Anyone else noticing the uptick in open hostility towards people with ASD?

[FFSakeDrinkSake]

As the title says. It feels like it's open season recently. In the last few weeks alone I've seen many threads questioning the validity of Asd, the credentials of those diagnosing the condition, the 'explosion' of diagnosis', the 'fact' that you qualify for extra benefits if you are autistic and/or have ADHD, the apparent drain on resources kids with ASD have on the educational sector depriving others and most recently the idea that someone (self diagnosed) can 'outgrow' autism. Most of which contain the worst misinformation about what we're trying to deal with on a daily basis and making it sound like we're just trying to .. i dont even know tbh.. scam our way through life?

Disclaimer NATAAT.

@shrunkenhead maybe start by reading the thread? It's been explained several times.

Have you reported the parent to social services for FII? How do you know so much detail of their diagnosis process?

I think this must vary between areas. In our area the autism pathway is that school must refer the only place a go is mentioned in the NHS pathway is if the child is home schooled. Certainly when meeting parents who have tried this bears true too as they're bounced back to school...

A caveat to that is the Right To Choose Request but Gps are mixed in having heard of that it seems.

As I said, it's pretty obvious. Sometimes people on the outside see things much clearer.

And reported the psychologist for overturning a decision because the mother stamped her foot? Were you there to know this? And if so why?

And I very much doubt it's a regular thing that HCPs risk their livelihood by doing that!

And as is proved in your example the parent can try to fake autism in their DC but the professionals will see through it.

All this thread does is make clear that people who have no experience of autism do not understand it at all and are relying on trite stereotypes. My daughter could manage to go to an airport and a water park so she must be faking ASD, even though she can barely attend school, has almost no friends and can't speak to anyone outside the family.

Mine both saw a paediatrician initially. Then one was assessed by a paediatrician and SLT. The other by an Ed Psych, OT and paediatrician.

No. Whilst they're the only clinicians who can diagnose, they aren't the only clinicians who work closely with people with autism and those on the pathway. And with NT patients. Dismissing other professional opinions isn't helpful. Not is burying your head in the sand.

I've been discussing thos thread with my dh this evening.

We've actually come up with a couple of real world examples where the increase in dx for people with what would have been aspergers/ hf autism or trauma/ misdiagnosed mh etc.

The first is theme parks but more broadly other venues with access arrangements. Ds has a merlin pass (we've had them for over a decade so seen many changes). Recently merlin have had to limit the number of people who qualify for ride access (you get timed out for the real queue length but can do what you want in that Time, then ride). Initially it was people with mobility issues and those with very complex needs (severe autism/ ld) that you would see in the queue. Now there is a hell of a lot of families who are nd/ have an nd member. Truthfully this is joked about and made fun of as some of them clearly don't need the pass (are quite verbal about it being free fast pass). Disney World has gone the other way only giving das to those with severe autism/ ld.

Another example is small breaks offered by the la or inclusive activities which are geared mainly towards hf/ aspergers nd and don't cater for other disabilities. More than likely due to the number of kids with nd. There is much bad feeling about this locally as people with hi/ vi/ reduced mobility miss out too as well as those with severe autism/ld.

Verbal/ highly communicative people with autism saying that nt parents of kids with severe autism shouldn't advocate or don't understand their children as well as they do even though their life experience is nothing like what said child's is. There is big divide in the autism community over this and much bad feeling and anger. Likewise the divide between it's a part of their make up/ other ability vs it's a disability.

People who do horrific crimes who then suddenly use their autism or probable autism as an excuse even though they've lived independently prior rather than going down the mental health route.

Celebrities using it to further their careers under the guise of raising awareness. Rarely the type of autism our family has experience of.

My personal nit pick is the sunflower lanyard. They annoy the life out of me. They're so overused, they're meaningless (a bit like the autism dx in my opinion- it means so many different things to so many different people).

This isn't meant as offensive although I'm sure it will be to some, it was just as a thought as to some real examples of where the hostility is based.

NONE of the threads on here targeting autistic people are helpful. They are full of profound and wilful ignorance, and nastiness dressed up as ‘discussion’. Suddenly everyone and their dog thinks they’re an expert and has a ‘valid’ opinion on who is deserving of a diagnosis, how it’s done, that the criteria is wrong, that you can just buy a diagnosis if you fancy it, what it’s like to be autistic, why autistic people sharing their experiences are wrong, which of us deserve support and which of us should simply ‘grow out of it’, which of us are faking it because we can do something you’ve decided we shouldn’t be able to do if we were doing autistic correctly, that we’re now just like TRAs for daring to try and advocate for ourselves……it goes on and on. Every single thread that targets autism descends into this. When will you all move on to another marginalised group? Because I’ve had enough of this now.

Should have said where the increase in dx is causing hostility. I can't edit.

Exactly.

I can only conclude some people loved having such an advantage over ND people in the past, and hate the small steps being taken towards evening the playing field a little.

I feel really sad when I think of how children with ASD and ADHD must have suffered at school in years gone by - I don’t just mean in our school days (I was at school in 1983-97) but in our parents time and before, when teachers could be incredibly cruel to children 😢

You use The Good Doctor as a character who really functions well with autism? Really?

How on earth would you as a stranger know if someone needs a RAP? And how charming you making fun of disabled people.

@SummerDays2020 the good doctor functions very well co.pared to some people with autism.

I never said I made fun of disabled people I said it is joked about there is a subtle distinction. Yes, I do believe not everyone with rap needs it, if you saw the wickerman rap queue when that first opened (over 3 hours) or the vampirerap queue at times, it proves the point.

Clearly I hit a nerve.

Incidently these were examples of why hostility is increasing.... the subject of the thread.

We use rap. I have an oxbridge degree and my kids are likely to ace exams (if they manage to stay in school that long)

We still need rap and you wouldn't know that from looking at us!!

Well according to previous posters, these people do not exist! But i completely agree with you, and i say that as a mother of two autistic dc and who has a diagnosis myself!

Having worked as a HCP i can tell you that many HCP's still don't believe fibromyalgia exists! Its known as the workshys illness of choice along with " mental health problems".

Yes, he does function better than some people. Yet he has extremely significant issues that impact his whole life. You can hardly say he functions very well.

Yep, you hit a nerve - 'joking' about disabled people will always hit a nerve for me!

I myself know a child like this! Awful home life and shit parents and they essentially paid for a diagnosis of ADHD. His behaviour is a result of his home life and lack of parenting not a medical condition!

Exactly. Some people really do not understand the meaning of 'hidren disabilities' - it means you can't tell!

@GeneralMusings that's kid of my point. Previously it was very obvious that the people using rap were disabled now there are that many people using it that you have to book a park date in advance with more nd/ mh using it as a reasonable adjustment. For those who have seen the change or for those who have obvious/severe needs it can create resentment/ hostility.

I have heard people in the queue swapping wristbands (previous system), using someone else's card(previous system with no photo) or getting two time out cards. Staff were abused if they didn't issue them on demand without proof or without the right proof hence the changes to Nimbus and prebooking.

I'm also aware of certain Facebook groups that tell you how to get rap, some that tell you how to use others documents or argue with nimbus. So no I really don't believe everyone in the rap queue needs the accommodations.

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