6 Things You Need to Know About Autism

While many more people are aware about autism, there are still many misconceptions. Here are six things that you need to know about autism.

1. Autism is a spectrum. The full name is Autism Spectrum Disorder. This means that people with autism can be anywhere from awkwardly brilliant to intellectually disabled and all points in between. 
2. Asperger's Syndrome, which is basically autism without the language delays, is no longer a diagnosis. It would now be considered high functioning autism.
3. Nonverbal does not mean that a person with autism has no words or is unable to use words. It means they do not use verbal communication as their primary means.
4. People with autism do have empathy. They just may express it in different ways.
5. Just because a person with autism is not looking at you, does not mean they do not hear you.
6. Although we do not fully understand the cause for autism, there is a very strong genetic factor.