> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://gliszen.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Autism Is Not... - URL: https://gliszen.ghost.io/autism-is-not/ - Published: 2026-02-16T01:39:13.000Z - Updated: 2026-02-16T01:39:13.000Z - Description: Busting common myths about neurodivergence, particularly when it comes to autism. - Author: Rachelle P. Goldenberg, LCSW - Tags: acceptance, Substack-Moved, Myths, Authenticity, Neurodivergence, Autism, advocacy, neuroaffirmativity, Newsletter, #Migrated-1784927624346, #Import 2026-07-24 21:18 I need to say this clearly: autism is ***not*** a mental illness. ![a man sitting on top of a pile of papers](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1704234710676-3884d66ec297?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxMHx8ZnJ1c3RyYXRlZCUyMHdyaXRlcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzEyMDU1MjZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Photo by [fotoweedio](https://unsplash.com/@fotoweedio?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) Let me say that again, Autism is NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS. It’s a neurodevelopmental difference. That means the autistic brain processes communication, sensory input, learning, and emotional regulation differently—not wrongly. There’s no pathology here, just variation in how human brains work. (like left-handed-ness) Recent research from 2024 confirms that autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder encompassing conditions that manifest during childhood, with over 1,500 genes recognized for their role in various signaling pathways \[1\]. Studies using cutting-edge technology like CRISPR and brain organoid systems are revealing the biological mechanisms underlying autism at the cellular level. A 2025 study identified distinct biological subtypes of autism \[2\], showing that autism isn’t a single condition—it’s genuinely a spectrum with different biological pathways. Now, do many autistic people struggle with mental health? Absolutely. But here’s what matters: those struggles usually come from burnout, lack of support, and living in a world that wasn’t designed with us in mind. The mental health challenges aren’t autism itself. Research consistently shows that environmental factors and contextual barriers facing the autism community \[2\] drive these difficulties, not the neurodevelopmental difference. --- ## The Vaccine Myth That Won’t Die ![a person on a machine](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1659019730080-63caf6c9b3bc?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNXx8dmFjY2luZSUyMG15dGh8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzcxMjA1NTU5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Photo by [Etactics Inc](https://unsplash.com/@etactics?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) Let’s talk about vaccines, because apparently, we still need to. There is zero scientific evidence linking vaccines to autism. None. This myth came from one fraudulent study published in 1998 by Andrew Wakefield. The study was completely discredited, retracted, and Wakefield lost his medical license \[3\]. Yet this dangerous misinformation keeps circulating, fueling stigma and fear that hurts autistic people and undermines public health. The science is unequivocal. In the more than two decades since the Wakefield study, millions of children have been studied, providing overwhelming evidence that there is no link between autism and vaccines\[3\]. Major health organizations including the World Health Organization, the National Health Service, the CDC, and the FDA all reinforce this scientific consensus. A massive 2015 study published in JAMA analyzed health records of over 95,000 children, including 2,000 at high risk for autism, and confirmed the MMR vaccine did not increase the risk for autism spectrum disorder \[4\]. Multiple studies spanning different countries, involving thousands of participants over multiple decades have found no credible link. Johns Hopkins vaccinologist Daniel Salmon notes that 16 well-conducted, large population-based studies done by different investigators in different countries using different but strong methods all found no relationship between MMR vaccine, thimerosal in vaccines, or the number of vaccines given and autism \[5\]. We need to stop giving this myth oxygen. Every dollar and hour spent debunking this conspiracy theory is time and resources stolen from actual autism research and support. --- ## Not an Epidemic—A Recognition Revolution Here’s another thing: autism is not an epidemic. What’s actually happening? Recognition is increasing. The latest CDC data from 2025 shows about 1 in 31 (3.2%) children aged 8 years has been identified with ASD\[6\]. That’s up from 1 in 36 in 2020 and 1 in 150 in 2000\. But this doesn’t mean autism suddenly appeared or is spreading like a disease. The increase reflects several factors: improved diagnostic tools, increased awareness, changes to developmental screening practices, diagnosis definitions, policies, and increased advocacy and education \[7\]. We’re getting better at recognizing autism across diverse populations. In fact, for the first time in 2020, the percentage of 8-year-old Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black children identified with ASD was higher than among White children \[8\], suggesting improved access to diagnosis in historically underserved communities. The autistic people being diagnosed now have always been here. We’ve always existed. As one research review notes, the rise in prevalence reflects greater awareness, improved screening and diagnostics—especially in communities that were previously underrepresented through advocacy efforts \[9\]. What some people called an “autism surge” is really just us finally being seen. As stigma decreases and understanding grows, autistic people are being accurately identified and supported. That’s progress, not crisis. --- ## Autism Through the Centuries ![man in yellow and blue hoodie wearing eyeglasses](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1603349206295-dde20617cb6a?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxlaW5zdGVpbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzEyMDU2NjB8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Photo by [Taton Moïse](https://unsplash.com/@moyse?