I'm Brian and so's my wife

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.

  • It's a thing people do with lots of issues, where they see a very mild view of things from the outside and can't conceive of what it's actually like. So you get people dismissing ASD because there's a couple of things they see in themselves and they cope fine, or they talk about being a bit OCD because they like their bookshelf to be in order. 

  • There is a difference between someone having some autistic traits, many people do, and being diagnosed, or diagnosable, as autistic. There is obviously a continuum between diagnosed autistics and people who are not quite diagnosable. However, being a diagnosed, or diagnosable, autistic is an acknowledgement that you have specific difficulties that adversely affect you on a day-to-day and lifetime basis. That is the defining distance between being autistic and being allistic.

    If anyone gives you the 'all on the spectrum' spiel, just ask them if they think that a psychiatrist or other clinician, or team of clinicians, would be likely to diagnose them as autistic. If they answer yes, tell them to see their GP about getting a diagnostic assessment, if they answer no, tell them that they therefore can have no valid opinion on the difficulties of being autistic.

  • 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'

    They lack both the knowledge of the subject they are talking about and the willingness to demonstrate compassion for others.

    People with autism are on a spectrum of symptoms/traits. People without autism may have some of these symptoms/traits but it does not mean they have autism.

    You could draw an analogy like if someone had IBS and stomach pains and another person with stomach pains (from eating spicy food) said to them "just take an indigestion tablet and it will be fine - works for me so must work for you".

    This level of ignorance and prejudice is what leads to racism, sexism and ableism.

    Medical science has deemed it serious enough to classify autism as a disability and not something you just "get over". Maybe point out their ignorance and that their logic would tell a person with no legs to get over it and just walk on their hands.

    from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain

    Looking at the point of what is a Spectrum Disorder:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_disorder

    A spectrum disorder is a mental disorder that includes a range of linked conditions, sometimes also extending to include singular symptoms and traits. The different elements of a spectrum either have a similar appearance or are thought to be caused by the same underlying mechanism

    The fact there is an inderlying mechanism is the key difference between NTs with symptoms and us.

  • I find the remark "we are all on the soectrum" offensive. I am not formally diagnosed yet. We are not all on the spectrum, because we are not all born with a neurodevelopment delay. The assessment looks at very specific " challenges" and "differences" from childhood. 

    My opinion is that this remark minimises the very real difficulties that we are presented with. It is not a choice. Please correct me if i have got this wrong, i am still learning. 

  • I think that if we screened everyone in the world, everyone would fit somewhere on a sliding scale between what we define 'normal' and what we define 'neurodiverse' - sure. 

    But I think when it comes to diagnostic criteria, at least in my experience getting diagnosed, they're looking for certain markers or 'tell tale' signs in your life that you fit these boxes to call you 'autistic' (or ADHD or BPD or depressed, or whatever else). 

    I have seen people on the SCOPE website say they have been screened and it came back saying they aren't autistic, but I haven't seen that on this site I don't think. 

    Interesting question though. 

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