Announcing autism on facebook

[TigersRoll]

A friend has just received her autism diagnosis and has announced it on Facebook with wording such as “after years of thinking I was weird, turns out I’m just autistic” and “if you think someone acts a bit odd, accept them for who they are, there’s probably a reason” etc etc (not exact wording but that’s the gist)

Anyway mutual friend thinks it’s attention seeking and unnecessary. AIBU to think it’s a good post? It raises awareness if nothing else?

What's wrong with wanting attention anyway? We all want people to be share our good news or help us through bad times. If you're not getting any 'attention' then it means you live on your own in a shack in the woods.

I would probably put it on fb if I was diagnosed now. Mainly because it's a way to inform people. Of course you discuss things with your closest, but for other more distant friends and relatives? Easy way to catch all I suppose.

Not attention seeking. It's validating her traits. Good for her, we need to spread awareness. Autism is HARD.

She is simply informing people of her situation so you can make any adjustments and allowances for her behaviour. Seems perfectly normal to me.

Depends. Bringing it out in the open isn’t attention-seeking, but continual posts referring to it ever after, might be.

I don’t see anything wrong with her post as it stands, no. She probably sees an opportunity for other people to understand her better through communicating her diagnosis.

It may be a revelation to her and she wants people to understand her better and be more understanding.

Mutual friend isn't much of a friend. Nothing wrong with sharing her autism diagnosis. I see a lot of attention seeking on facebook but I wouldn't consider that to be.

As personal an announcement as it is, I am not surprised it was on Facebook, people put their entire existence on FB.
Not sure it will benefit her as people will treat her different now. There is a serious taboo around autism, you either get a head tilt, or the pity, the best I heard was from a psychologist with DD HFA "she looks very pretty, you'd hardly know by looking at her" like wtf.

It's a way of telling lots of people the same information and prevents the hearing it from others scenario. Personally I wouldn't but then I'm a private person

There must be some sense of catharsis and validation for the person to have a reason for how they feel and behave, if it was frighting and confusing, or even frustrating to them to feel the way they do,

I'd never ever put it on Facebook though!

Mutual friend is not a friend, she’s a judgemental arse.
She has no understanding of how long and difficult her friend’s life has been, and how relieved she must be to finally have an explanation for the weirdness and confusion she has gone through trying to make sense of a world geared to those not on the spectrum.
Let’s hope she thinks on and comes up with a better response.

Most facebook posts are attention seeking. The announcement is fine, but "if you think someone acts a bit odd, accept them for who they are, there’s probably a reason" is off putting. No one is under any obligation to accept anyone whether they have autism or any other issue.

YANBU but I don’t like the part about ‘odd’ people probably having a reason why they are so.

I agree, the wording isn't sensitive at all.

I thought about mentioning it when I was diagnosed.

I wanted to give an explanation for why I'm so strange, I hoped it could be an olive branch for any time I'd unintentionally offended someone (and had no idea about it). I also wanted to tell everyone about the ways that autism presents differently in women, in case it helped any of them.

Eventually I decided against it as I assumed everyone would think I was fishing for attention.

Sounds like I did the right thing for once based on this thread!

I put my ADHD diagnosis up. Not straight away but later on in October when it was ADHD awareness month.

I find it useful to talk about these things. I am 100% convinced the "rise" in autism/ADHD is because these days they are less taboo things and people aren't afraid to talk about it, meaning that people in general have more idea about what they are rather than having discriminatory unhepful stereotypes as ideas. I have also found since diagnosis that the most helpful thing has been talking to other people who know a lot about it (because they have it and/or are experts in the field) and learning how it works.

I can think of four separate people who came to me after this and said "I think I/my child do(es) as well" - two of them within my own family.

It also made me realise that everyone has "something" - some kind of difficulty. There really is no such thing as normal.

It was a massive deal for me to get my diagnosis, so I shared it in that way too. Everyone close to me already knew I was getting assessed, but it was a useful way of just putting it out there. In my community (I home educate my DCs who have since been diagnosed themselves) there is a lot of SN, and I am often spoken to for an adult autistic perspective.

Some unexpected good has come out of it too, for example an old college friend who I’ve not seen in person for years was really struggling with her own diagnosis and it opened up a really helpful discussion because she didn’t have anyone to talk to in person

I think that sharing anything on Facebook is attention seeking. But then again I'm a miserable cow who hates all forms of social media lol. I don't think what your autistic friend has said is any worse than anything else on Facebook, and I'm sure it's a huge deal to her and an easy way to let everyone know without having to have lots of awkward conversations. Your mutual friend is being a bit of an arse.

She may find it easier to announce to all if her friends and family on facebook than explain to everyone individually. Her news/information, do it is up to if if and how she tells people.

I posted about a mental health condition that I have on Facebook a few years ago. It was hugely liberating for me, meant that I didn't feel I needed to explain myself any more or feel ashamed (it had been a shameful secret for years). It raised awareness and I know helped others because some folk that had been similarly affected have since come to me for advice on sources of help and support.

I think the more people are open and honest about their issues or differences the less stigma there is.

Understanding and knowledge about ASD out there has been pretty woeful, and information from reputable sources seems very stereotypical, judgemental and male-oriented. I know that I have learned a lot the more I have heard people's stories. My DD is currently seeking dx and I would like to think that once she is diagnosed (if she is indeed on the autistic spectrum) that the more people are talking about it and sharing their stories, the more understanding and support there will be out there for her and for others.

I'm Autistic and I'm not ashamed to talk about it on Facebook

I'm Autistic and I'm not ashamed to talk about it on Facebook

why would you think you should be ?

She didn’t say she should be?