Identifying as Autistic

[musicalfrog]

Just seen someone in a FB group stating they do this.

Can you identify as having a disability / disorder /condition now?

Perhaps they have been referred and are awaiting a formal diagnosis.

This is a tricky one as you have a disorder/difference whether or not you are diagnosed and the process of getting diagnosed can be very difficult and expensive. So some people might decide they are autistic without pursuing anythinv official and many, many of them will be right.

I knew my son was autistic 4 years before he was diagnosed.

However, im sure some people are mistaken and something else is going on and some people might just like the idea of being different.

You can identify as anything you want, but you'd still need a formal diagnosis in order to access legal protection and accommodations in work etc.

@PartTimeLegend

Perhaps they have been referred and are awaiting a formal diagnosis.

Then you would just say “awaiting diagnosis” surely?

To me this sounds more like people who have decided they are autistic but not seeking a diagnosis

It's quite common particularly for neurodiverse conditions where traditionally people have struggled to access diagnostic services due to cost or lack of knowledge.

While I can understand this to an extent, it does mean that some people diagnose themselves or family members based on skant information.

Worse, some people decide they can be shitty to others and use a self diagnosis as a shield.

In my personal opinion, no, not exactly, but before my child was officially diagnosed I did sometimes tell people he was autistic - for example if he was having a meltdown and I needed the ridiculous attendant at the swimming pool to stop trying to insist he had to wear his wristband on his wrist not his ankle….

It’s really hard because it can take years to get diagnosed and in the meantime the person is still autistic and still needs adjustments or support or just to understand themselves better. I don’t think anyone should just decide to call themselves autistic for some kind of gain or on a whim, but I really don’t think that’s very likely.

Is it also possible they’re choosing to describe/identify themselves as “autistic” rather than “person with autism” - hard to say without the context in which you saw the comment but I have seen people make that distinction about themselves.

I know someone that is not autistic but 'identifies autistic' because apparently why not? People identify as male /female etc.
I can't wrap my head around her

No. You either have autism or you don’t.

My ds is autistic.

He once asked how you identify as autistic.

And he had a good point. He said autism is a neurological medical diagnosis. Everyone with autism is as unique and individual as everyone without.

So what exactly does identifying as autistic mean? He said he doesn't even identify as autistic - he identifies as him and he happen to have autism.

@musicalfrog

Just seen someone in a FB group stating they do this.

Can you identify as having a disability / disorder /condition now?

Self diagnosis is very accepted in the asd community, as it is widely acknowledged that there are several barriers to obtaining a diagnosis as an adult, such as long waiting lists, restrictive criteria , financial and certain countries just do not screen adults. Women on the spectrum also seem to find it very difficult to even get taken seriously by a gp etc to even obtain a referral due to masking.

I just think the whole identifying tag has been hijacked and is used now to attract attention. If you self diagnose then use that term. If you are awaiting diagnosis then say that.

It just makes my eyes roll a bit tbh.

Some people self diagnose, some people are assessed, told they don’t have ASD but feel they identify as autistic