Autism quiz text

1. Autism is more common in boys than girls

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

TRUE

Autistic conditions are identified at least four times more often in males than females. The male : female ratio for Asperger syndrome diagnoses is even higher at around 10 : 1. The possibility that autistic symptoms are more noticeable in males could explain part of this difference, but is unlikely to be the whole story.

2. Autism can be caused by emotional deprivation

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

FALSE

Despite claims made by Bettelheim, there is no evidence to support this suggestion, and much evidence that biological influences play a big role in autism. When Sir Michael Rutter studied children in Romanian orphanages, he identified an ‘autistic-like’ condition in some of them, but these children recovered substantially when they experienced a more nurturing environment after adoption.

3. People with autism are all eccentric geniuses

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

FALSE

Just a small minority of people on the autism spectrum have exceptional talent in areas such as numerical calculation, visual art and music, while a larger number have specific areas of special skill. Some people with autism have intellectual or learning difficulties.

4. Autism is on the increase

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

DEBATEABLE

There has certainly been an increase in the numbers of children receiving autism spectrum diagnoses, but this does not necessarily mean that autism is on the increase. It is quite likely that these changes reflect increased public awareness of autism, and developments in how it is diagnosed.

5. Autism has the same rate of occurrence worldwide

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

DEBATEABLE

Estimates of ‘prevalence’ vary from one country to another, but as is the case with the statement that autism is on the increase, this may be due to factors such as differences in public awareness and in how autism is diagnosed.


6. Autism can be detected before a child is two years old

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

DEBATEABLE

By the age of 18 months, if a child doesn’t pass typical development milestones such as following a parent’s gaze, this places them in an ‘at risk’ category. But these early signs are not conclusive. To date, autism cannot be reliably diagnosed before the age of two, but improved ‘screening tools’ for infants may change this.

7. People with autism don’t easily understand other people’s thoughts and feelings

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

TRUE

Probably the most well-documented research finding from recent decades is that people on the autism spectrum typically have difficulty in understanding another person’s point of view and feelings.

8. Autism runs in families

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

TRUE

In some families, autistic conditions may affect more than one person, though this isn’t always true. Parents and siblings of children on the autism spectrum may also show mild autistic traits, without actually meeting the criteria for an autism spectrum diagnosis. These facts point strongly to a genetic factor in autism.

9. There is a single gene for autism

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

FALSE

Unlike conditions such as cystic fibrosis, where a defect in a specific gene is known to cause the condition, no single gene is implicated in autism. Autism almost certainly involves the combined impact of several genes, and different genes may be involved in autism in different families.

10. Autism can be caused by the MMR vaccine

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

FALSE

Extensive scientific tests have produced no evidence at all to support the claim that the MMR vaccine is influential in causing autistic conditions. But remember, it’s not possible to conclusively prove a negative in science.

11. A person with autism can grow out of it

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

FALSE

Despite some claims, there is to date no good evidence that children diagnosed with autism can become completely free of it as adults. However, in some cases the pattern and severity of symptoms changes radically. The adult may become much less affected by certain symptoms, though social difficulties are likely to continue.

12. People with autism all have below average intelligence

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

FALSE

While some children and adults on the autism spectrum have mild to severe intellectual impairment, the intellectual functioning of others is within, and in some cases above, the normal range. Children on the autism spectrum often attend mainstream schools. However, they may still have difficulties in coping with everyday situations, and may not achieve what they are capable of for this reason.

13. People with autism always prefer being alone

Is the answer TRUE, FALSE or DEBATABLE?

Answer...

FALSE

People on the autism spectrum would often like to make friends and have the company of others, though they may also have difficulties in making this happen.

Hopefully you’ve learnt more about the facts concerning autism, as well as some of the myths. Discover more about the causes and impact of autism with an easy-to-follow short course: Understanding the autism spectrum.