Autism & the Moral Panic
When will we live in a world where being autistic is not viewed as an abnormality or crisis?
After two decades of research debunking the 1998 study on the “risk” of autism caused by the MMR vaccine, the misconception that autism is caused by vaccines is highlighted again with a recent political debate.
On Monday 15 December, Georgia Cobfresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene posted on X arguing, “I fully believe that vaccines cause autism. It’s another example of crimes against humanity. And innocent babies, children, and their families are the victims.”
Many researchers have debunked this claim including the Mayo Clinic, stating that “vaccines do not cause autism.” The 1998 study was largely debunked after the 2015 study on 95,000 children that further affirmed that “the MMR vaccine did not increase the risk for the autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”
From being a millennium baby and witnessing the hysteria concerning the MMR vaccine and autism, it’s interesting to dissect the ableist language used on both sides of the argument underlining autism as a “moral panic.”
According to Cohen (1972), moral panic refers to the widespread fear that a group of people threaten society’s values and interests. For example, this is interpreted in Greene’s use of the language “crimes against humanity” and the Mayo Clinic’s use of “risk,” which suggests a possible exposure to danger to society. Despite researchers debunking Greene’s statement, both arguments use similar negative language about autism that fuels ableist attitudes and reinforces the idea of autistic people being a hindrance to society’s productivity.
The use of language by politicians, researchers, publications and so forth is important to ensure that groups of people are not discriminated against in every aspect of their lives, whether it’s in the workplace or the education system. As Disability Rights UK argue, disabled people are viewed as negative in society, often viewed as powerless “victims” of their disability.
No one should feel that being autistic is a grievance to society.
Due to the media’s reinforcement of negative language about autism, many autistic people feel ashamed to express their autistic qualities and openly discuss their need for support from their family, friends and co-workers. As a result, many resort to camouflaging their autistic qualities to maintain invisibility within social situations including the workplace and school. This often involves masking their autistic qualities to appear as “normal” to neurotypical people, such as reducing stimming behaviours, mimicking facial expressions and forcing eye contact.
I have felt inclined to camouflage my autistic qualities to both fit in with my peers and be seen as “normal” to the world. This has led to me experiencing autistic shutdowns, meltdowns and anxiety due to the demands of everyday life.
But, what can be done to challenge negative language about autism? One way is to challenge the language, not the person. There is always a reason why someone chooses to use negative language - maybe they don’t fully understand autism or they’ve been socialised with one way of thinking. The aim is to challenge their behaviour by giving them alternative ways to act, such as providing examples of language to use instead of “people with autism” or “Asperger's.” Providing them with alternatives through resources or explanations educates them about autism and the diversity of the condition.
Did you like what you read? Be sure to become a member of our newsletter and gain access to exclusive articles.
