EDIT: please, if you don’t agree with the arguments in the video, come in and discuss, don’t just downvote the thread.
I found this video with many arguments supporting self-diagnosis validity and wanted to share.
Main point may be that there is no valid reason to look for a self-diangosis than the fact of being autistic, and needing support for that. At least until there will be equitable access to medical care, self-diagnosis is the only way for people to understand themself and understand the support they may need in their life.
But, there is much more in the video, take a look at it by yourself!
I agree with everything you say except with the following
Exactly, what if you are wrong? What bad is it? What would change if someone thinks he is autistic, and he isn’t? Why in the first place would anybody think he is autistic if he wasn’t?
These are serious questions, not rhetoric ones
I won’t repeat what others said, but another point is that some people are desperate at feeling “special” (or serve a narrative where you are not responsible for your failures). By accepting an incorrect self-diagnosis, you can start to mimic autistic traits (even unconsciously) to fit better the label you desperately want to wear.
I have to admit I was too happy and relieved when I started to suspect I was also autistic. It was somehow validating my whole life, and providing me a convenient explanation for all my failures and why I am alone nowadays. But after a while, I realized it was not as simple, and I could just be desperate at finding an external cause to this, rather than objectively trying to determine whether I truly am autistic.
In the end, I realized being autistic or not is not what should matter to me. It shouldn’t change who I am. Instead, it is giving me a direction to follow to improve myself, which is a great improvement compared to before. I can be wrong on my self-diagnosis, but the direction I follow is a good step forward whether I am autistic or not.
The only thing I can think of is if a significant portion of people self diagnose as autistic and they really aren’t. Say they’re convinced by some silly stereotypes they’ve heard
That won’t impact that person. But it could mean other people starting to take it much less seriously in others which may be harmful to them I don’t pretend to know if that would happen. But just a thought
This is a good point, and it may be what some people imply by being disrespectful.
I’m not on TikTok, but I understand that this may be what is being happening (or at least perceived) there
this is a helpful comment