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) Autism is also not new. Autistic people have existed throughout history. The first comprehensive descriptions came in the 1920s when Soviet child psychiatrist Grunya Sukhareva published pioneering work containing case studies and detailed descriptions \[10\]. In the 1940s, Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger independently described what we now recognize as autism. But evidence suggests autistic people existed long before we had language to describe them. A 19th-century survey conducted by Samuel Gridley Howe in Massachusetts documented detailed observations of individuals with profound social and communicative differences \[11\], suggesting autism was present but unrecognized. What is new is visibility. Autistic adults are speaking up, writing, advocating, and being recognized in ways that weren’t possible before. Women, LGBTQ+ people, and BIPOC autistic individuals who were historically ignored or misdiagnosed are finally being seen. Research from 2024 shows that relative increases in diagnosis rates were significantly higher among female than male adults, with the male-to-female ratio decreasing substantially \[7\]. That’s what’s changing. --- ## The Parenting Myth That Harmed Families Autism is not caused by bad parenting. This harmful myth stems from the discredited “refrigerator mother” theory promoted by psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim in the mid-20th century. This theory blamed mothers—particularly their supposed emotional coldness—for causing autism in their children. It was cruel, baseless, and caused immeasurable pain to families. Modern research has thoroughly debunked this. Groundbreaking studies have unveiled detailed biological mechanisms underlying autism, showing the first link between genetic risk of the disorder to observed cellular and genetic activity across different layers of the brain \[12\]. Autism reflects differences in brain development that are present from early life. It’s neurological, not relational. Autism is not caused by parenting style, trauma, or emotional neglect. Full stop. ![photo of baby holding person's fingers](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1504439158909-5a2f08876082?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxMHx8bW90aGVyc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzEyMDAxNDd8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Photo by [Liv Bruce](https://unsplash.com/@livvie%5Fbruce?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) --- ## Not a Learning Disability One more misconception: autism is not a learning disability. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities, but autism itself is about differences in how the brain processes and organizes information. Autistic people have diverse cognitive profiles, strengths, challenges, and ways of processing information \[2\]. A 2024 study showed that brain differences are similar in individuals with ADHD and autism and more dependent on severity of symptoms rather than diagnostic category alone \[2\]. Those differences don’t reflect intelligence or ability to learn. They reflect neurodivergence. Research consistently shows tremendous variability in cognitive abilities among autistic people—some excel in verbal reasoning, others in visual-spatial tasks, others in pattern recognition. There’s no single “autistic intelligence profile.” --- ## Beyond the Savant Stereotype ![Young boy in glasses stands by chalkboard with equations](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1758685733874-3a8c2b202446?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOHx8cHJvZGlneXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzEyMDU3NTB8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Photo by [Vitaly Gariev](https://unsplash.com/@silverkblack?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) Finally, autism is not savant syndrome. Media loves to portray autistic people as having extraordinary abilities—the mathematical genius, the photographic memory, the musical prodigy. While these abilities do exist, they’re not the norm. Research indicates that between 0.5% and 10% of those with autism have some form of savant abilities \[13\]. More conservatively, studies suggest approximately 10% of people with autism have savant syndrome \[14\]—skills so exceptional they would be considered remarkable even in the general population. The range reflects different definitions and measurement approaches, but the message is clear: most autistic people are not savants. What is common among autistic people? Deep interests and focused attention. But those aren’t the same as savant skills—they’re just how many autistic brains naturally engage with topics that matter to us. And that’s not a deficit. That’s just how we’re wired. --- ## Moving Forward We’re just people with a different kind of brain, trying to live our lives in a world that often misunderstands us. The more we can dismantle these myths—that autism is a mental illness, caused by vaccines, an epidemic, something to cure, caused by bad parenting, new, a learning disability, or automatically comes with savant abilities—the closer we get to actual understanding. And understanding is what opens the door to real support, genuine acceptance, and a world that works better for all of us. ![Group of friends sitting around a table indoors.](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1764174861943-a7914825311f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw2OHx8YmVsb25naW5nfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3MTIwNTgwM3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Photo by [Patrick Marion](https://unsplash.com/@patrickmarion03?