About how others appreciate autism
Myth 1:
Autism, especially low-functioning autism, is entirely negative
Truth:
For non-verbal children it is impossible to express with words. But ist not certain that it is experienced it as negative. Adult autists tell that this period is frightening, dark, or lonely to them. Sometimes their appear moments look like frightening or confusing, but overall their experiences just were there- unjudged and unanalysed.
Some aspects of autism may be good or bad; it is depending only on how they are perceived. For example, hyperfocussing is a problem if you're hyperfocussing on your feet and miss the traffic light change. On the other hand, hyperfocussing is a great skill for working on intensive projects. This is particularly well suited to freelancers and computer worker with problems in the autistic spectrum.
It doesn’t make sense to argue that autism is all good or merely a difference. Autism is disabling. However, that doesn't mean that it is all bad or that it has to be cured
Myth 2:
Obsessions, self-stimulation, rituals etc. should be stopped.
Truth:
These behaviors are necessary to the autistic person and usually harmless. Self-stimulation releases tension and regulates sensory input. There is a direct correlation between increases in self-stimulating behaviors and decreases of self-injury.
For the higher functioning autistics who may want to blend in, then sometimes modification is desirable. The main factor in deciding what to try to change is whether the behaviors are causing a problem for the autistic person. Obsessions are an inherent part of autism, and while they can be annoying to others, are also usually harmless.
In some cases, obsessive interests can lead to successful careers. There are excellent computer programmers after a life long obsession with computers. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder commonly occurs with autism, but is a separate issue. Of course, seriously socially unacceptable (more than just annoying or weird), harmful, or illegal behaviors are exceptions to this.
