One of the reasons PDD-NOS, Autism Disorder, And Asperger's Syndrome (all were separate categories in the DSM) were eliminated and placed under Autism Spectrum is because the Board of the DSM found that the same person could go into 5 different clinics... 1/

https://twitter.com/ClearAutism/status/1765671521199002022

and said person would receive any of these different diagnoses. The clinicians would see any of these in the same individual. The same person would be #Autistic in one clinic, #Asperger's in another, and PDD-NOS in yet another.
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2023 study:

Autistics have faster recognition of negative faces than neurotypicals, & they tend to turn away/avoid these faces. It's hyper-recognition, then avoidance, which contradicts deficit-based models.

#IntenseWorldTheory
#Autistic

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
Rather than having cognitive deficits in recognizing negative expressions, this study (as well as others) autistics have hyper-perception, and then turn away due to the cognitive intensity. I have long observed that I do this. I'm formally assessed as #Autistic. 2/

The problem with the medical model of #autism, which defines autism as pathological, is it leads neuronormative persons to treat autistics as if all that flows from the #autistic state of being is suspect of being flawed, invalid or wrong before we even speak our thoughts. 1/ For those who embrace this definition, and who expect or even want to be treated accordingly, I respect this choice, and their reasons for making it. But don't expect all autistics to join in this. Case in point:
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#Autistics:

What are your most liked autistic-centered websites (created and edited by autistics) that have informative, well-sourced and thoughtful articles? It's interesting to compare replies to the same question I posted on the "smaller" world of Mastodon where I have less followers, yet there was more interaction.

Reply 1:

I would look after authors like:

Dr. Damian Milton
Dr. Monique Botha
Dr. Robert Chapman
Dr. Nick Walker

As an #actuallyautistic person, words and self-descriptive labels impact me more than they impact neurotypicals. I feel them as if they have texture, as if they are touching my neural fibers and taking over my thinking. It's a bit like synesthesia. 1/ So, I often have an unpleasant neurological response to labels that are used to define me. I've noticed this bothers me more than some other #autistics. I'm very literal with words. They are felt in a completely literal form. 2/