To think the terms "neuro diverse" and "neuro typical" will be short lived.

[theplatformedge]

Diversity means "a range of many people or things that are very different from each other" (Oxford learner's dictionary), so the idea that a minority of people are "neuro diverse" and everyone else is "neuro typical" is not only semantically illogical, but also potentially offensive.

We're all different. Some people have traits that make life more difficult for them than others, whether it be ASD, ADHD or a range of other conditions, with spectrums of severity. Telling people that you're neuro-diverse is so vague as to be meaningless, and telling other people they are nero-typical when you have no idea what they're feeling inside is insensitive. Some people get a formal diagnosis for their symptoms, some people self-diagnose and others don't recognise it in themselves. Nobody knows how many people are living with these traits across the population, but the massive increase in diagnostics suggests they're a lot more common than anyone ever thought in the past, and therefore gradually becoming very "typical".

Discuss! 🙂

@anarchicparadise

What’s the point in having a spectrum? Surely there will be people on the milder end of the spectrum?

'The spectrum' isn't a line we put people on whilst pitting them against each other

That is not how a spectrum works.

Expect to see an AIBU to educate you on what a spectrum is? Soon(ISH) I have ADHD and reserve the right to get bored and distracted.

I think part of the problem is assuming that NT is some uniform demographic

Within those classed as NT there will be people who find things easier or harder than others

So then you are using positions on a spectrum and somehow defining within certain bounds on that spectrum as NT and others ND

What exactly is "mild Autism"?

@YuleDragon
No one talks about Schizoid Personality Disorder now. The symptoms are indistinguishable from ASD but the diagnostic criteria re onset is different. SPD isn't fashionable, sounds a bit rubbish, though it's likely that some people diagnosed with ASD are more likely to have SPD.Is it OK to add it to your list of Neurodivergent conditions given that the lived experience of people with the two conditions is similar? What about the other PDs? Can people with EUPD/complex PTSD define as Neurodivergent? I don't understand why some conditions are considered neurodivergence and not others.

@TigerRag someone who holds down a job and has a family. They will have their own struggles. But the fact they can gold down a job without being fired, and make and sustain a relationship that leads to a family. means they can undertake some tasks well enough that others with autism could not.

Good lord almighty. This is exactly the attitude that means so many people with autism have a burnout/MH health breakdown at some point. It’s not that autistic people can’t do these things (I mean obviously they can) but that isn’t the measurement of how ‘autistic’ they are - it’s done out of expectation of fitting in, not because they’re happily managing to. Having a full time job and kids is exactly what caused the breakdown of my past relationship, as we hadn’t recognised that my ex was autistic like our children until it was too late. Holding it all together became too much, and what gave was his ability to execute functionality at home. Something always gives when the condition isn’t recognised for what it is wholly, rather than focusing on putting on a social performance to fit in.

Ah. This was me, until it wasn't.

I would class myself as having "mild" autism. (For context I was diagnosed as an adult). I've never actually phrased it like that but if pushed to answer then I would say that's what I have. I have however had huge struggles in childhood and teen life with social issues/ feeling the odd one out/ not having friends/ severe anxiety and self harm at times.
That doesn't change the fact I still consider myself "mild".
I own my own home. Have a good job. Have friends now (not many but I prefer my own company most of the time anyway). Have a partner (who also likely has "mild" autism but is not diagnosed) Wasn't able to have children due to infertility but could probably have raised them as succesfully as anyone else. So despite my struggles as a child and teen, I am functioning fine in adult life. Yes I mask a lot at work. And I need plenty of down time to recover from busy days. I still suffer with anxiety which I try to keep in control. I'm still terrible at making new friends but I try. I consciously stop myself talking about my interests to (at) people. I've learned to tell when people are bored!! But I believe my life as a 40 year old is so vastly different to a non verbal 40 year old who needs help with washing, dressing and feeding and will never live anywhere other than at home/ in a care home that I feel that classing what I have as "mild" makes sense to me.
I'm sorry if that offends anyone but it's just how I feel. My friend has a moderately autistic son and he cannot mask and his life will be hugely different to mine due to his issues.

