A prominent neuroscientist suggests that most Britons might now view themselves as neurodivergent.
Professor Francesca Happe thinks that lowering the stigma associated with conditions like
ADHD
And there has been an increase in both professional and personal diagnoses of autism.
Even though tolerance is beneficial, she cautions that actions previously seen as mere idiosyncrasies are now being classified as medical issues.
One of the experts featured is her.
BBC
The Autism Curve on Radio 4, beginning today, delves into the reasons behind the surge in autism diagnoses.
The figures show an increase of 787 percent between 1998 and 2018, as stated in a 2021 report. Additionally, the approximate count of children with autism spectrum disorder has climbed from one in every 2,500 kids eighty years back to one in every 36 currently.
During her interview with the host Michael Blastland for the program, Professor Happe stated, “A growing number of individuals are opting to self-identify rather than pursue an official diagnosis.”
‘Everything is about to shift since we might very well have reached a stage where neurodivergent self-identifying individuals outnumber those who are neurotypical.’
‘If that proves useful or not is something we should talk about.’
However, she embraced the decreased stigma, noting: “There’s much greater tolerance now, and that’s positive.”
In 2021, Professor Happe was honored with the CBE award for her contributions to the research on autism. Although she has dyslexia herself, which went undiagnosed during her childhood, she didn’t become aware of it until her own daughter received a diagnosis.
Naturalists and television personalities such as Chris Packham, who has an autism spectrum disorder, join actors like Sir Anthony Hopkins and technology tycoon Elon Musk in this category.
Read more