Is it ASD that frequently?

[EverybodyWakeUp]

And if so, why is this the case? It seems that in modern society we're heading towards so many diagnosis of ASD, that we might have to change our thinking and perhaps being neurotypical is not necessarily the norm?

Are there other things that explain traits/symptoms more accurately, like the way our society is, our education system, life pressures, etc?

I hope I am not offending, truly not my intention. I really want to understand more. I am a true supporter of diversity but I feel puzzled that some forms of ASD, say what used to be Aspergers, can be classed as a disability.

If my post offends it truly is because I haven't explained myself properly and I apologise in advance. Any good articles/websites/books on this would be welcome.

Here you go

Yes your post is offensive.
Yes things like Asperger's is a disability.
Hope that helps.

I don’t think OP is offensive, I think it’s a genuine request to gain more understanding. These days, it can be difficult sometimes to know and understand what the various forms of disability might be. And whether they are more prevalent than was previously the case.

It is okay to ask questions. There does appear to be an explosion of people being diagnosed (or self-diagnosed) as having ASD or ADHD. Perhaps that is due to better systems of diagnosis or maybe it’s something else? Why can’t we have these conversations?

Couldn't agree more.In fact what's happened is that we just got better at spotting it and this will increase and so we will find most likely it could even be 50/50 so 50 %of population neuro typical and 50%atypical etc..it is very difficult to spot in weomen girls for various reasons so a lot go undiagnosed. But as a parent who has a son with aspbergers whom I love to the moon and back I have come to ask that question like you..which is..hang on a minute this is unfair that I make my son the odd one out ..how would I feel if I were the odds one out..and when you ponder on the actual stats being as I said possible 50/50 it makes you realise that the perspective should change. So for example supermarkets should be dimly lit or other such things like that to help..i mean if you think about it..how unfair is a shop that doesn't have a lift and assumes everyone is able bodied etc

I don’t have any statistics on prevalence but when I think of some older relatives of mine- they probably would be diagnosed with ASD if they were children today. School was really tough for them- excessive discipline to try and make them more ‘normal’ and subsequent low self esteem in adulthood. So my guess is there’s always been similar rates of ASD, lack of understanding and diagnosis just meant more suffering in the past.

I don’t think it’s offensive.

There are also a lot of autistic people who feel passionately that they don’t have a disability or disorder, that it is a ‘difference’ instead.

Whereas others do agree with the medical model of a disability.

Thank you. Most of you have helped me express something better than I have. I guess that's what I want, to have the conversation.

I assume what you mean is "I wonder what percentage of people are neurodiverse vs what percentage of people have a diagnosis saying that they are neurodiverse. "

It is an interesting question.

I wonder about this a lot. I also wonder if in some cases a diagnosis makes things a bigger problem than they need to be. Equally, I wonder if a lot of mental health issues could be understood better with a neurodiversity lens.

This! @WinterStepThisWay re: mental health issues.

We cannot talk about mental health, particularly when we talk about young people, without talking about neuro-diversity.

Yet, some of the same people who love to bang on about “It’s good to talk/my door is always open/reduce the stigma” etc. are the very same ones who are dismissive about “labels”, “self diagnosis” and so on..

When I first started on ADHD medication, as an adult, I was astonished by the way it turned down my anxiety levels (I actually didn’t know I was constantly in that state, it had become normal to me)

When I saw my psychiatrist again, when I asked him “Why isn’t this given to everyone with anxiety? It could help them so much!”. He explained that for someone with a non-ADHD brain, it wouldn’t have that relaxing effect (it could actually make them worse)

But he went on to say that, in his opinion, around 50% of people who have been diagnosed with anxiety actually have ADHD.

So, think about that for a moment… the amount of people of anti-depressants (which are prescribed for anxiety as well) that do not work. Who would benefit from different medication.

Think about the amount of adults who are diagnosed with depression, who feel like they are failing at life and don’t know what it wrong with them. On anti-depressants that do not work. Having CBT that does not change the way they think. They are actually autistic though, they just don’t know it.

I wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult. I'm in my 50s and female. There simply wasn't diagnosis for people like me when I was younger.

Also. I am very definitely disabled by my ASD. I just am good at masking.

www.healthline.com/health/autism/is-autism-a-disability

I have a diagnosis of ASD.

I definitely feel disabled by it.

CAVEAT: this is about MY autism. I am not in any way trying to speak for any other autistic person

I know you are not intentionally being offensive but as a diagnosed autistic person I do find your post uninformed and unhelpful. But as I say I recognise you are not being deliberately so.

the problem is that autism without learning difficulties (Asperger’s, which is my diagnosis) is that people infer that because they (the non-autistic person) are not necessarily impacted by the autistic person (well, they probably think they are annoying/blunt/ aggressive or something) the assumption is made that the autistic person is not massively impacted either.

