Can a Normal Person Fake Having Autism?

People are capable of making all kinds of false claims. It’s lying. But I can’t imagine what someone would hope to gain by claiming to be autistic if they weren’t.

There are no “normal” people. A lot of people have told me this in response to me acknowledging that I am autistic, trying to discount my struggles. I think the word you are looking for is “Neurotypical” people. Yes, Neurotypical people can fake being autistic, but another choice of word which I prefer to use is “Non-autistic people”. There are actors like Freddie Highmore who can do a half-decent autistic act. However, faking being autistic would be exhausting.

Understanding Autism

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition, characterized by a wide range of traits and features. Some autistic people are nonverbal, while others are fluent in language. Some have a special interest, while others do not. Some have sensory issues with some things, while others have sensory issues with other things. You would probably have to come up with an entire personality with a bunch of rules to follow, and keep track of all of those rules to ensure you were playing the part convincingly. I heard a therapist once say, “All of the people I knew who were faking autism had to think about it constantly.”

Motivations and Realities

I’m a bit curious to know why you want to fake autism. Are you an actor auditioning for an autistic role? There’s a few ways you can prepare for that, probably with the help of an acting coach. Do you want sympathy from people? The autism community probably won’t be too happy with you assuming autistic people need to be felt sorry for; I certainly wouldn’t be. Are you an undercover cop trying to infiltrate the local autism ring? They’ll be able to tell you’re not one of them right from the start.

If you are worried you are faking your legitimate diagnosis, I’d suggest you re-read what that therapist said. If you aren’t constantly thinking about how to be more of a convincing actor, you aren’t faking your diagnosis. Not necessarily for long if there’s an actual autistic person around.

Motivations and Uniqueness

Motivations truly are not relatable between autistics and non-autistics, and it goes both ways. Except that allistics have never had to fit in among autistics to survive. Most autistics have been doing that since their childhood.

Conclusion

So why do people try to fake autism? There’s truly no benefit to it. If you find any allistic that’s ever tried it, I’m certain they’d agree. Changing one’s appearance or behavior to fit a label is not a viable or ethical solution to social barriers or mental health issues.