What is Autism? Traits, Causes, Diagnosis, and Autism Coaching and Supports
- Kaitlyn Boudreault
- Jul 9, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 2
Have you ever experienced communication difficulties, extreme sensitivity to rejection, repetitive behaviors, a dislike of change, challenges in social interactions, or a hyperfocus on specific interests?
If you resonate with these traits, you may be autistic.
You’re not alone! Autism is highly prevalent. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, around 1–2% of the Canadian population is autistic.
Furthermore, boys and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) are more frequently diagnosed as autistic than girls and those assigned female at birth (AFAB). This neurotype coexists with medical, mental, and other conditions.
If you identify as autistic, consider seeking support from a Canadian autism coach or therapist.
Let's delve into what autism is.
What Is Autism?
Autism is a chronic neurodevelopmental difference categorized as neurodivergence. The “neuro” aspect refers to the nervous system, while the “developmental” aspect indicates its impact on growth and development.
In simpler terms, autism affects how a person interacts with the world.
Specifically, autism influences brain areas associated with perception, social interaction, emotion regulation, and the expression of thoughts and behaviors.
Autistic individuals may encounter communication challenges, sensory challenges, difficulties with socialization, and a preference for routine, among other characteristics.
Due to the wide range of traits and their varying severity, autism is described as a "spectrum."
Both children and adults can be diagnosed as autistic, although diagnoses are more common during childhood. Many adults remain undiagnosed into adulthood.
Certain groups, including women, transgender individuals, BIPOC communities, and other marginalized populations, are particularly susceptible to being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
Myths About Autism: What Autism Isn’t
In the last two decades, the prevalence of autism has steadily increased, largely due to research advancements and improved understanding of autism.
Despite this progress, several harmful misconceptions about autism persist, which can stigmatize the autistic community.
To enhance your understanding of autism and dispel these myths, here are some key facts:
Autism is not a disease.
Autism is not a mental health condition.
There is no autism epidemic.
Anyone can be autistic, regardless of gender.
Autistic individuals are not inherently violent.
Autistic people can feel a full range of emotions.
Some autistic people can speak, some cannot.
Vaccines do not cause autism.
Autism is not contagious.
Poor parenting does not cause autism.
Autism cannot be cured.
If you were unaware of these facts, numerous resources exist to debunk autism-related myths, including Autism Ontario and Reframing Autism.
Autism Traits
The signs of autism can vary widely among individuals, depending on the specific traits present in each individual and their severity. Some common traits include:
Communication difficulties
Challenges with interaction and forming friendships
Difficulty making eye contact or using gestures
Emotion dysregulation
Personal hygiene issues
Speech and language problems
Sensory aversion or sensory-seeking actions
Specific intense interests in certain subjects or a focus on details
Resistance to change or a strong preference for routine
Trouble expressing emotions or understanding others' emotions
Exceptional abilities in a specific area
Repetitive motor behaviors or "stimming" (e.g., nail biting, body rocking, repetitive speech)
Some communication struggles may manifest as speaking in a monotone voice, echolalia (repeating words without understanding their meaning), difficulty understanding simple questions, or inappropriate social approaches.
Some individuals may not learn they are autistic until these traits significantly impact key areas of their lives, such as work or school.
It's worth noting that these traits can differ by gender. Females often remain misdiagnosed or undiagnosed until adulthood because they may demonstrate fewer stereotypical signs of autism. Moreover, many autistic girls and women may mask or hide their traits to conform to societal norms.
Given the wide variance in how traits present, treatment should be tailored to the individual.
Causes of Autism
Currently, there is no single known cause for autism. However, research suggests a complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors may influence the risk.
Certain genetic disorders, genes, and mutations appear to be linked to autism.
For example, autism has a hereditary component. If one sibling is autistic, their is a greater risk of the other sibling being autistic as well.
Additionally, genetic disorders such as Rett syndrome and fragile X syndrome are associated with autism in some individuals.
In other cases, genetic mutations inherited from your parents can increase your risk for autism.
Along with genetics, research is ongoing regarding environmental factors that may contribute to the risk of autism, including viral infections, medications or complications during pregnancy.
What we do know for sure is that vaccines do not cause autism.
This misconception arose in the 1990s after Andrew Wakefield published a study claiming a link between vaccines and autism.
This study has since been thoroughly debunked, as it did not withstand scientific scrutiny, and Wakefield was found to have falsified data. resulting in a revocation of his medical license.
Subsequent studies have consistently found no scientific evidence to support the claim that vaccines cause autism.
Autistic Individuals: Preference for Identity-First Language
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classifies autism as a disorder requiring treatment or "fixing." Many outdated treatment practices stem from this perspective.
In reality, autism is chronic with no cure. Autistic individuals do not need to be fixed or cured.
Moreover, many autistic people prefer to refer to autism as a difference or neurodivergence rather than a disorder. Neurodivergence lead individuals to navigate the world differently.
A study involving 7,000 autistic individuals indicated that approximately 90% of autistic people prefer identity-first language. These individuals prefer to be identified as ‘autistic’ rather than ‘a person with autism,’ viewing autism as an integral aspect of their identity.
Using an identity-first model signifies that autism is not a condition needing a cure but rather that society should strive for greater acceptance of autism and neurodivergence.
To achieve this, we must remove the barriers that hinder neurodivergent individuals from participating fully in society.
Embracing the Strengths of Autism
Recognizing the preference for identity-first language among the majority of autistic individuals, support for autism should adopt a strengths-based approach.
A strengths-based perspective is rooted in the concept of neurodiversity, which acknowledges that every human brain perceives information and engages with the world differently.
As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all approach; we all possess varying strengths and weaknesses.
