Malinger

DisclaimerThis page contains information and details about a fake or problematic disorder, disability or syndrome, meaning it is not true in the neurodiversity community or is made up of ableism. Please do not use this as a diagnosis, proof it exists/is “valid,” etc. Thank you.Self-HermThe following page includes discussions of self-harm and suicide. If you are uncomfortable or get triggered by this topic, it is recommended to not read this page.
Malingering is the fabrication, feigning, or exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms designed to achieve a desired outcome, such as relief from duty or work, avoiding arrest, receiving medication, and mitigating prison sentencing.1 In neurodiversity terms, it can be used as a way to gather attention or care or in a desirable way to be disabled. It is an invalid term for neurotypicals or (not including neurodivergent/non-autistic NDs) allistics and will never be one due to the amount of ableism.

In 2020 the act of malingering gained attention when autism and other disabilities were given better access to increased access to care. This is also around the time when Autism Speaks began to rise even more in popularity— mainly in drama and controversy— and more people began to recognize autism, ADHD, etc. When this leaked to the community of TikTok, thousands of people were admired by it and began to pretend they were a neurodivergent individual. It gained controversy due to the fact that it was being misrepresentative of the neurodiversity communities around the world (e.g. saying *every* person with autism can’t function for 5 seconds without stimming) and using terms and mentionings that were offensive to neurodivergents. Another major controversy about it is the utter fact malingerers even were to act “like” what they thought was a neurodivergent person— and to even act like it at all. Many neurodivergents have said things such as “Acting like you’re an ND is offensive to all of us. Many of us struggle with these all the time, and some of these can kill us if not treated correctly.”

## Signs of Malingering

* Heavily or frequently using puzzle pieces or Autism Speaks representation, support or symbolizations
* Considers autism as a part of LGBTQ+ (although some autists are in LGBTQ+, it is not a part of it. autismsexual or other disability sexualities are invalid. autigender/neuroqueer is not one of them)
* Purposefully tics or stims for attention
	+ This does not include normal and true tics/stims. You can easily tell if someone is faking it if they tic/stim if they very frequently do it, more than the average person with Tourette’s would.

## Known Individuals Who Malinger

### Tics And Roses

Infamous TikTok controversy Tics And Roses, or often referred as Emerald Rose, is known for their contribution to malingering Tourette's Syndrome. In one video they showcased themselves ticcing and their different tics. Another they showed “how I bake with tics” where they would continuously and purposefully swear or tic. (This is what I remember of what happened.) Later in the video, they also pretended to tic while holding a kitchen knife. According to CDC.gov, tics can’t be controlled nor stopped by an individual who has Tourette's,2 which supported the opinion how hurtful that was to the Tourette's Syndrome community.