Autism rate unbelievable

[OneShyLimeBird]

I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but the rate of autism has increased so much that I am doubting my own high functioning diagnosis, and the diagnoses of many others. The meaning of autism has expanded so much that virtually every other child has it. It used to be so rare, I’m not saying your child doesn’t have needs but you used to have to meet a much higher threshold to be diagnosed with autism that it’s now lost all meaning. It can’t all be autism.

The National Autism Society and BMA both say it’s 1 in 100 children have autism (not necessarily even diagnosed).

https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/population-health/improving-the-health-of-specific-groups/autism-spectrum-disorder

Many adults who would be assessed if they were children today are unaware, self diagnosed or late diagnosed.

It was a typo. I said every other child has it because there’s a number of them in every class and everyone seems to know someone who has it. It seems to be everywhere.
Stop barrating me for links @ThatSongFromTheBar you bully

It makes me angry still that I had to battle for a diagnosis that was so obvious, and it still took years of appointments with paediatricians, Ed Psychs, SALT and OTs. My friend’s child was diagnosed after a single zoom appointment during lockdown.

No ADOS assessment, no SaLT assessment, no detailed history taken, no school observation? No going away to discuss all the teams findings?

You're clearly either lying or don't have the full story.

And I’m of the opinion that if you can have a family, hold down a job and function in society that you shouldn’t be able to get an autism diagnosis. If you have difficulties it should be diagnosed as something else not lumped in with those who have high support needs. Not saying it doesn’t impact you or you don’t have issues but it’s really not on par with children who run off and have meltdowns etc, for example. It’s pointless saying you have autism now because everyone will know someone who’s got autism who can do everything, has a family, can drive, has a car, cooks, and is nothing like someone with higher support needs, who is very vulnerable. More labels will make things clearer for everyone and more accessible.

It was a typo. I said every other child has it because there’s a number of them in every class and everyone seems to know someone who has it. It seems to be everywhere.
Stop barratingmeforlinks@ThatSongFromTheBar you bully*

So not every other child then. What a surprise.

I asked you for a link once. How does that make me a bully? 😅

I disagree. Some of the most intelligent people are autistic and have jobs. They may also have families (autism doesn’t impact the ability to have sex). By your definition someone can have the same difficulties on Monday, be made redundant on Tueday, their partner can leave them on Wednesday and then they can be diagnosed on Thursday. It’s ridiculous. Fortunately medical professionals have a lot more sense.

I might've misread it.

I would have thought it depends on the individual, and perhaps how much of an issue sensory Vs social difficulties might be.

Again with tech, our AS DS has never paid it much attention compared to his ND brother.

There isn’t a link because one doesn’t exist (not from anywhere reputable anyway) and the OP is trying to have a stroppy deflection for being caught out.

Luckily, you're not in charge . Because ideally, we should be supporting and adapting and encouraging people with autism to live lives as good and fulfilling as they are capable of. Including having jobs and families if that's what they want and can do.

I guess you need to get a job where you can influence that then because your threads on mumsnet aren't going to change shit.

Out of interest, why are you so bothered by this? I have a child with autism and this doesn't bother me. 1 of my friends has 2 kids with autism at what people would say are 'different ends of the spectrum' (not that that's accurate). She's not offended that both her kids have been diagnosed with the same condition, despite being different.

They are functioning to hold down a job, involving communication, operate a vehicle on the road, using coordination and spatial awareness skills with the ability to pay attention to the danger around them, Form relationships with another person and have sex with them to create children and also raise them. It is ridiculous that someone can be diagnosed with autism but be able to do all of that. There should be separate diagnoses, because otherwise it’s getting to the point where autism is pretty meaningless and when you say you have autism, no one knows what you’re talking about because it doesn’t actually describe anything

Can someone please tell me why the term high functioning is no longer used? It seems as though people now find it offensive?

Oh and the ability to do something, is pretty irrelevant if you're paying a high price for it like meltdowns, autistic burnout , a string of failed relationships or jobs (even if they're in a good one now) etc.

Out of curiosity, do you apply the same rule to people with Down syndrome? If they have a job , then they can't possibly have Downs Syndrome?

But perhaps they can only functioning to hold down one particular type of job. Maybe they sit in their childhood bedroom, alone, busy coding all day and night and not interacting. Maybe they are raped and it was the only time they had sex, but get pregnant and keep the child.

