In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the uncertainty surrounding estimates of autism prevalence. Self-diagnosis is cotnroversial, but may be helpful in explaining age differences.
Even though studies have shown one-to-one correlations between self-identified autistics and professionally diagnosed autistics when it comes to symptomology, stigma, employment history, and social challenges (McDonald, 2020), these gatekeepers stand strong at their self-appointed posts, letting no one in without their personal permission.
The truth of the matter is that we know that those who are self-diagnosing are more educated on the subject of autism than those who are not; we know that those who are self-diagnosing are struggling in all the same ways as those who have been diagnosed; and we also know that autism is severely underdiagnosed, despite what the colloquial skeptic ferociously types in the comment section. The barriers to diagnoses are many, but in one study (Lewis, 2017), the single biggest barrier cited by autistic individuals is the fear of not being believed.
Shifts and awakenings happen. Cultural awareness expands. What appears to be a trend to the casual social media user is actually a wealth of answers, a source of empathy, and a toolkit for self-understanding to a hidden, marginalized population in desperate need of a little compassion.
Lewis, L. (2017). A Mixed Methods Study of Barriers to Formal Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2410–2424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3168-3
McDonald, T. A. M. (2020). Autism Identity and the “Lost Generation”: Structural Validation of the Autism Spectrum Identity Scale (ASIS) and Comparison of Diagnosed and Self-Diagnosed Adults on the Autism Spectrum. Autism in Adulthood : Challenges and Management, 2(1), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0069
