What is Autism and What Should I Do About It?
Written By: Taylor Anderson, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program
AUTISM IS A HOT BUTTON TOPICin today’s world, and it can often times be challenging to understand what Autism actually is. The scariest part of Autism is when we don’t understand it, so let’s take some time to understand what it is and how neurotypical individuals (people whose brains work and develop like most people) can support Autistic individuals (Cleveland Clinic, 2025). Understanding breeds kindness and compassion.
What is Autism?
According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5 (DSM-5), Autism presents as “persistent impairments in reciprocal social communication and social interaction… and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities” (American Psychiatric Association, 2012). When researched, the CDC found that in children aged 8, Autism is present in 1 out of 31 kids (Maenner et al., 2025). This diagnosis means different things for different individuals because Autism presents on a spectrum. The DSM-5 outlines 3 levels of support ranging from low support to “requiring substantial support” (American Psychological Association, 2012). Some individuals are non-speaking or non-verbal, and others live and work in the world in the same way as neurotypical people, just with different brain processes. Autistic individuals tend to have sensory differences and social/emotional differences in the way that their brains process these inputs. In schools, Autistic kids often receive extra support services so that they have access to an equitable education.
What does this mean for neurotypical people?
It means that Autism isn’t so scary. Autistic individuals may be sensory seeking and can engage in stimming to self-regulate, but this is something that we all do (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). Have you ever bounced your leg in public? Have you ever twirled your hair or clicked a pen repeatedly? These are all great examples of stimming behaviors that are self-regulating. Autistic individuals sometimes engage in big noticeable behaviors. It isn’t that we need to ignore these things but understand their meaning and be kind and compassionate when they do happen.
When it comes to engaging with individuals on the spectrum, it isn’t something to point at and laugh about. Similar to other types of neurodiversity such as ADHD, receiving an Autism diagnosis means understanding how to adapt while still having the potential to live a meaningful and joyful life. Language matters and can hurt individuals without us realizing. Many Autistic people prefer identity-first language such as “I am Autistic” or “Autistic person” (Reframing Autism, n.d.). In addition, delineations such as “high functioning” or “low functioning” are no longer used to describe Autistic individuals and are “dehumanizing” (Reframing Autism, n.d.). If we can talk about and to Autistic people kindly and understand the intention behind some of their behaviors, it will breed more compassion, which the world needs.
So, what can you do?
- Listen to and highlight Autistic voices. Kaelynn Partlow is a great content creator who speaks about her experience with Autism and shares educational videos about Autism. There are many others out there who produce videos, books, or news articles about their experiences. We should be looking to the experts when trying to understand Autism.
- Educate yourself and try to learn when you don’t understand. Here are some resources that overview Autism and common misconceptions:
- Be kind and understanding of stimming and behavior differences. We all stim to some degree. Do you bite your nails when you are nervous, do you bounce your leg, do you fidget with objects like pens or rings? Then you may understand how these behaviors can be soothing and therefore be kind and understanding when Autistic individuals engage in behaviors that are self-soothing to them.
- Familiarize yourself with individuals with Autism through media, friends, or family. As I said above, Autism is far scarier when you don’t understand it. Watch shows like Love on The Spectrum or interact with individuals around you who have Autism. Being curious and kind will get you far, and it is always better to ask than assume.
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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Autism spectrum disorder. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR, pp. 50–59). American Psychiatric Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Cleveland Clinic. (2025, May 6). Neurotypical. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/neurotypical
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, May 25). What Is Stimming? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-stimming
Maenner, M. J., Shaw, K. A., Bakian, A. V., Bilder, D. A., Durkin, M. S., Esler, A., Furnier, S. M., Hallas, L., Hall-Lande, J., Hudson, A., Hughes, M. M., Lohr, W. D., Lopez, M., Manning, S. E., Matthews, T. J., Memmott, K. A., Miller, L. A., Monzel, M. L., Morin, C. A., … Dietz, P. M. (2025). Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 74(2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss7402a1
Reframing Autism. (n.d.). I am an Ally. https://reframingautism.org.au/service/i-am-an-ally/