Very few people with autism will have jobs and relationships not impacted hugely as they wouldn’t get a diagnosis if they hadn't been.

Really starting to wonder if some posters actually know how autism diagnosis works.

Why are we having to justify our autism, why is it not ok to pick apart other disability diagnosis but fine to do so with autism?

@AloeNora I have a disability. My job is affected by it as well. But I have it at the mild range. If it was more severe I could not work at all. Generally my aim at work is to keep my job and I do not find this easy with my disability.

But some people with autism will never work. Others will work but get fired a fair bit.

The legal definition of disability means anyone disabled has an impact day to day on their life. But there are degrees of impact.

The worst part for me is when I reported this thread 8 hours ago i knew I was wasting my time. I knew what was to come, and I knew MN would defend it.

It's like a rinse and repeat on here. I usually stay away from the goady ones, but sometimes I post thinking 'it's juts ignorance, they might learn something' but all that happens is the ignorance turns out to be arrogance and they argue with us, about us.

ronoi

I think we need to get some advice from elsewhere. It is shocking.

“The legal definition of disability means anyone disabled has an impact day to day on their life. But there are degrees of impact.”

So can we have the list please.

The DSM-5 Manual defines autism spectrum disorder as “persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction” and “restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests” (this includes sensory behaviour), present since early childhood, to the extent that these “limit and impair everyday functioning”.

DSM-5 explains that ‘severity’ levels may vary by context and also fluctuate over time, that the descriptive severity categories should not be used to determine eligibility for and provision of services, and that 'these can only be developed at an individual level and through discussion of personal priorities and targets'.

Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010
You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
The Equality Act 2010 doesn’t apply to Northern Ireland.

• What ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ mean‘substantial’ is more than minor or trivial, eg it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed
• ‘long-term’ means 12 months or more, eg a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection

There are special rules about recurring or fluctuating conditions, eg arthritis.

Not one of the autism diagnoses my children and I have could be described as mild. We were diagnosed under the NHS criteria as above which meets the definition of disability. My daughter has a team of support and enhanced PIP. Still working towards and hoping she’ll hold down a job one day. Doesn’t take much to get pregnant so not sure I buy having children as an indicator of severity.ND has had a catastrophic impact on my life in every area and my son’s soooo I defy anybody to call our autism ‘mild’.

I can call my own autism mild. I am diagnosed with severe ADHD and autistic traits. Plenty of us have an official diagnosis of autistic traits whether you like it or not, what does that make us!

It means you haven't met the threshold for an autism diagnosis.

Having autistic traits is not an autism diagnosis.You either have an autism diagnosis or you don’t. I have an ADHD diagnosis and an Autism diagnosis. I meet the criteria for both and don’t just have autistic traits.

Well as I believe autism and ADHD are the same thing anyway, it doesn't really make much difference to me. Science will catch up eventually.

I don't know if it helps but my 10 year old has a diagnosis of mild conductive hearing loss caused by glue ear. He wears hearing aids and has had 3 operations on his ears. We get told that he's not "properly deaf" about as often as my child with Aspergers syndrome gets told he is not "properly autistic".

I'm so sorry this has happened to you too.

YourTruthorMine

😂They really aren’t the same. There is some overlap of traits but they are different and that won’t change. I was prescribed med for ADHD. It won’t do anything for my autism.

What do you base this belief on?

They really aren't the same thing. For a start, ADHD can be medicated whereas Autism can't (obviously associated Anxiety can be treated)

There is so much misinformation and deliberate misunderstanding on this thread. As a PP says, it's the same old story every time with these threads.

What has made you come to that conclusion? What evidence do you have to substantiate that claim? I can only speak from experience, but I’ve known plenty of people who have ADHD but no distinguishable ASD traits, I also know a few people with ASD traits but not ADHD (though I will admit ASD seems more likely to have ADHD traits). To my mind and experience, they may have ‘crossover’ traits but certainly not the same condition.

elliejjtiny

Thankyou I really appreciate it. Haven’t experienced this in RL, it just seems to be on MN which is a big shock.