To think autism gets worse with each generation

[eastereggg]

Genuine question.

Why does it seem that autism gets worse with each generation?

Example: a mother is a late diagnosed autistic but her child is very clearly autistic and displays much more severe characteristics than she did. The grandmother would probably be diagnosed autistic today as well.

There seems to be a recurring pattern that I'm seeing where autism is getting more severe with each generation. Is there an explanation for this?

I don’t agree that no autistic person is “doing great”. What does “doing great” even mean in this context? Is the aim supposed to be you aren’t autistic because NT is “great”. Annoying.

There may be some truth to this, in some circumstances. My daughter, for example, isn't biologically mine - she is not ND in any way (we've verified this). However, she displays some very strong autistic traits to the point where her public-sector employer is constantly nudging her to seek ND accommodations. You could almost say that I trained her to seem autistic (unintentionally, obviously, since my diagnosis came long after she left home).

This is quite the source of mirth in our family, because...well, you have to kind of laugh about these things because the alternative is much less appealing.

I'm going to use that about no autistic person is doing great. My ds1 looks like he is doing great from the outside but struggles a lot. His grandparents eye roll when he talks about getting PIP and think he is just a bit quirky.

I have a son who has a condition similar to downs syndrome. He is socially streaks ahead of my autistic dc, despite his learning disabilities.

I'm Autistic, as are my twin daughters. We all present differently.
I do think the diagnostic criteria have become too broad, which I don't think is helpful.

OK, to be more specific - achieving the same goals as an NT person in society is more difficult for (almost) any autistic person compared with that notional NT person's effort levels.

I'm talking about the usual stuff that was mentioned earlier in the thread - finding a partner, getting married, having children, holding down a job, managing general "life stuff". Sure, we can sometimes get there with accommodations that make it easier, but we still usually have to fight for those accommodations in the first place, or rely on finding people who're willing to put in the effort to support us.

They might, yes. But they absolutely do not have to.

My husband's diagnosis and my own are not recorded with our GP whatsoever, for instance. My son's is, but only because we made that decision and allowed for it, as we thought it might be helpful in relation to his EHCP. It is a personal choice and actually, in our case, the default from our private company (presumably due to GDPR) was to NOT share the data with anyone (even GP) unless we gave express permission.

Remember, due to GDPR the data sharing landscape has changed massively over the past few years, and I know how much that has impacted upon research. Stats can be useful, but when you delve into them and understand where they actually come from rather than blindly accepting them, the reality can be very different. I'm not saying that is definitely the case here - but I am questioning the data source and pointing out that every single year there are more and more private diagnoses being made - and anyone can surely see how that would affect data. Just worth bearing in mind.

You are talking about passing for NT and achieving NT milestones. Is that something we want to describe as “doing great”. Doing great isn’t not being autistic or even a sensible measure. Are blind people “doing great” only if they can see?

Yes! Thank you! I was just mulling that over and you have said exactly what I was thinking (but coherently!).

And actually, taking that a step further... why, even for a NT person, should 'doing great' include all these things? It's fine to not want children, for instance (like some of my NT friends who are, in my opinion, 'doing great'). Sorry, digression from the main issue, but didn't want to ignore.

How would the nhs know if you were employed?

Another very good question! 👌

I was specifically responding to the poster who categorised everyone who's managed to do those things as having "great lives" and therefore not being autistic. I didn't choose the term or their definition, I was just replying to it.

It’s obvious autistic people do marry and work and procreate but it’s not the majority experience. The vast majority lead far more impacted lives. (Some of those lives are great and they are still autistic)

My autism (diagnosed as Aspergers) and DD’s are near identical in struggles and issues. DS (the younger child but born when I was just 32 so not an older mother) is more severe but still in mainstream school and has friends, gets 8/9s etc. anecdotally therefore, for me, it varies!

