Can autism be cured?

Autism is not a disease or an illness, so there is no cure. Some organisations claim that they are able to 'cure' or 'treat' autism, but in actual fact these 'treatments' revolve around just making people appear less autistic.

This can be very damaging to autistic people, especially those who adopt certain behavioural traits to help manage their sensory input, and cope with the world around them. The notion that autism is a disease, or something to be cured, not only ignores the value autistic people bring to our communities, but can undermine the confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging experienced by autistic people. 

There are also organisations who fund research into projects which seek to prevent or eradicate autism, and in our view, this is a very dangerous and unethical path to go down. Autism is not a disease or an illness, it is a different way of thinking and experiencing the world. While it is important to acknowledge that many autistic people will face a number of additional challenges, what they really need is to be treated as equals and be better understood, better supported, accepted and included. 

Autistic people enrich our societies, and contribute a huge amount to human progress. To quote the autistic author, activist and animal behaviourist, Temple Grandin: “If by some magic, autism had been eradicated from the face of the Earth, mankind would still be socializing in front of a wood fire at the entrance to a cave.”