why dont people understand autism?

The types you refer to still are mentally challenged, Luna. Those abilities come at a high prize. But yeah, using autism as an insult is pretty low all in all.

@Xynox Yes....I realize that it's still a nature's error. I can kind of be considered an autist myself....but that's a story for another day. I just dislike people that use it as a way to boost their ego, to give themselves an illusion that they are at least better than some people...which in this case is not even the said autist's fault....that's just plain disgusting.

i have aspergers autism due to that fact im bright in things like gaming machines writing and drawing but there are the downsides the social anxiety awkwardness and not be able to tell what is what in a convo thanks for the posts guys this helps me understand better and hopefully can help me improve :)

I think some of them tend to focus on one thing and depending on what it is, they can get really good at it, which is great. Some have very good memories, others great math skills, but not all people with autism are good at stuff.

@Darkmagus No...all I said wasn't my case. But then again...even if it was, I'm just trying to help out people that's all..... I'm not trying to self advertise here, if that's what you want to know..... @LIO JUNIOR I wish you the best of luck in life buddy. Hope everything works out for you in the end, cause you deserve it. ^^ EDIT: @SarcasticDesire I know what it means, and I know not all have some kind of random talent....it's pretty damn rare actually. For example I have none. I just really get pissed when people start abusing this term.... I really hope those kind of people will get screwed over by somebody who actually does have some kind of gift.....or even worse fate...I hope they will step on a lego :P

Autism is so difficult to understand because there is such a variety of symptoms that are shown in different ways. Not one person is the same which can mean diagnosis can be complicated. My son was diagnosed with Aspergers and ADHD in December. He is high functioning so academically he is amazing but socially is immature. Not because he is 'weird' but because he is very sensitive to loud noise and crowds of people. What it boils down to is people not really understanding autism and assuming things.

As someone who alternates between ADD and ADHD, I can safely say a lot of children tend to get misdiagnosed with it. Always be a bit skeptical whenever you hear your child is diagnosed with it, because sometimes its just called childhood, and you don't need a pill for childhood. Short attention spans can be improved with mental exercise and meditative discipline. And hyper activity isn't always the result of ADD or ADHD. Picture it this way. If you have ADD, your mind is constantly jumping around from one thing to the next. Sure, this means its really hard to sit through a lecture and focus, but it also is a leftover adaptive trait that helps hunters pay attention to their surroundings. ADHD is essentially the same thing, except rather than jumping from one thing to the next, you're hyper focused on everything around you, and tend to want to multitask everything. The reason for the reemergence of these two traits has to do with visual entertainment. For example, video games, where players have to keep track of multiple things on the screen at once. I would argue that they aren't disabilities, but lets face it. They aren't compatible with how the education system is set up. Its sad considering that people with ADD and ADHD are actually great learners with minds that process information much faster than most people, but not the best at memorizing things. We need to keep moving around in order to keep our brains working. Hence why hyperactivity springs into being. And I'd also like to point out that Aspergers may also be a leftover adaptive trait. The guys who invented things like the wheel and the crossbow were probably not the highest functioning people in social settings. Nevertheless, they passed their genes along somehow, and were beneficial to the advancement of their societies.

It's easy to look down upon it if you don't understand it. I think some people handle the kind of autism they have better than others do, but at the end of the day, there's definitely some people you have to handle tactfully with what they have to others you honestly don't want to be around because of how they act or talk. I don't think it's necessarily fair or right to make fun of people with autism, but that being said, I can understand someone not wanting to deal with or be around certain individuals with it if they don't handle themselves very well around other people.