As a person living with Autism to be fed up of all the weird and negative autism threads in the last few days?

[PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog]

Apparently, we are: stalkers, rapists (SW article thread), weirdos who pose threats to children (playing in street thread) non adults. I just don't get it and it makes me

Its a shame if people have been hurt.

There are behaviours that are caused by or a result of autism that aren’t easy, for anybody I am sure.

Ive actually found MN pretty helpful in understanding autism but I am talking historically there, don’t really know so much now.

I do think a lot of adults seem to be self diagnosing themselves as autistic - hard to say really. I think we forget that at heart autism is a communication disorder, other things may come about as a result of this but I do think this is often overlooked a bit.

It may manifest itself as a communication disorder but the science is much more complicated than that.

The self-diagnosis is frustrating, and in loads of cases is just a self-excuse for bad behaviour.

Understanding bad behaviour is fine but trying to justify it is a step too far.

I think the diagnosis of 'autism' needs to change. It's ridiculous that someone who can hold down a professional job, be married with children and advocate their own needs and wants has the same diagnosis, no difference at all, as someone who will be in nappies for life and cannot go out alone, or even be inside unattended and needs constant 24 hour supervision

That’s why it is called a spectrum disorder and some of the things you mention such as being in nappies and unable to be left alone could be due to other conditions alongside autism

@WhatAboutTheDesk Nope, very often it is it. My son just has an autism diagnosis. He will need 24/7 lifelong care.

I would be given the diagnosis of 'autism' now. I don't think that's appropriate - my diagnosis of Asperger's was better when it was given to me back in 2009.

It wasn't perfect no but to just use 'autism' as such a blanket diagnosis isn't right and needs to change

I agree.

Though Autism is a huge spectrum and less the 30 years ago those who are higher functioning who have jobs and families wouldn't have been recognised as having a disability.

Certain autistic traits can include unhealthy obsessions which include restrictive behaviours and obsessive reactions.

My DS is also autistic without learning disabilities he has a very high IQ.

My neighbours child is non verbal and enjoys licking and touching people, even strangers, he is 10, he took a liking to one of the DC on the street and he'd have a breakdown when she ran away he wanted to hold her and lick her.

He is not allowed out anymore because he is very strong too.

I am very conscious about DS and how he develops an interest in certain things or certain people and I have worked very hard teaching him, still not there yet.

I have thought about his relationships in the future, he is controlling, aggressive, repetitive and doesn't think about anything outside his own needs first.

The reason people recieve DLA/DCA for a child with ASD is because they need more care and sense of direction in RL.

We all got the diagnosis of ASD and very comprehensive reports detailing each area and functioning level so maybe it is different now ? I have one dc much more severely affected than my other children with asd, needs supervision and still in nappies much like the example you describe but the others do have significant struggles that an outsider may not necessarily see my eldest has a PT job and whilst there appears ‘fine’ but cannot function at home at all im her carer as she also has other conditions but she masks and then cannot function afterwards.
Another of my dc - non verbal and cannot cope day to day yet got level 9 in all gcses so ‘on paper’ fine but in reality cannot communicate at all

The amount of armchair diagnosis's on here is ridiculous!

DS neurologist mentioned there are many comorbidities alongside a diagnosis for ASD.

Including spd, dyspraxia, learning disorder, speech and language disorder, non verbal, selective hearing, non communicable.

My DS has horrendous balance and coordination/motoring skills he falls constantly he cannot walk in a straight line, he has whole body movements so he can't cycle a bike or use a scooter as his arms follow his legs, when he tries to peddle his arms do the same motion despite at least 20 private OT sessions.

He is also terrified of blood so minor falls with minor cuts result in hours of terrified screaming.

It’s not a blanket diagnosis, it’s a spectrum and each person will vary hugely as regards traits and neurodiversity as a whole.So no I don’t think anything needs to change. Almost impossible to start breaking down. Some people with autism won’t need any support, others will. Some very challenging traits can be hidden.The mental health difficulties many with autism have can be hugely life challenging.

I don’t think a diagnosis should be a gate keeper for support either. So many women and girls have historically been overlooked due to how it can present differently.Some males and females may just fall short of a diagnosis but have huge difficulties with neurodiversity as a whole.

@lookingformeavain totally agree.

It is used repeatedly on here when a pp has been really rude or unreasonable they'll say that they have autism and therefore any further disagreement is buried.

Agree.

I’m not autistic, but I find it incredibly annoying when every tale of negative or odd behaviour on Mumsnet is immediately met with comments like “Sounds like ASD” or “He’s probably on the spectrum” as if they believe autism is the default catch-all explanation for rudeness, fussiness, inflexibility, controlling behaviour, poor social skills, obsession, or even eccentricity. It’s so dismissive and offensive.

But there is no blanket diagnosis. You are told what your strengths and weaknesses are as an individual and each diagnosis varies hugely as does subsequent support which all too often is next to nothing. When doing a diagnosis everything from developmental history to the opinions of professionals and ADOS are taken into account. There is no blanket, every individual is so different.

Completely agree, OP. And unfortunately in my experience it’s reflected in real life too. Too many people are ignorant of what ASD can be like, that we aren’t all the same or present in the same way. And that wherever you are on the spectrum it’s fucking exhausting just getting through the basics of daily life.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean all twats are autistic. Or that if someone is behaving like a twat, you should jump to suggesting autism as the cause."

I think some are quick to put a diagnosis onto anything they can't control about their child. I think there's an overuse of labelling a dislike as an 'anxiety' or 'sensory' problem for example. Although that can be a sign of autism it's also quite common for NT people to just not like certain things or situations. There's a difference that's sometimes lost. I say this as someone with an asd child who's tired of hearing other mums who's otherwise fully functioning kids won't wear a hat or eat vegetables so they think it must be autism. Not necessarily.

Autistic here and haven't noticed.
But I don't come on to Mumsnet looking for it either

Perhaps this has stemmed from people casually saying their kid has this condition and that condition!

Errr no your kid just lacks boundaries. I've read many threads where people are like are you he/she......

It’s very annoying. I find it frustrating for myself and my son. I also hate the whole well you don’t look autistic. Well how does an autistic person look? Society seems to have put us in this box of what we are perceived to look and act like and if we don’t fit that then we are just making it up and if we don’t then explain how difficult it can be for us then we are attention seeking. I am at the point where I dont tell anyone about my autism and I try to avoid it about my son too. I can only imagine the comments. We didn’t have this in our day. Yeah because you had ect for anyone who seemed out of place. So annoyed with the threads because it shows how behind these people are with the times.

What can we expect on a site that has a long running thread on how shit it is to have Us as a partner?

It often comes from the plethora of desperate women who would rather excuse cuntish behaviour than lose their 'man'

For DS all we ever got was a single letter from the clinician. Some help in primary school, nothing throughout secondary, some help at uni.

I totally agree with others that some kind of categorisation might be helpful, something akin to the Paralympics perhaps.

I never got this. I just got a diagnosis, told to contact social services for help (great, suggest I contact an organisation who have no understanding at all of Autism) and NAS, who only care about children and their parents. Nothing at all for adults.