--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Autism is defined by looking at…" description: "\"Autism is defined by looking at behaviors. And everybody looks at behaviors differently.\" — John Donvan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/john-donvan-53291_autism_autism-is-defined-by-looking-at-behavior_3154141.jpg" --- # Autism is defined by looking at behaviors. And everybody… ![“Autism is defined by looking at behaviors. And everybody looks at behaviors differently.” quote by John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/john-donvan-53291_autism_autism-is-defined-by-looking-at-behavior_3154141.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/john-donvan-53291_autism_autism-is-defined-by-looking-at-behavior_3154141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/john-donvan-53291_autism_autism-is-defined-by-looking-at-behavior_3154141.jpg) > “Autism is defined by looking at behaviors. And everybody looks at behaviors differently.” [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It explains that autism is diagnosed by observed behaviors, which are interpreted differently by each observer. **In simple terms:** Autism diagnosis depends on subjective behavior interpretation. Key Takeaway Seek multiple perspectives when assessing behavior. Themes neurodiversity diagnosis perception autism Mood thoughtful informative Type educational reflective When to use this quote - school evaluations - medical appointments - parental observations - research studies Key Concepts behavioral analysis subjectivity clinical practice Questions to Reflect On - How can assessment be made more objective? - What biases affect behavior interpretation? A Different Perspective Different observers may misinterpret behaviors, leading to inconsistent diagnoses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) ## Related quotes > [There are disagreements over whether autism is something that should be always and all the time embraced and celebrated as just a different way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donvan/there-are-disagreements-over-whether-autism-is-something-that-should/) [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) > [Social interactions can be enormously challenging for people on the spectrum. That's part of the reason that unemployment among autistic adults hovers near 80 percent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donvan/social-interactions-can-be-enormously-challenging-for-people-on-the/) [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) > [“It is the leader’s job to lead by example and enforce the values and the behaviors to set the culture for any company or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ramsay/it-is-the-leader-s-job-to-lead-by-example-and-enforce-the-values-and/) [Beth Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ramsay/) > [Leaders are not modest, and more importantly, the extensive social science research on narcissism, self-promotion, and similar constructs shows that these qualities and behaviors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/leaders-are-not-modest-and-more-importantly-the-extensive-social/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [“For design thinkers, however, behaviors are never right or wrong, but they are always meaningful. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-brown/for-design-thinkers-however-behaviors-are-never-right-or-wrong-but/) [Tim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-brown/) > [You can learn what you want to learn through hard work. And a good employer will teach you what you want to learn as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-chertavian/you-can-learn-what-you-want-to-learn-through-hard-work-and-a-good/) [Gerald Chertavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-chertavian/) > [“It’s extremely unlikely you will be magically transformed from a mediocre or average people manager to a Satya Nadella or a Ratan Tata. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binod-shankar/it-s-extremely-unlikely-you-will-be-magically-transformed-from-a/) Binod Shankar > [You, I, we all encounter behaviors that we might say, I wouldn't do that. But she has a huge amount of contact with how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-andrew/you-i-we-all-encounter-behaviors-that-we-might-say-i-wouldn-t-do-that/) [Prince Andrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-andrew/) > [Learned behaviors have replaced the biologically given ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/learned-behaviors-have-replaced-the-biologically-given-ones/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“It is the leader’s job to model and enforce the values and behaviors that make up the company culture. “Model” the behaviors is key.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ramsay/it-is-the-leader-s-job-to-model-and-enforce-the-values-and-behaviors/) [Beth Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ramsay/) > [“Police officers are well known for their aggressive behaviors, search "Police Officer Angry Aggression Theory". I can speak from personal experience that they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/police-officers-are-well-known-for-their-aggressive-behaviors-search/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“If your child had only your behavior to watch, what would he see? Which of your behaviors does he copy most? Smoking a cigarette?