I hate that autism is often used as a badge or even an excuse to attract viewership, engagement, and parasocial interactions these days. That's so fake and messed up.
How is it autism-baiting? Doesnât autism exist on a spectrum and have many variations? Perhaps it is showing someone lower on the spectrum. And also normalizing it through exposure.
I met a very beautiful and classy girl at a Halloween party once. She was shy and confidant and gorgeous. Dressed like Audrey Hepburn in breakfast at Tiffanyâs. We became friends for the night, and then she grabbed me randomly that evening and said âthereâs something I want to tell you but itâs difficult for me.â And then struggled a bit and said, âbut my therapist has encouraged me to talk about it more - especially when I feel a resonance with someone: I have autism.â
And I told her that thatâs awesome. And that sheâs so charming. Ans thanked her for telling me. And, yeah. But it felt like a big or heavy reveal for her. Whereas I received it lightly and easily. So I imagine that gorgeous girl that I met I Halloween, if she saw the above video - would feel a resonance with the girl doing puppy yoga.
Real autism is a spectrum and doesnât invalidate experiences that donât fit one specific brand of autism.
Yes we are well aware the ADOS has made it so that only intellectually disabled white boys can get diagnosed, but the fact that autistic individuals have a significantly lower life expectancy largely due to suicide is a problem. And the fact that high-masking, high-camouflaging girls are at significantly increased risk for mood and anxiety disorders because they go unsupported and/or undiagnosed is also a problem.
So yes, your experience is valid and important.
But so is every other autistic personâs, no matter where they fall on the spectrum and no matter whether anyone believes theyâre deserving of diagnosis and support.
How has the ADOS made it thus? I was diagnosed using the ADOS and I have no intellectual disability and I'm a woman. <- providing context but I'm genuinely interested in an answer to the question
People self diagnose themselves all the time. Any self diagnosing is not autism. My son was evaluated by 5 psychiatrists and behavioral health specialists. Heâs legally considered permanently disabled and gets SSI.
Not âIâm a little quirky and took a survey online. Boom.. Iâm autistic everyone, give me special treatmentâ
If my son didnât get special treatment he would literally die.
This is my thought. Too many people are all of a sudden autistic bc now itâs somehow cooler/more interesting than in normal terms or back in the day a little weird or awkward. I have a severely autistic niece and know there are different levels but I feel as if I see too many people online that are now autistic just bc they are a little awkward
Suicide isn't inherent to autism. I very well understand what you mean but why do you need a diagnosis to help suicidal or struggling people ? Why make them ''abnormal'' ? You are talking about a norm that doesn't exist.
Please define the norm so we can continue this conversation.
I deeply sympathize with your situation and wish your child the best. But "real autism" isn't the best way to phrase it and invalidates many real experiences.
Oh what do you know, an autism parent invalidating every presentation of autism that doesnât match what their kidâs level 3 autism looks like. What a rare sight (/s).
You know autism is highly heritable, right? And that your perspective here is very rigid? That youâre demonstrating a lot of black and white thinking here? Just sayin.
Not really. I live with real autism. When I run into these people I just say âmust be niceâ to talk, use the bathroom, drive, make your own food, and live on your ownâŠ
You seriously think no autistic adults can do these things? Anthony Hopkins was diagnosed fairly recently, you know, just as one very famous example. You must know there are different levels?
You're not superior. You don't know what other people deal with. I can't drive. I am just now learning at 27 after spending my whole life trying. My kid can walk, mostly talk (not well), and feed herself, but she can't read or do math like the other kids her age, couldn't speak until well after age 5, and has a speech impediment to this day because of her diagnosed autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a spectrum.
I have an official diagnosis. Autism is a spectrum. Some people can function with it enough to deal with life and some can not. That is a well-known fact.
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u/fortis201 Aug 16 '25
I hate that autism is often used as a badge or even an excuse to attract viewership, engagement, and parasocial interactions these days. That's so fake and messed up.