By Tim Aiello, MA, LPC, ADHD-CCSP, ASDCS
Clinical Director, Myndset Therapeutics
Autism is often misunderstood. Despite growing awareness, many still frame it as a disorder that needs to be fixed, treated, or even cured. However, as both a therapist and an autistic person with ADHD (AuDHD), I know firsthand that autism is not a disease—it is a natural variation of human neurology.
The difficulties autistic individuals face are not due to autism itself but a world that is designed for neurotypical people. The neurodiversity paradigm reframes autism not as a disorder but as a divergent and valid way of experiencing the world (Singer, 1999). Research supports this perspective, showing that many of the struggles autistic individuals face stem from societal barriers, systemic exclusion, and forced conformity to neurotypical norms (Botha et al., 2022).
Rather than searching for a "cure", society should focus on acceptance, accommodation, and structural changes that allow autistic people to thrive.
Understanding the Neurodiversity Paradigm
The neurodiversity paradigm recognizes that neurological differences, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, are natural variations of the human genome rather than medical conditions that need to be eradicated (Singer, 1999; Armstrong, 2015). This perspective challenges the medical model of disability, which views autism as a disorder requiring intervention, instead advocating for a social model of disability, where the focus is on making the world more accessible to all neurotypes (Shakespeare, 2013).
Autism is Not an Illness
Mainstream medical perspectives have long classified autism as a neurological disorder that requires treatment. However, leading autism organizations, including the National Health Service (NHS), explicitly state that autism is not an illness or disease but a different way of thinking, perceiving, and interacting with the world (NHS, 2022).
This means that autistic individuals do not need to be "treated" or "normalized"—instead, they need understanding, support, and accommodations to navigate a world that often fails to accommodate them.
Why the Push for a “Cure” is Harmful
The idea of curing autism assumes that autistic people are inherently broken. Historically, this thinking led to harmful interventions such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which has been criticized for forcing autistic children to mask their natural behaviors at the cost of their mental well-being (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021).
Rather than focusing on changing autistic people, society should focus on changing the environment to be more inclusive.
Autism as a Natural Divergence
Autistic individuals experience the world differently, with unique cognitive, sensory, and emotional processing styles. This isn’t a defect—it’s a difference.
Unique Strengths of Autistic People
Autistic individuals often have strengths that make them invaluable contributors to society. These strengths include:
Deep focus and intense interests → Many autistic people have a unique ability to hyperfocus, leading to expertise in fields such as technology, science, mathematics, and the arts (Mottron, 2011).
Creative and innovative thinking → Autistic individuals often approach problems in nonlinear and highly original ways, offering fresh perspectives in fields such as engineering and design (Russell et al., 2019).
High levels of honesty and integrity → Many autistic individuals value direct communication, truthfulness, and deep ethical principles, qualities that are highly respected in leadership and academia (DeThorne & Ceman, 2017).
By shifting societal attitudes and removing barriers, we can allow autistic people to fully contribute their talents rather than forcing them to conform to neurotypical expectations.
The Real Struggles of Autistic Adults: Society, Not Autism
Many of the challenges autistic individuals face are not inherent to autism itself but rather a result of living in a world designed for neurotypicals (Botha & Frost, 2020).
1. Sensory Overload and Inaccessible Environments
Autistic individuals often have heightened sensory processing, making loud, bright, chaotic environments extremely overwhelming (Robertson & Baron-Cohen, 2017). But instead of designing spaces that accommodate sensory needs, society expects autistic people to endure environments that are fundamentally distressing.
Workplaces with fluorescent lighting, open-office layouts, and constant background noise can be unbearable.
Public spaces with overwhelming soundscapes and crowds make daily errands exhausting.
Schools and workplaces rarely provide sensory-friendly accommodations, despite evidence showing that adjustments like quiet rooms and flexible lighting significantly reduce distress (Ashburner et al., 2013).
If these environments were designed with sensory accessibility in mind, many of the struggles autistic people face would be greatly reduced.
2. Employment Discrimination
Autistic adults face significant barriers to employment, despite having skills that make them highly capable workers. Research shows that unemployment rates for autistic adults are disproportionately high, often due to:
Bias in hiring processes → Job interviews prioritize social skills over actual competence, making it harder for autistic candidates to succeed (Sarrett, 2017).
Rigid work environments → Many workplaces lack flexibility in scheduling, sensory accommodations, and communication styles, making it difficult for autistic employees to thrive (Hedley et al., 2018).
Social misunderstandings → Autistic individuals often struggle with office politics and unspoken social rules, leading to workplace exclusion (Schaller & Yang, 2005).
The solution isn’t to "train" autistic people to be more neurotypical—it’s to change hiring and workplace policies to be more inclusive.
3. Mental Health Struggles from Masking
Many autistic individuals engage in masking, or suppressing their natural behaviors to fit into neurotypical expectations. Masking is linked to high levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout (Cage & Troxell-Whitman, 2019).
Autistic adults who mask frequently report higher rates of suicidal ideation and exhaustion (Cassidy et al., 2018).
Many autistic women and nonbinary individuals are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed because they have learned to hide their traits from a young age (Lai et al., 2017).
Masking is often a survival strategy, but it comes at the cost of self-identity and mental health.
Instead of forcing autistic individuals to fit into a neurotypical mold, society should embrace and accept natural autistic ways of being.
Embracing Neurodiversity: The Future is Acceptance, Not a Cure
How Society Can Change for the Better
Make public spaces sensory-friendly → Offer quiet areas, soft lighting, and noise-reducing materials in workplaces, schools, and public buildings.
Rethink hiring practices → Move away from social-heavy interview processes and focus on skills-based evaluations.
Encourage autistic authenticity → Stop forcing autistic people to mask their true selves in order to be accepted.
Prioritize self-advocacy and accommodations → Listen to autistic voices in policy-making, education, and healthcare decisions.
Conclusion: Autism is Not a Disease—Society Needs to Change
Autism is a natural part of human diversity, not something to be cured or erased. The challenges autistic people face are largely due to an incompatible world, not autism itself.
By shifting our focus from "fixing" autistic people to changing societal structures, we can create a world where autistic individuals thrive without needing to conform.
For more insights and support, visit www.myndset-therapeutics.com.
References
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