Is the rise of autism diagnostics a sign our society is getting unsane?

Sorry to ask but the more I read all of you, the more I wonder. I take part in this forum because I am the mum of an autistic boy who has sever language delay, stimming, meltdowns, shuttdowns etc.. however I am an astrophysicist and in my career I have worked with many people with small quirks and we were all working together in this very open minded rational atmosphere without anyone refering to an autistic label. Sure my office mate was always making the same joke and switching the lights in the same order and unplugging his things I'd be there or not but I never made a fuss about it.. I just reminded him I was still there and he would very kindly switch on the light again for me. Just to say, has society become so normative that no more quirks are allowed because all sensitive rational people (most scientists are by nature) have, as far as I have seen (nearly 50 years old, lived in 5 countries and met loads of scientists, engineers and the like. Is society excluding this way of thinking more and more? Or is there more that I do not get? What is the border between autism and hypersensitive rational (which tend to go hand in hand)?

Parents
  • rise in diagnosis is due to the rise in awareness and in the internet.

    when i was in school computers were just coming out, internet wasnt normal, so spread of information wasnt there and no one had awareness of anything. nothing got diagnosed, no one knew anything.... my parents generation have a huge lack of knowledge on all sorts due to no internet in their day, they dont know what autism is, they heard of it one time and they think its when your kid smears poo on the wall....

Reply
  • rise in diagnosis is due to the rise in awareness and in the internet.

    when i was in school computers were just coming out, internet wasnt normal, so spread of information wasnt there and no one had awareness of anything. nothing got diagnosed, no one knew anything.... my parents generation have a huge lack of knowledge on all sorts due to no internet in their day, they dont know what autism is, they heard of it one time and they think its when your kid smears poo on the wall....

Children
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