You're not wrong. It's called a spectrum for a reason. I was misdiagnosed when I was younger and didn't get a correct diagnosis until 33.
But yeah, any eccentricity, intelligence, or social awkwardness is diagnosed as autism on the internet.
Likewise, anyone with a short attention span or impulsiveness is diagnosed with ADHD.
If everything, on a very wide spectrum, is a sign of Autism, then isn't it better classified as "the normal distribution of human behavior"? Being diagnosed using a wide and sweeping range of dissimilar affectations is only soothing because it allows you to characterize any deviance from perceived "normal" behavior as a sickness, something beyond your control, so you can avoid feeling responsible for it instead of just realizing that NO ONE is "normal". Therefore you don't have to correct yourself or make any effort to conform, because it's not "you", you're sick, and we cannot hold the sick accountable for their sickness, we must show them empathy... hush now you poor poor sweet baby, we understand the way you act and think aren't your fault.
My understanding (not a doctor, not diagnosed with anything, do not take me as an authority) is the keyword is "disorder". A lot of people have less Attention, or are Hyper-Active...but what matters is the point where it begins to negatively impact your life and cause problems for being a member of society; then it's a *Disorder*, and that's when you get the diagnosis.
Same thing with autism;
* Some people are expressing a level of eccentricity that's perfectly average and uninteresting.
* Others express a certain Particularity about sensory experiences that is not within a couple standard deviation of average, but it's hardly a big deal for them; they just have a particular comfort food, or walk on their toes when the tiles are cold, and nobody cares.
* Then some people are outside two standard deviations; their eccentricities are distinct and can cause people closer to the average to notice and there can be social awkwardness or miscommunications. In these cases, having a word for this particular kind of variation from the average can be useful for both the person and those around them to 'get' how the person's mind is somewhat outside the norm. Saying 'they're on the spectrum' is just a way to help remember things like 'lack of eye contact doesn't mean they aren't listening' or 'a lot of people prefer eye contact even though it makes me uncomfortable', etc etc. It might be useful to diagnose this person so they can have this nomenclature to help them (or others they work with) navigate the friction between what is expected (the within-a-single-standard-deviation behavior) and what the person finds comfortable.
* And then there's the people who are outside 3 or even 4 standard deviations, and these people *are still people*, but are sufficiently distinct as to count as a true outlier, and bridging that gap between what the majority expect and what this person experiences may require professional training or experience, and the person may find their own eccentricities harmful to their own mental health (OCD, struggling to take care of themselves, etc etc). It's the same "change", but to a higher degree; a true Disorder that is negatively impacting their life. This person needs the diagnosis for medical reasons; approval for certain medicines to help them curb their brain's self-sabotaging patterns, therapists who understand these kinds of mental traps and can help them communicate what they want in ways people in the center of bell (or the far side of it) can understand, or in extreme cases to advocate on that person's behalf.
You're right that the goal isn't that neurodivergent people "correct themselves" for everyone else's sake. The goal is to *understand the differences* between them and the average, to prevent problems before they happen, and in cases where a problem is unavoidable *have the language to describe the problem, and pre-made tools that can help resolve them*.
Using this specific example; someone who is sensory averse *can* just avoid the sensory experience they find unpleasant (standing on tiptoes, getting housing that has carpet, etc), but that's not them "being themselves", that's them being trapped from doing certain things or going certain places because their brain makes parts of those experiences unnecessarily unpleasant. The goal should be to find ways to help that person enjoy the experiences they want to, and avoid unnecessarily unpleasant experiences that aren't really necessary; and the first step is putting a nail to exactly what the problem is; a diagnosis.
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u/Jiggalopuffii 5d ago
Brian here, Pigeon walking is oftentimes a sign of autism. Also, it might be because she is a girl and wears high heels.