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QueenChronic

Updated 1y ago

Benefits of Being Officially Diagnosed with Autism

What are the benefits of being officially diagnosed with autism? I’ve always been different but masked my way through it all. The social media algorithms for my other diagnoses (ADHD, anxiety, depression) eventually led to me seeing posts about autism and relating to them heavily. I’ve taken several online assessments and always score Very Autistic™️ but I guess I’m afraid to fully embrace it because I don’t want to “appropriate” if I’m not “undeniably autistic” (my word choice here wasn’t great but I hope it makes sense). I don’t know how much of my symptoms are ADHD and how much could be autism. I just want to fully unmask and learn how to take better care of myself. My internal turmoil has manifested into chronic pain, and I have to find balance in all of this some way. Would an official diagnosis help with that? Thanks for reading.

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Skylarkbard

ADHD and autism have a very high rate of co-morbidity, so if you have one, it's very possible you have the other. As for diagnosis, your mileage may vary. I didn't pursue a diagnosis because the waiting list is so long and the benefits weren't worth it--any work accommodations would be largely covered by my ADHD diagnosis, and there aren't any medications for autism the way there are for ADHD symptoms. Also, having a disability can be cited as a reason to terminate parental/ family privacy rights, depending on your state. Obviously, there's already that risk with the ADHD and such, but you might not want to stack anything else. Not guaranteed, obviously, but something to be aware of.

QueenChronic

that is extremely helpful! 🙏 Thank you! I was diagnosed with ADHD in college but never succeeded in getting accommodations due to the paper trail + appointments + phone calls, etc. I was thinking a diagnosis would be validating but I didn’t think about the potential negatives!

nochlessmonster

For me it's student support and just knowing myself that I'm autistic.

QueenChronic

that makes sense ❤️

Finleaf

It's really a personal choice! Btw you can't appropriate the autistic identity, if you think you are that's good enough!! There is no "autistic enough" or not, autistic is autistic /pos Some people choose not to get a formal diagnosis because it can be a barrier into adopting, having kids, getting a job in the military/police force, emigrating to certain places and so on. If any of those are important to you, maybe look into that further first 💜 However if you want to pursue academia it could be extremely useful in getting you accommodations at school, and also in the workplace depending on your country's equality laws. I also chose to be fornally diagnosed because I get rlly bad imposter syndrome about everything and I needed that external confirmation that what I was experiencing was real and not me making stuff up!

QueenChronic

thank you for sharing all of that. ❤️ I hope to have children and move to another country one day so I appreciate the heads up! I also fight imposter syndrome and it’s not fun. Reading about autism makes me feel significantly less alone in the world, and it helps me understand things that I thought were “wrong” with me are actually just different from neurotypical norms but shared by a community of beautiful people.

Eren2273

I don't mean to take away from what you're saying, but please never trust online assessments. It's better to do research into scientific material and see how you relate to what's in that

QueenChronic

I totally get that! All of the assessments I took said they were based on actual clinical assessments but I’m not a doctor. I’ve read a lot of articles about autism from therapists and mental health professionals and I relate to most of the things mentioned. I’m also a general education teacher, and I’ve related to my students with autism more than anyone else. In person school environments can be so overstimulating for us! Do you have any recommendations for scientific sources I can look into? I know there are some groups like Autism Speaks that a lot of people in the community have found to be harmful, so I want to avoid anything that isn’t completely respectful of and empowering for people with autism.

gothcatlover

I was diagnosed at 2 and it's helped me a lot. I recently had a teacher take me to court where she kept calling me bizarre. I told the judge I'm autistic and I think that helped my case. You're less likely to get an organ transplant if needed tho. I've been able to get accommodations and pay attention to websites discussing autism and how it relates to me.

QueenChronic

Wow, I am so sorry that a teacher put you through that. 😥 I hope they lose their certificate and never get the opportunity to do something so harmful to a student ever again. The part about organ transplants is scary! Is there a valid reason or is that just a result of discrimination by medical professionals? Do you have any favorite websites you’d like to share?

Teal100

Also, just so you know your chronic pain could be related to hypermobility as this has a strong corollation related to nerodivergence. It takes time to discover all the different challenges or strengths you may have.

Autemi

I was diagnosed in July and honestly I did it so that I could stop questioning myself. Having it official is great because I can ignore my anxiety and get the treatment that I need. You can also get the most up to date resources from whoever diagnosed you. If you don't question yourself or if you don't need closure, oh also if you don't need accommodations, then I personally wouldn't have done it just because of how expensive it is to get diagnosed. The wait didn't matter to me, it was all about closure.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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Benefits of Being Officially Diagnosed with Autism