Autism

[lolly07766]

I know there are many threads concerning this subject, I've just read one now.
I have a son with severe autism, limited communication and obvious learning disabilities, aibu to think the diagnosis/description should be changed for high functioning people, as opposed to those who have serious disabilities.

Fully independently- so not replying on partners or other family members ? Your posts sum up exactly why things need to stay as they. Posters pushing their autism as the only valid autism.

Really unpleasant.

Why are you all arguing? I can't read this thread it actually hurts my brain too much.

I didn’t take anything out of context. You are the one being unreasonable with no valid argument.


Looking totally normal or not is a pretty big aspect of being autistic

No, actually, it isn’t. And it is very ignorant to say that.


The proof is in the pudding: they live fully independent adult lives, relationships, families and careers

Yes, the proof, the proof the vast majority actually don’t work. Even the vast majority of those, using your derogatory term, ‘modern autistics’.

You are the one invalidating others who have a diagnosis, not me.

Persistent difficulties in the triad of impairments that limit and impair everyday functioning is the diagnostic criteria. Daily living activities in general other than in the triad of impairments aren’t relevant to whether someone receives a diagnosis or not.

It’s ridiculous to suggest that even before the split that people with Asperger’s weren’t disabled and people who were autistic were.

Also yet again can I remind you that HFA do not by definition have LD regardless of their level of verbal communication.

The irony is @fluffyoverlord , if I look at the other post you made today where you have written a very sensible, measured and educated response to the poor woman whose husband is monitoring her 24/7, I could have concluded that actually you couldn’t possibly be autistic as the post appears to draw on genuine knowledge acquired from a formal education and or real life relationship experience. I almost can’t believe it comes from someone who claims can’t contemplate a relationship and struggles to complete Activities of Daily Living.

but that would be so wrong - how on earth could I possibly know how you are affected, what your struggles are despite the fact you wrote such and insightful post which I would have put down to a highly educated and trained individual.

I do find most of what you have said in this thread however absolutely abhorrent, ignorant and downright dangerous. but it’s good to see you can contribute constructively in other threads.

Hi, I'm sorry for the late reply. I hope you don't mind me saying but his traits/presentation do sound like they massively impact him without anxiety or with the right support for his autism in place. If he doesn't have ld and is being supported as he needs, is it not his autism that is impacting him now? Parallel play is an amazing step and he's still making progress with the professionals still wanting and expecting him to. These things should be celebrated. (I hope that's OK for me to say, we celebrate everything).

I do see that anxiety has a huge impact on some people with autism, I'm not denying that, but I still don't see it as part of the autism diagnosis if that makes sense? Like with your son the anxiety decreased with the right support for his autism put in place. If he'd been really lucky and everything fell in place for him earlier am I right that he wouldn't have had the anxiety the way he did? His autism is still impacting him. I'm fully aware my wording isn't great, I'm not being funny, I'm just exhausted and wanted to reply as I said I would earlier.

I'm realising from this thread that autism is just a massive variable thing and if you tried to split up the diagnosis into groups of people who are the same or even similar, there would be so many categories, nobody would remember what each of them mean. Unless you just have a list of symptoms and number them based on severity.

My Ds2 would probably like that, being diagnosed with autism 24532 or something, he loves numbers. My ds5 is similar to ds2 in some ways as he loves numbers too but he is also the opposite as he loves physical contact, whereas ds2 hates it.

Ds1 is mostly fine unless his routine changes or if he can't play his piano. He is 16 and I'm hoping he will be able to work one day but it will have to be something very flexible. Dh has a job but he is self employed and earns way less than the NMW. With ds2 I'm just taking it one step at a time. He has made it 2 years since he attempted suicide. With ds5 I have no idea about his future. At the moment, although his intelligence is average to high, I'm struggling to get him to understand that he shouldn't rub himself against everything he likes the texture of, especially if that something is someone's beard. And I have dyspraxia so I have a few autism traits that come with that but not enough for a full diagnosis of autism.

I've lost where I was going with this. But I needed to say that even though we are a massive diverse group who mostly don't understand each other, we must stick together and support each other. Because we are all struggling in our own unique ways.

Hi, sorry for my late reply. It's been a long day! Thank you for this. I can see why it helped you so much. I don't think my son is doing it necessarily for the same reasons but I do wonder if using a different language gives him more control in a way and making things more equal as we don't have a great understanding and use of the other languages either. We've always taken the assume competence view when it comes to his communication so we look at all his communication as he means it.

I love hearing his voice so I'm happy for any words in any language. I remember he said "oh shit" in school appropriately and the teacher was really happy and responded with "great language!" I feel that with the foreign languages, its more than a special interest for him Or something he's learning as rote or echolalia.

The criteria for diagnosis is “persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction” and “restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests” which “limit and impair everyday functioning” so yes ADL other than those included in the triad of impairments are irrelevant to the diagnosis. That is not the same thing as saying some people with autism don’t struggle with various ADLs or that their difficulties are irrelevant.

Or are you saying HCPs are now making up their own diagnostic criteria?

*Being unable to work would discount someone from being what I nickname as "modern autistics", but ok.


So now whether someone can work or not is the qualifying criteria? What about if they work, but can’t mask and don’t “look totally normal”, which category do they fit in to? Or manage to work with support?

I don't see how it would affect any of you in any way to have an alternative label, but it would certainly be beneficial for people more severely impacted to be separated.

How do you know who on here is “like you” and who is a “modern autistic”? You don’t.

Yes it bloody well is

No it isn’t. It is not part of the diagnostic criteria.

I cannot believe how glibly you can dismiss the benefits you get from passing as non-autistic

How the fuck do you know what I “pass as”?

You are ignorant and ableist as hell.

I’m not the one who is this, you are.

None of the tangible harm done by grouping together people with medium-functioning autism with people with super high function autism has been addressed by any of you.
What do you mean by this? You think it would harm an autistic with an IQ of 100 to be in a room with an autistic with an IQ of 135?

There is no such thing as ‘medium functioning’. People are either low functioning (i.e. IQ of below 70) of high functioning (i.e. IQ of 70+).

No one has denied your ‘reality’. Or minimised your difficulties. No one has said only those with a LD can be significantly impaired. In fact there’s many posts saying the exact opposite. You on the other hand have dismissed and minimised others disability.

Read my posts again. That is not what I posted. I did not post social and communication skills weren’t part of the diagnostic criteria, in fact I have quoted the criteria more than once. But difficulties in social and communication skills don’t make all people with autism look like anything.

No one has agreed with you because your posts are ignorant and nonsense, which is why you have been deleted.

If you think HCPs are acting unprofessionally then report them.

Your criteria for “modern autistics” is laughable. What if someone said well you can post coherently on MN so must be a “modern autistic”?


There are posters on here who rely on others to care for them or who have DC who do who disagree with you, you are just choosing to ignore them.

my fellow medium-functioning people

There is no such thing as medium functioning people!