There are a number of repetitive behaviors that re often linked to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD. I also find myself engaging in behaviors that could be considered repetitive, such as rocking back and forth while sitting, thinking. I find such movement helpful in allowing me to think clearly and make appropriate decisions. Some behaviors can be considered acceptable in some situations but not in other situations. For instance, in the case of an adult, lining up pens, markers or notebooks in a specific way on the desk is considered acceptable at the workplace (Hacking, 2007). However, if the ASD individual suddenly freezes in position while walking along a busy street, it may not be considered acceptable, and people may actually judge the individual as being mentally ill.
Everyone, including myself, learned which behaviors are appropriate for certain contexts by watching how those around us behave and respond to particular behaviors (Richards, Oliver, Nelson & Moss, 2012). Parents are also responsible for teaching children which behaviors are acceptable and which ones are not, depending on their culture. Behaviors which can be considered socially acceptable in our culture and are also self-injurious include self-cutting, swallowing objects, scratching, and chewing the inside of the mouth (Song & Grinker, 2011). Following the discovery of self-injury by the media during the late ‘90s, people considered it to be something that individuals do, thus making it a social occurrence and not a form of mental illness.
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Before reading this particular chapter, I knew a few stereotypes about individuals with ASD. I learned these stereotypes by observing how they reacted to one of my friends’ child who suffers from ASD. Such knowledge greatly impacted my perceptions of actual people with ASD by wanting to learn more about the disorder, and how best to respond in such situations (Hacking, 2007). Stereotypes impact cultural and social perceptions about those with ASD by complicating efforts to explain autism as a psychiatric group having additional or fewer precise restrictions and investigative criteria (Richards, et al., 2012).
References
Hacking, I. (2007). “Kinds of people: Moving targets.” Proc. Br. Acad. , 151. Pp. 285 – 318.
Richards, C., Oliver, C., Nelson, L., & Moss, J. (2012). “Self-Injurious behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability.” J Intellect Disabil Res , 56. Pp. 476 – 489.
Song, D.H., & Grinker, R.R. (2011). “Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in a total population sample.” Am J Psychiatry , 168(9). Pp. 904 – 912.
