HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. incited backlash after questioning why autism is "only happening in young people" during a televised news briefing.
It’s not that there’s a lower threshold. It’s that the definitions and our understanding of Autism changed. People who formerly would have been labeled with Asperger’s are now labeled (correctly) with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Plus we’ve learned how Autism can present differently in other communities that aren’t white male children. Acknowledging that girls can even be Autistic is a relatively recent development (the 90s).
The truth is that there are likely a ton of people out there with undiagnosed Autism, because they wouldn’t have met the criteria to be diagnosed as kids based on our understanding at the time. It’s why there are so many adults now getting late life diagnoses.
I was a scientist and have tested on the spectrum myself. And I think a whole lot of my colleagues would have too. Except if you’re high functioning and productive, there is little reason to test you. The misery of being on the spectrum and not being able to easily socialize with other people or to detect their emotional states is unimportant to society as long as one meets the performance standards society sets for you. Not that I’m complaining but I might have felt better about myself if I had known why I wasn’t able to do those things until I was an adult. I suffered depression largely because I was “weird” growing up and was bullied until I became an accomplished wrestler and it became dangerous for others to bully me. I truly think sport saved me. And taught me how to act more normally. Not everyone on the spectrum is so fortunate.
This, exactly. I didn’t get diagnosed until my mid-30s with either Autism or ADHD. My life would have been so different if I had known earlier. I would have been so much kinder to myself. I’m sorry to hear you experienced the same. 😔
Yeah, my uncle who passed definitely had Autism, and so does my dad. They’re half-brothers, which means it’s highly likely my grandmother was as well (which my dad also agrees with).
It’s definitely hereditary in my family. I also clearly get my ADHD from my mom.
It’s not that there’s a lower threshold. It’s that the definitions and our understanding of Autism changed. People who formerly would have been labeled with Asperger’s are now labeled (correctly) with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Plus we’ve learned how Autism can present differently in other communities that aren’t white male children. Acknowledging that girls can even be Autistic is a relatively recent development (the 90s).
The truth is that there are likely a ton of people out there with undiagnosed Autism, because they wouldn’t have met the criteria to be diagnosed as kids based on our understanding at the time. It’s why there are so many adults now getting late life diagnoses.
Acknowledging that girls can even be Autistic is a relatively recent development (the 90s).
That is in-fucking-sane
It is still in textbooks that girls are not likely to get it. Clinicians are still being taught this.
Yeah. And then they wonder why the number of diagnosed people has increased. 🙃🤡
I was a scientist and have tested on the spectrum myself. And I think a whole lot of my colleagues would have too. Except if you’re high functioning and productive, there is little reason to test you. The misery of being on the spectrum and not being able to easily socialize with other people or to detect their emotional states is unimportant to society as long as one meets the performance standards society sets for you. Not that I’m complaining but I might have felt better about myself if I had known why I wasn’t able to do those things until I was an adult. I suffered depression largely because I was “weird” growing up and was bullied until I became an accomplished wrestler and it became dangerous for others to bully me. I truly think sport saved me. And taught me how to act more normally. Not everyone on the spectrum is so fortunate.
This, exactly. I didn’t get diagnosed until my mid-30s with either Autism or ADHD. My life would have been so different if I had known earlier. I would have been so much kinder to myself. I’m sorry to hear you experienced the same. 😔
I suspect my grandmother has undiagnosed autism
Yeah, my uncle who passed definitely had Autism, and so does my dad. They’re half-brothers, which means it’s highly likely my grandmother was as well (which my dad also agrees with).
It’s definitely hereditary in my family. I also clearly get my ADHD from my mom.
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