Is Autism Visibility Fuelling a New Wave of Conspiracies?
How Rising Visibility of Autism Online Is Fuels Understanding and Misinformation
The start of something new.. or old depending on how long you’ve been subscribed. The alryt.world project, exploring burnout in collaboration with neurodivergent people around the world really helped me (and hopefully you) feel less alone as things were falling.
It was a project spawned from pain (god that was dramatic) thats now come to an end thank you again to all the amazing contributors for you honest and insightful shares.
Ngl I’m still going through it but the new school year energy has got me so here we are, I’m writing (& podcasting) again connecting the dots between random concepts, questioning a lot and oversharing a little. This is for those of us tired of the mid, surface-level autism awareness content—the kind so generic it might as well have the ChatGPT logo on it. It's for anyone seeking genuine insight into autistic culture and ready to critically explore how it interacts with the world around us.
Ps. The podcast is soft re-launching Sept 8th, see you there?
Is Autism Visibility Fuelling a New Wave of Conspiracies?
The visibility of autistic people has soared both URL and IRL, from IG memes to low sensory rooms, what was once reserved for reddit forums is now all over the FYP. But with this increased visibility comes an unexpected twist: a rise in autism conspiracy theories.
Whats Going on?
If you’ve not noticed the uptick in visibility of autism online, where have you been scrolling? The Autistic Community has had a strong presence on the major social platforms over the last two decades, but we were hidden (/protected) by nature of the platforms. Communities and creators were there if you knew what to look for but now they’re in your feed even if you don’t wanna see it.
(h/t
for the reminder of this article, it’s brain melting in the best way)We’ve come a long way from the pandemic era listicle content. Now, autistic content creators delve into themes like relationships, work, and adulting with the depth and nuance that have been missing from studies and textbooks.
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As the autistic experience gains visibility, waiting lists for diagnosis and support continue to grow but more social media content can't explain the "surge" in autism diagnoses because studies have confirmed what we know to be true, the majority of the content is so mid it applies to anyone or just actually factually inaccurate.
Videos associated with the "#Autism" hashtag accrued 11.5 billion views collectively. An examination of the top 133 videos providing informational content on autism, which totaled 198.7 million views and 25.2 million likes, showed that 27% of the videos were classified as accurate, while 41% were classified as inaccurate and 32% as overgeneralized. There were no significant differences in engagement between accurate and inaccurate/overgeneralized videos.
The reach and accuracy of information on autism on TikTok. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. (2023)
Why did the number of autism diagnosis surge?
Between 1998 and 2018 there was a 787% rise in the number of diagnoses in the UK with jumps in 2009 and 2013 that can be explained.
Access: The Autism Act 2009 required local authorities to provide adult autism diagnostic services, leading to an increase in service coverage from less than 50% to over 93%.
Knowledge: Around 2013, the DSM-5 reclassified autism to include what was previously known separately as Asperger's Syndrome, leading to more inclusive diagnostic criteria.
Introducing: The Autism Visibility Paradox
Increased visibility has undeniably led to more people recognising and understanding autism. But here's the paradox: while this visibility fosters awareness and acceptance, it also inadvertently fuels conspiracy theories. When the public sees more people identifying as autistic or receiving diagnoses, some jump to the conclusion that there’s an "autism epidemic" or that external forces, like vaccines or environmental changes, are to blame. The reality is that the increases in adult diagnoses can be explained by improved access to diagnostic services and expanded knowledge about autism.
These pillars are linked and yet, the visibility of each feeds into a narrative of alarm and suspicion. Dialling up or down any or all of these pillars will influence how, when or even if autistic adults realise their neurodivergence.
How Visibility Creates Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories thrive on misunderstanding and fear. As more autistic people come forward and share their experiences, it disrupts the previous, narrower understanding of autism as a rare or extreme condition. For those unfamiliar with the nuances of autism, this sudden influx of visibility can be jarring. They won’t see the increase in diagnoses as a reflection of better diagnostic tools and greater acceptance, but as evidence of something in the water. This is how visibility, even though its beneficial for those within the autistic community, paradoxically creates fertile ground for conspiracy theories.
As long as more people show up as their authentic self, conspiracy theories about the autism epidemic will continue. The paradox of autistic visibility is that its both harmful and helpful. It helps more people realise their neurodivergence and access the support they need, but it also opens the door to misinformation and fear-driven narratives.
How has the increased visibility of autistic people changed or challenged your perception?
For me, the increase in the diversity of autism on display has helped me to realise more of the ways I’ve been masking and made me question things about my lifestyle.
Also maybe should have mentioned this earlier but if you’d rather swipe through a colourful IG carousel on the newsletter topic next time, follow me on IG.
Big Things Coming Soon…
Tyla x
I definitely fell victim to wondering why is autism growing in numbers about 5 years back. Gave birth to my daughter in 2020 and was reading the signs of autism like “wait doesn’t everyone have issues with this because I do”. Long story short, we are both neurodivergent. And unpacking all of this in my 30s has been wild. I’m so thankful to the creators who were vulnerable enough to speak on their experiences and made it easier for me to see and accept things I have always been challenged by. Especially women and black creators. Thanks for your platform and bringing up such important discussions ❤️
omg I love to be described as brain-melting! Thanks for the shout!
Speaking of autism conspiracies: in the states we just had a massive class action lawsuit (like 500 plaintiffs) that claimed acetaminophen use during pregnancy caused their kids’ autism and/or adhd. They all just got thrown out for lack of evidence: https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/tylenol-lawsuit/judge-grants-summary-judgment-in-all-tylenol-autism-adhd-lawsuits/