Supposedly “autistic” behaviors such as
- repetitive behaviors
- avoidance of change
- …
are essentially symptoms of a disturbed interaction with the social environment and primarily serve to reduce the anxiety caused by the disorder.
The disruption of social interaction CAN result from autism, but it does not have to.
And it can just as easily be caused by, for example, a disability, hospitalization, etc. (see also WHO/Bowlby; WHO/Ainsworth; Levy, D.).
The supposedly autistic behaviors can occur both in individuals and in groups (see Menzies Lyth, I.).
Thus, autism cannot be inferred from supposedly “autistic” behaviors, nor can it be “diagnosed.” Given that autism is not a disease but a vulnerability, and given the diverse possible causes of “autistic” behaviors, it’s not surprising that there is NO valid autism diagnosis (see Waterhouse, Lynn). It simply can’t exist!
This also makes it clear that all autism “research” is scientific mimicry and lacks any basis.
