Kanye West claims car accident caused autism

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MG has a point. Kim Peek (the man who was the inspiration for Rain man) had brain damage to the cerebellum. He subsequently developed autistic like traits and savant skills. I think there are cases of acquired brain injury leading to autistic traits, although the medical fraternity don't recognise these people as autistic as per ICD11 or DSMV.

By definition someone who acquired autism like traits as the result of a head injury isn't autistic, even if their symptoms are exactly synonymous with those associated with autism.

The onset of the disorder occurs during the developmental period, typically in early childhood, but symptoms may not become fully manifest until later, when social demands exceed limited capacities.

According to the DSM-5-TR (2022), in order to receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, one must present with "persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction" and "restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities." These behaviors must begin in early childhood and affect one's ability to perform everyday tasks. Furthermore, the symptoms must not be fully explainable by intellectual developmental disorder or global developmental delay.

If you assume it doesn't need to be said outright that autism does not cause antisemitic behaviours, the current news cycle could suggest otherwise.pp

But as several advocates have told CBC News, what autism doesn't do is affect your belief system or moral code. Every autistic person is different, and every person — autistic or not — is a product of their environment, Anne Borden, co-founder of Autistics 4 Autistics: Self Advocacy in Canada, told CBC News.

"We're not necessarily more susceptible to hateful beliefs or anything like that. It seems today that everyone is susceptible to hateful beliefs," Borden said.

"If people are so out of touch that they think all autistic people are like Kanye West, then god help them."

'Toxic autism politics'
Ye's statements about his diagnosis come during what observers have noted is a time of heightened harmful discourse about autism in the U.S.. The Independent criticized Trump's second administration for what it calls "toxic autism politics," including beliefs about vaccines.

For instance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who hopes to be Trump's health secretary, has repeatedly promoted a false and scientifically de-bunked theory that vaccines cause autism. And ahead of Kennedy's confirmation hearing, Trump said "something is really wrong" with the autism rates in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Musk has repeatedly referred to himself as having Asperger's syndrome, the term for a diagnosis that's no longer used in the medical community and has since been folded into the broader category of autism spectrum disorder. He's been accused by some autism advocates of promoting what's known as "Aspie supremacy," a term coined by disability rights activists for the problematic idea that some autistic people are superior to others and neurotypical peopl

The difference between disability, and excuse
This Thursday and Friday, Ye posted a series of statements on X to his 34 million followers that were homophobic, antisemitic, misogynistic and racist in nature.

Included among the many all-caps posts, he wrote that he doesn't trust Jewish people, "I'm racist," and "I love Hitler. Now what, b*****s."

Borden encouraged people to use their critical thinking skills about whether someone is making excuses for their behaviour based on their disability, or if the behaviour is possibly related to the disability.

"They should understand enough about autism to understand what might be a behavioural reaction to stimuli versus a moral stance or a belief system," she said.

"If people misinterpret Kanye's belief system and morals and choices he's made ... if those are confused, then that's really the problem of the interpreters."