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BBC In Depth: the ongoing battle to define autism

B

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdew81wd2y8o

Warning: unsettling especially for those late diagnosed.

Parents

  • What if... there turned out to be more autistics than NT's? Yippee!!!!!!!

  • in reply to Marianne72
    That thought has crossed my mind several times, too! But looking at the numbers, it presents a really fascinating 'what if.'
    Right now, the best educated guess for formal autism prevalence sits between 1% and 3%, while the broader umbrella of invisible neurominorities is estimated at 15% to 20% of the global population. So even if everyone unmasked, we wouldn't outnumber neurotypicals.
    However, we don't actually need to be the majority to change society. According to a landmark study in Science by Dr Damon Centola, a minority group just needs to reach a 25% tipping point to create a dramatic shift where the majority rapidly adopts new social norms.
    Since neurodivergence sits just under that mark at 15–20%, the most practical way to bridge the gap to 25% is through neurotypical allies. The more people who feel safe enough to be diagnosed and live openly, the more we demonstrate our shared humanity—and the closer we get to pushing that tipping point over the line.
    Of course, to get there, people actually need access to timely identification. I deeply hope that current systemic pressures and funding cuts to assessment pathways are short-lived. Restricting the pathway to a diagnosis doesn't make neurodivergence disappear; it just forces it back into hiding, keeping our community away from that vital 25% threshold.
  • in reply to Phased
    Reflecting on what I wrote above  , I realise looking at macro population statistics can sound a bit academic and detached when the ground-level reality is so brutal right now.
    Talking about reaching a 25% tipping point doesn't change the fact that people are currently stuck on five or six-year NHS waiting lists just trying to get the validation they need. That's why the point about AI tools speeding up assessments by removing administrative backlogs is so vital. We can't build visibility or allyship if the systemic gatekeeping keeps slamming the door on people before they even get to the start line.
  • in reply to TheCatWoman
    Hi @TheCatWoman
    I am really glad to hear that the equality framework maps onto your situation as a useful tool. Having that option in reserve is a vital piece of personal infrastructure.
    Your critique of the modern Citizens Advice triage bottleneck is on the money for what the world is like, and it exposes exactly the kind of automated "computer says no" gatekeeping we were just analysing. When an advocacy system forces a person in a crisis to fill out a digital form, waits six weeks to judge whether they are worthy of help, and restricts themselves purely to one silo, they stop being an independent resource and effectively become an arm of the state administration. It is a classic bureaucratic filter designed to exhaust our remaining baseline energy before we even get to speak to a human being.
    I think your mention of the local Centre for the Unemployed is a really positive example of a counter-weight. Sometimes one needs to keep going until the right lever is found. Sounds like that place was run by at least some people who understand raw survival on the ground, rather than rigid corporate parameters. Swapping these specific notes on where to find these independent, face-to-face advocates and to keep looking around to find them is exactly how we build a practical bridge to our statutory rights when the mainstream channels are broken.
    It seems my joke about hoping these groups don't go fully digital was a bit late for your local area! Thank you for adding this angle; it gives the quiet observers a concrete alternative to look for when the standard systems shut the gate.
    Best wishes,
    Phased
  • in reply to Phased

    I would never have thought of using equality legislation like this. It's a good idea, though and I will use it if I need too. We're lucky that we have a centre ofr the unemployed here that does a lot of advocacy work. I've become very sceptical about CAB though, they seem more an arm of the state than an independent organisation helping ordinary people. Our's has a "triage" system where they assess your problem, that you told them about in a short message or email form and then reach a desicion about whether they're going to help you, which in itself takes about 6 weeks, then you have to wait for an appointment. They only do benefits work now too.

Reply
  • in reply to Phased

    I would never have thought of using equality legislation like this. It's a good idea, though and I will use it if I need too. We're lucky that we have a centre ofr the unemployed here that does a lot of advocacy work. I've become very sceptical about CAB though, they seem more an arm of the state than an independent organisation helping ordinary people. Our's has a "triage" system where they assess your problem, that you told them about in a short message or email form and then reach a desicion about whether they're going to help you, which in itself takes about 6 weeks, then you have to wait for an appointment. They only do benefits work now too.

Children
  • in reply to TheCatWoman
    Hi @TheCatWoman
    I am really glad to hear that the equality framework maps onto your situation as a useful tool. Having that option in reserve is a vital piece of personal infrastructure.
    Your critique of the modern Citizens Advice triage bottleneck is on the money for what the world is like, and it exposes exactly the kind of automated "computer says no" gatekeeping we were just analysing. When an advocacy system forces a person in a crisis to fill out a digital form, waits six weeks to judge whether they are worthy of help, and restricts themselves purely to one silo, they stop being an independent resource and effectively become an arm of the state administration. It is a classic bureaucratic filter designed to exhaust our remaining baseline energy before we even get to speak to a human being.
    I think your mention of the local Centre for the Unemployed is a really positive example of a counter-weight. Sometimes one needs to keep going until the right lever is found. Sounds like that place was run by at least some people who understand raw survival on the ground, rather than rigid corporate parameters. Swapping these specific notes on where to find these independent, face-to-face advocates and to keep looking around to find them is exactly how we build a practical bridge to our statutory rights when the mainstream channels are broken.
    It seems my joke about hoping these groups don't go fully digital was a bit late for your local area! Thank you for adding this angle; it gives the quiet observers a concrete alternative to look for when the standard systems shut the gate.
    Best wishes,
    Phased