How is Autism Treated?

“Not well.” – An autist, when asked the above question. The treatments given to children typically focus on forcing the autist to conform to a standard for the comfort of others around them, instead of focusing on the needs of the autist. Being on the receiving side of these treatments frequently results in the subject developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or its complex version (cPTSD), the effects of which are often be severe and persist through life.

“If at all.” – The same autist, continuing the thought. The barriers to assistance are obtuse and many for adults on the spectrum. The fact that the medical system pathologizes autism means that those able to function well enough to hold a job are disbelieved by medical staff who only see the ability to function well enough to hold a job, which is often viewed as the goal of treatment. This view neglects to acknowledge that the individual may only function through a job out of necessity, at the cost of stability in every other aspect of life.