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?ref=gliszen.ghost.io) ## --- ## P.S. For the Adults Who Were Never Diagnosed I need to talk to you directly for a second. Because I was you. And honestly? Some days I still am. I was the “gifted but inconsistent” kid. The one who got called dramatic, too sensitive, lazy. I learned to survive on last-minute adrenaline and somehow pulled it off enough times that people thought I was fine. But I wasn’t fine. I was just really, really good at hiding how hard everything was. I didn’t get my autism diagnosis until I was an adult. That was about ten years ago now. And then just last year — last year — I found out I also have ADHD. Two diagnoses, decades late. Each one hit differently. The autism diagnosis cracked open this whole new understanding of how I’d been moving through the world. And then the ADHD diagnosis came along and filled in all the gaps I still couldn’t explain. Together they finally made the full picture make sense. But here’s the thing nobody really prepares you for. That moment when it clicks and you realize... the whole time. It was this, the whole time. Every struggle, every meltdown, every “why can’t I just be normal” moment — it was all connected to something nobody caught. That realization is a breath of fresh air and a chill down your spine at the same time. Relief that you’re not broken. Grief for the version of you that never got the support they needed. If you’re anything like me, you spent years building coping strategies that looked like success from the outside but felt like drowning on the inside. Perfectionism. Overworking. Masking. People-pleasing. Beating yourself up constantly. And under all of it, executive functioning challenges that nobody ever named for you. You know what I’m talking about. The not being able to start things even when they matter. The time blindness. The procrastination shame spiral. Getting emotionally flooded over things that seem small to everyone else. Forgetting things you care about. Being so burned out from holding it all together that you can’t hold anything at all. That’s not you being irresponsible. That’s you running a beautifully complex brain without a manual. **Here’s what’s been helping me:** I externalize everything now. If it stays in my head, it’s gone. Sticky notes, phone reminders, shared calendars, task boards — I stopped judging myself for needing them and started just using them. I shrink the starting point. Not “finish the report.” Just “open the document.” That’s it. Movement creates momentum, and I’ve learned to trust that. I ditched to-do lists for time blocks. To-do lists just became evidence of everything I hadn’t done. Scheduling when I’ll do something works so much better for my brain. Body doubling changed the game for me. Working alongside someone, even on a video call where neither of us is talking, does something my brain can’t do alone. That co-regulation is real. I’m learning to notice my emotions before they run the show. Executive functioning and feelings are way more connected than anyone told me. Pausing to name what I’m feeling before I react has been quietly revolutionary. And the biggest one — I’m replacing shame with strategy. Slowly. Imperfectly. But I’m doing it. **Here’s what I want you to hear:** If you’re sitting with this right now, reading this and feeling that same tangle of grief and relief — breathe. Just breathe for a second. You’re not broken. You were never broken. You were unsupported, under-identified, and left to figure out your own brain without anyone telling you it worked differently. That’s not a failure on your part. That’s a failure of the systems that were supposed to catch you. Your experience is real. All of it. The exhaustion, the confusion, the years of wondering what was wrong with you — all real. And you are not alone in it. It’s never too late. Executive functioning isn’t fixed at childhood — it grows and develops across your whole life, especially once you actually understand what’s going on. I’m living proof. Ten years into understanding my autism, one year into understanding my ADHD, and I’m still learning new things about how my brain works. Still building. Still growing. That doesn’t stop. So give yourself a break. A real one. You’ve been working harder than most people will ever know just to get through a regular day. You deserve to finally know why — and to build from here with kindness instead of criticism. You found out. Now you know. And that’s where it starts to get better. --- ## Sources \[1\] Martínez de Lagrán M, Bascón-Cardozo K, Dierssen M. “Neurodevelopmental disorders: 2024 update.” *Free Neuropathology*, 2024\. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11382549/ \[2\] “2025 Autism Research Year in Review.” *Autism Science Foundation*, January 13, 2026\. https://autismsciencefoundation.org/2025-year-in-review/ \[3\] Fallin MD. “Autism Spectrum Disorder and Vaccines.” *Emory University - Rollins School of Public Health*, December 9, 2024\. https://sph.emory.edu/news/news-release/2024/12/autism-spectrum-disorder-vaccines.html \[4\] “Autism-vaccine link debunked.” *Mayo Clinic Health System*, November 7, 2024\. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked \[5\] Salmon D, Sharfstein J. “Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.” *Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health*, November 20, 2025\. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/vaccines-do-not-cause-autism \[6\] Shaw KA, Williams S, Patrick ME, et al. “Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years.” *MMWR*, April 17, 2025\. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/ss/ss7402a1.htm \[7\] Grosvenor LP, et al. “Autism Diagnosis Among US Children and Adults, 2011-2022.” *JAMA Network Open*, 2024\. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11525601/ \[8\] “Autism Data Visualization Tool.” *CDC*, April 15, 2025\. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/autism-data-visualization-tool.html \[9\] “Autism Society of America Responds to New CDC Report on Updated Autism Prevalence Rates.” *Autism Society*, April 15, 2025\. https://autismsociety.org/autism-society-of-america-responds-to-new-cdc-report-on-updated-autism-prevalence-rates/ \[10\] “History of autism.” *Wikipedia*, 2026\. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History\_of\_autism \[11\] Donvan J, Zucker C. “The Early History of Autism in America.” *Smithsonian Magazine*, December 30, 2015\. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/early-history-autism-america-180957684/ \[12\] “Groundbreaking study connects genetic risk for autism to changes observed in the brain.” *UCLA Health Sciences*, May 24, 2024\. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523205043.htm \[13\] “Savant syndrome.” *Wikipedia*, 2026\. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savant\_syndrome \[14\] “Approximately 10% of people with autism have savant syndrome.” *Magnet ABA*, 2024\. https://www.magnetaba.com/blog/autistic-savant