Autism and Self-Esteem

Challenges Faced by Autistic Individuals
Not only children but also adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders often complain of loneliness and lack of friends. Society, unfortunately, is generally not prepared to accept these individuals for who they are. As a result, forming self-esteem with autism can be an especially daunting and difficult task. These children must learn that the world is not always kind or understanding, and the obstacles they face, which are typically not of their making, can impact how they perceive themselves and evaluate their actions.

Autistic Self-Esteem: A Matter of Survival
For many individuals with autism, self-esteem is not just about confidence; it’s about survival. They often face misunderstanding, teasing, and even bullying. They struggle to find and maintain friendships, deeply and painfully feeling the alienation. Even if they behave like others, the rest of society tends to deny them the right to be themselves.

The Impact of Negative Social Interactions
Such moments leave deep scars in the self-perception of autistic individuals, especially as they struggle socially. They are constantly reminded, subtly or openly, that they are “different.” This burden is exacerbated by their tendency to compare themselves to neurotypical children, believing something is wrong with them and trying to figure out what it is. The result is growing anxiety and a belief that they do not meet society’s expectations, feeling inferior in some way.

Building Confidence for Autistic Individuals
Building confidence for autistic people is not about teaching them to “fit in” or hide their differences. On the contrary, they should not feel ashamed of who they are. It is important for them to learn to see their value in a world that often doesn’t recognize it, and to defend their rights, including the right to be “different.”

There are several ways to achieve this:

• Finding Common Interests: One way is to find shared interests with peers, as the only real difference is that they perceive and react to the world in unique ways.
• Learning to Assert Themselves: Another key to building confidence is teaching children to stand up for their views, starting with understanding their own needs and how to express them.
• Acknowledging Achievements: A third factor is recognizing accomplishments, such as the development of even a small group of friends who appreciate them for who they are.
• Combating Negative Attitudes: Finally, it’s important to address negative attitudes and teach how not to overreact to them, as autistic individuals will inevitably face this issue. They need to understand that their condition is not a tragedy, burden, or stigma. Ultimately, building an appropriate, rather than low, self-esteem comes from recognizing their uniqueness and independence from others’ opinions.

Supportive Measures and Therapy
Structured socialization programs, including attending clubs, interest groups, or volunteering, cognitive-behavioral therapy, individual therapy, role-playing, and situational modeling can help an autistic person feel more confident in themselves. However, these measures are supportive, and the most effective way to address the disorder itself is through cell therapy.

The Promise of Cell Therapy
In cell therapy, a patient’s own stem cells replace those that are functioning incorrectly, enabling the brain to properly perceive and process information from the external world. This natural process leads to the elimination of the disorder and its symptoms.

Such an approach has gained widespread recognition and is likely to become the primary treatment. It is currently used in leading medical centers worldwide, including the Mardaleishvili Medical Center. Highly skilled specialists perform the procedure safely and reliably with modern equipment, and the positive effects are evident soon after, making further improvement more likely.

Undergoing cell therapy can help a child feel more confident in their abilities!