You’re speaking from a place of privilege if you believe self diagnosing autism isn’t valid.

YOU. ARE. PRIVILEGED.

“Oh but it makes us look bad” We already look bad.

“Oh but it invalidates me” Cry about it.

Know your privilege. I hate seeing this. I fucking hate it. POC autistics are being refused diagnoses, women and AFAB people and feminine presenting people are being refused diagnoses, disabled people are being refused diagnoses.

I think that people don’t understand that although yes, there is a lot of nuance, should late diagnosed and self diagnosed autistic people who are low support needs take a step back and let higher support needs and early diagnosed folk talk? Fucking absolutely. But that doesn’t mean that we should be invalidating those that are self diagnosed. Two things can exist at the same fucking time.

Self diagnosis with RESEARCH is completely valid. If you’re a POC then you have a chance not getting diagnosed, if you’re disabled then you have a chance not getting diagnosed, if you’re a woman or afab then you have a chance not being diagnosed. All for the color of your skin or the fact that you look different than the typical white boys who love trains and don’t speak.

Cry. About. It.

I’m tired of being nice, I’m tired of saying this over and over again. Just stop!!! Just fucking stop!! They aren’t harming anyone!!

“autism wouldn’t be a disability if society was built for us” im blowing u up with my mind

I hate having un/self-diagnosed OCD and autism. Especially since I still live with my parents. I just asked my dad if I could see a psychiatrist. It’s been on my mind a lot the last couple of days and it was really hard to work up the courage to ask him. He asked why and I said I did research, I think I have actual OCD (we’ve joked about OCD before because we both “act ocd”) and I have several symptoms of autism. This is a massive understatement. When researching ocd, every listed symptom was like giant flashing alarm going off. When I took autism tests online, all the results said I had “a fair number of autistic traits and tendencies and should consult a psychiatrist next.” I tried.

My dad’s response was, “Well, are they causing problems?” Yes. I stim all the time, and to me it’s really obvious but my family thinks it!s normal. I really struggle with other people and studying other people doesn’t help. I have to mask my autism every moment I’m not alone, which really hurts my mental health, autism or no. My OCD causes me to have random, but repeated, irrational fears that my family is going to, or is already, dead. But I didn’t say any of this. I just gave him a hug, he said, “It’s okay to be a little OCD sometimes,” and now I’m writing this, crying.

Give struggling people the resources they need! Please.

what is love! baby don't hurt me. don't hurt me. no more.

“what to tell a doctor to get an autism diagnosis” “here’s what i learned from realizing i was autistic at 40″ “i would never want a professional diagnosis” “person first language is so regressive” “autism symptoms are only a problem because of ableism” “we dont need treatment” “no autistic person wants a cure” “four doctors told me i couldn’t be autistic so i found a fifth” “autism is an invisible disability” “dont disclose your neurodivergency to employers” “i/dd and autism have nothing to do with each other” “nt parents/advocates have no place in autism communities” “of course im autistic have you heard me talk about horror movies” babe i have nothing in common with any of you

Who up reading Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker this fine Easter Sunday

People on tiktok have diagnosed taylor as autistic now. Cuz apparently she's hyperfixated on cats and can name a lot of them. 🥴🥴 I can't anymore. There are so many criteria to be diagnosed with asd these ppl are crazy

I used to carry stuffed animals around with me all the time as a kid, recently rediscovered that joy again by bringing this lil guy with me to work! ^ ^

His name is Essel! (Originally acronym-ed from Emotional Support Little Guy and dropped the G XD)

I generally just like having him sit with me, but I also like petting his lil arms and tummy with my thumbs and smoochin his lil forehead, just vibing with the softness 💕 >w<

Am currently at work during a lull, was absentmindedly holding him and petting his chest, but this time my brain just.. zoned in its focus to the soft white fur I was petting, specifically how it felt to run my thumb along it, how the fabric felt against all the little plastic pellets inside, and how the texture of all the tiny fur fibers looked together unified and wavy, just felt really nice and relaxing =w=

Feels nice to let myself exist and stim freely again 💕

ugh i hate wanting to be /srs on my silly gay blog but tumblr i could use help 😔 (if anyone actually sees this LMAO)

so i think i might be autistic right like to the point i was ALMOST. tested for it but my doctor said she wouldnt because i could make eye contact (long story i freaked out and tried really hard to be "normal" bc i was scared of how the test would change my life)

what should i like, do, i cant get tested again but i dont know if self diagnosing is the right thing? i have been researching for three years ever since my therapist said she thought i could be AND i have a "diagnosed" sensory processing disorder that isnt medically recognized like independently from autism

girl help

Not going to tag a very icky post that I found but it’s not hard to find. So, here’s your reminder that;

Self suspecting and self diagnosed autistic people are NOT taking resources from diagnosed people. You can’t get autism services without a diagnosis, you can’t go to any therapies really without a diagnosis and so on.

Autism accessories have a abundance supply. So yeah, get those ear defenders, get those sunglasses, get those stim toys.

You aren’t taking anything from diagnosed people.

Stop saying self diagnosed people are taking away from diagnosed people, because they’re not. They have their space in the community. The community is big enough for them.

*Rolling into the gas station in a week old Tshirt and overalls with no makeup or bra to get quarters for laundry and a sports drink after a depressive episode followed by burnout from masking*

The same people who post about mental health awareness on Instagram and TikTok:

that undiagnosed audhd experience of having my needs and accommodations neglected as a child/teenager even when they very clearly impact my life causing me to high mask all the time and dissociate and use extreme escapism methods to cope with it all 😀

(emoji is sarcastic/laughing through the pain kinda feeling)

spectrum diagnosis update: my therapist said it's real sketchy and they really measured me by an autistic child's standard and that according to her, after around 30 hours of work with me (vs the 4 ish i got in a diagnosis centre) i am on the spectrum, so unless i really need a doctor's signature under it for sth (i don't currently) that's that

Is it bad i get upset when people say they think they have autism. Like i don’t mean to, i genuinely have nothing against self diagnosing (depends kn the amount of research and stuff you’ve done but). But like i get irrationally mad and upset when someone says that and its so fucking confusing. Does anyone else experience this?? Is there a way to make it stop??

need self dx autistic people. who choose not get professional dx. to realize

the ability to choose yourself. to not get diagnosed. and avoid mistreatment that comes with having this label on permanent medical record. big advantage.

you have big advantage over those of us who. early diagnosed who had no say in it. or late diagnose who need diagnosis for support and accommodation and services. or forcibly diagnosed in psych ward etc.

for example. you less likely be denied visa and citizenship. when birth country go towards fascism, official autism diagnosis on permanent medical record not gonna be reason why you can't leave why you stuck there.

heard different news "this country considering say you have autism on driver license," you all not going be target for that.

if you ever in custody battle or want adoption, official autism diagnosis not going to hold you back. not going to be used against you. because you don't have.

even ability to weight pro & con. and ask "should i get diagnosed?" and make decision by yourself. many of us didn't have.

not saying you not have difficulty for be autistic, or not have difficulty without diagnosis. yes late diagnosis hard to get because money and time and good doctor. yes if people think you autistic and insult you for it they not care if you diagnose or not, they don't even care you autistic or not. you may even face things i said for other diagnosed disability. but specifically, i talk about autism.

but. need you all to recognize your choice your agency, many of us not privileged enough to have.

need you all realize in some autism issue, you all not most impacted.