It's always interesting when people speak about their "ADHD symptoms" while describing traits of being autistic and then argue, in the most autistic of ways, of why they aren't autistic.
@theautisticcoach@actuallyautistic I wouldn’t argue against being on the spectrum for myself but mostly haven’t identified as such without any diagnosis because I feel like it could be ableist to those more affected than me. Like when people are like “I’m so ocd/add” and then describe stereotypes not symptoms or just normie things. Definitely feel some of the symptoms are a part of what I deal with tho. 🤷♂️ as long as I keep working on myself and seeking tools to help the label is NBD
@gunslingeradhd@theautisticcoach@actuallyautistic It is okay to self-diagnose as autistic, if you're serious about it. Autism is a huge spectrum, including people with very high needs, and people with very high masking. It doesn't matter. High needs / low needs labels are used as a catch-22: if you have high needs, you can't make decisions for yourself; if you have low needs, you don't deserve support. So we try to avoid using those labels. It is not ableist to self-diagnose as autistic. Describing myself as autistic (I do have a diagnosis) does not mean I speak for e.g. non-speaking autistics. But I do need to try to listen to them and boost them wherever possible. Same with autistics with other intersectional issues e.g. autistic women, autistic trans people etc. Listen to them and boost them. Your existing and identifying as autistic is not in itself ableism.
Can't speak for ADHD. But intersectionality matters, and these things are described as a spectrum.
@matthewtoad43@theautisticcoach@actuallyautistic thanks. Listening to more ppl on the spectrum and how they deal with similar issues I’m dealing with has helped. It’s part of why I’m on the server I’m on to be closer to a community that has helped me and maybe I’ll end up paying some of it forward.
That's part of the reason that I actively rejected any possibility of being "autistic" till getting a formal diagnosis in 2019, even though there was at least one prior medical report that had "autism" as at least a possibility. It took that long for (significant parts of the rest of the world) becoming less toxic on that front before that was a viable way of thinking for me.
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