If their lives are outside of what is deemed social norms, then that should be enough. Maybe we should go back a few generations and lock everyone with autism in an asylum and be done with it.

There should be separate diagnoses, because otherwise it’s getting to the point where autism is pretty meaningless and when you say you have autism, no one knows what you’re talking about because it doesn’t actually describe anything

Ah, so it's about you needing to put someone in a neat little box of what is 'wrong' with them.

sorry, but you don't need to know how my child having autism impacts them, Anyone that needs to know more than 'autism', such as an education setting or medical professionals, will have a copy of their report and can ask me questions. You can just keep your beak out because it's nothing to do with you,

Surely that rule would have to be applied for the OP’s logic to make sense. I mean, even some dead people still have an estate that brings in a significant amount of money so perhaps they aren’t actually dead either?

They did have to complete the questionnaires and there had been input from school. But that’s still nothing compared to a face-to-face appointment every month for five years before a diagnosis would be given.

The irony was that they accepted him and were treating him as autistic with S&L therapy, OT, Camhs support worker. They just stuck by the “We don’t like to attach labels” line, and adopted a ‘Watch and wait’ approach. As a result DS couldn’t be statemented and received no support from school.

I’m not for a second saying the new methods are wrong, it was just in response to the poster who said it’s still just as hard to get a diagnosis.

Two reasons.

First , because high functioning mostly relates to how the rest of the world is affected by your autism, rather than how you're affected by your autism.

Second, because people and society tend to be dismissive and minimising about it, imagining a Sheldon Cooper character (awww, isn't he funny and quirky) which translated into less support, funding , understanding etc. It's hard enough to get help and support anyway, now imagine you are deemed "functioning ", just fuck off and function then, stop bothering us. Look at OP's latest posts as a perfect example.

I disagree.

I agree. Its an excuse not to set boundaries.

The OPs ignorance and ableism is really showing now. The mask always slips.

trigger MH
The reason the diagnosis is vital is to access services. I do not have the extent of the needs of someone that has profound difficulties with all aspects of life.

My problem comes when anything even little things go wrong. I am frightened about the future when my parents are not able to support me. I think it is quite possible I would prefer to die of maybe a serious illness it my house to flood than ask a neighbour for help. If that sounds ridiculous and dramatic it is. I know that, but my brain just won’t do it. (Actually maybe id get help for the flood as would affect other homes.)

I would want to die at that point as long as both my parents were dead. My brain takes me to very dark places sometimes.

Ah ah ah. Don’t start accusing me of anything. You needn’t tell anyone “autism” if you don’t want anyone to know It is so hard to get PIP for autism or get help from services because autism is such a spectrum, and assumptions are made about your abilities or inabilities. It creates so much stress and worry, and would make so much more sense to have other terms for certain needs.

How would a clearly hfAS (Asperger's) six year old be eligible for an assessment let alone a diagnosis if they had to wait until they couldn't hold down a job or have a family? My DS had meltdowns but I sincerely hope and fully expect him to be a functioning member of society.

I'm not sure you've really thought this through.

My DS has an ASD diagnosis, and I know of 4 other children in his class that are diagnosed or awaiting assessment. I think it's down to a higher awareness generally, I suspect I'd get an ASD diagnosis and DH thinks he would also - however we don't see the point in going for them as we don't need any extra support, we're both happy, holding down jobs etc. I suspect 30 years ago at least 2 of the children in DS's class wouldn't have been flagged as having any needs, and I suspect my DS and two of his classmates would have been placed in a special school before reception.

I think there needs to be some type of tiering system rather than it all just being a blanket diagnosis of ASD (I know they did away with Asperger's), as I would personally describe DS's ASD as moderate (he has massive issues with transition, has had some awful aggressive meltdowns at school, we've recently agreed to go for an EHCP but he is verbal, plays with his sister, has active interests in things, is doing well educationally at school) and while it's significant and impacts our lifes, it's SUCH a different picture to my friend who has a non-verbal child who needed a special school place and visibly struggles so much with even just going into a supermarket. And equally they are both very different to children with ASD who largely cope with life quite well, don't need any extra support really in school or work and a long time ago would have probably just been described as 'a little bit quirky.'