I found this three-part series on Autism in the LA Times to be very well-written. The author did a good job of researching and fairly representing autism issues.
Link to Part One: Autism awareness really is growing, but harmful misconceptions still remain
Discusses how the definition of autism has evolved and the fact that it's still vague enough that "that there is no clear line that we as a society can draw in the sand where a person is unquestionably 'autistic enough' to count as 'disabled in the eyes of all clinicians.' " It discusses some stereotypes, such as autism being either "completely non functional" or "very high functioning and working in a technical field". One of my favorite quotes:
“If neuro-conforming people could just broaden their sense of what ‘socially acceptable’ behavior is, a lot of people would get more free and more comfortable really quickly — and not just autistics,” Price said. “There’s no reason we need to act as though a person avoiding eye contact means they are a liar or being suspicious. Getting rid of that social expectation would help autistics move more freely through the world. It would also improve life for immigrants from cultures where eye contact is considered rude.
Link to Part Two: Autism and ADHD often go hand-in-hand. What’s it like to have ‘AuDHD’?
Apparently, older versions of the DSM said that a person could have ADHD or ASD, but not both. My favorite quote:
One common misunderstanding about ADHD lies in its very name, according to Dr. Edward Hallowell, a psychiatrist who treats people with ADHD and has ADHD himself. “It’s a horrible term,” Hallowell told Mashable. “We don’t have a deficiency of attention, but an abundance of it.” Hallowell compared ADHD to having “an amazingly powerful Ferrari engine of a brain with bicycle brakes. So your challenge is to control it.”
Link to Part Three: Why many people are diagnosing themselves with autism and ADHD
This talks about the difficulty and expense of finding someone qualified to diagnose ASD and ADHD. It mentions the validity of self diagnosis and the clarity one can get from it, but also talks about how there is no access to social programs unless one has a formal diagnosis as "proof". My favorite quote:
Self-diagnosis can also be a critical step in neurodivergent people understanding themselves and advocating for what they need to improve their quality of life, Wise said. And it enables people to connect with others who’ve had similar experiences, fostering belonging and acceptance — a vital aspect of wellbeing that many neurodivergent people have been denied.
Link to Part One: Autism awareness really is growing, but harmful misconceptions still remain
Discusses how the definition of autism has evolved and the fact that it's still vague enough that "that there is no clear line that we as a society can draw in the sand where a person is unquestionably 'autistic enough' to count as 'disabled in the eyes of all clinicians.' " It discusses some stereotypes, such as autism being either "completely non functional" or "very high functioning and working in a technical field". One of my favorite quotes:
“If neuro-conforming people could just broaden their sense of what ‘socially acceptable’ behavior is, a lot of people would get more free and more comfortable really quickly — and not just autistics,” Price said. “There’s no reason we need to act as though a person avoiding eye contact means they are a liar or being suspicious. Getting rid of that social expectation would help autistics move more freely through the world. It would also improve life for immigrants from cultures where eye contact is considered rude.
Link to Part Two: Autism and ADHD often go hand-in-hand. What’s it like to have ‘AuDHD’?
Apparently, older versions of the DSM said that a person could have ADHD or ASD, but not both. My favorite quote:
One common misunderstanding about ADHD lies in its very name, according to Dr. Edward Hallowell, a psychiatrist who treats people with ADHD and has ADHD himself. “It’s a horrible term,” Hallowell told Mashable. “We don’t have a deficiency of attention, but an abundance of it.” Hallowell compared ADHD to having “an amazingly powerful Ferrari engine of a brain with bicycle brakes. So your challenge is to control it.”
Link to Part Three: Why many people are diagnosing themselves with autism and ADHD
This talks about the difficulty and expense of finding someone qualified to diagnose ASD and ADHD. It mentions the validity of self diagnosis and the clarity one can get from it, but also talks about how there is no access to social programs unless one has a formal diagnosis as "proof". My favorite quote:
Self-diagnosis can also be a critical step in neurodivergent people understanding themselves and advocating for what they need to improve their quality of life, Wise said. And it enables people to connect with others who’ve had similar experiences, fostering belonging and acceptance — a vital aspect of wellbeing that many neurodivergent people have been denied.
