Published on 12, July, 2020
Since I went 'public' about my ASD diagnosis I've had more than one person say to me 'We're all on the spectrum mate'. At the time I found the comment slightly offensive, as if they were saying, 'You're not the only one who's got issues, just get over it', but on reflection, perhaps they have a point. In this crazy world where the borders of 'normality' are infinitely blurred, could it be that we are all on one big spectrum, but only some of us in the 'zone' that is currently classed as a disorder? I can't help wondering if everyone did the tests and questionnaires that I did when being assessed what percentage of the population would be diagnosed. The very first test I did came as quite a shock because the questions seemed so very appropriate to how I was feeling, and it returned a result of high probability. I can't decide if that's just because I do actually have ASD or because some of those questions would apply to anyone doing the test. I'd be interested to hear people's opinion on this, especially if anyone out there has done the test and returned a negative result i.e. low probability.
What I find absolutely hilarious is that one of my friends the other day stated "There's still a lot of abelism/disableism in our society" then about an hour later brought up the subject of who he thinks is on the spectrum based on nothing but his own perception and in the same breath suggests my post-viral fatigue is "just anxiety". This is coming from someone who is neurodivergent themselves but is very good and more than able at playing the social game.
I see autism like a cake. You need certain elements to make a cake eg flour, butter, sugar eggs (none of this gluten free stuff im talking basic traditional cake). You can have all these ingredients in varying proportions but it's still a cake. Some people might have extra ingredients or toppings but you cannot make a basic cake without those things. So when my other friend who I know very well, states in an off the cuff remark she thinks she's "on the spectrum", what I wanted to suggest was she probably has got only eggs and butter which makes an omelette, not a cake. Ironically I couldn't process my way through this in real time so didn't say it.
There are people, like my friend, who have similar traits, but from knowing her, it has a different root cause (upbringing and child development). To me, autism is an internal processing difference which is fundamentally different to people who are not autistic and this may or may not manifest externally.
Sorry if I've gone off on one and it isnt wholly relevant but I've needed to get it off my chest for two days,
write on nothing but your location. We have often talked about self-evaluation tests. I helped find some definitions in Italian. Know that some are very interesting to get an idea close to reality. Of course I knew since 2010 that I fell within those parameters. But I waited for the first official diagnosis in 2020. They matched exactly. § I had informal ones from 2011 onwards, or non-specialized doctors. They were worthless to me. Then the last ones. § It is not the same thing to be autistic and that of the same whole that everyone would belong to. § Lots of misdiagnoses. § Here, ten times fewer people over 18 are diagnosed. Because doctors don't evaluate it. § Valid numbers can be within one of every 66 individuals. § But it applies to many normal diagnoses, let's say. The uncomfortable questions. Because in us autistics there are those of anxiety. But which ones? The settlement between a social phobia and an avoidant personality disorder is not so simple if you don't do diriment tests. Once upon a time I always asked a doctor a very complex question for my training based on logical mappings that included all of them. Because everyone needed only one diagnosis of social phobia. But what if this intersects with another and in another? I never got an answer. § Be careful because it is human for an autistic person to have something else § Some exams are inexpensive, others would be DNA, still others would be SPECT and some more affordable in neuroimaging. I would challenge any detractor to compare neuroimaging with mine. Because it would be very different. So how could we evaluate the number of neurons between NT and ND . Ours DO NOT undergo cellular apoptosis. We have and always about double. Always. § Anyone who says get done if you want you can, I would challenge him to evaluate my sensory versus his. The TOM. § Everything should be seen calmly and disciplinarily ascertained by suitable doctors. What: there are. § Deficit gift in spray package (I paraphrase an Italian piece of music by changing the t