Pathologising

There is a Zen Koan that asks "if a tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it, does it make a noise?"

So,

I'll answer that from what might be a quantum physics, a philosophical, a political and a personal (late diagnosed autistic) perspective.

Unless something is measured it doesn't exist - but that doesn't stop a tree falling on someone's head from causing severe injury!

The need to define these things has come about because individuals in society are experiencing problems that society is not resolving.

Patterns can be seen to be emerging.

How big a tree fall has to take place before society pays attention to it?

Phased said:

How big a tree fall has to take place before society pays attention to it?

This will depend greatly on who it falls on (ie are they important enough, sufficiently appealing to peoples sympathetic nature etc) and who it inconveniences.

If lots of quiet, unobtrusive autists were to start passing by their own hand then it may make a brief news article but only once somebody important or famous does it will the media make a fuss.

Even then, will it motivate the vast majority who are not affected to take any sort of action? I doubt it.

It will have to impact enough people (or some important people) in some tangible way for action to be taken.

The impact we seem to be having is through being a drain on the benefits system and I don't think this is seen as a positive thing. 

I'm open to ideas on how to raise out profile in a way that will win us some sympathy or recognition of deserving more.

Recognition? I suspect this would involve some form of autistic and neurodiverse union and solidarity and collective action.  Research indicates that individuals with autistic traits are over-represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions compared to the general population.  These fields are all (I hate to use the term but you know what I mean - ) "wealth generating".  I would suggest that those autistic people with positions of power in these areas might collectively exercise it in such a fashion to leverage neurotypical society to a socially more equitable and globally safer and healthier fashion.

Sympathy - not sure that I as an autistic person want that because I am autistic.  The history of modern human society is based on being "one up" on another person/nation with occasional lapses into recognition that we're all in this together.  All people need to sympathise more in my opinion.

Recognition? I suspect this would involve some form of autistic and neurodiverse union and solidarity and collective action.  Research indicates that individuals with autistic traits are over-represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions compared to the general population.  These fields are all (I hate to use the term but you know what I mean - ) "wealth generating".  I would suggest that those autistic people with positions of power in these areas might collectively exercise it in such a fashion to leverage neurotypical society to a socially more equitable and globally safer and healthier fashion.

Sympathy - not sure that I as an autistic person want that because I am autistic.  The history of modern human society is based on being "one up" on another person/nation with occasional lapses into recognition that we're all in this together.  All people need to sympathise more in my opinion.

Unfortunately not, I've just seen to many things twisted by bullies. I do agree that it would be good if those in good well paid jobs spoke out more, people need to see that being ND isn't some kind of life sentence of misery, I think as well as being a lot of us in STEM subjects there are a of us in the artistic and creative industries too.

Why aren't we running the world?

"Sorry if that seems really cynical" .....? any better ideas then TheCatWoman ?

If all those with ND in STEM professions start raising ND as an issue, then will they get called "egg heads" and by extension the rest of us too? I can just see this sort of thing in the tabloid press and in certain political circles being used to denigrate, marginalise and as an excuse to not give us any help or support, because we dont' need it as we'd all be in well paid jobs? We could replace the EU as a whipping post, everytime some piece of tech goes wrong or dosent work as well as some random has decided it should, it will be our fault again and there will be moves to deny us these jobs.

Sorry if that seems really cynical, and I do agree that those with positions of influence could do more to raise awareness, I think I've just seen to many good ideas and things, get twisted out of all proportion and be factually wrong, because it's a slow news day or the main story is one they don't want to run as it makes their political masters look like fools, they will find one of their whipping posts and print rubbish, that will then become the main news stories on social media and tv.