Autistic self-diagnosis is valid for a number of reasons:
- autistic traits, both those in official diagnostic tests & those widely anecdotally reported by autistic people, are very specific & wide-reaching. They also don’t have a lot in common with each other 1/

For example, sensory issues have very little to do with how we socialise but they’re both autistic traits. Given how many things are listed as autistic traits & how disparate they are & how they affect every area of an autistic person’s life, it’s highly unlikely 2/

that someone would identify strongly with much of a list like that & not be autistic. It’s not like a horoscope where it’s designed to be vague & apply to anyone who reads it. If you relate to autism that strongly, it’s very likely you’re autistic 3/

Another reason is how difficult it is to get a diagnosis on the NHS. Waiting lists can be actual years. And GPs can be so misinformed about autism themselves that they fail to refer people on for diagnosis on an arbitrary basis like ‘you can make eye contact’ 4/

This is especially true of late-diagnosed women as some doctors still believe it’s not possible for women to be autistic. So yes, some people will be turned away before it’s even explored. What should they do? Pretend they don’t have this colossal new self-knowledge? 5/

A private diagnosis can cost between hundreds to thousands of pounds. The cost is prohibitive for many people. It is an elitist issue to say self-diagnosis isn’t valid because a professional diagnosis simply isn’t accessible to so many people for financial reasons 6/

And finally, the diagnosis itself is based on an interview with you & maybe your family. There’s no conclusive test. They don’t scan your brain & have an answer. It’s based on what you tell your specialist. It’s not a world away from self-diagnosis anyway. 7/

Given that the diagnostic process is based almost entirely on self-evaluation, why is the confirmation of a specialist the be all & end all? If I’ve got it wrong in my own head, won’t what I tell the psychologist be wrong, meaning I’m misdiagnosed anyway?