Why is autism suddenly something trendy and quirky?

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I keep seeing this on tumblr.... Individuals who are of "sound" mind are pretending to have autism or a debilitating mental illness of some sort to seem "interesting". Why would anyone blessed with a healthy mind, ever wish this upon themselves?

I have autism. And it's s**t. Absolutely s**t. I have come to terms with it though and accept it as it is.. but why would anyone wish for this? Why would anyone want a life where one is destined to lead a life of autism imposed isolation? It confuses me..

I don't know, quite a lot of people who use tumblr just seems to like putting labels on themselves though. It does seem to be a way to be "unique". I haven't personally seen anyone use autism in that way though. Any links to people using it in that way?

I'm not saying autism should be stigmatized--but if somebody uses autism to seem "unique," they don't know what autism is.

First things first.

How do you know that these folks are NT posers?

Maybe they claim to be autistic because they are that.

Self-diagnosis, while claiming to know better than any appropriately-trained professional, is a dead give-away of poseur-hood.

Maybe it has to do with all those T-shirts and bumper stickers they've been cranking out...
Always
Unique
Totally
Interesting
Sometimes
Mysterious

Seriously though, I've never believed I don't posess a "sound" or "healthy" mind, only one that functions different than the majority of the human race. I can only speculate that with the way technology like social media has made its mark these days, maybe the idea of "autism imposed isolation" could look attractive to some, perhaps as an escape?

There's increased information about ASD and I think people want to feel special or something. They want an excuse for things in their life. Some of those people probably actually believe they are on the spectrum and some might be undiagnosed aspies but for others it'd become 'trendy' like bipolar used to be.

I know that if they really had autism for a day to see what it's like, they would take it back and say they don't want autism.

People might pretend to have autism because it gives them an axcuse to act like jerks while being anti-social and practicing their own "special interests" without outside interference. Maybe their lives are so bleak an miserable to begin with that having autism seems like an improvement to them.

Then one day, when their social environment changes and becomes more friendly, they are suddenly "cured" of something they never had in the first place.

I'm quite active on Tumblr, and honestly, I see far more posts which are vehemently against the glamorization or fetishization of autism (and mental illness and physical disability, etc.). Tumblr is a very politically correct atmosphere, at times to rather extreme ends; it'd be hard for someone to make the type of statements the OP is talking about without attracting a lot of negative reactions.

I'm not saying there aren't people like that, but they're definitely subject to more derision than anything else.

Is it possible that the number of posts on tumbler by non-autistic people presenting themselves as autistic is very small but appears large because this issue is of great personal concern to you? Do you spend time seeking examples that seem to fit this idea?

I do not do Tumblr, but it seems at least possible that the perception that you are having is the result of certain universal cognitive biases, notably confirmation bias, attentional bias and selection bias.

I wonder how many active users there are on Tumblr and what percentage of them are falsely self-identifying as autistic? If you have data showing percentages and trends, then I think you are on solid ground trusting the perception that autism is suddenly trendy and that there are many people faking mental disorders there. If you don't have any data to support the perception, but this is something that you suspect as you pursue autism related posts on Tumblr, I would think the chance of this being the result of cognitive bias is quite high.

I occasionally get bothered by people thinking I don't look disabled enough to be using a handicapped placard that lets me use the special parking spaces. I wish I could give them cerebellar damage for a day and let them enjoy staggering around.

My next door neighbor has a weird fixation on my husband. After my husband was diagnosed years ago I told our neighbors so they'd stop small talking at him in our yard. Soon after this particular neighbor told me he was also on the spectrum.

He now says he has a brain tumor. He'll sneak out of his house in the middle of the night and mow his yard or move his car but otherwise won't leave his house, which looks like Jame Gumb's house from Silence of the Lambs.

I mean, when people say things like that and it sounds unbelievable, you can't call them on it because it MIGHT be true...then you've just been a jerk to them.

Interesting. Didn't know I was trendy Never really heard of this before. Though I am familiar with the term "poser". I'm pretty popular (I suppose) on a teen forum. I guess a newbie could decide to pretend he's autistic to get similar results. Although I don't think my autism has all that much to do with me being liked there.

I think its more of an internet thing than a real life thing....if you see a bunch of stuff online of how people fake things like autism just to seem 'intresting' or 'unique' it might give the impression its a very widespread problem. Chances are though its just internet hype and rumours I doubt even half the people who claim to have autism are knowingly lying just to seem more interesting. It is possible there are people who think they have autism who don't, but then they probably have another underlying issue and aren't trying to 'fake' just trying to understand themselves to the best of their ability.

This is something I will always disagree with...beings before my official diagnoses I identified as 'self diagnosed'...as a way to imply I am convinced I had the condition but had not had a professional evaluation. Rather than saying 'well I think I could maybe have autism, but haven't been professionally diagnosed yet' every time since its more wordy.

So I would not assume a self diagnosed...is nessisarily an NT poser, it would depend on the self diagnosed person, their demeanor and if it seems like they are trying to gain excess attention by bringing up 'I have autism' at every given opportunity. Though I think in most cases of self diagnosed individuals who later are professionally evaluated and find they do not really have autism usually have some other underlying condition instead...so still would not be NT posers.

I actually don't see a lot of people pretending to be autistic on Tumblr to seem like a special snowflake. And I'm not sure if claiming to know better than a trained professional is a sign of a poser. I have often heard autistics who are officially diagnosed talk about how professionals tend to misunderstand autistics because they ignore their experiences.

I do see some posts against the romanticization of disabilities (though I also don't think they should be portrayed as this awful thing that ruins your life), and I think that is the very reason people often complain about special snowflakes on Tumblr. The attention they get from that may create the illusion of there being more people faking autism than there really is.

I do not think "Autism as Trendy" is nearly as widespread as perceived. But I believe that the widespread perception that there is a widespread Autistic, more specifically "Aspie" wannabee movement has been one of the most damaging things for autistics to deal with in the last ten years or so. It is one reason you can not officially get diagnosed with Aspergers anymore. It is a major distraction from what should be more pressing concerns. I think there a a dedicated group of people whom never agreed with expanding the diagnostic criteria for autism that is causing some of this perception.