I have never heard of this. It sounds like young people searching for an identity. There's a lot of that in adolescent psychiatry.
I'm 44 years old and was diagnosed as an adult with ASD. This diagnosis was unheard of when I was growing up. Prior to that I was diagnosed with personality disorder which failed to describe my experience and personality. It alienated me and caused me to descend into hell while clinicians suspected I was sexually abused which I wasn't. They also misinterpreted my feelings. All this traumatized me.
Some clinicians did notice autistic traits in the late 1990s, but because they were residents the attending wouldn't consider it. She was convinced I had a personality disorder.
I don't mind the ASD diagnosis. It describes my experience and has validated my feelings and developmental history, but it is not my sole identity.
The only thing I don't like about ASD is the interpersonal struggles especially with social decoding.