really happy? No, I feel it. Like, you know, like a good example would be like butterflies in the tummy of excitement. Like I would feel that. Okay. Like, so that's probably the easiest way I can. Yeah. I love that. Okay.
Number three, autistic people can't make eye contact. And if you can, you aren't autistic. Well, this one's interesting because some of it is partly true, but it's not true. But I guess by being partly true means it's not true. I can make eye contact, but it depends whether I'm the one speaking or the one being spoken to.
I'll typically gaze away from somebody when I'm the one who's talking because otherwise it will distract me. And it also depends on what we're talking about. If I'm really interested in what we're talking about, you're far more likely to get eye contact with me because I'm interested. But, you know, and it can be deemed as a little bit rude sometimes.
If I'm not interested in the conversation, I'll find it really difficult to maintain any eye contact because I'm bored of the conversation. I also feel like there'll be some people, maybe women who are really high masking, who have like trained that skill. That doesn't mean that they're not autistic. There'll also be people that cannot tolerate eye contact at all.
So I think, again, it's just highlighting that it is a spectrum full of a lot of different experiences. Well, on that point as well, you know, talking about masking, eye contact specifically,
is really linked often let's say sales they'll say a good salesperson will maintain eye contact so that there's a there's a like a worth attached to how good you are so which is ridiculous isn't it like you're a better person if you can make eye contact what are you talking about So true. So yeah, if people are able to mask, they've kind of forced themselves to do it. Okay.
Number four, interesting myth. Autistic people are rude. That's interesting. That's really interesting because what I can tell you unequivocally is that I don't mean to be rude, but I can sometimes see how it could be perceived as rudeness. But does that make it not rude? No. So difficult.
So by standard neurotypical societal rules, some autistic behavior might land as rude, even though it is not rude. Like direct communication as an example. I think direct and honest is a much better way to describe it. The strange thing about neurotypical society is there's this unwritten agreement that you're meant to lie a lot of the time. Yeah, that's ridiculous.
which is crazy, but out of kind of politeness, not wanting to rock the boat, social situations, you're sort of meant to know when you should lie or shouldn't lie, but you also have to believe that being honest is really good and lying is bad. So those things don't go together.
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Chapter 3: Do autistic people really lack empathy and emotions?
But no, I'm not like in love with the lawn in the same way. Fine. But that's funny, isn't it? You'll sometimes read sarcasm where it isn't there. So it's like working the other way. Maybe. Interesting. I recently had it with, I've released a song. Was it sarcastic? It was a political satire song. And I thought, I thought it was really obvious. Well, satire and sarcasm are very close, aren't they?
They are. They are sort of political satire as its own kind of sub-genre. And it was me almost laughing at people that have ADHD and other things. It was actually like built from hate comments we've received online. And loads of people within my fan base thought I was being serious and were like, you've changed. We don't trust you. How could you say ADHD isn't real?
I'm like, oh my God, it's satire. And actually I had a real like eye opener because a lot of people were like, you have a neurodivergent fan base, neurodivergent people don't understand sarcasm or satire. Obviously that's not true either. It is a spectrum. Some do, some don't, but like, Partially true then. Partially true. Honestly, I think so.
And nuance and situational and it's not okay to, I guess, judge what other people can and can't pick up. Yeah. But I think, you know, in the spirit of myth busting, what this is demonstrating is that these myths are like all autistic people are like this. But like you said at the beginning of the episode, if you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person. So, you know.
So this is effectively what we're myth busting is saying all autistic people are like this. Yeah. It is a spectrum. For some, at some times, some of this may be true. For some others, it might not. Well, it's the same with ADHD, the hyperactive versus... Inattentive. Inattentive, like very, very different, but you've both got ADHD. So true. Some people are always anxiously early.
Some people are always late, but you're feeding off the same thing. Right, before I get onto the next myths, to bust a very quick word from our wonderful sponsor. We are so happy here at Late Bloomers to be sponsored by one of our favourite brands out there, which is the amazing... Loop Earplugs.
There are Loop Earplugs for every occasion, whether you are taking a nap, going to a restaurant, or even going to a loud rock concert. We have our own website, which shows all of our favorite products, different Okay, jumping back in to number six. Are you ready? Yeah. Autistic people are antisocial. Right, well, so this is interesting. Sorry, can I just, what t-shirt are you wearing?
For any of our audio listeners, Rich is wearing a t-shirt with the word antisocial written across it. You're not helping me bust this myth right now, babe, to be honest. I didn't even know I was wearing that. You bought it for me. I know. Um, so I, again, I can see why I would be deemed to be antisocial because I don't really like going to parties. I don't really like meeting new people.
Most of the frustrations and problems in my life are people, but, but there are a few people that I love being social with. So I suppose it depends what you mean by, like, I would love, are close friends around here for a barbecue. That in my mind is social. Would I like a group of strangers around here? No. Does that mean I'm antisocial or not? I see you as both.
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Chapter 4: Is it true that autistic individuals can't make eye contact?
That's why I know it's not about being difficult. I would just get on with it. But, oh, man. Gross. You also have some food stuff, if there's stuff in the sink. Yeah, like mushy, gross stuff. Clothes, you have to wear quite specific clothing. We get you special socks now as well that are like bamboo and soft. I can't put a pair of socks back on if I've taken them off.
Oh, once they've touched your feet, yeah. Yeah, can't do that. Even if I got up, I'd been wearing the socks for 10 minutes and then went swimming, I wouldn't be able to put those socks back on. I think it's why it's so important to have adults as well talking about this because I feel other adults can hear that and not put that label on it. It feels like quite a nasty thing to say to a kid.
You're just being difficult. Eat it. Who cares if it's touching? It's like very easy to judge a young person. So I love that we've got a sort of another voice in the autism community. Music is another one that's really interesting to me. And this is where me and Sia differ quite a lot.
Like when me and Sia are together or when Sia's here, you'll always ask me to get them to turn the music off if we're just about to do something. So they listen to music while doing things. I can't. Like I get overwhelmed pretty immediately. So yeah, different. Okay. And the last one is, I've saved a big one for last. Okay. Are you ready? I'm ready.
I'm going to do my best, like, right-wing voice disclaimer. Right-wing voice. I'm being sarcastic. Autism is being over-diagnosed these days. Well, that's interesting. So... I, I think I think you mentioned it before. I think the spectrum, the spectrum, the spectrum is like widening a bit. Here's a good example. I don't know. So Asperger's, right? That used to be a thing that was diagnosed.
I understand that it came from somewhere quite dark, the name of it. I think he was a Nazi. Right. Well, the way that I understand it, forget that for a moment. The reason that it was different is maybe down to like support needs. Because I sit here. running a business, in a happy relationship, holding down a job, with, I do have some needs, but not really.
Like, they'll be small in comparison to other people that are also autistic, that maybe can't speak, definitely can't hold down a job, and need all-time support. That is... It's called the same thing, but it's not the same experience. And that's maybe why it's perceived.
And I can imagine it can be quite challenging for like parents maybe with autistic people with such higher support needs hearing the likes of me saying, oh, look, this is all the things that I struggle with. But it'd be really easy for them to be like, what? Do you know what I mean? Yeah, it's something that ADHD doesn't have.
Of course, it can be different and maybe you could see it as a spectrum, but it doesn't have that level of difference within the support needs. And...
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