Now I see where you’re coming from. If it were ‘free’ (an odd perception) then I would certainly seek a formal diagnosis.
You say your opinion is ‘colored’ by your healthcare situation. I’d go so far as to say you’re not even on the same palette, comparing apples to pomegranates. In my world, that one little difference makes it an entirely different equation.
Not to put words in your mouth, but maybe you could modify your ruling to say that no Dutch citizen should be allowed to say they’re autistic without a formal diagnosis. Because, as a US citizen, if I’m in a situation where I feel I need to reveal my condition, I am not about to tell people that I ‘suspect’ I’m autistic.
To delegitimize my hard-fought self-diagnosis by disallowing my use of the word seems harsh. As others around here have often noted, the medical professions are a long way from being infallible.
I recently had a pretty severe medical issue. The area around my solar plexus was so hypersensitive that I often had to hold my shirt away from my chest. My PCP explained this in a note to a heart specialist, who began our interview by mocking me holding out my shirt; he thought it was a silly assertion. I could fill pages with stories of medical professionals who don’t understand the nature of my condition, which doesn’t stop them from making authoritative pronouncements. BTW, it was a pinched nerve, which swelled abdominal muscles, nothing to do with my heart, which they tell me is wonderfully healthy (probably have a heart attack tomorrow).
I admit that my estimation of the value of a professional diagnosis is affected by a long lifetime of just such experiences. Nevertheless, if it were ‘free’, I would allow my countrymen to provide me with a formal diagnosis.
Note:
As I reread before posting, I wonder if it sounds as though I’m angry or offended. I’m not; I tend to express myself in rather stark terms. Be well, brother.