Reply to Washington Post on identification of distinct autism subtypes

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences. [/quote]

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type… [/quote]

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.[/quote]

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there… [/quote]

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.[/quote]

Exactly. The reason why scientists have basically have had to create new autism categories is to fix the overly broad diagnostic criteria of the DSM 5 and clinical practice. If you don’t filter out the adults who are normal in all ways except some social quirks then you cannot do any sort of meaningful research. [/quote]

I’m not disagreeing with you and fully acknowledge that those currently classified as levels 2 and 3 need far more support. At the same time this comment comes off as incredibly dismissive that high functioning autistics don’t benefit from a diagnosis. We do. I’m working through a lot now that I have a diagnosis that is helping me understand my childhood and who I am that I wouldn’t be able to do without the clarity around how my mind works. Don’t dismiss my experience I won’t dismiss yours or your child’s [/quote]

You could understand your mind without a diagnosis so broad as to be understood by many to be meaningless. [/quote]

Who literally thinks it's "meaningless"? Many autistic people and their families can tell you the diagnosis has been very meaningful to them and helped them get the support they need.[/quote]

The problem is that many adults are insisting on an autism diagnosis because it has some kind of identity benefits/secondary gain, when their actual issues are not autism. [/quote]

Yeah it's more palatable to be "high functioning autistic adult" than "person with few friends who isn't particularly likable" (me).[/quote]

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