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I haven't been diagnosed or aware of that I'm autistic for that many years. It then took a while for me to be ready (or safe?) to meet other autistics.
But I've never during that time felt the need to uplift professionals and diss autistics talking about autism.
But I've never during that time felt the need to uplift professionals and diss autistics talking about autism.
If anything, autism experts and autism research ensured that I could not see myself as autistic for a very long time. Because hey, I have theory of mind, right? I can do things I'm not interested in?
For most of my life I just knew that I was different (read wrong)
For most of my life I just knew that I was different (read wrong)
A few years back I did some research for a friend, actual autistics on social media talking about their lives I thought "hey these people are a lot like me".
But yeah, theory of mind. I came to the conclusion that I was just a lone freak. Was so close to find people like me tho.
But yeah, theory of mind. I came to the conclusion that I was just a lone freak. Was so close to find people like me tho.
I brushed all that aside because it hurt, feeling like I almost found people like me but ~obviously~ couldn't belong with them. I struggle with elementary school math after all!
A few years later (somehow to my surprise) I was asked by my psych if I wanted to get assessed for autism.
While I was on the waitlist & during my assessment I went back to read and watch things made by autistics and learned about how incorrect and damaging ~autism science~ is.
While I was on the waitlist & during my assessment I went back to read and watch things made by autistics and learned about how incorrect and damaging ~autism science~ is.
At that point I could finally understand that yes, I could be, and I obviously was autistic too.
Ironically I now knew how little my assessor knew about autism so I was worried he wasn't going to diagnose me anyway. Luckily he still did.
Ironically I now knew how little my assessor knew about autism so I was worried he wasn't going to diagnose me anyway. Luckily he still did.
It then took me a while to come to terms with myself and my life. Reframing my entire life?
Habilitation put me through a group course for newly diagnosed people which then introduced us to the local autistic group.
But literally everyone were worshipping autism experts.
Habilitation put me through a group course for newly diagnosed people which then introduced us to the local autistic group.
But literally everyone were worshipping autism experts.
But thankfully, awesome autistic people online had already taught me otherwise so I left the autistic group after a while. I'll let them worship A*twood in peace.
There are more constructive things in life than sharing blog updates from autism professors.
There are more constructive things in life than sharing blog updates from autism professors.
So really, my point is that I owe so much to autistic people having autism as a special interest and willingly sharing this knowledge.
I really am thankful for people on here for this. It's sadly very needed to counter the really pervasive medical / autism prof view on autism.
I really am thankful for people on here for this. It's sadly very needed to counter the really pervasive medical / autism prof view on autism.
So it does piss me off when someone (newly dx'd or not) boosts allistic professionals and at the same time offhandedly mocks many autistics on here.
I can see you would benefit a lot from listening to us and unlearning what SBC has taught you. But you choose to mock, so...
I can see you would benefit a lot from listening to us and unlearning what SBC has taught you. But you choose to mock, so...
