Ableism has been constructed by society to demean others for not having the same skills and abilities as most people. In order to understand how ableism plays a factor into the treatment of autistic people, one must observe the root cause of the term and explore its origins. Ableism began during the 14th century when the word “idiot” was first used in Greece to describe someone who was unschooled, and the word later depicted someone that was not "mentally or behaviorally sound." Many incorrect theories said that autistic behavior was morally wrong and that people were supposed to behave a certain way in order to be “normal”. Slowly, words such as “idiot”, “moron”, and “imbecile” were established into language and commonly used in casual conversations. Although the modern definition of the words may have changed, the history behind them symbolizes centuries of hatred and discrimination towards autistic people. It is casual words such as these that are one of the biggest ways that ableism is spread.

In the late 1800s, “mental deficiency” was a diagnosis for any person with a varying mental disability. There were rankings to these terms though - an individual was prescribed a “mental age” to determine how well they functioned in society. The issue with this mental deficiency model is that there is no true basis on which behavior is analyzed. Each person grows and evolves differently, so to tell someone that they are not “mentally old enough” really has no purpose except for fueling more ableism. It is because of this inaccurate measure of intelligence that there are such strict labels on what is and isn’t normal behavior. This then contributes to society’s need to “control” behavior in order for it to become normal.

Abuse and mistreatment of autistic people stem from three different levels of ableism: institutional, interpersonal, and internal. Institutional ableism affects varying systems, such as how a lack of training and education on autism affects the healthcare and education system. Interpersonal ableism is the ableism that occurs in relationships, such as if a parent believes their autistic child needs to be “cured” with shock therapy rather than accepting the disability as it is. Lastly, internal ableism is what incites both interpersonal and institutional ableism. It is the conscious and unconscious beliefs that have been ingrained in our minds that make us believe harmful things about autistic people. The root of this internal ableism comes from the lessons and normalities that have been taught to us in order to fulfill society’s need to control behavior.

Social control is derived from humanity’s need for conformity - conformity is in some sense a sort of unity as we are all taught to act in similar ways, but each person behaves, thinks, and feels differently. Therefore, it is almost impossible to maintain this social control, yet still these moral codes are internalized because as children learn what is proper and improper, they further conform to society. When an autistic person flaps their hands out of excitement, this behavior is seen as wrong because it is “improper” to wave your hands around in that way. Then again, each person’s brains are wired differently, so society’s need for control is flawed, especially when this control turns into shaming others for not following these “moral” codes.

Rather than solving educational disparities for good and providing detailed, personalized programs and plans for disabled students, institutions like the Judge Rotenberg Center are putting a small band aid over a giant wound. It is small steps such as first identifying the root cause and then analyzing the ways in which it affects people, that will help to make a true difference. Once conversations are actually had about the shock therapy abuse that autistic individuals face, then we can shift ideologies surrounding disabilities, thus altering the amount of resources and support available to autistic people.