We Need More Education in the Medical Community About Autism

I can hardly believe the ignorance that can exist in the world and in the medical field. You would think people who practice medicine and see people every day would know more than the stereotypes of autism.

When you go to a medical professional, you hope they will understand your diagnoses and medical conditions, not doubt them.

I’m seeing a new physician — for me this is a very stressful change. It is a new person, I am driving to a new place, they have new procedures. It’s hard being in that office with that florescent white light burning my brain.

My heart is pounding and I want to run out, so I close my eyes and count my breaths. I focus on the feelings in my lungs and the darkness until I am calm. There are several moments where I must do this through the examination.

At the end I mention my autism, expecting for her to simply add it to the chart.

I handed over the wrinkled and folded diagnosis paper I keep on hand for emergencies if I cannot talk. Already I could tell she was questioning its validity. “I’m surprised she put you on the spectrum.” Her overly friendly and patronizing tone was something even I could pick up on.

There was so much I wanted to tell her. Desperately wishing to educate her — I was frozen by her doubt. This is a medical professional before me — if she doesn’t know, we are all in trouble.

I wish I had said more, but I was now trying not to cry.

I told her that I keep most things to myself and that growing up feeling different on the inside (but not knowing why) teaches you to hide everything that is strange about you. You begin to fear your own uniqueness. So you learn to hide everything that is different about you.

You learn to blend in as a survival tool. All my mess is on the inside.

We need more education. If some of our medical professionals are still stuck on the stereotypes, no wonder there are still misdiagnoses out there and so many autistic girls being missed.

Autistic women do not necessarily follow the male autistic stereotype — and not all autistic men follow it either.

This is a big problem. Where do we even start?

Follow this journey on Anonymously Autistic.

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