Page 12 - SEN115 - November/December 2021

Autism
Play can boost relationships...
but it won’t ‘reverse’ autism
Elise Stirling responds with a neurodiverse perspective to the idea of autism being a reversible condition.
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Recently, headlines such as “Early baby therapy could reduce autism diagnoses“ and “Early signs of autism can be reversed if babies are offered therapy” were popping up all over the internet, following a
study of play interventions for parents of autistic children (Ed Note. See our News Section for more on this story). As an autism specialist, an autistic individual, and mother of autistic daughters, this had me concerned. Being autistic is not something needing ‘reversal’ or ‘reduction’ – it is a natural, albeit different, state of being and exists within the person from pre-birth.
Autism has historically been a medicalised condition that requires an extensive assessment and diagnostic procedure, using criteria that (until recently) had not had any involvement from those who were themselves autistic. It is hoped that in the future, any changes to diagnostic criteria will be made with the full engagement of autistic individuals, to fully encapsulate the
“Being autistic is not something needing ‘reversal’ or ‘reduction’”
diversity of human minds (or ‘neurodiversity’) in a more positive light, whilst recognising the true challenges faced. Autism is simultaneously a biological reality and a social construct, and this should be recognised throughout the process of diagnosis, education, and care of autistic individuals. As a biological reality, there are differences in how autistic brains and bodies work. Porges’ Polyvagal theory proposes that there is a potential difference in the information flowing from the brain to the body in autistic individuals because of differences in the brain’s
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