Replying to Uta Frith's views, one by one.

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

I read it and I actually feel this. I was in special ed… its tough not having a label anymore where most of the other people are dealing with more similar barriers… people are increasingly…. Not similar circumstance to myself… and that is unhelpful for me…

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

Unhelpful for advocacy. Unhelpful for strategies. Unhelpful because of increased social expectations.

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

Im fine with having an entirely different label.

But I don’t really wanna share with those who are so much more capable than me… im comfy being separated from both the main buckets so I can find more similar people….

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

Its hard to set reasonable expectations…

[dedicto@zeroes.ca]

@KatyElphinstone @SecondUniverse @adelinej Uta #Frith was a coauthor, with Simon #BaronCohen, on the original 1985 paper introducing the hopelessly muddled "theory of mind" concept, the phlogiston of autism science. She certainly doesn't have any legitimate claim still to be taken seriously in 2026.

[autisticplushy@lgbtqia.space]

@simondassow @joshsusser @KatyElphinstone @SecondUniverse @adelinej neuroconvergent

[autisticplushy@lgbtqia.space]

@SecondUniverse @KatyElphinstone i wish a had a mind to base a theory on /j

[autisticplushy@lgbtqia.space]

@joshsusser @SecondUniverse @KatyElphinstone @adelinej i am able to read minds, it works like wifi /j

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@Energetic_Nova

I do see what you're saying. Yes. And that must be hard actually. I was disadvantaged at school, but not like that.

Hm I guess, regarding this, I think it may be time to support people with what they need in the ways that they need it? That is, the support should centre around their needs, and not round their diagnosis.

I think her commentary is designed to be divisive... which is exactly what it's doing

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@Energetic_Nova

PS and just to say good on you for saying this... I realise that might have taken some courage in the context.

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@autisticplushy

🤪
@SecondUniverse

[autisticplushy@lgbtqia.space]

@KatyElphinstone @SecondUniverse

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

I agree. I think the frustration is being born out of people needing help and not getting it. And I have been waiting for help for a long time after graduating from special ed and not getting autistic specific help.

can’t even really be independent. If my partner left me I would pretty much starve.

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

Ok here is a concrete example of personal trouble.

I call places… trying to get help for autism. The services don’t serve my age group, my functioning level (either they want high or low functioning not between and spikey profile), or my government (medicaid) insurance.

If I call some place seeking help for ADHD, the same doesn’t happen.

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

So like how functional can a label really be if when you call for help for it… To help literally isn’t even there. And also the government probably can’t even measure that the help for you isn’t there because it’s all got the same label.

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

It was easy by comparison to get help for the ADHD part. Oh I just need to get diagnosed with a Neuro psychiatrist with multiple eight hour long appointments and it’s really hard to get? So much easier than trying to get the actual intense help that I’m looking for for autism for an adult…

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@Energetic_Nova

Shit yes.

It's the kind of denial of existence of autistic adults, isn't it... Which is what the whole 'treatment and cures' paradigm actively supports.

All that billion dollar research @panda talks about in their blog.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could see a little bit of that billions of dollars?

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@Energetic_Nova

It's a good point ‍️
The label doesn't really function anyway!

My feeling is the world is set up wrong.

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

I have felt this too! Which is a really common feeling with all of us. XD

I like symptom labels and this is what I have tried and this is what I haven’t.

[energetic_nova@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone

I got the autism label when I wasn’t looking for it at the neuropsych btw… which means I am not someone who decided they were autistic before someone else… then I told people… they were shocked I wasn’t diagnosed…. Im really obviously according to even people I hardly know.