zlacker

> People nowadays are just desperate to have a diagnosis. Everybody wants to be special and unique

I've never managed to understand this when it comes to autism. Autism used to be considered something as extreme as a severe disability (e.g. Rain Man), and latterly with the inclusion of Asperger's into the spectrum, at the very least a collection of undesirable behavioural characteristics. Do people really want to be diagnosed with something wrong with them, or has the perception of autism shifted to at least neutral (if not positive)?

>>tome+(OP)
I think it's useful to look at the alternative. It is still socially acceptable, even among progressives, to viciously mock people who are socially awkward and simply write them off as undeserving of help. At least with autism many people extend some degree of sympathy and willingness to help.

>>tome+(OP)
At the risk of offending some people, I think it's similar to why people lie about their dog being a "service dog".

It may genuinely be that their dog is their emotional support, but it's ultimately a bit of selfishness and wanting to be treated preferentially in a world that feels crowded and rigid.

>>harima+C
Yes. Social awkwardness then is not seen as a character flaw but more like a birth defect.