Hey Deservy Listeners, a lot of you have been asking me over the years to talk about autism and a lot of you out there even say to me, you write me and say that you're on the spectrum.

It's a very complicated thing that I actually don't have a ton of experience with.

I have some early experience in my career with,

but I would never call myself an expert or of the knowledge of amount to be able to speak with any kind of

expertise around that and occasionally we kind of get into it but I thought I would have an expert on the show to talk about autism once and for all and maybe come back on the show and maybe answer people's questions as time goes on because again a lot of people not only half of you are therapists who might be treating people on the spectrum

but also again a lot of you are

self-identify as being on the spectrum.

So welcome to the show, Megan.

Please introduce yourself.

Hi everyone.

My name is Megan Wild Hood.

I am a Seattle and am working on my MSW I work in social services. I have a

background in crisis work so I've worked with a number of people on the spectrum and I myself have been

diagnosed as on the spectrum as well.

Great. So what are some common misconceptions about autism that you want to clear up here?

Sure, thanks for that question.

The first thing I would love to clear up is this very common stereotype that people on the spectrum lack empathy.

It's very common and it's very damaging partly because it's just absolutely not true.

And I think one of the reasons people may think that it's true is because there's sometimes

people experience a lot of social difficulties.

And so I know for myself, I don't express empathy

in a way that is expected or easily recognized by many people.

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