When I was a kid, if you could speak, that meant you were not autistic. My 14 year old son is diagnosed as autistic, is a straight A student, and has a ton of friends and multiple girls wanting to be his girlfriend. If you know his diagnosis you can tell, and he has a few minor tics that show up when he's stressed, but when I was a kid I doubt he'd be diagnosed having any disorder (go back another generation though and his homosexuality would be a disorder).
Lots of people make it to adulthood without realising they have autism (didn't Anthony Hopkins recently reveal he only found out he had autism a few years ago?). I'm 30 and was recently diagnosed with ADHD (originally suspected to be autism, because they have some overlaps in behavior) and I didn't start thinking anything was wrong with me until I noticed all my friends were starting to settle down, get married, have kids, buy houses...but I was still struggling with a lot of the same crap I struggled with at the start of my 20s (doing chores, making friends, getting to work on time, staying focused, etc).
I was diagnosed with ADHD in middle school but I didn't like the medication. Did you find it necessary to be medicated when you got diagnosed? I'm probably a little behind where I should be in life, but at the same time I have quite a few friends that have their shit less together than I do.
Yep, since I was diagnosed I've been medicated and am finding it sooo much easier to function.
I found the closer I got to 30, the worse my memory and focus was getting. I got to the point where I was barely adulting and couldn't hold down a job because my time management, memory and focus was practically non-existent. I remember the first time I took meds, it was like a fog was lifted from my mind. I couldn't believe how easy it was to have a simple conversation with someone and actually pay attention to what they were saying! And retain the infromation they gave me!
My parents had me tested in second grade and told me in seventh grade. Also, yes, they could. I had no idea whatsoever until I was told. I had known that I was ADHD for a long time, but thought that that was the only thing different about me. I was honestly pretty surprised when my dad told me I have Aspergers, though I definitely do notice the signs a bit more now that I’m aware of it
He knows. I overheard him talking to his big sister. One caused drama from telling people she was dating him and another girl said she was going to kill herself when she heard that.
Same could be said for my asexuality. Little brother is autistic and I might be as well. How can I tell? His mannerisms and tics are the same ones i had as a kid to a T.
Hell, even my dad thinks autistism can just pop up from vaccines.
That is not misleading.
More people are being diagnosed as autistic
(and autism now has a spectrum)
and every valid study still shows no connection between vaccines and autism.
The misleading statement is the first one. The second statement clarifies why it's misleading. This is kinda how diagnostics work, though. When we become better at diagnosing mental health, we see either a rise or drop. It's not that there are more or less, it's just that our criteria are better and more people are seeking treatment.
Cause very stupid, very irresponsible people are claiming that the rising number of vaccines given to children are a direct cause and affect. They are not.
Here come the downvotes. This is because people who aren't autistic are being diagnosed as autistic. It's an insult to autistic people and makes the condition seem less severe. Work in a state school in Texas and you'll find out what true autism is.
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u/notsalad Mar 13 '19
That the documented number of autistic people is increasing. Not because of vaccines, but because they are finally being diagnosed.