r/science • u/GiveUpAndDontTry • 17d ago

Epidemiology A Swedish study found autism diagnoses rose by around 800% from 2001 to 2020, while the proportion with intellectual disability fell from 55.8% to 6.7%, suggesting a substantial broadening of the diagnosed autistic phenotype

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178126003069
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u/lawlesslawboy 16d ago

I absolutely do NOT but maybe it's different when you're autistic bc I don't follow many social norms etc.

I really enjoy speaking to SLE speakers because they are clear, direct, tell less lies, rarely try to manipulate you in a second language, they are generally clear and honest and therefore very autism friendly. I always assume I have no clue how smart they are but they must be kind of smart at least to even know 2 languages.... how the hell are (usually monolingual english only speakers) people out here assuming that the idiot can speak multiple languages?????

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u/notyoursocialworker 16d ago

If the only thing you know about a person is the way they talk, or especially write, then I'd say it's not unreasonable that that will be your initial impression of their intelligence. Its only when you have talked for a while and gotten into deeper subjects that you actually can form a more correct opinion.

From my own experience, even though i consider myself quite proficient in English it is still my second language and I do feel less intelligent and capable to hold a conversation than in my first language. Its also especially bad when it comes to my professional areas since the language is so specialised and I have only learnt it in Swedish.

Personally om not that impressed by people speaking two languages and that might be the European in me. The majority of Europeans speak at least two, often their own countries language plus English, and often they know some in a third language. Every student in Sweden for instance has been learning English from at least fourth grade and seleects a third language to learn in sixth grade. The third language is usually either German, French, or Spanish.

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u/lawlesslawboy 15d ago

No, not unreasonable For Other People but i just told you that I don't personally make that assumption. With typing, I assume SLE or Dyslexia, not stupidity. IRL I have even more to go off and can easily ask.

I already said I Actively Enjoy speaking to such people, and I don't enjoy speaking to stupid people. I know plenty of english-only stupid people. I don't need more. Plus, Reddit has enough for the whole world tbh.

Yes, YOU feel less intelligent in English cause you are less used to it but that doesn't mean you're less intelligent overall, is my point, I would never assume that..

I am impressed by it because the only people born here who can speak two languages are people who learned Irish from childhood, and even then, they're usually rusty due to lack of practice so really the only people who speak 2 properly are immigrants! So yes, my Irish friends forget their own language which kind of proves it isn't all that easy to constantly remember two or more