Anybody noticing this phenomenon of more and more people falsely claiming autism like some sort of fashion accessory. I’m even seeing actresses doing it. Why do you think this is happening?

Stolen valor for autism is crazy

they're stupid and want to feel different

Social media, especially tiktok got people thinking they have all these mental health conditions. They think it’s “quirky” or makes them unique

When in fact people who actually have these conditions are struggling to even get by in their day to day life. Must be nice to just wear those conditions as a trend

Brother, the food and the water supply

Because it allows them to make excuses for their behavior.

If some people saw what severe autism is, they would never want to claim it. It’s heartbreaking. Although autism is a spectrum and some people are further on it than others, which is what I assume people mean when they « claim » autism. That they probably suspect they’re on the spectrum on just not severe. Also a lot of people are joking

I been accused of faking autism just cause I say regard a lot and say “I’m autistic and you get a pass”

OCD is another one. People think it’s some cute quirky thing where you gotta have everything color coordinated or whatever but it can really f*** someone up

OCD is one of the most disgusting and horrendous mental illnesses a person can live with.

Tbh I'm glad you brought it up bc I'ma keep it real if you're autistic but for the most part just a neuro-normative person i feel like you're being lame for even bringing it up. I have ADHD and anxiety the only person that knows is my godddamn doctor.

I would say about 50% of those cases are real or on a spectrum of lower severity of the condition.

Yeah people don't realize OCD is supposed to be severe

The answer for why it's happening is that diagnosis ability has exploded in the last 10-15 years so many more people are learning they are neurodivergent. I put it that way because there is also increases in ability to diagnose ADHD. My wife is getting testing soon even, and it will cover asd, which I personally believe to be likely. ASD diagnosis is too complex for self diagnosis, it's not like answering a little survey for seasonal depression or a cold.

More people in general getting diagnosed, and a much better way to look at the "asperger" end has led to it being less and less taboo to talk about

Also some cultural changes may or may not have affected this, like the internet/social media, leading to some desiring the label

And services are so much more readily available, and increasing better, so that adds in a bit. There are people getting tested to see if they can access things like SSI and Medicaid, even if they are in their 30s+ (I know a mother of 2 asd adults seeking this currently, and honestly she most likely would fit. This would increase the whole families lives in exponential ways, including those outside those 3 living together). - to quickly continue, there is a ton of government level support for those with ASD all of a sudden as well (and I see that being clearly set to increase over time as someone involved in this world as a career, and as someone with a network field where I get a lot of random tidbits on this), which can contribute it to being a label that is savory.

The ones on TikTok

I mean they are a higher amount of diagnosed autistic people in the world and it is only growing. They used to diagnose the lower spectrum people of having aspergers, but now that is autism. Theres def people claiming it as you say. Theres a ton of people on the lower spectrum of it.

Imagine how autistic that first person to be diagnosed must have been

Set trippin on autism

I blame the predator 2018.

People get sat infront of an iPad at age 2. It's really not that far fetched to imagine that people grow up socially incapable that way.

Makes me head to toe cringe seeing these TikTok's of forced 'signs' of these conditions.

It's like people are desperate for a badge to wear.

Couldn't agree more - I have had experiences with a girlfriend's family that were heartbreaking. The outright discrimination they had to face was insane.

This is why the Tiktok ban is a good thing

Said this before but it’s the same crop of ppl claiming they were indigo children in 2012