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Autism - Fiction or Reality
Name: Mom
Comments: Do children with autism tend to mix up what is fiction with reality? For instance they believe that some of the cartoons they watch are real and talk like they are real.
This is not unique to children with autism. It is common in all children. However, children with autism are very naive and emotionally immature hence they tend to believe in things like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy much longer than the average child. They are also targets of bullies because of their naivety. Like anything else, they just need more time.
HFA = High functioning autistic? (Better to not use abbreviations unless they are first defined). Liking cartoons and not liking cartoons is a normal trait for anyone, it is not unique to someone with special needs. The question here is whether they believe those cartoons are real living creatures or just fiction. For my limited experience I think it depends on each case. With my son he says he knows they are not real yet at times talks in conversation as though they are real.