Plenty capable: Misconceptions of autism abound
When looking at the rates of autism diagnoses, it is clear that significantly more people are being diagnosed with the disorder.
For Dr. Rueben Brock, being diagnosed in his 40s offers a clear example of how people can misunderstand those climbing rates.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines autism spectrum disorder as 鈥渁 neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn and behave.
鈥淎lthough autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is described as a developmental disorder鈥 because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life,鈥 the NIMH website reads.
Brock, 49, of Canonsburg, is a professor of psychology at PennWest California. Around the time of the pandemic, he began to wonder if he should be assessed for autism.
鈥淚 started to realize I was feeling more stressed, more anxious, and having more daily issues and problems, particularly at work,鈥 Brock said. 鈥淚 just kind of wanted to understand that.鈥
Brock described the diagnosis as offering clarity for how he had interacted with people throughout his life.
鈥淚t makes perfect sense why I鈥檓 kind of incompatible at times with popular ways of thinking and acting 鈥 It gave me a peace of mind that I鈥檓 not making this up. I鈥檓 not crazy. I鈥檓 not broken,鈥 Brock said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 31 children were diagnosed with autism in 2022. In 2000, that number was 1 in 150.
While discussing the CDC鈥檚 findings at a press conference in April, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparked controversy when he suggested that autism 鈥渄estroys families.鈥
鈥淭hese are kids who will never pay taxes. They鈥檒l never hold a job. They鈥檒l never play baseball. They鈥檒l never write a poem. They鈥檒l never go out on a date,鈥 Kennedy said at the conference.
Brock described the numbers as not necessarily reflecting an increase in autism, but an 鈥渆xplosion of understanding.鈥
鈥淛ust because you don鈥檛 know a person is autistic doesn鈥檛 mean they aren鈥檛 autistic,鈥 Brock said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e seeing is people understand what autism is.鈥
Kennedy also caught flak from experts when he suggested that autism is caused by an 鈥渆nvironmental toxin.鈥
Prior to his appointment to lead HHS, Kennedy had long been controversial for promoting debunked claims that autism is caused by the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.
鈥淚t is a neurological condition. We know that it鈥檚 neurological. We know there is a genetic component to it,鈥 Brock said.
He added that if a toxin were responsible for autism, rates would likely be even higher than currently reported.
鈥淚t just doesn鈥檛 make logical sense,鈥 Brock said.
As a tenured professor with multiple degrees, Brock may buck the stereotype of the capabilities of an autistic person. He notes he may have not taken a traditional path, as it took him 12 years to obtain his bachelor鈥檚 degree. However, he said any suggestion that someone with autism could not maintain gainful employment is 鈥渋nsulting.鈥
鈥淵ou cannot know what an autistic person could do. There is no kind of boundary or limitation around autistic people,鈥 Brock said.鈥 There are people who struggle to know how or understand how to get up, brush their teeth, go to the bathroom. Yes, those folks will struggle to have a job. There are also people who are scholars, and their special interest is astrophysics.鈥
Brock clarified that autism is a spectrum, and no two people will share the same experience.
For those who may need assistance, there are organizations like The Arc.
David Ruby, 24, of Masontown, is a client of the Fayette County branch鈥檚 supported employment program.
Ruby works at Valley Dairy in Connellsville and Texas Roadhouse in Uniontown. Claire Prigg, an employment coordinator at The Arc and Ruby鈥檚 employment coach, said the main issue she helps him with is communication.
鈥淗e is a little shy,鈥 Prigg said.
For Ruby, the jobs themselves aren鈥檛 much of a challenge. He has one piece of advice for people on how they can help autistic people, whether at work or in public spaces.
鈥淓ducate yourself and others,鈥 Ruby said. 鈥淯se respectful communication and foster social belonging.鈥
According to Prigg, it can be challenging for The Arc to get employers to work with their program. She described some businesses as being unsure about hiring their clients, but Prigg thinks there is a misunderstanding of their capabilities in the workplace.
鈥淥ur clients are some of the hardest workers, and most-eager-to-work people I have ever encountered,鈥 Prigg said.
The Arc Fayette has more than 30 individuals working through the supported employment program.
Ruby has been a dishwasher at Valley Dairy for about two years, and has worked at Texas Roadhouse for the past year helping prepare the restaurant鈥檚 signature cinnamon butter.
Eventually, Prigg won鈥檛 be needed to assist him.
鈥淭he goal is to fade from the job coach whenever we feel it鈥檚 ready for an individual to be alone,鈥 Prigg said.
Beyond work, Brock emphasized that autistic people are also not necessarily limited in their personal lives.
Brock said he 鈥渞efutes鈥 the idea that autistic people cannot have lasting romantic relationships. He has been with his wife, Darra, for 15 years and has two children.
His daughter, Ella, is also autistic.
鈥淲e are happy. We are an engaged family. We enjoy each other,鈥 Brock said. 鈥淭he suggestion that autism makes that impossible is laughable.鈥