Autism is not socially appropriate, but AD(H)D is? Why?

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Whenever people mention 'I have AD(H)D' it's fine and accepted for those who listen. But they usually don't bother with that this person might be different and has special needs either.

People even outright say that AD(H)D is 'normal'.

But when AS (least any other type of ASD) is mentioned, people are turned off. Either they project special needs onto an autistic person that are not real or they treat them as if they were a diseased or crazy sort of type. And if a person's liked or appears somewhat typical, people treat a person as if AS is 'way too serious' for them to have.

And while you can say you have AD(H)D and most won't even react to that fact, if you just mention that you have traits of AS, people start to freak. Same with parents. If one says they have a kid with AD(H)D, most people have no idea of the basic problems that a kid with ADHD can have. But when a parent says they have a kid with autism, many are going to make a fuss.

If that doesn't show that wide parts of society have little knowledge of both disorders, then I don't know.

Yep, it's just outright lack of knowledge. It's sad, but so true. If only people would take the time to understand, we'd all be so much better off. So much more understood. But the fact is not many want to take the time to understand someone who is truely "different." They don't know what they might be missing in that lost friendship.

ADHD socially acceptable? Sorry, but everyone I have ever met that has gotten an ADHD diagnosis is ANNOYING. Not to say these people aren't my friends, and that we aren't friendly with each other, but they're still annoying.

I understand where you're coming from, however! I'd like to let everyone know in advance what is up with me, but due to misconceptions, I think it's best to only tell specific people. I've had problems in college because of AS, and now that I know what I can tell me teachers, I might have less. I doubt it, since most people are useless anyways, but we will see.

Well, first off, I think part of the reaction is that A, more people are diagnosed (and misdiagnosed) with ADHD and ADD. And, B, they have medication for that, so they are "cured" in the NT mind. C, there is nothing like extreme ADHD cases like you hear with Autism, and they didn't make a movie called Rainman about ADHD (that I know of yet at least).

But, I will also say that ADHD patients, especially those who refuse to take Ritalin, have a hard time getting and keeping jobs no different than AS people. In fact, they say that most ADHD patients won't finish college. I figure it's because if they aren't a zombie from the effects of the psychostimulants, then they are more apt to call stupid when they see it, and when it's their boss, they get fired. In addition, if they don't go that far, their personalities are still highly misunderstood, even on the level of childhood as public school classrooms are very anti ADHD. I'm sure ADHD kids get in more trouble than most, and are often based on their behavior alone placed in special education classes even though they can handle the workload and level of mainstream courses. In addition, IDEA is a program where the schools get more money for having more disabled kids, and ADHD was listed as a disability, and that's why there are so many teachers and principles out there forcing kids to take psychotropic medicines and ADHD diagnoses because they want that extra money. ADHD is one of the easiest disorders to peg on someone who doesn't have it, especially in children.

One case in Colorado, a single dad had a child, and the school said the kid wasn't welcomed there if he weren't on Ritalin because they thought he was ADHD. So, the dad put his kid on Ritalin, but then his kid started to do crazy things like stab stuffed animals with a butcher's knife over and over again. In fear of his child's safety, his father took him off the Ritalin (properly weaned off), and the abnormal behavior stopped. Well, when the school found out, they were infuriated. Threatening to expel the child because he was taken off Ritalin, they then turned the dad in to CPS/state child protective services for negligence because he wouldn't keep giving his son Ritalin, and he did have to fight to keep his son in court. He, amongst many others, wrote to the Colorado State legislature who later decided (after researching the credibility of the letters) to pass laws prohibiting the schools from interfering with psychological concerns.

Because everyone thinks that people with any type of autism are mentally ret*d (i hate that word ) And aren't able to function in the real world. When think think of autism, all they think of is silent kids watching fans spin. But when they think of ADD or ADHD, they think of a kid who is just hyperactive but has all the capabilities of a 'normal' person.

Autism is still scary to people. ADHD to your common person just means that the child is hyperactive, inattentive, constantly fidgets and is a boisterous type of person (nothing a parent or teacher can't handle). Now, Autism means that the child will probably end up living with their parents for most of their life (this scares people), that the person with Autism is quite often oppositional, and always oblivious to social norms and how all of the "good old people" should behave; this person with Autism is so different in behaviour that it literally frightens, or even repulses people.

Progress is being made with Asperger's, i.e., the words odd and eccentric are commonly thrown around, but awareness for Autism is still lacking.

The 'net is a good thing; 20 years ago and no one would hear from people like me--I'd be seen as that scary looking man who doesn't talk and behaves very atypical, but has a frightening level of intelligence behind those eyes when you look into them. We're not globally mentally ret*d [for the most part]; there's strengths that we have that make us a concern to the status quo.

In other words, ADHD/ADD is closer to normal.

You say that as if you're applying a negative connotation, and that's deeply offensive to me.

You're not better than me because you can drive a car, work, live by yourself or talk to someone. I was a silent and mentally ret*d kid who counted buttons all day, and I'd have strengths over you that you'll never have, just as you'll have strengths that I'll never have.

