The ASD thread (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

[limey123]

Originally Posted by Sunrise

A lot of people on the autism spectrum also have mental issues so it's seems very odd to offer even less support.

Depression and anxiety are very common.

[Percy]

Originally Posted by Nanuq

^ hey, snap

The best people are diagnosed at 38

[Sunrise]

Originally Posted by limey123

Depression and anxiety are very common.

I remember someone on here saying that they were being seen by their mental health team but we're let go after their autism diagnosis as they didn't treat people with autism. I don't understand that at all. Obviously the treatment might have to be tailored to meet that person's own individual needs but surely any sort of treatment offered for anxiety or depression is going to roughly along the same lines, whatever any other diagnosis you might have. It's the mental health issue that they would be treating rather than the autism.

Actually stopping someones treatment and not offering any sort of alternative is unacceptable in my book, especially if that person has a condition that makes them more vulnerable towards anxiety and depression and other mental health issues.

[Percy]

Originally Posted by Tubbs

Aw, I was 39.

You count as a best personn Tubbs, because it's you.

[Percy]

I rather like being called an egg

[biscuits]

Paddy and Christine McGuinness: Our Family and Autism airs Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One

[Dougella]

I'm sure i've posted this before, "Atypically Autistic". This might partly explain why more people like Melanie Sykes are being diagnosed with autism. The diagnostic criteria haven't changed or been watered down but the understanding of how autism presents in some people has grown.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki_YQCDIKfU&t=1567s

[biscuits]

An open letter:

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2021...-disabilities/

[Merritt]

The older I get, the more convinced I am that people must think of me as being at least mildly autistic. Even something as simple as being served in Aldi, or as I silently mooch about a charity shop; that sense of being treated as vulnerable. You know when people clearly aren't engaging with you as they would with a 'normal' person? I notice it especially when I see my family, and how even as I'm pushing forty they treat me more or less the same as when I was twelve. Not in a negative way, but it's obvious that there are no expectations of me living as anything other than a friendless, jobless shut-in. A literal man-child. That dreaded question, 'What are you up to these days?' doesn't really get asked any more (not that I'd want it to be)

Having never had any formal diagnosis (that I'm aware of) I can't really bring myself to identify as autistic. It feels like appropriation of other people's experiences. Sometimes I think it could apply, but what do I know? And without someone to read me and tell me what I am, I'm left feeling like this sort of unlabelled write-off. Someone who exists between the umbrella terms and categories that most others fall under. Human chaff.

[Dougella]

^ I can identify with a lot of what you said there, I'm currently having some of the same conundrums.

[Fantastical]

I don't think the problem is that I'm autistic I think the problem is that I'm just fundamentally flawed. Not supposed to be a person. I might be, probably am, autistic but that's not the real problem the real issue is just me

[Dougella]

^ I've heard so many people say that they felt like that before they got the diagnosis of being autistic. It's not that you are a problem, and this goes for anyone with a mental health issue too, it's that appropriate help and support has not been and still isn't available for a lot of people who are neurodiverse and our world is simply not set up in a way that allows people to live well if they are different from the norm.

[Sunrise]

Originally Posted by Merritt

The older I get, the more convinced I am that people must think of me as being at least mildly autistic. Even something as simple as being served in Aldi, or as I silently mooch about a charity shop; that sense of being treated as vulnerable. You know when people clearly aren't engaging with you as they would with a 'normal' person? I notice it especially when I see my family, and how even as I'm pushing forty they treat me more or less the same as when I was twelve. Not in a negative way, but it's obvious that there are no expectations of me living as anything other than a friendless, jobless shut-in. A literal man-child. That dreaded question, 'What are you up to these days?' doesn't really get asked any more (not that I'd want it to be)

Having never had any formal diagnosis (that I'm aware of) I can't really bring myself to identify as autistic. It feels like appropriation of other people's experiences. Sometimes I think it could apply, but what do I know? And without someone to read me and tell me what I am, I'm left feeling like this sort of unlabelled write-off. Someone who exists between the umbrella terms and categories that most others fall under. Human chaff.

I feel very similar to this. I often feel like I do come across as noticeably "different" and people do treat me as such. Not necessarily in a negative way, but I often feel like I'm not treated like an adult. But in many ways I don't really behave like one so maybe it's obvious to others? I probably come across as very childlike and vulnerable at times.

I sometimes think maybe I'm a lot worse than I realise when it comes to mixing with people. The fact is I do live what many would see as an unusual life. I mean, there are people I've known for 10-15 years and I've been single for that whole time (which includes my entire 20's); they probably think that's a bit strange, again not necessarily in a bad way but it is still unusual. I'm definitely seen as a bit of an oddball, but a mostly harmless one.

I never get asked "what are you up to these days?" type questions, and I think people have accepted that I'm a bit different and I don't do a lot of "normal" things. I don't think anyone expects me to really achieve anything. They think of me as a simple, childlike person just plodding along and living in my own little world.

I don't have any sort of diagnosis, and I don't want one. I don't think it would make me any happier, and I would feel just as out of place in the "neurodiverse community" as I do everywhere else.

[Dougella]

"Autism is not a disease." Jodie Hare.

https://novaramedia.com/2021/11/25/a...l4AafKo2ZrodXw

[Tonkin]

New Jersey autism rate is one in 35 among 8-year-old children

Seems a bit high. How much does environment play in autism?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168222/

[Dougella]

^ Well children are born with autism but whether something might be affecting children during pregnancy, or something is affecting people genetically is another question maybe.

[Tonkin]

Are they born with it?

