I think underdiagnosis is a bigger issue than overdiagnosis when it comes to autism. As someone who was professionally diagnosed, I know how life changing diagnosis can be.
The issues of accidental misdiagnosis are far outweighed by the benefits of diagnosis, self-made or otherwise. And I think self-diagnosis is usually pretty accurate with autism.
Even with a professional diagnosis I still doubted my symptoms were autism. "surely everybody hates scratchy clothing though?" etc. Plus all the masked symptome we repress.
I was literally in an autism support group and I still didn't recognize symptoms! When I first joined the group someone said "I have to leave a restaurant if I'm feeling overwhelmed, and miss out on eating my meal". I thought to myself "this sounds excessive and dramatic, just stay at the restaurant and put up with it, geez."
But then later in life I realized how wrong I was. Leaving early is actually the best action. Now I'm the one who is leaving the restaurants early! It's not dramatic, it's autism. Autism is difficult to recognize and accept.
For example, hearing too many sounds at once makes me feel bitchy. Without an autism diagnosis I never would have even considered the sounds or bright lights may have been the issue. I would have never considered it! It took me decades to realise mall lighting was the culprit for a bad mood. Decades of not even making those connections. Imagine that.
I think underdiagnosis is a bigger issue than overdiagnosis when it comes to autism. As someone who was professionally diagnosed, I know how life changing diagnosis can be.
The issues of accidental misdiagnosis are far outweighed by the benefits of diagnosis, self-made or otherwise. And I think self-diagnosis is usually pretty accurate with autism.
Even with a professional diagnosis I still doubted my symptoms were autism. "surely everybody hates scratchy clothing though?" etc. Plus all the masked symptome we repress.
I was literally in an autism support group and I still didn't recognize symptoms! When I first joined the group someone said "I have to leave a restaurant if I'm feeling overwhelmed, and miss out on eating my meal". I thought to myself "this sounds excessive and dramatic, just stay at the restaurant and put up with it, geez."
But then later in life I realized how wrong I was. Leaving early is actually the best action. Now I'm the one who is leaving the restaurants early! It's not dramatic, it's autism. Autism is difficult to recognize and accept.
For example, hearing too many sounds at once makes me feel bitchy. Without an autism diagnosis I never would have even considered the sounds or bright lights may have been the issue. I would have never considered it! It took me decades to realise mall lighting was the culprit for a bad mood. Decades of not even making those connections. Imagine that.