"Autism is not a disorder"

[Z0mBieP00Nani]

So, what do the degenerates here on LL think of this? I tend to agree with a lot of the points made here, as I have made a lot of the same kinds of observations, as someone diagnosed with ADHD, and who may be slightly autistic. She doesn't seem to agree with the diagnosis side of things (which I don't agree with), but I have found myself agreeing with most of what she says. After watching a few of her other videos, she seems to want to disassemble this system she is referring to by starving it of the things it needs to survive by raising awareness of it, personally, I don't think that will work, but these video may help someone realize that, no, they're not crazy, the world is, and that can give some reprieve, I think.

 

 

[Reginald_001]

Being disabled is a relative term to the group. If you can't do something that most of the group can, then you are disabled in that way. People often make 'disabled' synonymous with something bad, but it's just an observation. I have late diagnosed autism (diagnosed after my 50's). And in hindsight I was very disabled, at school, in social hierarchies etc.. etc.., I was always the outcast and the black sheep. Only after learning the diagnose I was able to look back and finally put all the puzzle pieces together. Reading reports from teachers from that time, now looking back it's obvious. But back then in the 70's stuff like that wasn't. You were just 'different' or 'a pain/problem child'. (I was regarded both that AND a failure because they realized I have a high IQ but couldn't utilize it).

 

If you have autism, you (often, not always) have difficulty functioning in certain social settings, this highly depends on the individual and how far they are on the autistic spectrum and how their neuro-diversity subjects itself. For me it meant that my entire life I have been a loner/einzelganger. And after 60+ years I have piece with that because it 100% fits my psychology and how I think about things in life. My strength turned out to be my career and my beta brain. I didn't have papers but I outsmarted most college degree people at work during my career because I was able to learn things by myself differently and much quicker than school ever could. And I've had a long and flourishing career for it.

 

For that social aspect though, I am disabled. If I had not been disabled in that area, I might have ended up married with kids, but I wasn't, because people always find me awkward because I always say the wrong things at the wrong times. (And unlike shows, tv's and books, people like that NEVER get 'the girl'). So yeah, autism is disabling and (often, not always) makes you disabled when compared to the group.

 

If 90% if people had autism and 10% didn't, then likely they would've been seen as the outcasts and they would have difficulty performing in 'our system'. (Which is what I experienced during the Covid lockdowns, where everyone was in panic and I was like 'finally, this is how things should be, everyone at home, streets empty').

 

Disabled is not a derogatory term.

Also, yeah, in the group Autism 100% is a disorder, almost literally (in your head).

Edited January 22 by Reginald_001

[Ijakor2]

autismn is a definition from white sheep for black sheep.

autists have a different point of view to  the world, which is not bad but a chance to learn from each other.

from my point of view autists act as  conscience of the society.

 

i guess i am an exzentric autist, which can be a bit exhausting for others, but brains need training,

[Zasz]

Marina Karlova is a writer, independent researcher, leather craft designer, photographer, and musician. Judge the quality of her words considering this.

 

For medical or psychological advice, go to an expert, not some random youtuber.

[DoctaSax]

I think saying it's not a disorder may help with self-esteem, but it may also give lawmakers, health insurers and what else an excuse to scrap programs, assistance & disability checks for autistic people who really need them. Because you know they would.

[Z0mBieP00Nani]

32 minutes ago, DoctaSax said:

I think saying it's not a disorder may help with self-esteem, but it may also give lawmakers, health insurers and what else an excuse to scrap programs, assistance & disability checks for autistic people who really need them. Because you know they would.

Never thought of it from that perspective (referring to the government programs bit), but yeah, this is very true. I mean, maybe her definition of "the system" is accurate, but it is an established system and "it is what it is", trying to fight against it at this point would be like jumping into a river with a strong current thinking you could come out on top. It's better to adapt to the bull shit when able rather than trying to fight against it.