There isn't going to be progress when people with the same disorder fail to understand it.

They act as if they are such experts on the condition simply because they have watched a couple television specials. I suppose they haven't heard of the term high functioning.

One of the people I know who has ADHD, who is annoying in his own persistent way, goes through many jobs. He told me when I first met him that he had 8 different jobs within a couple of years or less. Since I've known him, I think he has been fired from two jobs (about 2 years now).

This guy is unlike anyone I've eve met, to say the least. He does have what I'd consider AS traits, but he says he doesn't have AS after his own research on it, but that is beside the point! ADHD comes with it's own problems, and while it may be more common and accepted, these individuals still have their own problems. Considering that most PDD diagnosed individuals have ADHD traits, we share the same problems, but in our own way. I know for one I have a hard time focusing during class lectures, or to people in conversation, and other things.

I am against the use of drugs to modify behavior. Not just because they don't really even understand the full side affects of them, but because I think it's wrong. If you are so disabled that you need drugs, then I'll agree. If you can work the problems out yourself, you should.

I don't need drugs to operate within society. That doesn't mean I wouldn't benefit from them, but I don't need them.

I myself have trouble focusing if a lecture is too slow paced or if I have no interest in the topic. I need things to be fast paced so that I don't automatically tune out.

I'm sorry if it sounded that way. I wasn't trying to sound offensive. I didn't mean it like that. I was implying that the public is ignorant about what really goes on in different medical conditions-especially autism. Autism has a negitive stigma because people know nothing about it.

I don't feel at all as if I am better than anyone. I have AS I have a severely autistic cousin. I don't drive And I have always been lulled by fans, slow water etc....I was just giving the stereotypical automatisms that the general public only hears about. That's it.
Still, I didn't mean to offend you.

I understand that people with different disabilities are treated differently. But depending on what it is, depends on what kind of treatment you get. It just so happens, autism is one of those where people have little knowledge, therefore, people tend to be frightened, and ignorant.

Last edited by SeizeTheDay on 24 Dec 2008, 5:53 pm, edited 3 times in total.

It is partially a numbers game (ADD/ADHD is more common [a diagnosis]), partially a knowledge thing. ADD/ADHD had a head start on autsim in general understanding of what it looks like, or more importantly what it can look like on the higher functioning end. Plus ADD/ADHD, if that isn't the only thing going on, because it is behavior based diagnosis tends to still sits down the feeding chain level diagnostically speaking. My HFA son hasn't got an official diagnosis of ADHD [yet] but oh boy, he acts more "ADHD" than anyone I've ever met with ADHD. So why no diagnosis? Diagnosed young (2 1/2) and they likely wanted to make sure it wasn't something happening with the sensory where the ADHD was just a manifestation of a complication of the ASC rather than more core to the issue.

I think the root of the lack of knowledge is the amount of knowledge. They are both very broad categories of diagnosis that includes a lot of different functioning levels. Trying to get even that level of complexity into the knowledge of the general public is tough.

That ADHD has more history of successful treatment with medication, and even mitigation short of medication, probably helps too.


EDIT: I think part of ADHD drives us to be more outgoing than we might otherwise be. We seek out things happening, anything happening ... because the world moves too slowly. This isn't generally the case with ASC, correct? We might do it in a somewhat annoying way (and I imagine ESPECIALLY annoying to ASC as we'll get up in your grill and we just don't stop doing things), and there are problems that can stem from it. But you tend to notice us in that way.

Last edited by DwightF on 24 Dec 2008, 12:01 pm, edited 5 times in total.

The drug companies made sure that "Everyone" has ADHD... And it's true. Practically half the population is supposedly "ADHD"

I'm the opposite. When ideas are presented to me in lectures, I get stuck on it. Even on things I very well already know (in this case it doesn't matter, I know the subject). I need time to listen to what the teacher is saying and think on it, otherwise I don't understand it and wont learn as thoroughly. This is where "taking notes" is supposed to help, but I find that difficult as well. Also, a lot of the time in class I will drift off and lose focus on the lecture entirely.

ADHD individuals have an advantage in this area, because they are more likely to raise their hand to ask questions if they need clarification. I never ask questions in class. Certainly, a lot of the time I don't have them, because I am a more "do it yourself" kind of person, so most of the time it doesn't occur to me to ask about something.. But when I do have a problem, I wont ask.

I never got the impression it was socially acceptable. My mother used to make a big deal out of the things I did and then blame ADHD. Now that was annoying. Being reminded of it all the time. I got tired of hearing about it.
It seemed like another stigma. Hard to believe, but at one time I really wanted to fit in and a diagnosis, to me, was just another barrier.

From what I understand, you cannot have an official ADHD diagnosis if you are diagnosed with a PDD. I have read that while not all autistic individuals display ADHD traits, enough do that it is likely that you have ADHD if you have a PDD. I think it was like 60% of autistic individuals that I read show ADHD traits.

It would probably be easier giving an official diagnosis of ADHD alongside a PDD IF you have ADHD. If you can write it all down officially, it's easier to convey in paper rather than peoples assumptions.