Autism Awareness and the myth of the measles vaccine link

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‍Autism awareness has grown over the past years and there is a better understanding of what can be done to help people on the spectrum in their daily lives.

But myths and fears remain and this year's Autism Awareness Day on April 2 comes in the wake of measles outbreaks worldwide, partly blamed on a movement that has rejected vaccines under the mistaken impression that they cause autism.

Autism in pop culture

Autism and the challenges linked to it are more visible today than maybe ever before.

Two hit U.S. TV shows – Netflix's "Atypical" and "The Good Doctor" – revolve around characters with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The latter is based on a Korean TV drama with the same premise.

Actors Sofia Helin (L) and Kim Bodnia (R) are pictured in the Scandinavian TV series Bron/Broen (The Bridge), November 23, 2012. /VCG Photo

The hit Indian film "My name is Khan" looked at an autistic Muslim man's travails after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, while the popular Scandinavian TV series "The Bridge" followed a female police detective with ASD traits.

Novels like the best-selling "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" have delved into ASD and last year, U.S. children's show Sesame Street introduced a new puppet with autism: Julia.

Celebrities have also spoken out about the condition, including actor Brendan Fraser who has a 16-year-old son with autism, and comedian Amy Schumer who recently revealed her husband was on the spectrum and explained how his diagnosis helped him get the tools he needed.

What is autism?

ASD encompasses a range of conditions but is characterized by "impaired social behavior, communication and language, and a narrow range of interests and activities," according to the World Health Organization.

The Star Football Team, China's first football team composed only of children with autism, is seen training in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China, April 1, 2019. /VCG Photo

About one in 160 children worldwide has an ASD, the WHO estimates. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have put the number as high as one in 59.

Symptoms can include repetitive behavior, avoidance of physical and eye contact, sensitivity to bright lights or loud noises, but also "meltdowns" or "shutdowns" caused by anxiety in unfamiliar situations. Some individuals are high-functioning, can hold a job and live on their own. Others have severe disabilities and need long-term care.

For this reason, awareness and diagnosis are vital, experts say: early therapy can help with speech, behavior and social interaction, improving an individual's quality of life and reducing the need for long-term support.

Parents and caregivers, as well as health services, schools and workplaces, can also be given skills and tools to help people with an ASD. This can be as simple as allowing more time to complete tasks, and teaching colleagues and classmates to understand certain behavior and adapt their own.

Two autistic young men work at food company Novandie as part of a project initiated by the 'Vivre et Travailler autrement' (Live and Work differently) association in Auneau-Bleury-Saint-Symphorien, France, November 24, 2016. /VCG Photo

The 'anti-vaxx' movement

But there is still a stigma attached to ASD.

And one rumor that has been making the rounds for over 20 years – claiming a link between the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, and ASD – has resurfaced with a vengeance and already had disastrous public health consequences.

Cases of measles rose last year in 98 countries, including in 10 where the deadly and highly contagious disease had been all but eradicated, according to UNICEF, which blamed "misinformation, mistrust and complacency" for the surge.

A vial of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and an information sheet is seen at Boston Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, February 26, 2015. /VCG Photo

A new Danish study published last month found again that there was no link between MMR and autism, but misinformation continues to circulate online, prompting Facebook to announce a crackdown on anti-vaccine propaganda.

Italy and a county in New York state have gone as far as to ban unvaccinated children from schools and public spaces to prevent a further spread of contagion.

Autism Awareness Day 2019

Meanwhile, images of ASD in pop culture – with their focus on savants and high-functioning individuals – have also created misconceptions about the condition, experts say. They have called not just for better awareness but for better understanding of the various forms of ASD.

On Tuesday, events are planned from Lyon, France to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, including discussion forums, film and documentary screenings, concerts and activities for autistic children.

The UN will hold talks on affordable assistive technologies and how to facilitate access to education, employment, healthcare and political participation for people with ASD.

A teacher of the Child Psycho-Social Action Center (CAMPSE) helps autistic children as they draw in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, April 13, 2018. /VCG Photo

Some are celebrating an entire Autism Awareness Week or Autism Awareness Month.

European autism associations have meanwhile been pushing for more autism-friendly policies in the EU.

Despite increased visibility, raising awareness and understanding continues to be important, according to Mark Lever, head of Britain's National Autistic Society.

"Almost everyone has heard of autism now. But we continue to hear from autistic people and their families who miss out on an education, struggle to find work or become extremely isolated – often due to misunderstandings about autism and what's it's like to be autistic," he said in a statement sent to CGTN.

"Better understanding of autism could transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of autistic people."

(Cover picture: File photo of the late Kim Peek, an autistic savant who inspired the lead character in the Oscar-winning movie 'Rain Man', Salt Lake City, Utah, January 25, 2005. / VCG Photo)