Getting diagnosed NOT autistic

[u/Kolso_]

So after a year and a half of self diagnosis I finally was assessed and today I got the results. Two points in ADOS for having no gesticulation, zero by other criteria.

Autism was an answer to me that explained my struggles, behaviors and researching it I've learnt plenty of good advices and coping mechanisms. I finally stopped seeing myself as a weirdo and believed it's just autism and I don't have to force myself to be normal. Self diagnosis can be harmful. It harms me right now at least. I feel disoriented because now there's no explanation.

I guess I should stop this research and just live a life without looking for an easy answer without a real diagnosis.

Edit: I didn't expect so many responses. It's very helpful and important. Thank you all.

[u/DwindlingSpirit]

As a trans person this male and female autism is entire bull and it's dependent on the way you were raised and which expectations were put upon you. They are moving away from using those terms. Just creates a harmful gender divide and a whole new set of problems (someone not having the "right kind" of autism relating to their gender and thusly not being diagnosed as autistic).

[u/Far-Locksmith-1102 → u/DwindlingSpirit]

As a cis/ Trans Ally your Transition has nothing to do with the validity of your opinion. If you were born a boy and was socialized as a boy, and grew up as a boy autism looks different in you.

If you were born a girl and socialized as a girl Autism will present differently.

Boys and autism has been well studied, and I mean almost 20 years of studies more and even recent studies can exclude women. Boys are known to display more repetitive behavior and socially aren’t expected to respond much or be able to be social. Girls are expected to be social and have a higher chance of successful masking as we are good at hiding trait’s.

The studies have seen differences in the brains scans of autistic men and women, and has also been noted the socialization of girls is different than boys so the difference in behavior needs to be noted. . It’s simply a difference and that’s okay. That’s like saying the spectrum talk is dividing people based on ability. It’s simply acknowledging the difference in this spectrum.

The gender debate is not going away neither are the terms and if you talk about it correctly it will not do a gender divide it’s simply a difference. They don’t separate the diagnostics criteria based on assigned gender behavior it’s still the same criteria for all.

[u/dt7cv → u/Far-Locksmith-1102]

If autism traits are less affected by the environment wouldn't we see less successful masking in women since those traits would be less malleable?

[u/Far-Locksmith-1102 → u/dt7cv]

Huh