there's a bunch of BS going on with autism that I find very obnoxious
1) I see autism as non-verbal, no concept that other people or conscious minds exist. That's what -actual- autism is to me. And there are plenty of people like that.
2) In light of the above definition, I see the concept of "autism is on a spectrum" as extremely disrespectful to both autists and non-autists. For example, if I have a deformed pinky toe I'm not now on the "paraplegic spectrum disorder". If my IQ is 99 I'm not on the "braindead spectrum disorder" and so on. Such a system applies a negative label to people with the most extreme form, and simultaneous everyone else gets a taste of that label too.
3) the above smooshiness of definition has caused autism to be embraced by people - people who have legitimate mental disorders - just not autism. Moreso the cluster B family of disorders i.e. the manipulative and dramatic family. They are "neurodivergent" vs "neurotypical" and now they have just conjured manipulative leverage from thin air.
1) I see autism as non-verbal, no concept that other people or conscious minds exist. That's what -actual- autism is to me. And there are plenty of people like that.
2) In light of the above definition, I see the concept of "autism is on a spectrum" as extremely disrespectful to both autists and non-autists. For example, if I have a deformed pinky toe I'm not now on the "paraplegic spectrum disorder". If my IQ is 99 I'm not on the "braindead spectrum disorder" and so on. Such a system applies a negative label to people with the most extreme form, and simultaneous everyone else gets a taste of that label too.
3) the above smooshiness of definition has caused autism to be embraced by people - people who have legitimate mental disorders - just not autism. Moreso the cluster B family of disorders i.e. the manipulative and dramatic family. They are "neurodivergent" vs "neurotypical" and now they have just conjured manipulative leverage from thin air.