Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi again,
I always find myself looking back on my diagnostic procedure and feeling quite traumatised. It was so embarrassing, what person in their mid-teens or in adulthood wants to mime brushing their teeth and read picture books and tell a story with a paperclip and answer all kinds of personal questions? I just found it really infantilising. I've reflected on it a lot recently, and particularly as I've read more and more material that says autism isn't a disease and we don't need fixing or curing [I still don't know where I am on this, I'm still on my journey] but it just seems really weird that we go to some kind of professional who is usually neurotypical to be labelled after answering their questions and doing their tests. I mean, I don't know how else diagnosis could happen, unless only autistics were allowed to diagnose autism which is just silly and would never happen, but... What do other people think?
I'm also tired of neurotypical people not listening to us. I'm sorry to say this - as I said before I don't do conflict - but I've been lurking on this site for quite a while and I've even seen examples of it on this site, autistic people saying that they're uncomfortable with things neurotypical users [parents etc] have said and the neurotypical person then responding by getting offended and talking over them and using emotional blackmail against the autistic person rather than listening and bettering themselves. I'm not going into specific occasions but I kind of just want to say that if a member of a minority group that you aren't a part of expresses they're not happy with something you've said then you should listen to them rather than getting defensive and making them look like the bad guys. You're the one with the privilege, even if you are close to someone who is autistic, you still aren't autistic yourself so you have allistic privilege. Rant over.
Hope you're all having a good week,
Scarlett
Mind you though the problem would be if other Autistics assesed us we would just be like if we couldn't relate to that person we wouldn't be able to differ between them or the NT we'd judge by personality and traits rather than doing a propper assesment hence why you get people on this group occasionally calling eachother fakes or saying your not Autistic cause you don't think like me or I don't agree with opinion so you can't be Autistic. That would be the problem letting other autistics asses one another. We were too sturbon and opniated at times if we can't relate to someone else we simply ignore them or dont acknowledge them weather there are or not partly due to mind blindness which we all ironically suffer from. NTs are needed guess cause they veiw things more practically and as much as I slate NTs there Still a value part of the echo system and are definitely needed when it comes to assessing us. It's like that question if Autistics ruled the world we'd probably make dreadful priministers of politions cause we'd only see things are way and know one ellses way. And I'm saying and admitting that as an ASD