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I both agree and disagree with the over-diagnosis claim. Yes, everyone is suddenly autistic, which lessens the meaning or impact of the term. Also, the DSM 5 reclassifies a good portion of human behavior under the umbrella of ASD, so this is in part driven by the diagnostic model itself. We continue to see rising rates of severe autism in children, which are likely attributable to this reclassification as well as better common understanding of the diagnostic criteria. Presumably, just as many adults either qualify now or would have qualified as children.

At the same time, there’s the neurodiversity movement that seeks to destigmatize and depathologize these diagnoses for both high functioning and more profoundly disabled individuals. Just because you don’t conform to the norm - and ASD is heavily defined in relation to deviation from an underspecified norm - does not make you “mentally ill.” So we have autism as an identity additional to a diagnosis, which I think can be really empowering for people, and also cause confusion and frustration for others. It’s a reclaiming of “disability” from the paternalistic and abusive medical and pseudoscientific practitioners that have been harming autistic people for decades.

I also wish you were not being downvoted. You express some common sentiments and I think your comment adds to the conversation.

[squigz]

There's a lot of stuff to unpack in such a discussion, but I only want to add that I see the prevalence of things like autism as a sort of "over correction" to practically all of history. Sure, some kids might relate to it and incorporate it as part of their personality, but 1) I don't think that's as widespread a problem as some people claim, 2) kids do this all the time with various things, and have done forever, and 3) I think that's a small price to pay for society learning about these things and destigmatizing them

> I also wish you were not being downvoted. You express some common sentiments and I think your comment adds to the conversation.

Common or reasonable sentiments or not, the whole "kids these days" overtone is tiring and annoying, and most people - online and in person - don't want to engage with that, because it does not imply a position of good faith.