There is a lot of talk here about "self dx" in adults. Autism isn't a dx. It's a neurotype. A psychiatrist or psychologist can certainly help you RECOGNIZE that you are #ActuallyAutistic, but ultimately, it's something that a person understands and recognizes in themselves. 1/4
If any medical professional can "diagnose" it, it's neurologists using brain scans (and that's still a BIG if and in early stages). Yet, the "official dx" criteria rule those out. Self awareness IS LEGITIMATE. It's nearly impossible for most adults to get an adult dx 2/4
No one to backup your childhood history? SOOL. Mask a lot? Too bad. Maintain social interactions? Can't be! The VAST majority of clinicians know FAR LESS about #autism than autistic people themselves. Not to mention if you're a POC, a woman, trans, or another minority 3/4
If going with a formal dx, look at it as an another piece to the puzzle, not the end all be all. Strive to see a clinician who is #ActuallyAutistic or at the very least has been confirmed by the community to be an ally and not a gatekeeper. Gatekeeping is violence. 4/4
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