 

1 hour ago, Zasz said:

Marina Karlova is a writer, independent researcher, leather craft designer, photographer, and musician. Judge the quality of her words considering this.

 

For medical or psychological advice, go to an expert, not some random youtuber.

I try not to hang too much on the words of anyone, at least not with some kind of proof. I still found her observations in this case helpful because for a while (at work) I was starting to think I was being paranoid about things, I could see the outline, but not the details, and her observations helped to bring things into better focus.

[davisev5225]

Autism is a disorder.  That is plainly evident because there are measurable chemical imbalances in the brain that contribute to it, and if someone has a severe enough form of autism, they are literally incapable of taking care of themselves or being responsible for their own well-being because their brain will not prioritize their own health and basic social functions.

 

The problem isn't with the fact that autism is rightly considered a disorder, the problem is how broadly it is diagnosed and how it is treated.  Autism is handled exclusively from a symptom management perspective rather than trying to treat the root causes.  That results in a permanent customer for the pharmaceutical industry, which is exactly what they want.  Causal treatment creates cures, which removes a customer from the pool.  Add on the fact that more and more mental issues, with smaller and smaller impacts on a person's health, keep getting pulled under the autism umbrella, and you end up with a perfect storm of mistreatment that creates deep resentment.

 

An example of how broad the "autism" umbrella has become: attention deficit disorder (ADD) is considered a form of autism now.  Problem is, it has an entirely separate root cause and separate chemical imbalance than "classic" autism, which is why Ritalin can treat ADD, but does nothing or even actively harms someone with "classic" autism.  But autism gets big government grants for treatment, so everything gets called autism now.

Edited January 23 by davisev5225

[Z0mBieP00Nani]

6 hours ago, davisev5225 said:

Autism is a disorder.  That is plainly evident because there are measurable chemical imbalances in the brain that contribute to it, and if someone has a severe enough form of autism, they are literally incapable of taking care of themselves or being responsible for their own well-being because their brain will not prioritize their own health and basic social functions.

 

The problem isn't with the fact that autism is rightly considered a disorder, the problem is how broadly it is diagnosed and how it is treated.  Autism is handled exclusively from a symptom management perspective rather than trying to treat the root causes.  That results in a permanent customer for the pharmaceutical industry, which is exactly what they want.  Causal treatment creates cures, which removes a customer from the pool.  Add on the fact that more and more mental issues, with smaller and smaller impacts on a person's health, keep getting pulled under the autism umbrella, and you end up with a perfect storm of mistreatment that creates deep resentment.

 

An example of how broad the "autism" umbrella has become: attention deficit disorder (ADD) is considered a form of autism now.  Problem is, it has an entirely separate root cause and separate chemical imbalance than "classic" autism, which is why Ritalin can treat ADD, but does nothing or even actively harms someone with "classic" autism.  But autism gets big government grants for treatment, so everything gets called autism now.

Yeah, I never really liked the idea of considering ADD or ADHD another form of autism, I mean, the two have a lot of similarities, and apparently it's possible to end up with both, but they are not the same thing. I really think there is an issue, though, with the way people communicate with each other, and treat each other. Think this has always been the case, but I definitely think things have gotten worse as technology has allowed people to become more lazy, both physically and intellectually.

[Count Chocula]

I would ask people who say it's not a disorder "What is it, then?" Because it's not nothing.

[Z0mBieP00Nani]

7 hours ago, Count Chocula said:

I would ask people who say it's not a disorder "What is it, then?" Because it's not nothing.

Right, saying it's not a disorder feels more like they're in denial, or something.

