Explain to me why you offence is caused by saying things like 'mildly autistic' etc.

[Purpleturtle45]

If ASD is a spectrum why do people commonly disagree that you can be mildly autistic or severely autistic etc.

My daughter is diagnosed with ASD, however you wouldn't really know unless you knew her well. She goes to mainstream school and copes well with everyday life most of the time so to me I would say she is mildly autistic but I often see people getting ripped to shreds on here for using that term.

Genuinely wondering how 'spectrum' can literally be in the title of the condition but people disagree there can be different severities.

Looking at that graph above, you could assign each colour a position eg executive functioning is position 1, etc. Then assign a number to each line. So you could be autistic - 245513
Giving someone an idea of your profile?

That’s a tricky one and not something that has an easy answer.

Ideally I would say that nobody should be defining someone else’s disability but of course life isn’t that straightforward.

People take offence with offensive posts. When there is no understanding , help or adjustments you don’t just cease to be disabled - people back then went undocumented,ended up in institutions,died or lead miserable lives. It didn’t just cease to have a significant impact on life or warrant help and support.

I think things like learning disabilities are often classed as mild or severe and no one bats an eyelid.

And that helps how exactly?

Except that’s not what people are saying.

They’re just saying that their autism has a severe impact on their lives, even if it doesn’t appear that way to others.

I did not say it would get you an autism diagnosis. I said it would tick the box of "severe impact".

I have not dismissed any disability, please don't be so rude.

It’s getting to the point so many people are diagnosed ASD/ADHD people no longer care as it’s become normalised….I feel so sorry for the severely autistic individuals who are now being impacted by those with minor difficulties which is testing everyone compassion as most things can be managed when people find coping strategies instead of expecting everyone else to make adjustments.
Was impressed to see Alton Towers dropping the access passes for anxiety, depression, ASD, ADHD but believe needs to be left available for those with higher rate PIP only.

It’s usually learning difficulties and learning disabilities (mild to severe 🥴)

in other words, a selection of linear spectrums not binary measures.

How else do you propose to talk about them, without words?

So you can better support people because you have more of an idea of their struggles than just "autistic".

So get rid of all diagnostic criteria too? ‘Autism’ defines a disability.

There kind of is though. There’s stage 1 2 3 & 4, there’s very good outcomes expected like most non Hodgkins lymphomas, there’s living with cancer and living a normal life and taking pills like my family member, there’s in remission, there’s not treatable and palliative. Autism is similar in that it is vastly different to deal with for different people and it’s a bit insulting ti the people who will never talk, never communicate their thought and wishes understandably to the outside world and never live independently to the people who live what looks like a relatively normal life but is harder for them, and both of those are different to the friends kids who are intellectually capable but unable to engage with others and have been in and out of jail since they were teens.

“Mild” minimises and trivialises the difficulties autistic people can suffer with. Others have already pointed out the wheel spectrum to explain the varying difficulties autistic people face but there is no such thing as “mild” autism. However some will require more support than others as with any disability

I don’t think it’s offensive and I understand what you mean by it OP (I think). I’d take it to mean as in behaves more like a neurotypical person than someone whose behaviours are more noticeably different to a neurotypical person.

The best way to support anyone though is to get to know that individual. Two people could both be classified in the same group of need but actually have very different struggles.

I don’t think forcing people to fit into a neat box will help understanding rather feed more stereotypes.

But there’s a difference between how you feel and fact. Learning to recognise that will be helpful.

I think that's the thing. There used to be a different diagnostic of Asperger's and now there isn't however, even my son who was diagnosed age 10 had 'formerly described as Asperger's ' in his report.

I've taught students who would also have received an Asperger's diagnosis in the past but have successfully completed a degree. One in particular was selectively mute. He could not look at anyone when he arrived. He would talk occasionally by the time he graduated. So even in our three years together I saw change and progress. His mum was very emotional at his graduation and said at primary school he was non verbal and just made noises.

I don't think mild is the right word but I do understand what you mean.

But it clearly has a much milder impact on their lives than it does on other people’s and you are demanding that families of those with profound disabilities are not allowed to argue for appropriate supports as they should not use language to suggest they have higher needs.

This. I watched a programme Thursday night (worth a watch) about parents in N Ireland struggling with their autistic children. These were children with profound difficulties and their families battled constantly simply to keep their child and themselves safe (the injuries were shocking).

I can absolutely see why parents of such children can be angry about their child's condition having the same classification as those with very different ones.

That is what is already happening. Any support is based on need. It is recognised in the diagnosis system that support needs can differ throughout life so zero point allocating numbers. These are people not machines.

Learning difficulties and learning disabilities are different things. You can be highly intelligent and have a learning difficulty (eg dyslexia).

I’m battling to keep my children alive and safe with horrific injuries, do I get to be angry at my children’s autism being depicted as mild just because they don’t have a learning disability on top?

Autism must have a clinically significant impact but that impact can be internal, uneven, or masked, and does not require someone to be visibly struggling most of the time.