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.

Stimming not swimming.... doh

I think it would make sense to have ASD 0 and then sub headings. The same as we have with cancer. Cancer is the overall description, but everyone understands there is a difference between lung cancer and melanoma.

I see your point but to use an example - I'm entitled to use disabled parking spaces in my country. Parking is actually something that can trigger a meltdown for me and actually using disabled spaces would be a big thing for me. However, if there's the slightest risk that me taking a space would mean someone with profound autism (and eg was a flight risk with no sense of danger,) couldn't get one I would not question who should get the space. In fact I think I'd not go somewhere/drive home over taking the risk that I might stop anyone who has mobility issues using the space. Minor example, but an easy one to explain.

Goes for pretty much anything in my world. I can cope and I don't think my needs really trump those of anyone but piss takers!

@Atethehalloweenchocs
There are too many people with disabilities?
That's basically your complaint?
What shall we do with the excess then?
How do we choose who gets one or not?

Or

Is it that you and your mum were inconvenienced because there weren't enough disabled spaces.....?

@WithOneLook

I agree with your second point

The first point is bullshit

@QuitChewingMyPlectrum there is a wider question if we are getting to the situation where about 11% of children, and about a quarter of working age adults are diagnosed as disabled.

No, I strongly disagree. I have lots of relatives with ASD and it seems that almost all my friends and acquaintance either have it or have a child with it. It’s very mainstream compared to a few years ago.

I don't feel hostile towards people with autism/ADHD who are going about their lives. I feel annoyed by the number of people who self-diagnose and then start proclaiming to be experts on the topic and spouting nonsense like "here's a sign you may have undiagnosed ASD/ADHD..." followed by a list of things so vague that a good chunk of the population can relate and then they join the queue for a diagnosis despite happily living their life for 30, 40, 50 years without one.

I find it irritating when people claim authority about what neurodivergent people like or are like (as if there is just one universal experience for ALL people with ADHD or ASD).

Regarding it being "trendy", there is an increased trend for people to say things like "I'm a bit autistic about X". In the same way that there was a trend of people self-diagnosing as "a bit OCD" a few years ago, so in that regard, it is a "trend", but that is a separate thing to actually having autism (or OCD).

The diagnosis is an absolute minefield though. That's exactly why the NHS are less and less likely to accept a private diagnosis. It absolutely is diagnosed differently by different professionals, even those with the same qualifications. Especially when they are being well paid for diagnosis and are not responsible funding the treatment.

There are no benefits available simply for being diagnosed as autistic.

Some individual autistic children will qualify for DLA, however, if their needs are high enough.

We didn't buy a diagnosis, we paid for an assessment
We didn't want to be in a position of having to pay ourselves, would.much preferred to keep our savings and LA pay

Not a specific disorder.
Ed psych assessment assess all sorts of things and they score on a percentile (like the weight and height charts when babies)

If the score in a particular area then they have slow processing speed and the ed psych makes recommendations to how this should be supported in school

Is there private doctors in the UK who will give you a diagnosis of cancer and treat with chemo for those willing to pay for a diagnosis?

Thanks! That matches what I'd been told (relevant for my DS so I wanted to check).

The trouble is that trajectories vary so much and any kind of severity grading is highly problematic.
What might help is separate indicators for autism with and without a general learning disability.

Take my son. Very bright toddler. Knew all colours and could count to 20 by 18 months. Started school knowing all letter sounds. Two years ahead of anyone else in class in the HF words check at beginning of reception. Was a happy quirky bright boy at the top of his class when diagnosed age 8. You would probably have classed him as "mildly impacted" if you were grading.
Now as an adult he deals with severe mental health issues related to social anxiety and autistic burnout, spent 2 years in bed, have had him on suicide watch. No uni. No job. High level pip, social care support. Nothing mild about his autism.

Another friend has an autistic son who had terribly difficult behaviour to manage from about aged 7. Really angry and distressed. Went to specialist school in year 5, but switched to mainstream at A level. Now at uni doing really well, manages his behaviours fine. Was severely impacted, now is mild. Which is why functioning labels are problematic.

@DrRuthGalloway

Thank you for supporting us

I have no idea how I bought my dds diagnosis as I wasn't in the room when she was having her assessment so how I managed to get her to say all right thing not even knowing what they will ask her is beyond me.

Some of these posts are bloody depressing

Are you suggesting there is for autism? Evidence please?

It is quite common for people with ND relatives to also have predominantly ND friends (often because they are also ND! But not necessarily, they may simply e.g.: work in an ND-heavy field, have an ND-heavy hobby, or just not be scared away from making friends initially by traits which their family share).

There are also people who know no-one with a diagnosis, who move in different social circles.

Neither of these is really an accurate picture of the whole situation.

Absolutely not. I am saying it's ridiculous to say that professionals would diagnose cancer on someone who doesn't have it just he ause they pay private..it is equally ridiculous people saying you can just buy a autism diagnosis

Anyone handing out false diagnosis for any condition would be in a whole host of trouble

@BestZebbie about 3% of children have an ASD diagnosis. And many more are awaiting assessment. If you have children yourself, I would have thought it would be quite unusual not to know any children with an ASD diagnosis or awaiting an assessment.

@Againlosinghope Cancer has objective tests. Cancer cells are either present or they are not. ASD diagnosis is subjective. Does the distress and difficulties in certain situations meet the criteria for diagnosis of ASD.
You see the same with mental health conditions where people with long life mental health issues are sometimes given changing diagnosis over the years.

We either trust the professionalism and training or medical professionals or we don't

@Againlosinghope we know that is not always the case. There are lots of examples of that. For example with transgenderism we know some children have a thorough assessment, while others have an incredibly short superficial assessment. This is why when subjective tests have to be used it is always open to inconsistent assessments.

So NHS diagnosis of autism are also possibly fake?

Where do we start to find out which children are actually autistic if it's so subjective anyone with a diagnosis could be a fake autistic

I would not use the term fake. Some clinics both NHS and private have a much higher rate of diagnosis than other clinics. The first question is to research why that is.