“It leads to stigma, and it creates barriers to Autistic people accessing the support they need in the community.
“91% don’t feel the Government is doing enough to tackle this misinformation head on and we’re asking the Government to move on its commitment to legislate for a National Autism Strategy,” he said.
Minister of State for Disability and Equality Emer Higgins attended the conference and said the Government is working to deliver an autism strategy as promised in the Programme for Government.
She said: “[It’s] really interesting to see the insights in today’s report by AsIAM, that show concerns in relation to misinformation on Autistic people, Autistic traits, and it’s really important that we do what we can to tackle [this] and that’s why Government has committed to an Autism awareness and understanding information campaign.”
The media does not escape criticism in the report, with 69% of those surveyed saying the media’s portrayal of Autism is “neither accurate nor respectful”.
Mr Harris said: “It’s estimated that at least one in 20 children in school today has a diagnosis of Autism, and so often our depictions of Autism within the media are narrow.
“We continue to see language around Autism that medicalises the experience of Autism, that speaks about it as a deficit as opposed to a difference.”
Isabelle Blum, a young Autistic woman attending the conference, said the increase in misinformation has increased since the US elections last year.
“I do think a certain American political party member has definitely not helped with that increase, but I think a lot of it especially as a psychology student, not enough people are checking their sources, checking where that information comes from …people are literally reading AI slop half the time, she said.
Isabelle and other members of the Autistic community attending the conference said being Autistic brings strengths as well as challenges.
Mason Quigley said: “Good, more IQ and bad, sensory overload and stress but we have stress balls on the good side, and yeah, my Autism is an ability, not a disability.”
Watch: What are the good things about being Autistic?
Emily McPhillips-Sheridan, from Cavan, said: “I feel as an autistic person, the things that I would struggle with the most is like socialising, communicating with people, really struggling with, like sensory and change and emotions and like a wide range of social and communication challenges.
“But then the good things, I suppose, is that as an Autistic person, I get really passionate about stuff…once I’m locked into something, I’m locked in.
“I’m studying social care at the moment, and I’m doing a course in social care, and I’m absolutely loving it, and I’m really passionate about it.
“So I suppose my passion as an Autistic person can really be quite amazing to help me through some of the challenges.”
Fiacre Ryan from Castlebar is non-verbal, a challenge he meets by speaking with the help of his mother, Carmen, through an alphabet board.
He said that Autism brings some gifts “I am intelligent and creative in a unique way”.
Like others, Fiacre wants the Government to help by legislating for the National Autism Strategy and providing supports and resources.