Are the numbers some sort of estimate? Because clearly a good number
of people will never be DX'd, whether by choice, or simply not knowing.
* odeon mutters about Sophist never being at hand when needed.
Yes, the way I understand it, it's an estimate. Obviously, too, because I doubt it's possible to simply do a head count.
<rant>
The researchers are probably well aware of the fact that there are people that will never get a dx, for one reason or another. They are also aware of the fact that social awkwardness alone does not an aspie make, no matter what the sympathetic ears at WP and other places say. (Chorus: we don't care what the doctors say, we know that you're one of uuuusssss...)
An important criteria not to be forgotten is that in addition to the DSM list, you need to have experienced significant difficulties directly related to the other symptoms, it's named a "disorder" for a reason. Having some autistic
traits, among them difficulty reading social signals, is certainly more common, obsessing about things for months on end is too. Weak theory of mind, lack of central coherence, executive dysfunction (no, not the kind that affects Vice Presidents and board members), etc, in combination, are probably not.
You don't get a dx because you need to belong to a social club for rejects.
</rant>
