Matthew Bennett

Emma Goodall

Amanda Webster

Susannah Rowland

This book presents a unique account of social myths about autism and how these have shaped the lives of people on the autism spectrum. It offers the first in-depth exploration of the history of attitudes and beliefs about autism that incorporates the perspectives of individuals on the spectrum themselves, working as co-constructors of autism research and future practice. From ‘savant syndrome’ to the conception that people with autism lack empathy, each chapter examines a different social myth – tracing its origins, highlighting the implications it has had for individuals on the spectrum and their families, debunking misconceptions and reconstructing the myth with recommendations for current and future practice on the basis of cutting-edge research. This book offers researchers, practitioners, individuals and families living with autism spectrum disorder a deeper, more accurate, more comprehensive understanding of the beliefs about the traits and abilities of individuals on the autism spectrum; with practical ways to re-shape these into more proactive and supportive practices, it offers an alternative view in which individuals on the spectrum are presumed to be competent and capable of constructing their own futures.

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