autistic self diagnosis is valid

monsters-and-men:

ethan—green:

actingnt:

a person: i’m autistic. i don’t have a professional diagnosis.

a neurotypical: you can’t! self diagnose! autism!!! onLy a dOctor can do that!!!

most doctors: don’t know what autism looks like in people other than nonverbal white cis boys

most doctors: recommend abusive therapies for autistic kids and teens

most doctors who specialize in diagnosing autism: refuse to evaluate adults

an autism evaluation for a minor teen who wants one: requires having supportive parents who understand that autism is not a tragedy and looks different for every autistic person, and that many autistic people can talk, have friends, do okay in school, and otherwise fake looking neurotypical

an autism evaluation for an adult: very expensive and often not covered by insurance in the U.S., also extremely difficult to get in France

an on-record autism diagnosis: can be used to deny you custody of children, to have your kids taken away, to forcibly institutionalize you

autism advocacy orgs that actually help autistic ppl like ASAN, AWN, AANE: Here are some resources for figuring out if you could be autistic. Professional diagnosis is a very personal decision and is not required for knowing that you’re one of us. We support you as an autistic person even if you don’t have a paper diagnosis.

a sincere autism self diagnosis: harms no one even if it’s incorrect, enables the person to feel part of a community of people with similar issues and learn more about autism, a gateway to learning about autism acceptance movements, often the first step toward self acceptance and self esteem

Okay, this post actually helped me a lot a while back. Idk if I’m ADHD or autistic, but either way, super helpful

This post is really helpful!