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Is it okay to identify as autistic?

When it comes right down to it, either way of assessing an individual is always subjective ;)
 
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Perhaps a more constructive approach to the OP's original question would be to focus on something that most of us have had to deal with, whether we are formally diagnosed or not. The potential consequences of telling much of anyone that you believe you are autistic. This includes those most close to you in your personal orbit whether they are friends or relatives, let alone complete strangers.

In essence there are a number of responses citing that to identify as autistic should be done on a need-to-know basis only. Otherwise you open yourself to all kinds of potential prejudice whether it's a friend, relative or total stranger online.

Being mindful that it isn't likely to run into people in your own social orbit with a deep understanding of autism. Where the reality is more likely the exact opposite. Where a tiny number of people will attempt to understand and succeed, while a few more will try to understand and fail. With the vast majority not understanding, and not really wanting to. Those who will simply rationalize that we should be expected to conform to the neurological majority, no matter how different are thought processes may be.

I know this community has no formal position on whether one if formally diagnosed by a medical professional or not. And there are a lot of us here without a formal diagnosis. Yet any number of us can attest to having our asses kicked in "coming out" by people we thought were close to us who we thought would understand. That at least outside this community, always consider whether or not it's in your best interest to tell much of anyone. Unless of course there's a profound need to know. Even then, never assume even a loved one will react positively or in a necessarily understanding manner.

Keeping in mind the countless number of persons who have entered this community undiagnosed, only to go on and get that formal diagnosis to simply confirm what they already knew. But then this isn't a social fad or a means to secure entitlements. For most of us it's a journey full of potholes to come to the conclusion that yes, we ARE on the spectrum of autism. Not as a flag to wave or as a cross to bear. It's just coming to terms with who- and what we are, with or without a formal diagnosis.

Forget existing identity politics. Where everyone wants to belong, and yet continues to exclude others as they have been excluded. That isn't what this is about.
 
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Hi and welcome. I self diagnosed after a lot of reading and research. Give it some time and find out more, maybe look at some texts by and about women with Autism. Try Jessica Kingsley publishers for these.

:airplane::car::helicopter::taxi::surfer::snowboarder::rocket:
 
Cultural appropriation is a good thing. I wear green on St Paddy's day, I eat Italian food, and I watch anime. I've studied Zen Buddhism. I've appropriated from 4 different cultures. The opposite of cultural appropriation is racism, ethnocentrism, and nationalism. Not to appropriate from a culture you are in contact with implies there is nothing there worth the effort.

Think of gender. Imagine a biological woman who identifies as male. They have just appropriated my gender. I am not upset by it. Why should I be? It is no threat to me. I think it is cool that they have found a role to live that is comfortable. We should all identify however we feel the most comfortable.

If you identify as autistic, maybe you are. There are probably a lot of self-diagnosed people on this board. If all the pain and difficulty you've experienced thru life - and maybe some of the good stuff as well - suddenly makes sense you probably are somewhere on the spectrum. As long as you're coming from a position of honesty and goodwill, good for you.

There are people who claim to be on the spectrum as an excuse for bad behavior or to gain special treatment. You do not sound like that.

Autism isn't an exact set of symptoms. It doesn't have hard specifications to meet. Read the DSM 5 and you'll see a laundry list of things that are not easily quantifiable. Everything breaks down to a professional opinion. A big amorphous collection of symptoms of varying degrees and if you happen to have some of them then you are somewhere on the spectrum. A spectrum that blends imperceptibly into the large neurotypical spectrum.

If you go to 5 different psychs and 2 say you are on the spectrum, 2 say you definitely are not and one just scratches their head, where does that leave you?

However I do not go about telling most people I was autistic. They do not know what to do with the information and they may mess my life up.
 
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Welcome to the forums :). I think you might be overly optimistic about how much it will help you to disclose to friends that you are autistic, diagnosed or not. If the only issues you have is with some noise they are making they should stop making it regardless of why you don't like it. I would agree that unless you have a diagnosis you shouldn't be playing the autistic card to get any kind of accommodation. I am self diagnosed, have no doubt that I could get one, but still wouldn't play the autistic card.
 

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