How do people not "believe" in Autism?

[MissPollyHadADolly19]

Just that really, bit of a rant more than anything.
It's not the tooth fairy or Santa, it's a recognised disorder!!

Relative struggling with her DC who's on the spectrum and partner believes it's just shit parenting (obviously not from him cos he's perfect, only the mother gets blames of course )

How do people really not believe in Autism? Or any mental illness for that matter.

Sorry that was ambiguous
Leaving the EU is NOT a good thing

Here's the link for Tegretol aka Carbamazepine. It's certainly not marketed "for autism" - no drugs are.
www.nhs.uk/medicines/carbamazepine/

Many GPs are clueless about autism, if it was my child, I'd query that this type of drug was being prescribed for autism, because autism is not an illness and there's no 'cure' It's primarily for epilepsy and bipolar, neither of which AFAIK present anything like autism.

Often, anxiety levels can determine the presentation of autistic behaviours if the person is outside their comfort zone or not able to mask and I've heard of anxiety meds being prescribed for autistic children in some instances when the practical solution of removing as many if the triggers (stressors) as possible either isn't possible like in a school environment or is too difficult in some situations.

There have been quite a few references to the autistic spectrum upthread, here's the latest explanation about the meaning of the autistic spectrum, described by autistic people.
theaspergian.com/2019/05/04/its-a-spectrum-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/

Because some people are arrogant pricks who make massive assumptions about these things based on their own very limited understanding of things without bothering to do a shred of research. It is usually older people but not always.

Most older people have not grown up with autism being something they had heard of. For many people the first time they heard of autism was the film Rain Man. So not surprising some have a very poor understanding of it.
And it amazes me the crazy things people believe about all kinds of things. Crazy conspiracy theories about the moon landing or herbs that can cure cancer. So not surprising this lack of critical thinking applies to other areas as well.

Both of my DC have ASD, and yes it boils my piss that there are people out there who are that ignorant. Even members of my close family seem to think my kids just need a firm talking to and they’d miraculously get their act together.

Through my dc’s Diagnoses I have come to realise in no uncertain terms that I also have ASD, although I had no idea about this until my thirties when my eldest started having problems. Back in the early 90s when I was at school we just had to get on with it. And that was not a good thing. My mental health was terrible. Many years later, in counselling, I was describing how when I was 14 my dad used to pick me up and forcibly carry me out of the house to put me in the car and take me to school. I’d be screaming and crying and trying to cling on to door frames as they passed. My counsellor looked at me quizzically and said “but he still made you go?”, and that was the first time I ever thought yes hold on a minute, what the actual fuck? 23 years later my eldest dd was in the same position at 14 - not coping with school and mental health in rapid decline (year 9 is a classic breaking point for girls with ASD). So I took her out of school, kept her at home and let her decompress, battled for an EHCP and eventually got her in to a very small specialist autism unit for high functioning kids.

Could your relative's partner be on the spectrum himself? I've noticed that phenomenon a few times, i.e. that it's often the parent from whom the condition is likely to be inherited who is in denial.

Please look up 'virtual autism,' caused by too much screen time.

People don't believe in dyslexia. I had a teacher who didn't believe I had a hearing impairment, because I could "hear her" when I was facing her and knew she was speaking to me (ie I could lip read). Numerous people don't believe in Crohn's, UC, coeliac, CMPA, allergies, or even asthma that causes symptoms and can't just be warded off by the mere possession of an inhaler. And I have met people who think eczema is contagious, or due to poor hygiene.

There are some very thick, and very complacent people in the world, who are in for a fucking shock when they or their families develop health problems of their own.

I'm finding this thread really interesting. DS2 is ASD and we're currently fighting for an EHCP. Pre DS I only had a sketchy understanding of aspegers, adhd, autism etc. Like pp went to school in the 70s and 80s and don't recall children displaying any overt symptoms, certainly nothing like DS in major stim mode, so I can see why so many people are ignorant about all the different symptoms, types and signs etc. I suppose like any other illness or issue, until it hits you directly and you read up about something you just aren't aware of the details.

