Critical of self diagnosis - you shouldn't be

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Fri Nov 28, 2014 8:47 pm


I understand an ASD person being literal and wanting diagnosis to be used in the literal sense as a diagnosis by a professional. What bothers me is the inconsistency and apparent double standards in applying terms literally. The term "self diagnosed" is not an official valid anything. As has been pointed out it is used as a colloquial term by members to describe anything from "I suspect I am autistic" to "I am 100% sure I am Autistic". There is the term "High Functioning Autism" It also is not an official valid anything and a colloquial term that if anything is used to described an even broader range of people. There is not a new thread every month or so on the use of HFA and the ones that are started usually do not go 10+ pages. The ones that do occur question the use of fism. They don’t question the credibility of those describing themselves as HFA to describe themselves as Autistic.

Anybody can write they are professionally diagnosed but that will not be questioned 99% of the time another double standard.

Usually once a double standard is identified the next step is to question why. Fortunately we do not need to do that as many have shared not only the literal reasons but the emotional ones. The simplified version is they believe a there are a lot of non-Autistics going around claiming Autism to feel good about themselves. This phenomenon trivializing and invalidating their autism in the eyes of the public. For one thing this is a another double standard. It’s based on a whole lot of assumptions basically there has been a huge increase in diagnosis, it has become trendy etc thus people are “self diagnosing” to feel better. A lot more assumptions then I looked at a list of Autistic traits and I have most of them.

If the assumptions are true IMHO the people falsely diagnosing themselves as autistic are a tertiary problem behind the outsiders trying to delegitimize Aspergers/HFA and our own fears and self doubts.

This is supposed to be a support site. For this to work we need to people to be given the benefit of the doubt. What we have done is said losing fragile people is acceptable collateral damage because expositing fakers and wanabees is more important

This entire concept of "my autism is better than your autism" is cliquish BS, and it's childish and asinine.

Being literal, lacking social cognition, not mentalizing, reduced empathy, alexithymia, focusing on details are autistic traits that I would eggspect to find in people with autism on an autism forum.

I agree.

I expect to find those traits here too, but I do not think they are a free pass or excuse to post without regard for how other people may feel. I think most posters here still show a lot of consideration for others even if they may struggle with some or all of those traits.

Dianthus, you are one of the most thoughtful and insightful people on WP. It would be tragic if people with lesser scope bulldozed you off this board in their excessive pursuit of superiority. There are far far more members here who really value your input.

I expect to find those traits here too, but I do not think they are a free pass or excuse to post without regard for how other people may feel. I think most posters here still show a lot of consideration for others even if they may struggle with some or all of those traits.

Also I would like to add that I have seen this type of response (i.e. my autism is better than yours

But you asking others to do something completely unnatural to them, and they may not be able to do it.
I can't do it.

I have never said that.

It's people like you and dianthus who seem to be busy imagining that people like me am. But I haven't. Nor has anyone else that I've seen.

I'm taking a few moments to compose myself here. If there was one site where I thought I didn't have to be huggy-wuggy, I thought it would be an autism site. Apparently not. I'm expected to behave just like a typical female NT apparently (except a few NTs are great and understand me far better than the likes of dianthus do, even though they have superior social skills to me).

I'm taking a few moments to compose myself here. If there was one site where I thought I didn't have to be huggy-wuggy, I thought it would be an autism site. Apparently not. I'm expected to behave just like a typical female NT apparently (except a few NTs are great and understand me far better than the likes of dianthus do, even though they have superior social skills to me).

I have never said that.

It's people like you and dianthus who seem to be busy imagining that people like me am. But I haven't. Nor has anyone else that I've seen.