I don't think the data on employment lines up either, but having been an autistic person who worked, and now and autistic person that doesn't work, how can they staticise those of us who have lost the capacity to work but worked full time previously. It's a question that plays on my mind.

I also feel like there is further data that they just can't collect like how many autistics are employed that are happily employed. I don't mean like their job, think the benefits are great etc. I mean how many autistics are employed within that statistic because they have no option but, like me when I was employed, had significantly poor mental health, couldn't pick up on the teaching materials they provided, couldn't do tasks in a timely manner and ultimately lead to sanctions despite fighting for reasonable adjustments and ending up taking time off sick, but are technically still employed full time. So essentially how many of those autistics that are employed can't actually sustain full time or even part time work.

Also how many undiagnosed autistics are they accounting for being in full time work. Some people are fortunate to land a job or a career that plays to their strengths despite having significant social impairments and so through life accommodating themselves and creating routines, are less likely to seek a formal diagnosis.

Yep - so many questions.

Because society hand life in general is more complicated and sensory overloading than it used to be. There used to be a lot more routine for people decades ago. Simple repetitive jobs, home to little or no tv. Families with routines. Families with rules which the children obeyed otherwise punished. No one complaining about punishments being too hard. The old school behaviourist approaches (much like the ABA type therapy which claims to cure autism) would have been highly prevalent on everyday parenting and those autistic people would have learned to conform to expectations even though later in life it would have taken a toll on their mental health.

Nowadays as well as a lot more understanding of traits, there is less masking. Previously people masked and ‘coped’ or pretended to cope. Not they don’t need to mask and let people know quite loudly that they won’t hide their traits/stims etc.

I’m also from a family where you can likely trace the autistic line back a few generations. We were asked the question when going through assessment for my DD.

I also think a lot of the learning disabled autistic people in the past were probably not noticed by much of society as they would have been institutionalised and labelled with other types of disorders. They would have also been highly medicated. If they weren’t institutionalised then they would have likely been kept out of public view.

So I don’t think it’s necessarily getting worse with each generation, more that we know more about it, spot it earlier and quicker, allow adjustments to be made etc.

Worriedmotheroftwo, I literally posted that adults might let their GP know their diagnosis so self-evidently they also may choose not to. However, if it is relevant to other conditions being managed by the GP such as anxiety, depression or addiction, it would be very normal for someone who has gone to the effort of seeking a private diagnosis to discuss their ASD within a GP consultation.

The point I was trying to make is that some, though not all, private diagnosis will be known, coded and available anonymously to statisticians.

I didn't say everyone with ASD and ADHD bunked off school in the past I said a lot of children who were written off by schools for being "disruptive" or "slow learners" (who possibly had some kind of ND condition) didn't see much point in school, but are now more likely to be in school whether they want to be or not, and be visible to others.

Lots of 70s/80s/90s children with ASD/ADHD got on perfectly fine at school at least up to GCSE or so, and only encountered problems in adulthood. I was one of them.

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread so may be repeating what others have already said. I think the changes in our society have had a huge impact on autistic individuals. For instance years ago there wasn't constant noise, flashjng inages on tv and you tube, constant access to video shorts, classrooms in schools field with information, colours, things on the walls. Food was simpler without so much sugar etc.

Everything was slower paced years ago, so autistic individuals didn't have as much sensory overload as they do now which can trigger meltdowns etc. Autistic children that could have coped in routine led school environments can't manage as well with changes to schools.

We also have had advances in science that mean babies are being saved at much younger gestations than thwy could be previously, e.g. 22 weeks etc. Babies this premature are much more likely to be neurodiverse, especially autistic.

Yes, you are correct. Some, but as you admit, by no means all. This was the point I was making - that we need to question the data rather than accepting it blindly.

So you are arguing with me even though you agree

Not arguing at all - just adding to what you were saying to show how this proves how much we need to question the data rather than blindly accepting it 😊 Hope that's clear now.

It cannot be great if it is considered brain wired unto abnormal way

I beg your pardon?