• Replies 36 replies
  • Subscribers 81 subscribers
  • Views 574 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Is Autism too inclusive?!

Mads

I caught the tail end of a discussion on the radio last night. It was (I think) regarding Professor Dame Uta Frith.

“The spectrum has gone on being more and more accommodating, and I think now it has come to its collapse,” said Professor Dame Uta Frith (UCL Cognitive Neuroscience) on the widening autism spectrum and the growing challenges in diagnosis.

I haven't got a definitive reference but there are online newspapers that have the story (I just don't want to sign up to them to read the full article).

All thoughts welcome. 

Joey. 

Parents Reply Children
  • in reply to Wordsmith

    Thank you for sharing the article. It was interesting to read. I'm curious, how would Frith categorise people who fit the description of autism, but do not have intellectual disability. 

    As a multiple times misdiagnosed,  mistreated, with history of abuse, I'm definitely a vulnerable person. I was diagnosed tourette, depression,  there was suspicion of epilepsy,  finally now there is suspicion of autism. I didn't diagnose myself with any of those before and I'm reluctant about "diagnosing myself" as autistic. I would like that the psychiatric society finally starts recognising conditions properly,  supporting patients properly,  if my condition is not autism, then I would like to know what else. It's not something that im so attached to this particular term. But clearly I'm just an experimental rabbit for them and not only me. So now, when there is more knowledge, more recognition and tools to support, some voices say: just try harder and stop making excuses. For me masking was never an issue because I can't mask well and I don't really care about it. But everyday life causes me a lot of stress and overwhelm, to the point that I cry without reason (reason is a change in procedure at work for example) but that lady says "just try harder, stop making excuses" because I was not recognised as a child. If I was a child now, then probably I would be diagnosed at age 3-5.

  • in reply to Wordsmith

    This is excellent, thanks for sharing.