emeraldglass
6'1" Gymmaxed Moroccan
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Most users here report having autism, either diagnosed or self diagnosed, and cite it as a major reason for difficulties in making friends or finding a partner. However, the high prevalence of this claim raises some doubts. It seems unusual for so many people to self identify or be diagnosed with autism on this forum.
This situation could imply one of the following:
Let's explore these possibilities:
1. Prevalence of Autism:
- A 2016 national survey in the USA reported that about 2.5% of children aged 3 to 17 years had been diagnosed with ASD (Kogan et al.).
- In the UK, the prevalence of ASD is estimated at around 1%, with newer studies suggesting up to 1.57% when including undiagnosed cases (Baron-Cohen et al.).
- A national study found an estimated ASD prevalence of about 0.7% among children aged 6 to 12 years (Zhou et al.).
- Another population-based study found that approximately 2.64% of children aged 7 to 12 years were diagnosed with ASD, one of the highest reported prevalence rates globally (Kim et al.).
Conclusion: The global prevalence of autism generally ranges from 1% to 2.5% of the population, debunking the first possibility.
2. Autistic people and Looksmax Forums:
- An online forum for autistic adolescents showed high engagement and quality responses (Foggo et al.).
- Autistic people often find online self-help groups challenging compared to face-to-face groups (Carter and Wilson).
- Autistic adults use online communities to build self-advocacy, friendships, and identity, with positive outcomes related to involvement (Kidney).
Conclusion: Online forums can offer valuable support and facilitate communication and identity development for autistic people. The second possibility has some validity, though it's not well documented in the context of Looksmaxing.
3. Misdiagnosis of Autism:
- Autistic people with co occurring mental health issues are sometimes misdiagnosed with personality disorders like borderline personality disorder (BPD) (Iversen and Kildahl).
- Autism is frequently misdiagnosed in adults, especially those with psychiatric comorbidities, due to difficulties in developmental histories and a lack of clinician experience with adult ASD (Takara and Kondo).
- Women with autism are often misdiagnosed or experience delayed diagnosis due to atypical presentations and higher rates of comorbid conditions (Gesi et al.).
- Misdiagnosis is common due to symptom overlap with other psychiatric disorders (Kincaid et al.).
Conclusion: Misdiagnosis of autism, particularly in adults and women, is often due to overlapping symptoms with other disorders and a lack of specialized assessments, making the third possibility quite plausible.
Final Thoughts: Based on what we’ve learned from possibilities 1 and 3, it looks like autism is pretty rare globally, and some people might be misdiagnosed. So, those saying they have autism might actually have other issues like social anxiety, especially if they self diagnosed. While there are definitely real cases of autism, a lot of claims could come from traits like shyness or trouble with communication. It doesn’t seem like Looksmax spaces have a large number of users with actual autism.
This situation could imply one of the following:
- Autism is more common than previously thought.
- People with autism may be predisposed to join Looksmax related forums, which could be almost surreal and amusing.
- Autism might be frequently misdiagnosed in the general population.
Let's explore these possibilities:
1. Prevalence of Autism:
- A 2016 national survey in the USA reported that about 2.5% of children aged 3 to 17 years had been diagnosed with ASD (Kogan et al.).
- In the UK, the prevalence of ASD is estimated at around 1%, with newer studies suggesting up to 1.57% when including undiagnosed cases (Baron-Cohen et al.).
- A national study found an estimated ASD prevalence of about 0.7% among children aged 6 to 12 years (Zhou et al.).
- Another population-based study found that approximately 2.64% of children aged 7 to 12 years were diagnosed with ASD, one of the highest reported prevalence rates globally (Kim et al.).
Conclusion: The global prevalence of autism generally ranges from 1% to 2.5% of the population, debunking the first possibility.
2. Autistic people and Looksmax Forums:
- An online forum for autistic adolescents showed high engagement and quality responses (Foggo et al.).
- Autistic people often find online self-help groups challenging compared to face-to-face groups (Carter and Wilson).
- Autistic adults use online communities to build self-advocacy, friendships, and identity, with positive outcomes related to involvement (Kidney).
Conclusion: Online forums can offer valuable support and facilitate communication and identity development for autistic people. The second possibility has some validity, though it's not well documented in the context of Looksmaxing.
3. Misdiagnosis of Autism:
- Autistic people with co occurring mental health issues are sometimes misdiagnosed with personality disorders like borderline personality disorder (BPD) (Iversen and Kildahl).
- Autism is frequently misdiagnosed in adults, especially those with psychiatric comorbidities, due to difficulties in developmental histories and a lack of clinician experience with adult ASD (Takara and Kondo).
- Women with autism are often misdiagnosed or experience delayed diagnosis due to atypical presentations and higher rates of comorbid conditions (Gesi et al.).
- Misdiagnosis is common due to symptom overlap with other psychiatric disorders (Kincaid et al.).
Conclusion: Misdiagnosis of autism, particularly in adults and women, is often due to overlapping symptoms with other disorders and a lack of specialized assessments, making the third possibility quite plausible.
Final Thoughts: Based on what we’ve learned from possibilities 1 and 3, it looks like autism is pretty rare globally, and some people might be misdiagnosed. So, those saying they have autism might actually have other issues like social anxiety, especially if they self diagnosed. While there are definitely real cases of autism, a lot of claims could come from traits like shyness or trouble with communication. It doesn’t seem like Looksmax spaces have a large number of users with actual autism.
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