More and more people are being diagnosed with autism. A lot of ‘difficult’ behaviour is being flagged as autism. Some of it is, some of it isn’t. A lot of people are self-diagnosing, too. I don’t have a problem with that. I knew as soon as I started to research autism, at the suggestion of my doctor, that I was autistic. It took me more than six months to ask for a referral. I was clear that my self-diagnosis was accurate. I was 99.9% certain, as certain as anyone could be. When I received the diagnosis I wasn’tremotely surprised. I would have been flabbergasted had I not. I knew. I sought a diagnosis because I thought it would help to open doors with respect to employment help, health, and benefits. I’ve found that diagnosis has made no difference at all. People don’t change, the world doesn’t change – you are still expected to be the one making all the adjustments, the very thing you can’t do.
Autism isn’t ‘new,’ a modern invention, or, as some put it, another excuse to slack off work. If there is one thing autistic people are not, they are not ‘slackers.’ Autism is damned hard work, day in, day out, facing all the problems of life either without the tools to deal with life, or with seriously impaired capabilities. What would be 'new' is if the age should finally start to show the understanding and offer the help that autistic people need. Less than 15% of autistic people are in full-time employment. This should be no surprise. As someone who has sought 'adapted' employment, I have been told time and again that employers want someone who can do the job they are offering - they have no interest in tailoring that job to the needs of the needy. You are expected to be the one doing all the adapting. Which is tragic, really, because that lack of flexibility defines the condition. That is society's shame.