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-borba/if-your-child-had-only-your-behavior-to-watch-what-would-he-see-which/) [Michele Borba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-borba/) > [People are not their behaviors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/people-are-not-their-behaviors/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Although our inattention can contribute to our lack of total well-being, we also have the power to choose positive behaviors and responses. In that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-anderson/although-our-inattention-can-contribute-to-our-lack-of-total-well/) [Greg Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-anderson/) > [I think the word 'soul' - it depends on what you define by 'soul.' If you're defining it as a mystical aura that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-nicolelis/i-think-the-word-soul-it-depends-on-what-you-define-by-soul-if-you-re/) [Miguel Nicolelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-nicolelis/) ## More by John Donvan > [Social interactions can be enormously challenging for people on the spectrum. That's part of the reason that unemployment among autistic adults hovers near 80 percent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donvan/social-interactions-can-be-enormously-challenging-for-people-on-the/) [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) > [There are disagreements over whether autism is something that should be always and all the time embraced and celebrated as just a different way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donvan/there-are-disagreements-over-whether-autism-is-something-that-should/) [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) > [Adults don't get nearly the attention and support the kids do, maybe because they're not as cute or because people forget that autism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donvan/adults-don-t-get-nearly-the-attention-and-support-the-kids-do-maybe/) [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) > [I don't sense that people are loving the adults the way they have learned to love kids, because the truth is, they're not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donvan/i-don-t-sense-that-people-are-loving-the-adults-the-way-they-have/) [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) > [Over the years, autism has almost been a diagnosis in the eye of the beholder, which allows for all kinds of arguments and dissension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donvan/over-the-years-autism-has-almost-been-a-diagnosis-in-the-eye-of-the/) [John Donvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) [Explore all 6 John Donvan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donvan/) ## More Autism quotes > [“We know that children with autism like order, that they are often very visual and that they can be quite literal. They deserve beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-devine/we-know-that-children-with-autism-like-order-that-they-are-often-very/) [Adele Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-devine/) > [In fact, when we as neuro-typical people encounter a person with autism spectrum syndrome who's always been that way it is that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/in-fact-when-we-as-neuro-typical-people-encounter-a-person-with/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [If you give us a safe vaccine, we'll use it. It shouldn't be polio versus autism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/if-you-give-us-a-safe-vaccine-we-ll-use-it-it-shouldn-t-be-polio/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) > [Autism is a big continuum, going from someone who remains nonverbal, all the way up to geniuses on Silicon Valley. And some kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/autism-is-a-big-continuum-going-from-someone-who-remains-nonverbal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Metaphor isn't just a fancy turn of speech. It shapes our thoughts and feelings, reaches out to grasp new experience, and even binds our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-richardson/metaphor-isn-t-just-a-fancy-turn-of-speech-it-shapes-our-thoughts-and/) [James Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-richardson/) > [The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we need to find out what's happening. We know there's a genetic component,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-emken/the-position-of-autism-speaks-has-been-for-quite-awhile-that-we-need/) [Elizabeth Emken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-emken/) > [Some people with autism who don't talk, all they hear are vowel sounds. Like if I said 'cup,' they might just hear 'uh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/some-people-with-autism-who-don-t-talk-all-they-hear-are-vowel-sounds/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/children-must-be-taught-how-to-think-not-what-to-think/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Mild autism can give you a genius like Einstein. If you have severe autism, you could remain nonverbal. You don't want people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/mild-autism-can-give-you-a-genius-like-einstein-if-you-have-severe/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“The autistic mind is not the wave at the surface of the ocean, but the whole world that exists below.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krissy-bells/the-autistic-mind-is-not-the-wave-at-the-surface-of-the-ocean-but-the/) Krissy Bells > [In the person with autism, the brain may already be seeing the part and be less distracted by the whole, and in the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/in-the-person-with-autism-the-brain-may-already-be-seeing-the-part/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [I think that the definition of autism is too broad. You got to remember, autism definition is a behavioral profiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/i-think-that-the-definition-of-autism-is-too-broad-you-got-to/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [There is a small segment of people with autism that have savant skills, where they can memorize entire maps of whole entire city. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/there-is-a-small-segment-of-people-with-autism-that-have-savant/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [When you have autism or aspergers, it's so hard to get a social life but trust me, in the end everyone can achieve at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia/when-you-have-autism-or-aspergers-it-s-so-hard-to-get-a-social-life/) Lia > [“Unfortunately, by this time it didn't matter. Self-diagnosed autistics and fakers were asking diagnosed autistics whether or not they had a diagnosis, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-d-taylor/unfortunately-by-this-time-it-didn-t-matter-self-diagnosed-autistics/) [Thomas D. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-d-taylor/) [Browse all 621 Autism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Autism is defined by looking at behaviors. 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