Autism society

Is something going on with Autism generally? I watched a Channel 4 documentary recently and it was a bit cult like.

I definitely think so. It has become for some people a cool club to join. That's not to say someone who wants to join the cool club might not actually have it, but there is a lot of self-diagnosis and slagging off of "normies" and going on about your special superpowers, and puritanical policing of how you're allowed to phrase/refer to people. It mirrors the trans ID situation in some ways and of course as we know can often affect the same people.

Some people who have relatives with severe autism have raised objections that it ignores and sidelines the negative aspects of that, and that as you can claim to be autistic when you're barely any different from anyone else, it's losing its meaning.

Is something going on with Autism generally? I watched a Channel 4 documentary recently and it was a bit cult like.

Oh yes. Absolutely. It's a choice people make these days. 'Self diagnosed'

I am autistic and I hate that these idiots have a voice and think they can speak for me.

Autism activism has exploded on social media in the last few years and yes, there's a strong current of 'difference not disability' and frankly bullying tactics aimed at people/ groups that are seen to deviate from what is accepted autistic dogma according to these vocal activists. Gender is a part of the belief system as is the validity of self-diagnosis and policing of language to obliterate the notion that people are affected to differing extents. Functional labels are a big no no.

I'm autistic myself (late diagnosed) and tend to frequent online groups that look at all this anger with bemusement and alarm.

I have certainly seen a strong narrative that disparages 'neurotypicals' and creates 'them and us'. Those espousing this also tend to overlook all those who are not neurotypical for reasons other than autism - learning disability, adhd, tourettes, fasd, dyslexia, dcd, very high iq, brain injury, genetic syndromes, dyscalculia, BPD....

Is something going on with Autism generally? I watched a Channel 4 documentary recently and it was a bit cult like. And lots of very odd statements. Lots of them and us. And come and join us. Apparently people with autism 'are wired differently' with no explanation of what these 'wires' are. Felt a bit disparaging when they talked of 'neuro-typicals'. I'm no expert, only knowing one person with Autism. But the one person I know doesn't have some cool, fun identity thing. He has a serious disability which impacts his life and his families' life severely. The documentary just had a whiff of something uncomfortable about it. I'm sorry if this is rude to anyone. I would like to understand better.

"People are usually assigned a gender at birth according to their genitalia – male or female. "

How can you helpfully point out that sex and gender are two different things then immediately get them the wrong way round?! No gender is recorded at birth. Sex is. Dear me!