Misconceptions about Autism Spectrum Disorder

I'd like to say that I am fairly well-informed on the subject of autism. I read books, articles, journals, news of the results of the latest research and I am still amazed at how little I know of the subject of autism and its effects on different individuals. For those who are just venturing out on this journey of discovery, I wish you well and I hope you find the help you are looking for, sooner rather than later. But for those who might not have too much time to do in-depth research of their own and for extended members of families of children newly diagnosed with autism and community members in general, here is a short clarification of some of the misconceptions about Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism is not rare. According to the latest statistics from Autism Speaks Canada, it occurs in 1 in 110 children and 1 in out of 70 boys.
Autism is not an emotional disorder. It is a neurological disorder. Read more at this link: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
Poor parenting skills do not cause autism. When these children are having a melt-down at a shopping mall or a line-up at a grocery store, it's not because the parents have not taken the time to teach that child how to behave in public. The situation could have been triggered by his own (my two cents) sensory (lights, sounds, smell) overstimulation and inability to process his surroundings. Imagine this situation with a non-verbal child with ASD, who won't be able to tell the parent what's bothering him or express his feelings.
Moving on...
Children on the autism spectrum do not outgrow autism. There is no cure for it. With early intervention(on an aside, there are myriad of therapies and approaches to treating autism today but the only government funded treatment option for autism in Canada today is Intensive Behaviour Intervention or IBI) and positive learning support, children with autism can become highly functional.
Autism is a spectrum. Each child presents his/her own unique set of strengths and challenges. If you know one child with autism, you know about the challenges of only that one child.
Children with autism can participate, with different levels of learning supports tailored to that child's needs, in a regular classroom. They do not need to be in a special educational environment exclusive for children with autism.
One reason I found myself writing on this topic is because of a recent conversation with a young mother who told me that she is strongly suspecting her child to be on the spectrum but is being advised by her relatives against seeking a formal medical diagnosis because they believe he will outgrow those challenging behaviours. Life with a child, formally diagnosed or not but exhibiting symptoms of autism is hard as it is both for the immediate family and the child himself or herself without well-meaning relatives attempting to offer advice based on some misconceptions such as the above floating around.