Yet another unnecessary accelerationist in a world where the brakelines were cut years ago and the bus has been speeding up all on its own.
"I can fend for myself" is the extremely naive thought that cut those brakes. No human is an island, and everyone is connected to everyone, past and present.
And "good, they should suffer because they deserve it" is the extremely evil thought that placed the brick on the accelerator. It's the same thought that drives decisions like defunding healthcare.
So, congrats on being a part of the problem. Enjoy cheering for the suffering of humanity.
Three things are true:
_
The reason autism and other disorders are evaluated as a spectrum is because the human condition itself is a spectrum of experience. We are not simple creatures.
The reason people are diagnosed with a disorder is often because they have landed somewhere on the spectrum of human experience that involves an abnormal level of difficulty when faced with "normal" challenges.
Simple or routine tasks, time management, emotional regulation, conversation - humans universally face normal challenges in these areas at times, but neurodivergent individuals face greater challenges at higher frequencies, to the point where it can be classified as a "symptom" because it directly interferes with their life in a way that is not statistically normal - it produces unhealthy levels of stress or emotional instability, impairs social and professional engagements, interferes with their ability to reason or achieve their own desires, etc. etc.
These symptoms can often be managed or treated. Just as often, they can only be coped with.
In short, "invisible" symptoms, masking, misdiagnosis, and societal misunderstandings all contribute to this very common idea that the average neurodivergent is just an attention seeker.
Is it likely that you have come across someone who has incorrectly self-diagnosed? Absolutely. People will lie on the internet. People will lie to your face. People will lie to themselves.
But it is also incredibly likely that you have come across people with severe symptoms that you had absolutely no understanding of. People who have been driven to the brink of suicide because they couldn't manage their own mind, people who can convince you they are okay but can't convince themselves.
It's a goddamn spectrum, and people who can't function at all belong on it just as much as people who can mask, treat, or cope with their symptoms enough to blend in. You don't get to write off their existence just because their struggles aren't obvious to you.