Discrimination against autistic people

Research published in 2013 reported the results of a survey taken of a national sample of American parents of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children conducted by the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The study found that 38 percent of the autistic children experienced bullying over a one-month period, and 28% were frequently bullied. Of those bullied, 69% experienced emotional trauma, 14% feared for their safety, and 8% suffered physical injury.[2] Research published in 2019 used data from more than 8,000 children in the University of London's Millennium Cohort Study, which tracks the lives of about 19,000 people born in the United Kingdom starting in 2000. Out of the children selected, 231 were autistic. The study from the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that these autistic children were more likely to engage in "two-way sibling bullying", meaning being both a victim and perpetrator of bullying.[3][4]

Further research published in 2017, a meta-analysis of three studies, demonstrated that "first impressions of individuals with ASD made from thin slices of real-world social behavior by typically-developing observers are not only far less favorable across a range of trait judgments compared to controls, but also are associated with reduced intentions to pursue social interaction."[5] The meta-analysis continues, "These patterns are remarkably robust, occur within seconds, do not change with increased exposure, and persist across both child and adult age groups."[5] This may be why autistic people have "smaller social networks and fewer friendships, difficulty securing and retaining employment, high rates of loneliness, and an overall reduced quality of life."[5] Smaller social networks, fewer friendships, and loneliness correlate with severe health outcomes. According to a paper published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, "Health risks associated with social isolation have been compared in magnitude to the well-known dangers of smoking cigarettes and obesity."[6] Furthermore, according to the UK Office for National Statistics, the unemployment rate of autistic people may reach 85%, the highest rate among all disabled groups studied.[7] Autistic adults are also more likely to face healthcare disparities, such as being unvaccinated against common diseases like tetanus and being more likely to use emergency services. [8]

In the United States, people with disabilities are victims of violent crime three times as often as people without disabilities. The Bureau of Justice Statistics does not report separately on autistic victims, but it does note that the victimization rate is especially high among those whose disabilities are cognitive. A small-sample study of Americans and Canadians found that adults with autism face a greater risk of sexual victimization than their peers. Autistic respondents were more than twice as likely to say they had been the victim of rape and over three times as likely to report unwanted sexual contact.[9] In 2018, a large scale study found that autistic girls were almost three times more likely to be a victim of sexual abuse.[10] Autistic adults are also at a greater risk of being perceived as perpetrating sexual crimes due to difficulties with theory of mind as well as lack of sex education, which can lead to further discrimination. [11]

In 2011, a 10-year-old autistic boy from Pakistan was granted political asylum in the United States on the grounds that his autism-related behavior, which included compulsions and violent episodes of self-harm, placed him at risk of torture and persecution if returned to his native country. The boy's mother wrote in her asylum application that the majority of Pakistanis viewed the boy's condition as a curse from God, and that the boy was forced to undergo various dangerous and degrading "treatments" such as drinking dirty water meant for crows.[12]

In 2019, an 11-year-old non-verbal autistic boy in the fifth grade received the "Bailly Preparatory Academy 2018-2019 Most Annoying Male" award from his special education teacher at Bailly Preparatory Academy, while other students were given positive awards, such as "most improved" or "funniest". The mother of the autistic boy, Estella Castejon, said she went to the school that gave her son the award and demanded an apology from the principal and the teacher who gave her son the award. Although Castejon did not receive an apology, Dr. Peter Morikis of the Gary Community School Corporation released a statement saying that the teacher would be disciplined.[13][14]

• Autism-friendly
• Autism rights movement
• Neurodiversity