These differences enrich our world, allowing it to become a more diverse and resilient space for everyone. Common strengths among autistic individuals include:
Hyperfocus
Creativity
Expertise in areas of interest
A strong sense of justice
Honesty
Attention to detail
Loyalty
Outside-the-box thinking
Less tendency to conform to hierarchies or societal prejudices
Excellent memory
And more shown below
Due to this, certain environments may better support autistic individuals compared to allistic (non-autistic) individuals.
Such differences contribute to the adaptability of the human population. Without embracing our unique strengths, we would likely be less resilient in facing a variety of different situations.
How is Autism Diagnosed?
No single test can definitively diagnose autism, as everyone presents a distinct combination of traits with varying degrees of severity.
Healthcare providers typically conduct individualized needs-based assessments based on specific traits and accommodation needs.
If you suspect you may be autistic, your first step is to consider consulting a healthcare professional.
Look for someone trained in autism diagnosing, such as:
Family physicians or psychiatrists
Psychologists
Nurse practitioners
Your healthcare provider may inquire about autistic traits exhibited in your childhood as part of developmental screening.
This screening will assess your brain's development in critical areas, such as social, emotional, cognitive, language, and speech.
They may use standard questionnaires and have you answer questions regarding your development in these areas.
The combination of your responses and behavioral observations can show your strengths, challenges, and the support you may need related to autism.
If you suspect you are autistic based on these signs, we recommend exploring an online autism questionnaire by Embrace Autism. While it is not an official diagnostic tool, it can serve as a helpful first step to exploring a potential autism diagnosis.
Autism and Co-occurring Conditions and Identities
A range of mental, medical, and other conditions often co-occur with autism, including:
Mood Disorders
The Center for Disease Control reports that approximately 26% of autistic individuals experience depression, including seasonal affective disorder.
Factors contributing to this co-occurrence can include emotional dysregulation, social isolation, and challenges in socializing.
Moreover, many symptoms of depression, such as sleep disturbances, motivational challenges, suicidality, social withdrawal, and a lack of eye contact, may overlap with autistic traits, complicating dual diagnoses.
Anxiety Disorders
Autism frequently coexists with various anxiety disorders. A systematic review of the literature indicated that 40% of autistic children and 50% of autistic adults have at least one anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety, and specific phobias.
Specific phobias are the most prevalent anxiety disorder among autistic children, while social anxiety is also common. Some genetic disorders, such as Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), are closely linked to autism; about 25%–33% of FXS individuals are also autistic.
The interplay between anxiety and autism can create a cycle where each exacerbates the other. Anxiety can intensify certain autistic traits, such as repetitive behaviours and difficulties with sensory overload.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD)
Neurodevelopmental differences like ADHD often co-occur with autism. According to the scientific literature, ADHD is found in 50 to 70% of autistic individuals, leading to a recognized name known as AuDHD.
Shared traits complicate separate diagnoses for ADHD and autism, as both neurotypes affect emotion regulation, executive functioning, motor skills, and impulse control. A 2019 study showed that impaired executive functioning might precede both autism and ADHD diagnoses (Otterman et al., 2019).
Learning difficulties
Learning disabilities are among the most common co-occurring neurotypes with autism. Research suggests that approximately one in three autistic individuals also has a learning disability (Rydzewska et al., 2018). Furthermore, 2020–2021 statistics indicate that individuals with a learning disability have a 22 times increased likelihood of being autistic.
While autism is not a classified learning disability, it can impact learning by impairing verbal and language skills, social interaction, executive function, and motor control.
Other Conditions
In addition to mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and learning difficulties, autistic individuals may also experience pain disorders, sleep issues, epilepsy, metabolic problems, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Intersection with Identity
Although not a condition, it's noteworthy that autistic individuals are also more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ or neuroqueer.
Support for Autism
Supportive approaches for autistic individuals vary widely, as there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. A multimodal, individualized, and needs-based approach is essential.
These integrated strategies help autistic individuals identify their unique strengths, leverage them to their advantage, and find ways to accommodate their challenges.
Support may include coaching, therapy, and participation in support groups.
Autism Coaching
An autistic coach assists autistic individuals in developing strategies to navigate an ableist world, including identifying the accommodations that best suit their sensory needs.
Coaching sessions may be conducted online or in person. Accommodations might involve using noise-cancelling headphones, working remotely, or incorporating microbreaks in workplace and school environments.
If your initial coaching session is a source of anxiety, we have resources to help you prepare, which is one way to accommodate yourself.
Coaches will focus on helping you recognize your strengths, build self-awareness and confidence, and create effective strategies for success.
Autism Therapy
This form of therapy, often referred to as neurodivergent-affirming therapy, celebrates your autistic identity and views autism as an identity rather than a condition that requires fixing.
Your autism therapist will work with you to navigate a world that isn't designed for autistic individuals.
In this therapeutic relationship, you will be acknowledged as the expert of your experiences. The therapy aims to help you understand the challenges you face as an autistic person, as ableist societal structures can be disabling.
Multiple therapeutic modalities, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, strengths-based therapy, and internal family systems therapy, may be employed to address co-occurring mental health challenges.
Autism Support Groups
If individual therapy or coaching isn't the right fit for you, consider joining an autism support group.
These groups foster interaction with individuals from the autistic community and provide shared resources and strategies for navigating daily life.
One such group is the Blue Sky Learning #ActuallyAutistic support group, led by Kim. You can sign up via Eventbrite.
Book a Free Consultation With Blue Sky Learning
Are you searching for a Canadian autism coach or therapist?
Book a free 20-minute consultation with a member of the Blue Sky Learning team by emailing hello@blueskylearning.ca or following the link below.
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