By Ebony Lindsay
What would you do if you lived life differently? Autism is a lifelong neurological and development disability affecting how the brain functions. A person with autism interacts with the world differently – from communication to processing information compared to the average person.
Autism is a commonly known disability although not understood – what we learn through the media often is shrouded by misconceptions or myths.
Piper Frost is one of the few who can speak from experience being among the 1 in 40 Australians with autism and, in turn, being affected by the stereotypes the media produces.
Piper was diagnosed with autism between the ages of 13 and 14 and she tells us it took her approximately two years, with great difficulty, to fully understand her disability.
“The fact [is] that it doesn’t really change for me, it changes for other people,” said Frost. “So I didn’t understand I was different until someone told me I was.”
She confirmed there was a difference in the way she was treated during her upbringing from friends, to family and teachers, and still experiences those differences now.
“Yes, you always have those people that’ll talk to you real slow and treat it like, it’s almost like they think you’re deaf or something.”
Autism as a disability isn’t a straight line, it currently runs on three levels which determine the amount of support the individual needs.
Piper Frost is diagnosed with Level 2 autism, by definition this means substantial support is required for areas such as, but not limited to, change or social situations.
She believes autism is a disability, “depending on the degree you have it.”
Frost said that although all three levels are technically disabilities, Levels 1 and 2 are “just not to the same degree.”
Level 3 autism is the most severe, requiring immense support to handle daily life. It’s not uncommon for those living with Level 3 to be limited to no-verbal or non-verbal communication. Oftentimes, these individuals may intensely struggle or not be able to live independently at all.
Piper tells us during school she had, “very black and white thinking,” due to her autism. She said she wasn’t popular at all. She didn’t understand the jokes peers told and trendy shows or movies buzzing around the schools simply did not click to her.
During youth, things most young people look forward to were a strain to understand for Piper. Social situations such as parties or dating were the two Piper especially highlighted as struggles.
“Parties were always rough because people would be talking and saying stuff and I’d be like, why is that funny?
“Dating has also always been hard because it’s hard to find someone that understands it, or, like, has that patience with it because it’s hard for everybody, not just me. Like, imagine trying to tell your partner a joke and they’re just staring at you like you’re dumb.”
Piper has learned years ways to navigate her struggles, she opens up early into friendships or relationships about her autism. She explains how it works and how it affects her to be open and honest.
As previously stated, autism is filled to the brim with misconceptions. Piper debunked two of the most popular, most believed and most assumed.
Q: “There is a common misconception that people who are diagnosed with autism cannot feel or create bonds or relationships with others. What are your thoughts on that?”
A: “I think that is taking it out of proportion. We can bond and make relationships with people, of course we can … but there are some autistic people out there that won’t feel romantic towards people, and there’s no typical people out there that feel that way.
“We just feel emotions differently and find the cues harder to find. So like, we won’t understand why you feel that way, but we understand that you feel that way.”
Q: “There is another common misconception that autistic people cannot live independently. Do you have any thoughts on that one either?”
A: “People need to take into account the level of autism these people have. There is definitely some out there that will never be able to live by themselves, but they can still do things for themselves. They just cannot live by themselves because of safety risks with that. Not because they can’t look after themselves.”
Frost said she wished everyone understood “that it doesn’t make a person any less smart than other people. It doesn’t make you very different. Everybody sees the world differently, it’s just another way of being like that.
“And that’s just because people with autism, including myself, aren’t really good at everything, like a lot of other people, sometimes they’re really good at one thing. Sometimes they’re even better at everything.”
It shows everyone that those with autism are limited to what society gives them. If we view them as incompetent and close pathways for them, then there are no opportunities for them to flourish and grow which is what these individuals deserve.
Featured image: Piper Frost provides an insight into what it’s like to be autistic. Photo: Polina Kovaleva/CC/Pexels
