A low-cost tool accurately distinguishes neurotypical children from children with autism just by watching them copy the dance moves of an on-screen avatar for a minute. It can even tell autism from ADHD, conditions that commonly overlap.

[u/mvea]

https://newatlas.com/adhd-autism/autism-motion-detection-diagnosis/

[u/Tryingtoknowmore]

What if you struggle completing the tests as they seem based too subjectively and on opinion rather than measurable data?

[u/FloRidinLawn → u/Tryingtoknowmore]

Probably a different thing going on. That said, all “weird” is becoming lumped into autism. Good that it has more attention, but I think I see it becoming a thing. I lack the words for it. A gateway or excuse or overly easy applied label, it will diminish it? If too many claim to have it, it makes it harder for those who actually do, too

[u/ZoeBlade → u/FloRidinLawn]

That said, all “weird” is becoming lumped into autism.

The only thing that was lumped into autism was Asperger syndrome, and for very good reasons, that basically boil down to "Hans Asperger was employed by Nazis to separate the 'good' autistic people from the 'bad' (or, in some memorable instances, Jewish) autistic people, and Asperger's syndrome is just a phrase he made up for the former".

If too many claim to have it, it makes it harder for those who actually do, too

Not really. If you're talking about having a phrase to differentiate profoundly autistic people from mildly autistic people, then we already have that: levels three, two, and one.

[u/FloRidinLawn → u/ZoeBlade]

I see a lot of people claiming to be or have it.

[u/ZoeBlade → u/FloRidinLawn]

I mean, it depends on who exactly you're talking about, but a lot of people (including older people who weren't diagnosed as children because they happened not to be stereotypical) have realised that these nagging issues they had could all be explained as traits of one single disability, which also explains a bunch of other issues they struggled with but assumed that was just part of the human condition that everyone has to deal with, when actually it wasn't. At least, that's pretty much how it was for me.

The amount of actually autistic people, now that doctors and scientists and everyone else are starting to realise that not everyone's stereotypical, is turning out to be a lot higher than previously imagined. This is the same as all other largely invisible minorities -- see, for instance, the classic chart of the number of openly lefthanded people going up as it ceased to be so demonised.

Maybe we just move in different social circles (inevitably, especially these days), but I see a lot of autistic people who struggled unnecessarily because they didn't get to have it as a label until very recently.

[u/CookieSquire → u/FloRidinLawn]

Do you have reason to believe they’re incorrect? If so, do you see harm caused by that misdiagnosis?

[u/FloRidinLawn → u/CookieSquire]

There is harm in a false self diagnosis. And it diminishing the actual experience for those with any neurodivergent difficulties. I dare say, this applies to any handicap.

[u/CookieSquire → u/FloRidinLawn]

If someone incorrectly diagnoses themselves with ASD, but then finds their life improved by coping strategies intended for autistic people, that’s a good thing. If they start spreading misinformation about autism, that’s a different issue, and certainly is harmful.

I’m still curious as to why you believe misdiagnosis is common enough to be a problem. It seems just as likely that the increase in reporting is just a reflection of greater public awareness of autism.

[u/FloRidinLawn → u/CookieSquire]

It is anecdotal and perception based experience, that was all. Offering a view point

[u/CookieSquire → u/FloRidinLawn]

Fair enough. Anecdotally, it does seem like more and more people are publicly labeling themselves autistic. I would love to see numbers on how often people who get professionally tested find out they were incorrect, and if that frequency has increased recently, but that data seems hard to come by.

[u/FloRidinLawn → u/CookieSquire]

It has almost become fashionable to be neurodivergent. My daughter tells me this watching TikTok itself. Commoditize it. If it makes you stand out, run with it.