[SeekAndFind]

When I was a kid, words like awkward, shy, and withdrawn, or energetic, loud, and troublemaker, were used to describe children now "diagnosed" with autism or ADHD.

Yes, but you grew up being able to talk, relate, reason, get married, have children, etc.

Do not confuse your personal history with the thousands and thousands of kids out there who cannot even talk, live in their own world and cannot even relate to society at large.

There are MANY ADULTS who are like that too.

I have seen MANY kids like these in school (one of my nephews being one of them) and attempting to categorize them as brat is not only unscientific, it's being clueless.

[M203M4]

All the more reason to make sure the diagnosis is used legitimately. Autism spectrum disorders especially. Yes, autism is real, as are other conditions. And while the 99% number is clear hyperbole, judging by the clinical definition of the term for diagnostic purposes (entirely qualitative), I would not be shocked if half of those children diagnosed do not have anything approaching a legitimate medical condition; rather, they are better described as falling into the broad range of “normal” behaviors.

[TBP]

the thousands and thousands of kids out there who cannot even talk

Like Savage's brother?

Or don't you liberals care about anyone who isn't convenient to your narrow little ideology?