“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.”
It has its utility but I definitely agree it’s harmful in the long term. It would be nice to not have to mask to be accepted.
There are certain types of things that could be described as masking that people with neurodivergence really need to do anyway. A lot of people on the ASD spectrum have hygiene issues as kids because, for example, they find showering to give them a lot of anxiety. Obviously that needs to be overcome no matter how hard it is to do.