Comment by Kenji | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Kenji | Hacker News Reader

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I agree with you 100%.

Tbh I think there are two kinds of autism. 'Real' autism, like your brother has, or people who cannot speak, etc. This kind seems to be much rarer, but a tragedy for everyone involved. I read an article (linked here on HN but I can't find it anymore) about someone taking care of such an autistic person and it is heartbreaking.

The other kind I would call 'newest fad' autism that people who are a bit socially awkward label themselves with, and pride themselves with their 'beautiful mind' and their intelligence. Bonus points: They don't have to improve themselves and their social skills because it's a mental health thing and out of their control.

The catalogues of mental disorders (like DSM) say a lot about a society.

Describing high-functioning autism as a "fad" which excuses those with it from having to "improve themselves" is both unpleasant and ignorant. Some autistic people have perfectly normal intelligence and language skills, yet may suffer from some or all of:

- incomprehension of and bafflement by social cues and conventions that the rest of us take for granted; this is far more than just being "socially awkward", and was famously described by Temple Grandin as like being "an anthropologist on Mars"

- a heavy reliance on routine, and discomfort or distress when that routine is disrupted

- over-sensitivity to sensory stimulation, which can make things like a trip to the supermarket (strip lighting, PA announcements, crowds, the smell of produce and other people's bodies) hellish.

You shouldn't spout off about medical topics you are uninformed about.

Every medical condition has degrees of severity. Look at broken bones. A fractured toe doesn't use a different word than fracture just because a compound fracture of an arm is much more serious. The DSM recognizes subtleties and degrees of mental problems which can be important in dealing with someones' overall mental health.

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