[Z0mBieP00Nani]

On 1/22/2026 at 10:43 AM, Reginald_001 said:

Being disabled is a relative term to the group. If you can't do something that most of the group can, then you are disabled in that way. People often make 'disabled' synonymous with something bad, but it's just an observation. I have late diagnosed autism (diagnosed after my 50's). And in hindsight I was very disabled, at school, in social hierarchies etc.. etc.., I was always the outcast and the black sheep. Only after learning the diagnose I was able to look back and finally put all the puzzle pieces together. Reading reports from teachers from that time, now looking back it's obvious. But back then in the 70's stuff like that wasn't. You were just 'different' or 'a pain/problem child'. (I was regarded both that AND a failure because they realized I have a high IQ but couldn't utilize it).

 

If you have autism, you (often, not always) have difficulty functioning in certain social settings, this highly depends on the individual and how far they are on the autistic spectrum and how their neuro-diversity subjects itself. For me it meant that my entire life I have been a loner/einzelganger. And after 60+ years I have piece with that because it 100% fits my psychology and how I think about things in life. My strength turned out to be my career and my beta brain. I didn't have papers but I outsmarted most college degree people at work during my career because I was able to learn things by myself differently and much quicker than school ever could. And I've had a long and flourishing career for it.

 

For that social aspect though, I am disabled. If I had not been disabled in that area, I might have ended up married with kids, but I wasn't, because people always find me awkward because I always say the wrong things at the wrong times. (And unlike shows, tv's and books, people like that NEVER get 'the girl'). So yeah, autism is disabling and (often, not always) makes you disabled when compared to the group.

 

If 90% if people had autism and 10% didn't, then likely they would've been seen as the outcasts and they would have difficulty performing in 'our system'. (Which is what I experienced during the Covid lockdowns, where everyone was in panic and I was like 'finally, this is how things should be, everyone at home, streets empty').

 

Disabled is not a derogatory term.

Also, yeah, in the group Autism 100% is a disorder, almost literally (in your head).

It's funny you mention the married with kids aspect. I have also struggled socially and I suspect that is why I'm in the same boat at almost 40 (I'll be 40 in February). Unfortunately I also don't have the "flourishing career" aspect to boast about either. People, "normal people", have asked me why I'm not married and why I don't have kids at my age, and all I can do is stare for a second before shrugging, I mean how am I supposed to explain the truth in a few sentences? The part that annoys me is, it like they ask that question, but they don't really care about the answer. This is why I don't get along well with "normal people", their stupid social culture forces me to act pathological, I guess, and it just feels wrong.

 

Anyway, I guess my lack of social skills and a family is exactly why I'm still looking at porn for intimacy.

[MorePrinniesDood]

Autism has kept me from dating pretty much my entire life. So if you ask me, it's definitely a disorder.

[Ijakor2]

People make autism an disorder.

[landess]

If we're going to 'Lawyer' words - it's best to start with the dictionary and understand the definitions of Order and Disorder. Often times any label, accurate or not, are perceived as derogatory do to the nature of the subject they are applied to.

[Z0mBieP00Nani]

On 1/24/2026 at 8:10 AM, MorePrinniesDood said:

Autism has kept me from dating pretty much my entire life. So if you ask me, it's definitely a disorder.

I mean, on the one hand I can see the "undomesticated human" aspect she suggests, "normal people" tend to be pathological assholes due to the nature of social interaction influenced by culture, so in that respect, it's really not your fault that most people... kind of suck, in actuality. On the other hand I agree, it's definitely a disorder if good habits are not established at an early age.

[Hornycorn23232]

Having a system that works for a specific group of people and not so well for another group of people, doesn't mean that either of those groups is worse or better then the other.

 

The people for who the system works better just have an advantage. If the system fails or partially fails (like during lockdowns when there was covid) they are the ones with the bigger disorder because they can not function without (parts of the) the system. Where the groups that are used to fall outside of the system, did not have to change a lot and kept functioning more normal then the ones that call themselves "normal". 

 

Diagnosed people just work better in different ways. The sad thing is that normal people are more blind to their own disorders and/or disfuncions because the current systems give them ways around it to do that. 

 

Stay strong, you are not alone and you deserve the same as any other human being, both the ones on and not on any spectrum. 

