slate "journalist" diagnoses herself as autistic

[Anonymous]

I admit this gave me a bit of an eye-roll. This lady went to Harvard on a full ride, writes and advice column for Slate and various publications, has 3 kids and a husband. And has just self-diagnose herself with autism..

https://nicole.substack.com/p/a-little-bit-autistic-a-little-bit

[Anonymous]

I think you are being too literal. Although that author seems to really like labels.

[Anonymous]

Why the eye-roll?

You think people with ADHD, autism, anxiety or depression cannot recognize their symptoms?

[Anonymous]

She gets paid to write?

I don’t think she understands autism although she might be on the spectrum. Who knows, who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admit this gave me a bit of an eye-roll. This lady went to Harvard on a full ride, writes and advice column for Slate and various publications, has 3 kids and a husband. And has just self-diagnose herself with autism..

https://nicole.substack.com/p/a-little-bit-autistic-a-little-bit

You're either a troll or an ignoramus.

High functioning autistic people are everywhere.
Steve jobs wore the same outfit every day for years.
Bill Gates rocks in meetings
Daryl Hannah had a pretty successful go of it.

Do some more reading while you're out there on the internet.

[Anonymous]

What’s the issue? It’s a spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Is apologizing reflexively common for people on the spectrum? I ask because I have a shy, sweet daughter who does this (like mentioned in the article) and this column raised some questions for me.

[Anonymous]

She sounds a lot like my mom, LOL. My mom's not dx but she's so similar to my dd, who is dx (she's fairly high functioning but not like the author).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Why the eye-roll?

You think people with ADHD, autism, anxiety or depression cannot recognize their symptoms?

I think the idea that a woman with access to health care is going to self-diagnose autism and write about it as an attention-getting mechanism is absurd, yes, considering all we do here to get effective diagnoses professionally for our kids. Autism is not being a "weird kid" or feeling awkward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit this gave me a bit of an eye-roll. This lady went to Harvard on a full ride, writes and advice column for Slate and various publications, has 3 kids and a husband. And has just self-diagnose herself with autism..

https://nicole.substack.com/p/a-little-bit-autistic-a-little-bit

You're either a troll or an ignoramus.

High functioning autistic people are everywhere.
Steve jobs wore the same outfit every day for years.
Bill Gates rocks in meetings
Daryl Hannah had a pretty successful go of it.

Do some more reading while you're out there on the internet.

Only one of those people was actually medically diagnosed with autism. The eye-roll is specifically her self-diagnosis and attention-seeking behavior about it (coupled with perceiving herself as such a great observer of human social skills that she literally got a job as an ADVICE COLUMNIST?). It's not doubt about high-functioning autism, but feeling like people who self-diagnose (and then get pissy if you say they should go to a doctor) are vastly minimizing what our kids actually are dealing with.

[Anonymous]

Obligatorily obnoxious metafilter thread on this: https://www.metafilter.com/185537/I-think-its-probably-time-to-just-own-it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit this gave me a bit of an eye-roll. This lady went to Harvard on a full ride, writes and advice column for Slate and various publications, has 3 kids and a husband. And has just self-diagnose herself with autism..

https://nicole.substack.com/p/a-little-bit-autistic-a-little-bit

You're either a troll or an ignoramus.

High functioning autistic people are everywhere.
Steve jobs wore the same outfit every day for years.
Bill Gates rocks in meetings
Daryl Hannah had a pretty successful go of it.

Do some more reading while you're out there on the internet.

Only one of those people was actually medically diagnosed with autism. The eye-roll is specifically her self-diagnosis and attention-seeking behavior about it (coupled with perceiving herself as such a great observer of human social skills that she literally got a job as an ADVICE COLUMNIST?). It's not doubt about high-functioning autism, but feeling like people who self-diagnose (and then get pissy if you say they should go to a doctor) are vastly minimizing what our kids actually are dealing with.

Getting a diagnosis as an adult is very different than getting a diagnosis as a child. It's both very difficult and very easy. All it takes is finding someone who is willing to give it to you, no real testing required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why the eye-roll?

You think people with ADHD, autism, anxiety or depression cannot recognize their symptoms?

I think the idea that a woman with access to health care is going to self-diagnose autism and write about it as an attention-getting mechanism is absurd, yes, considering all we do here to get effective diagnoses professionally for our kids. Autism is not being a "weird kid" or feeling awkward.

No. I spent lots of money to confirm ADHD in my son for school support, but we know he’s also Aspie and will not pay for a diagnosis, since it won’t get him more help. I can well imagine this person doing the same. She’s an adult. She found an interesting thing to write about. A formal diagnosis won’t change much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why the eye-roll?

You think people with ADHD, autism, anxiety or depression cannot recognize their symptoms?

I think the idea that a woman with access to health care is going to self-diagnose autism and write about it as an attention-getting mechanism is absurd, yes, considering all we do here to get effective diagnoses professionally for our kids. Autism is not being a "weird kid" or feeling awkward.

No. I spent lots of money to confirm ADHD in my son for school support, but we know he’s also Aspie and will not pay for a diagnosis, since it won’t get him more help. I can well imagine this person doing the same. She’s an adult. She found an interesting thing to write about. A formal diagnosis won’t change much.

The point is she likely has NO diagnosis. She as a personality that she's decided to call "autism" because it provides some kind of reward for her to do so. Likewise, you don't "know" your son is autistic, because you haven't had him tested. I have no issue with you not pursuing testing, but if this stuff means anything, it's got to be based on actual science, not how you "feel." Next thing we know anyone will be able to self-identify as autistic because they feel like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why the eye-roll?

You think people with ADHD, autism, anxiety or depression cannot recognize their symptoms?

I think the idea that a woman with access to health care is going to self-diagnose autism and write about it as an attention-getting mechanism is absurd, yes, considering all we do here to get effective diagnoses professionally for our kids. Autism is not being a "weird kid" or feeling awkward.

No. I spent lots of money to confirm ADHD in my son for school support, but we know he’s also Aspie and will not pay for a diagnosis, since it won’t get him more help. I can well imagine this person doing the same. She’s an adult. She found an interesting thing to write about. A formal diagnosis won’t change much.

The point is she likely has NO diagnosis. She as a personality that she's decided to call "autism" because it provides some kind of reward for her to do so. Likewise, you don't "know" your son is autistic, because you haven't had him tested. I have no issue with you not pursuing testing, but if this stuff means anything, it's got to be based on actual science, not how you "feel." Next thing we know anyone will be able to self-identify as autistic because they feel like it.

That is the case now. Do you really not know that?