The chart in that study looked like it said it was 50% genetic and 50% environmental.

I assume that means you can have the genes/genetics for autism, then depending on your environment, those genes/genetics get expressed (aka epigenetics). Which is why you can get one identical twin being autistic, and not the other?

If that's the case, but you are born autistic, then does the environment only play a role during gestation?

Some say that you can develop autism in early childhood:

“That nearly a third of identical twins differ in autism symptoms makes clear that there are also nongenetic influences at play in some cases,” Dr. Wong comments. Though they share the same womb, identical twins can experience different stresses during pregnancy and birth, she notes. Along these lines, studies have associated increased autism risk with certain birth complications. Exposure to certain chemicals prior to conception, during pregnancy or during early infancy may also affect autism risk.

from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publica...OPATHIC_AUTISM

via:

https://autismcoach.com/identical-tw...d-epigenetics/

[Dougella]

^ Yes, it's a neurodevelopmental condition. Children definitely don't develop autism in early childhood, it's just that people around them might only start to notice signs when they get to a certain age (this has been a pretty hotly debated thing, obviously there was the whole vaccines cause autism thing which was completely disproven.)

[Dougella]

This was a really interesting programme, particularly as Paddy is asking a lot of questions that anyone who doesn't know much about autism would ask. Also Christine is someone who at first glance would never seem like she was autistic, but as she gradually explains everything she's experienced and been hiding since she was young it makes much more sense that actually she is diagnosed as autistic too.

"Paddy and Christine Mcguinness - Our family and autism."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...ily-and-autism

[Consolida]

^ Yeah, it was a good programme for people who don't know very much about Autism and how it can affect (effect?) people in such different ways. In paddy's case it definitely appeared that there was a very strong genetic element as all 3 children had Autism, to a greater or lesser extent, and his wife Christine was eventually diagnosed with Autism too. It was interesting how their twins seemed to be affected (effected!) differently in that the boy's symptoms were outwardly more pronounced than his twin sisters. This is where the fact that girls tend to be better at 'masking' their symptoms came in, something I hadn't previously known much about.

I particularly remember all the fear surrounding the MMR vaccines and parents worrying that it might cause Autism in children because it was the time when my son needed his jabs. I figured that the chances of MMR causing Autism was far smaller than the chance of catching measles, etc, which can be so dangerous in young children so I bit the bullet and he had all his jabs. Lots of parents didn't though. Of course, it's since been proven that the MMR jabs were absolutely fine and didn't cause Autism.

[biscuits]

Part of me felt like it had a responsibility to highlight how hard it can be to get a diagnosis for autism in children. It's also different in different local authorities. Some are excellent at giving a diagnosis and some involve a lot of gate keeping exercises e.g. insisting parents go on parenting courses first.

Getting a private diagnosis is considerably quicker, but incredibly expensive.

I know that Paddy has spoken about this on other occasions, which is good - but he also supports The Spectrum 10k project...

Also it had Baron Cohen in it and his current research is very controversial and I would go as far as to consider it to be immoral.

And finally, it was a very positive documentary and lovely to see all of the wonder things such as the school being amazing and the accommodation for young adults supporting with independent living skills - but it missed opportunity to highlight that a high number of adults with Autism are not properly supported, which has lead to suicide and being inpatients in places that are not appropriate.

I just think of you have a platform to raise awareness it should be used. But that could be me being me!! It wasn't really the tone of the documentary, I guess.

(Please don't quote)

[Dougella]

^ His previous research and the "male brain" theory was also damaging and contributed to women and girls not being diagnosed as often as boys for a long time.

[biscuits]

^ yes, why he's still renowned makes very little sense! I can see how Paddy might have bought into what he's selling - perhaps hasn't dug too deeply into the controversy.

[Dougella]

^ I could make some cynical comments about that, but I won't.

[Consolida]

^ I wasn't aware of the controversy surrounding Simon Baron Cohen until now so it seems I still have so much to learn. I'd actually be very interested in hearing your cynical comments Dougella

I guess it would require a far weightier programme than Paddy's to explore and critique Cohen's research. Like biscuits said, the programme was very positive overall and if it means that more people who have been struggling all their lives are able to get a proper diagnosis and receive some much needed acceptance and support than it can only be a good thing.

[Dougella]

^ I wouldn't want to put anything in the thread that wasn't strictly factual! I don't think his previous research was deliberately malicious, just misguided. The spectrum 10 project is very worrying though, although they have halted it for the moment.

[Tonkin]

Originally Posted by Dougella

^ Yes, it's a neurodevelopmental condition. Children definitely don't develop autism in early childhood

Have there been any studies on that?

[Dougella]

^ Yes. There are already some genetic links that they can test for which show that if a child has them they're more likely to be autistic (and have other conditions) but I'm not good at explaining the sciencey stuff. It seems like that's mostly happning in America and they only do genetic testing if someone has a child who is autistic already.

[Tonkin]

Yes, I see that. I read in that study I linked to that it can occur in early development and that made it sound like it can develop after birth.

Also, if it's caused partially by environmental causes, then that made it sound like the child/baby would have to be exposed to the environment for that to happen? Or it it all during the period before birth?

[Dougella]

^ I agree that not enough attention is paid to certain conditions, particularly mental health conditions.

But it is slightly different, autism is something you are born with and something you have for life......whereas a schizoid personality disorder is just that - a disorder that someone develops for many different reasons.

I think honesty people are still very afraid of mental illnesses like personality disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I've seen some documentaries about hospitals for mental illnesses and the staff working there etc, but they do tend to focus on patients with extreme symptoms or who have committed crimes.