 

(Sidenote: English is not my main language but i tried to make myself as clear as i can with what i know)

Edited February 21 by Hornycorn23232

[Omnishade]

It's nice to see that this topic comes up and that many people share the same sensible view. Without the content of the video(link is dead) and just reading some of the comments, I just want to add my stance on this. As someone with mild autism I don't see it as a disorder, but I can understand if people with "normal" function in social settings and how they process information can see it that way. We have two choices. Either we accept that people are different, try to make room and tolerance for everyone, and draw the line for disorder where people can't even function without personal support. I don't mean this as discrimination of any kind, but if the diagnosis is severe enough those people need and would appreciate the support they get.

The other choice is what happens now, that everyone who doesn't fit the pattern of what the majority is and can do, is seen as different and in some cases lesser beings unfortunately.

This comes from how our biology is wired into natural selection and survival.

But here is where society makes a mistake. People with autism or ADHD are often smarter or have more energy than the average person. It can come in the form of creativity or being able to see details or patterns more clearly. But for autistic people it often takes longer process and come to a conclusion. They still have the pressure and desire to perform at the speed of a normal person, which causes stress and takes a lot of energy. It's the inability from society to adjust that makes these talents go to waste and a lot of autistic people are left feeling alienated.

 

Without current conventions, racism and classication is normal and have been for thousands of years. Maybe we should consider ourselves lucky that we live in a time where people with deviant behaviour doesn't become slaves or are burned at the stake(I'm being intentionally sarcastic). 

 

I have noticed some improvements over the past 5 years or so, where institutions and companies acknowledge the differences and hope to make use of the talents of autistic people. For example there are communal jobs that can be adjusted for people with a disability or diagnosis. But there is still a long way to go until autistic people can compete and socialize on the same terms as non-autistic people.

[Omnishade]

On 1/24/2026 at 2:10 PM, MorePrinniesDood said:

Autism has kept me from dating pretty much my entire life. So if you ask me, it's definitely a disorder.

 

I know where you're coming from but it's not impossible. If you are on the scale where you can't mask or learn to act in a way that covers up most of, there are actually dating sites for austistic people. I even tried one called "Aspberger Dating", but the male to female ratio was like 10 to 1, so you'd have to find a site with better balance or just be more attractive than average lol. I'm high-functioning though, so I can manage on a standard site.

Edited February 21 by Omnishade

[CT1990]

in the broad sense of the term yes and no, no , and this is my theory, because autism is an early way in which to map archetypes of the brain, yes because certain triggers for autistic people can cause a whole array of debilitating things .i worked with autistic adults and one of them got in a car accident and went catatonic for over a year. high functioning can be seen more as characteristics of this map.those with a dash of asparagus (such as me) has touches of hyper focus and physical lockouts. and my (client) who is far down in the spectrum but also has asparagus though severely can walk, but absolutely must be touching my arm or shoulder while walking and wont move at all if the space around them  is too open and needs a wheelchair to navigate that area and a super mastery of one topic in this case Paleontology.

[Aouregan]

I am 49, autistic (ASD-1) with ADHD. I do not see it as a disorder, per se.

Most issues we are facing are because society and the (man-made) world are not built to accommodate us. That would go a long way.

I have been raw dogging it for all my life now and yeah, every 6 or 7 years my life implodes in a spectacular manner, but I deal with the fallout and move on. Not much else to do. The alternative is what? Curl up, sulk and die? I burned through probably 5 or 6 long term relationships that way, as well. Would I do it different? Na. 

Am I impaired? Yes. Is it because of me, or because society lacks the accommodations? I think it is the latter. I can live a perfectly normal life, except for when I hit societal obstacles. It's not like I am missing a leg or an arm.
I love how Anaïs Nin put it:

"To hell, to hell with balance! I break glasses; I want to burn, even if I break myself. I want to live only for ecstasy. Nothing else affects me. Small doses, moderate loves, all the demi-teintes – all these leave me cold. I like extravagance, heat… sexuality which bursts the thermometer! I’m neurotic, perverted, destructive, fiery, dangerous - lava, inflammable, unrestrained. I feel like a jungle animal who is escaping captivity."

