Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/1tc4t1g/a_hypothesis_on_how_poverty_can_mask_autism_level/

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The original was posted on /r/autism by /u/MechanicalSpiders on 2026-05-13 16:28:29+00:00.

I have a hypothesis that the way we classically view autism and the symptoms of autism are often based on how autism presents in people from the middle and upper class. I think poverty can mask and hide some people's autistic traits.

For example, a classic symptom a clinician might look for is a very large elaborate collection of something like Pokémon cards, vintage car figurines, or video games. But all of these things cost money. They also require a lot of time dedicated to personal interests, and you need enough physical space to store them. If you are living in poverty, you often do not have access to the same amount of items, time, or space.

What some clinicians are seeing as classic symptoms may actually reflect middle class privilege and a parent's ability to indulge their child or family member's interests.

When I was young, if my mother had the money and inclination, I probably would have owned hundreds of Breyer horse figurines organized by breed, lined up, and carefully labeled. But she did not have those resources, so instead I had one Breyer horse figurine and an illustrated encyclopedia of horse breeds that I made out of printer paper.

That is still pretty autistic. But it is not nearly as visible a symptom, and it could easily be shrugged off as a girl simply really liking horses.

Furthermore, if someone has lived in lifelong poverty, it may not even occur to them that it is possible to have an enormous collection of items in the first place.

Moving on to time, people living in poverty often have very limited time for hobbies and personal interests- ignoring those demands can quickly lead to homelessness. Because of this, many people who end up being diagnosed with autism live with their parents, because living with parents can provide the time, space, and support needed to fully engage with special interests in a way that makes them more visible to others- and thus more easily diagnosed.

I can personally attest to just how hostile poverty is to thinking deeply about anything. The constant crises, the noise of low income neighborhoods, police sirens, being a full time parent with daycare prohibitively expensive- it all interrupts my ability to interact with my interests at all. Which leads to depression and feelings of hopelessness.