It’s amazing (and not in a good way) to think about all the different drugs that have been tried for the smallest things in autistic kids. While currently the drugs of choice seem to be antipsychotics and SSRIs, in the past they’ve tried such exotic substances as LSD (Ah, the Sixties!) and opioid blockers (because being autistic is just like being on morphine. Seriously!).

I think, as you do, that a lot of the everyday moodiness and rambunctiousness of childhood are being treated as symptoms of some kind of pathology, but I also think that the standard for Acceptable Behavior is set a lot higher for kids with a diagnosed mental illness or neurodevelopmental disability. Without a diagnosis, you can cry when you’re upset, run around when you’re hyper, pout when you’re sad, yell when you’re angry, and your parents will (probably) attribute your behavior to your emotional state, and your emotional state to something that’s happened to you. They’ll try to console you, reason with you, calm you down, or give you a safe outlet for your energy. Now, if you *DO* have a diagnosis, there’s no need for such mental exertion as all that — clearly you’re upset because there’s something wrong with you!