 

To be fair, instead of as a disorder, I see it as one of the possible next steps in evolution. Nature doesn't pop something out with a whopping 70-ish % inheritability for nothing. ADHD has the same, by the way. Nature does a lot of trial & error stuff, creating and dropping new ideas on the fly (on the fly can mean a loooong time in this context). Autism has been around forever already. It just had no name. If left to our own devices, we are superior in handling specific tasks over neurotypicals. Our feelings and empathy can be world shattering in their intensity. I wouldn't want anyone to take that away from me.
We just need to establish our place in society.

God, I start sounding like Magneto XD
But yeah, I am a neurodiversity activist, among many other things.

And the reason why I am saying all this, is pretty bitter. Without acceptance or accommodation, we tend to die young:

 

Spoiler

"It (suicide) is the second leading cause of death for autistic people. Average life expectancy for autistic people is just 54 years old. (Swedish study of over 27,000 cases)"
"Suicide attempts tend to be more aggressive and lethal"

(Source: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk%2Fdocs%2Fdefault-source%2Fimproving-care%2Fnccmh%2Fsuicide-prevention%2Fworkshops-(wave-4)%2Fwave-4-workshop-2%2Fsuicide-and-autism---slides.pdf )

 

Edited June 2 by Aouregan

[Aouregan]

I am very happy that the mods decided to allow for my post. For a moment there, I was worried. So, thank you for that. ❤️
I get that there are keywords and stuff.
Autism is not a disorder, it is failure in society to adapt. And I will die on that hill.
Obviously, like with anything genetic, you can get "too much". Too much tissue growth, too much bone growth, too much Autism (to really water it down to the most simple terms), and then you end up with ASD-3, but this is just my own guess-work. But general Autism acceptance would go a long way even for them.
ASD-3 level autism is not the rule. Most of us are absolutely functional and too smart for our own good. We are by default lateral thinkers throughout.

Edited June 2 by Aouregan

[johnpage]

You are correct Autism is not a disorder its a downright attack by those in control on the human species via injections with the label of safe (yeah right) autism was not a thing in the old days and is relatively new in the timespan of things, its not the health services fault but from whom they buy the drugs from, follow the money for answers. and the mission of those that sell the drugs, absolute chaos and preventative medicine changed from healing to prolonging disease again follow the money.

[Aouregan]

3 hours ago, johnpage said:

You are correct Autism is not a disorder its a downright attack by those in control on the human species via injections with the label of safe (yeah right) autism was not a thing in the old days and is relatively new in the timespan of things, its not the health services fault but from whom they buy the drugs from, follow the money for answers. and the mission of those that sell the drugs, absolute chaos and preventative medicine changed from healing to prolonging disease again follow the money.

 

Autism has always existed and is not a modern thing.
It didn't have name, but there was always the "Oh, that is John, he doesn't speak much and doesn't like to be touched, but he is the best metal engraver in a hundred mile radius. Just don't interrupt him. And he only eats bass."
There are ideas and theories that ADHD people, for example, made for the best hunters in tribal societies. They were always sharp and on edge, hearing and seeing stuff, others couldn't. And once they lock in, they don't let go.
I assume you are unaffected, correct, and just spewing some uninformed US nonsense? That is usually the place where this kinda crap comes from, like cleansing your butt with bleach, or taking horse dewormer. (Just checked, you are UK. Not that much better, tbh)
And, by the by, there is no medical cure for autism, so not really any drug money to be had. Once you have it (and it is proven genetic, so you are born with it or the predisposition to develop it via sudden mutation), you have it. Unlike ADHD, there is no alleviating medicines. And I always recommend against Ritalin and the like, cause they are amphetamines and highly addictive, but it does seem to help some people, so why not. I am not a doctor. I literally get my kick on the street or in a club every 6 months or so, when shit gets too much. But I can't imagine doing that every morning on a schedule. Good Lord. I can't afford a drug habit (nor stick to a schedule) XD

The sad part about autism is that we are actually under-served by the medical community. There is zero money involved in its existence.

