Talkback Journal
Talkback Journal
Name of the article and author
Be My Friend
- Shelly Huhtanen
Bullet Points
- Individuals with autism have been found to be more likely to be lonely when compared to the general population.
- When the general population feel that they are lonely, it means that individuals with autism are experiencing intense loneliness.
- Loneliness is a growing epidemic that is affecting that is affecting not only people with autism but also the general public.
What is the author’s question/topic/what is being addressed in the article?
The article addresses the topic of how people with autism have been intensely affected by loneliness when compared to the general public. According to Huhtanen (2020), despite the general public feeling that loneliness is affecting their wellbeing and that loneliness is a growing epidemic, autistic individuals are experiencing the epidemic more intensively than the general population.
What seems to be the author’s viewpoint? Why do you think so?
The author believes that loneliness is more prevalence and shared among people with autism when compared to the general public. As a result, the loneliness that autistic individuals are experiencing makes them feel disconnected from other human beings and also to feel less significance because they have fewer people around them.
Does the article address any critical controversy in the field of autism? If so, which and what perspective does the author seem to take?
The article addresses a critical controversy in the field of autism by explaining how the prevalence of loneliness among people with autism has resulted in the population feeling disconnected from the general public. An individual with autism is now feeling insignificance when other people surround them because of the developmental disabilities that affect them. The article shows that people with autism are more likely to be lonely when compared to the general population.
Did you learn something you did not already know?
After reading the article, I have learnt something new in regards to how loneliness have affected individuals with autism, thereby making them feel disconnected. The researcher quoted from previous studies that found out that individuals with autism felt isolated because of the developmental challenges that they were experiencing.
Did this article resonate with you?
The article resonated with me because it illustrated the reasons why people with autism tend to be lonely most of the time when compared to those who are not affected by the disorder. In most cases, when I come across individuals with autism, they tend to be neglected and isolated because of their condition.
Were you comfortable with the attitude or perspective shared in the article?
I was comfortable with the perspective that was shared in the article because it shades lights on how loneliness has been one of the aspects that have affected people with autism. It is because previous studies have found out that autistic individuals are intensely experiencing loneliness when compared to the general public.
Did you pick any nuanced stigmatized view of an effort to promote education/empowerment and respect for people with autism?
I picked an effort to empower people or families with individuals with autism to enlighten them about the significance of ensuring that autistic people are not isolated. When they are left isolated and lonely, it makes them feel less essential and insignificant to society.
What were your thoughts about the use of language? How were people with autism referred to?
My thoughts are that language was appropriately used since autistic individuals were referred to as people with autism.
Was there a takeaway that you found enlightening, agree with or found uncomfortable, or even question about?
The takeaway that I found enlightening from the article is that people with autism should not be left lonely since it makes them feel lonely and isolated, as well as not wanted by the society because of the condition.