April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a common developmental condition that is genetic. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2025, an astounding 1 in 31 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and boys are three times more likely to have it than girls are. Autism also affects people differently, apart from gender, because there are many kinds out there.
Autism has three different levels and different ways of stimming as well as masking. Stimming is when a person relies on an object for touch or movement patterns to calm their nerves down. Masking is when they try to blend in with the crowd. Most of the time, they do not want to stick out like a sore thumb. Always respect their space and give them some time.
There are some harmful myths and stereotypes of autism that are just not true at all. One of them is “autistic people are not affectionate.” Not true at all! As someone who has spent years in the disability community, I have met many autistic people who are very affectionate, especially if you know how to approach them correctly.
Another one is “autism makes them anti-social.” This is also false because I see autistic people talking and socializing all the time at Camp ASCCA and many other social gatherings.
Another harmful myth is “autistic people are dangerous or emotionless robots.” This is not true because autistic people are very nice, and some I have met are very emotional people.
Another myth is “autism only happens to boys.” While it is true that autism is more prevalent in boys, girls can have it too. It’s just that how autism appears in girls is very different than in boys. For one thing, girls do better with non-verbal cues and gaze-following. Another is the interest difference. One reason girls do not get diagnosed sooner is that doctors often mistake their shy appearance or other symptoms as an anxiety disorder or depression.
So do not listen to those nonsense myths and stereotypes! Although they may think and talk differently from other people do, as long as you treat them like every other person, you will have a better understanding of what autistic people are really like.
There are some children’s shows that feature autistic kids, such as Arthur and Sesame Street. In 2010, an episode of Arthur introduced an autistic boy named Carl, who is level 1 with characteristics from level 2. Later in 2017, Sesame Street introduced an autistic character named Julia who has level 2. Several in the autism community agree that Julia is the best depicted autistic child.
On social media, there are many autistic people, particularly on YouTube. Some well-known YouTubers are Illymation and RobertIDK. Two others, 7-Ahead and Fathering Autism, focus on the family. The mother in 7-Ahead posts videos of her two autistic sons and their everyday routines. The other one, Fathering Autism, has a dad posting videos of what it’s like to raise an autistic daughter. Good to know that there are YouTubers that share and support the autism community in a way that they feel heard.
For tips on what to say and not to say to an autistic child, click here to watch 7-Ahead’s video.
Autistic people are born differently than other people, but think of it not as a disability, but a special ability, like a superpower of some kind. I hope all the harmful beliefs will end and that every autistic person is treated like everyone else. 1 John 4:19 states, “We love because he first loved us,” so that includes autistic people as well.