 

If you really want to point fingers, then do it at people like Martin Shkreli and the like, who marged up life saving medication for HIV patients by over 5000% basically over night. So yeah, this kind of interest exists. Not around autism, though. Main difference is that HIV is a virus, so anyone can potentially contract it. Autism nope. You don't just suddenly become autistic. Especially not from a vaccine. That kind of misinformation should honestly be legally pursuable.

Edited June 2 by Aouregan

[Omnishade]

I stopped worrying if people see me as dumb a long time ago, and it has opened up my world entirely. I can be myself and relaxed among people and interact without having to mask all the time. That openness gives the appearance of confidence, and also real confidence if people accept you. People are comfortable with approaching you once give off the right "aura", if you believe in that. Then it's your responsibility to mix the dumb questions with some smartness, or you will probably be seen as a bit slow. That's the pressure we have to live with.

But I do think there are positives about being autistic. Since I don't know how a non-autistic mind works I'm just assuming here, but it feels like we have the ability to connect with ourselves better and for some individuals this also means a more vivid imagination. These traits can replace the social dependency on others to some degree, but all this also depends on how introverted/extroverted you are. It's not as simple as being autistic gives you certain traits.

 

Managing autism is all about getting to know yourself and how other people normally interact, so you can adjust and play the role if you so desire, or be yourelf with your autism and hope they accept you. The latter is reserved for people that seem sympthetic or empathic in my opinion, but this are probably things that everyone figures out sooner or later. I often learned the hard way.

[Aouregan]

28 minutes ago, Omnishade said:

I stopped worrying if people see me as dumb a long time ago, and it has opened up my world entirely. I can be myself and relaxed among people and interact without having to mask all the time. That openness gives the appearance of confidence, and also real confidence if people accept you. People are comfortable with approaching you once give off the right "aura", if you believe in that. Then it's your responsibility to mix the dumb questions with some smartness, or you will probably be seen as a bit slow. That's the pressure we have to live with.

But I do think there are positives about being autistic. Since I don't know how a non-autistic mind works I'm just assuming here, but it feels like we have the ability to connect with ourselves better and for some individuals this also means a more vivid imagination. These traits can replace the social dependency on others to some degree, but all this also depends on how introverted/extroverted you are. It's not as simple as being autistic gives you certain traits.

 

Managing autism is all about getting to know yourself and how other people normally interact, so you can adjust and play the role if you so desire, or be yourelf with your autism and hope they accept you. The latter is reserved for people that seem sympthetic or empathic in my opinion, but this are probably things that everyone figures out sooner or later. I often learned the hard way.

 

Edited just now by Omnishade

 

Unmasking is hard and difficult, but it can go a long way.
Grief will hit, once you realize you are autistic. Grief over a life you could have had, but never will.

 

Once you get to terms with all that, you are okay and can live a good and extremely open life.

There are like three stages to it, after you find out you are autistic, especially if you are already an adult.

Relief (You suddenly have explanations you so desperately needed) - Grief (You come to realize what could have been in the past without the autism on your back, OR with just a little bit more support and understanding) - Acceptance (This is the state you can finally move forward from)

 

The grief stage is where most of us give up, sadly. It is a lot. You see all your life in review and see what got fucked up and why. And you will never get a second chance to go back and change it. If you are already in your late 30s or 40s, this is where it will hit you the hardest, and a lot do not make it through that phase. They give up. And sadly, when we set our mind on something, we can be pretty efficient. We don't half-ass things.

Edited June 2 by Aouregan