As I say, speaking about my OWN autism (though from speaking with others think many feel this way) but I am definitely disabled. The main reason for that however is the (often unintentional) bah jour of non-autistic people. I was outcast and bullied at school, at university and in the workplace. I never ever understood what I was doing wrong. I don’t think ie as doing anything particularly wrong, but I just didn’t know how to fit in and confirm which is what neurotypical society really wants.

I am currently have a major breakdown. My MH is shot, I’m signed off and if it wasn’t for my wonderful husband and kids I really wouldn’t see any point of carrying on. It is just exhausting having to mask, to analyse everything to make sure you are responding appropriately, having people assume you are happy and confident when you are feeling lonely and rejected.

i think MNHQ have a lot to answer for with regard to facilitating the perpetuation of autistic myths not least by allowing a series of threads which imply all autistic people are terrible partners (even though most partners are undiagnosed). So many poor and abusive behaviours are put down to autism and others come along and read and say “everything resonates” and that they now strongly suspect their partner is autistic. It’s desperately unfair.

so I suspect there is a vast amount of armchair diagnosis. I don’t think the ratio will be anything like 50/50. But there is so so so much misunderstanding that the e water is going to become muddier and murkier before some clarity is gained and there is better understanding.

and just one final point - high-functioning autism (HFA) simply means an IQ of over 70 ie no learning difficulties. It doesn’t mean high intelligence, no disabilities etc. so when you read about someone describing an autistic person as “very high functioning” you should assume the rest of what they say is misinformed crap - they have told you that they understand fuck-all about autism, and/or the are deeply prejudiced.

I think people just didn't get diagnosed. We are a lot more aware of it now. Hopefully that will mean that support will be a lot more available. Sadly, I think that won't happen and it'll be a 'well lots of people have that' situation.
My mum is in her late 50s and she would've definitely been diagnosed as autistic if she had been born now.

Correct diagnosis for my son was worst actually..he diagnosed Kate at 18 and I had no idea so we were blindsided and I think being hit by a wrecking ball may have been a more gentle experience than what we went thru..it caused absolute devastation...my son told me he wanted to attempt suicide that's how it made him feel being diagnosed etc..tbh it was not carried out well at all sorry nhs but that's the truth. I would say anything to do with this topic needs to be handled privately re diagnosis or labells etc and professionals who are in touch with how it is in the modern day with the resources etc. You could say it's a bit like I'm gonna make a pizza and I have no.idea how to make it I don't have correct ingredients and when it come out the oven is it all f@@"%d up? Sorry for my crude analogy

Typo not Kate..meant he diagnosed very late..handled very badly all round .

I am a true supporter of diversity

Are you now?

I feel puzzled that some forms of ASD, say what used to be Aspergers, can be classed as a disability.

Do you now? What makes you think it shouldn't be classed as a disability? If you find this puzzling then you clearly have no fucking idea about ASD and should probably keep your mouth shut if you don't want to offend.

I have ASD (Aspergers). It is disabling to a significant extent. But I wouldn't say I had it worse than someone with ASD who needed significant care, for example (although I need a lot of help to live "independently").

Fwiw I sometimes think the modern world (phones, social media, noises planes cars, bright lights, always being "on", bigger classes, schools, hospitals, people blaring music and games outside and on trains constantly) and modern social demands make ASD more noticeable. I grew up as an (undiagnosed) "odd" child but without too frequent meltdowns in a small and quiet country community. Living in a city and having a modern job was nearly the end of me with frequent meltdowns and breakdowns, neglecting personal care, likewise living on a busy, noisy estate. Lockdown was a revelation. I am now diagnosed and scored very, very highly for ASD traits on tests.

We've moved out to the country, changed my job and now I live with someone, I have much better support in place.

My grandad likely also had ASD and he bumbled through life relatively well due to being born 100 years ago and living in a small quiet community.

The thing is, at least once a month someone asks this question. Often, their subsequent posts show they’re intention wasn’t quite as innocent as they first made out. I’m not saying that’s the case with OP.

There is a lot of information if you google regarding ASD and as to why numbers seem to be increasing. I do wonder that if people are genuinely really curious about this, why they don’t read reports and research from experts in this field.

Instead, we end up with many posts saying or hinting at ‘anyone can get a diagnosis these days, they’re given out like sweets’. Anyone that has had experience of diagnosing ASD will know it’s a thorough process.

THEIR intention

I think you are so right about modern life! I had never considered that before - thank you for sharing that

Autism is more prevalent than people first thought, but it's also picked up earlier now, so that makes it seem even more prevalent. I'm autistic. So is my son. Our autism looks completely different on us both, but we both have certain thing in common, for instance I was in Sainsburys just now and they tested the fire alarms, which really freaked me out. But I'm so good at masking I just freaked out very quietly in my own head. If my DS had been there he'd have run out of the shop.

My son has aspbergers and my sons father has aspbergers and my best friend has aspbergers...I would like you to explain further what you mean as please understand these are people in my life that I dearly love and I would appreciate being informed and not ignorant as it helps me and my relationships with my loved ones.