“Autism spectrum disorder spiked 175% among people in the U.S. from 2.3 per 1,000 in 2011 to 6.3 per 1,000 in 2022, researchers found. Diagnosis rates climbed at a faster rate among adults in their mid-20s to mid-30s in that period, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open.”
Yes, see below.
I’m not arguing that they’re not autistic, I don’t understand where you’re getting. Just that they’ve learned to “mask” and they think it’s normal, and they’ve gotten to the point that it’s not something they’re consciously doing. IE I had a speech impediment, I had a counselor work with me to fix it, I spent months consciously thinking about pronouncing it correct, and eventually it became the “normal” thing to do and required no thought. Eye contact has never been something I’m good at, but it no longer burns my soul to look into someones eyes. And if I need to be a good boy it takes almost 0 thought to maintain eye contact. It’s now the “normal” thing to do.