What are your thoughts on self-diagnosis being belittled by many in the autistic community?
For clarity, I’m not asking to start a debate, just a genuine discussion. I currently don’t have the option to get a diagnosis, but feel fairly confident that the research I’ve done over the past year and a half has been legitimate and credible.
I don’t feel comfortable saying that I am definitively autistic, but I am ok with saying I’m “self-suspecting.” #actuallyautistic@actuallyautistic
@chevalier26 As a very late realised #ActuallyAutisticElder, I want to add my reassurances about self-discovery vs formal diagnosis. A majority of Autists have their informal diagnosis confirmed if/when they go through the formal assessment.
I'm not sure what the gatekeepers expect to gain from their actions. @actuallyautistic
@luciedigitalni 'who is autistic', that should read.🙄 Dawg, I can't believe his Mum is a DSW. Surely, she must know the correct terminology, or that saying 'with Autism' is belittling?
I am now 70, an #ActuallyAutisticElder. I still can't handle noisy shopping centres, or go to cinemas, or pretty much anywhere I can't control the volume, or competing spruikers.
I am glad that Jaiden will have a 'relatively' quiet job. It quite probably will provide work for other autistics who can't handle 'noise', and who like dogs. There's a tip for Employment agencies! Suit the person to the work...a revolutionary concept, I know.🤨
How is it that I have a fairly good understanding of what it means to be friendly to someone, but no idea what it means to be friends with someone? You'd think the two would be similar concepts based on the closeness of the words. /gen
@dyani I am Autistic. I am an #ActuallyAutisticElder This is my identity. Everything else stems from that. I see many articles that suggest that Autism could be caused by......... which infers that avoiding that thing might stop autism from developing. One might as well say - if you don't want green eyes, avoid ........ - and presto, your eyes are your preferred colour. @Elizabeth3@DivergentDumpsterPhoenix@neurodiversity@actuallyautistic@autisticadvocacy