“Autism spectrum disorder spiked 175% among people in the U.S. from 2.3 per 1,000 in 2011 to 6.3 per 1,000 in 2022, researchers found. Diagnosis rates climbed at a faster rate among adults in their mid-20s to mid-30s in that period, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open.”
A disorder is something that interferes with your enjoyment of life. While I’m proudly autistic and don’t have any issues saying that, I also recognize how it makes my life more difficult.
My sensory issues, stims, and social problems do interfere with my life and did even more when I was a child. I’ve been discriminated against for being autistic by a boss who tried to say that not making eye contact meant I was bad at my job. I’ve had to seek accommodations at work, which I wouldn’t be able to do if it wasn’t a disability
I appreciate your optimism but your perception is wrong. It very much is a disability and those of us living with it know that.
I am split on this. I feel like my autism isn’t a disability. Sometimes my autistic traits can be. Neurotypicals also have mental traits that can hold them back. Mine have names like executive function disorder, but neurotypicals can exhibit many of my traits (not all) and not be as stigmatized. So I’m of the opinion that autism itself isn’t a disability, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have disabilities that stem from it.