Sorry veering off course a little here.
I do think individuals who are adults when diagnosed with ASD are in for a much different journey than individuals diagnosed as young children. There are more resources, strategies, support, and a different set of expectations for individuals diagnosed as young children. From the outside, it seems like it would be easier to set goals and define progress for a child diagnosed with ASD vs an individual who receives a diagnosis as an adult.
When you're diagnosed as an adult, there are a whole host of considerations to take into account when deciding how to proceed and the resources out there are far and few between. Do you disclose to people? Which people? How much do you tell them? If you do decide to disclose, for what purpose? What is the end goal of disclosing? Education? Accommodations? There is also a lot of intolerance, disbelief, and a steep learning curve you likely face trying to improve facets of your life should you choose to do so.
It is one thing to recognize that you may not be equipped in the same capacity as an average individual to handle the ins and outs of daily life successfully, but actually trying to improve it is so incredibly difficult. You're playing catch up in the real world where there are real, significant consequences. As a child, you can make mistakes and learn with a much lower risk to completely devestating your life. Having a meltdown in class on a bad day as a kid? Yeah there will likely be consequences, but outside of a pattern of behavior that is disruptive and unproductive for everyone, it ultimately offers a learning opportunity and a benchmark you can measure progress against. Have an outburst at work where you go on a tirade against your co-workers and boss due to struggling with the reality of living with ASD in the workplace? Yeah you may very well end up fired and dealing with the consequences of finding yourself suddenly unemployed and trying to survive that.
I'm not saying that people diagnosed as children have a happily ever after where their ASD has no impact on their life as adults, but it definitely helps to understand what is going on with you, have strategies to employ in difficult situations, have the knowledge of your reality to (hopefully) create a lifestyle that allows for your maximum success possible, and (hopefully) a support system that also understands what you're against. Trying to accomplish that as an adult is daunting.
I applaud the parents of children with ASD doing their best to help them live the fullest, most "normal" life possible and prepare their kids for the brutal world that is out there.They are fortunate to have parents truly invested in their success as an individual. Disney offers a unique intersection of the real world and providing a rather challenging environment for many with ASD while allowing for their unique, individual needs to still be accommodated pretty well. Ultimately the
DAS, whether used by a child with historical needs for accommodation who may or may not be growing out of actually needing it to survive WDW or an adult who is still struggling with the daily realities of ASD whose needs warrant regular use of it, is a flexible tool that is there when you need it, and only you (or potentially your family/doctor) can really determine what is in your best interest to use it. And maybe sometimes you don't need it. Personally, I definitely think those occasions are worth acknowledging and celebrating, but at the same time, if you do need it in a situation you normally don't, there should be no shame or hesitation in using it. Everyone has good days and bad days.