The problem seems to be that too many parents use the excuse "my child is Autistic, has ASD or more commonly ADHD" for poor parenting even though their child has never been diagnosed. I have had countless parents tell me thier child has ..... When asked who diagnosed them the glaze over and mumble. Unfortunately there are parents out there who push for a diagnosis as this can (and often does) mean more money from the benefit system or an extra bedroom through social housing, it also allows these parents to wash their hands of all responsibility and allows the child to do as it pleases. This is all extremely unfair on the children who are diagnosed and their parents who have a tough enough time.

Autism doesn't need curing but as with many mental health conditions it does need managing, medication can sometimes help.
But it ISN’T a mental health condition .

DLA is based on care needs not diagnosis. Saying a child has autism gets you nothing.

People like to blame parents because then they can believe nothing 'bad' can happen can happen to themselves.

My father is like this. It’s more that he thinks that “high functioning” ASD/ADHD are not sufficiently nuerodivergebt to require differentiation.

Lowlandlucky comments like yours don't help my severely autistic son.

I think we still have a lot to learn:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/amp/324945

I have read - and I don't know if it's true- that older fathers in particular are more likely to have children with autism.
Not sure if that's statistically true though, or just a theory.

I'll be honest and I'm truly ashamed to say it but in my total and utter disgusting ignorance i used to believe autism to be an excuse in many cases.

I now have a 9 year old son who is on the severe end of the spectrum, he still has no speech but is the most fun, loving and cheeky little monkey you'll ever be lucky enough to come across. I have truly learned my lesson and he's definitely made me a better person. Unfortunately many people who haven't had any real experience with autism don't truly understand what it is. They see snap shots of behaviour and make dangerous assumptions which only make the lives of families dealing with autism everyday more difficult.

Lowlandlucky

I'm autistic, I was at school in the 1990s.

I was called quiet, with underdeveloped motor and social skills.

I was told to work faster, concentrate more, and spend time playing with ball.

Now I'm in my 30s and still can't do any of those things, but we have a name for it now.

For PPs struggling to find the right labels, autism is not a mental health disorder, it’s a neurodevelopmental one.
I wasn’t diagnosed until my 40’s, and I’m a doctor!
Back in the 1970’s when I was a medical student, severely affected autistics were simply labelled as mentally handicapped and shut away in massive asylums. Our local one had 600 beds. That’s why older PPs don’t remember seeing autistics back then.
Milder cases (including me) struggled under the radar at school, with terrible anxiety, social isolation from peer groups, rigidly suppressed meltdowns until safely at home, but over achieving academically, so never deemed a problem by teachers.
The incidence may be increasing a little now with the rise in older parents conceiving, but I don’t think it’s massive.

Chouetted, and how are you getting on in life if you don't mind me asking?

DS is 25 and hardly leaves his flat (in supported living). He prefers to stay indoors and plays computer games all day!

He says this is the happiest he's ever been in his life.

The problem seems to be that too many parents use the excuse "my child is Autistic, has ASD or more commonly ADHD" for poor parenting even though their child has never been diagnosed. I have had countless parents tell me thier child has ..... When asked who diagnosed them the glaze over and mumble. Unfortunately there are parents out there who push for a diagnosis as this can (and often does) mean more money from the benefit system or an extra bedroom through social housing, it also allows these parents to wash their hands of all responsibility and allows the child to do as it pleases.

With all due respect which is zero considering the bullshit you've written this post is a load of rubbish. You know nothing about autism, parenting a child with autism, benefits related to disability, or the assessment and diagnosis process relating to autism. This embarrassing lack of knowledge shows in your post.

Please look up 'virtual autism,' caused by too much screen time.

Please provide a link to a peer reviewed article showing that "virtual autism" is not bullshit.

The two posts I've quoted show the levels of misconception, misinformation, and misunderstand that still exist when it comes to autism.

I didn’t hear the word ‘autism’ until I was nearly an adult but looking back, there were most definitely autistic children in my class at primary school. We just didn’t know that’s what it was called.

I remember one boy who couldn’t cope with not being the winner if there was any kind of class competition or prize to be won. Every time someone else won something he would cry and wail and hide under a desk devastated by how unfair it was that he didn’t get to win. I never understood why and it became one of those things that just happened... but looking back I’m positive he had some sort of ASD.