Melanie Sykes have just been diagnosed with autism

I've come to realise that just cause a celebrity or famous person is Autistic it doesn't mean things will get better for us. Neuro Typicals will only like the celebrity for being famous not for the disability. Take Eminem he was big way before who ever your talking about granted he's ADHD but just because he made ADHD seem cool or gangster when in reality it's not and it's actually hell to have. Things don't change for us indidvuals with it. Sure you've got somone to idolise but what exsactly to do they do to contribute to make our own personal issues go away were not one mind that can be fixed by a celebrity or famous person. Hence why I don't get why people get so hyped over stuff. Look at Einstein for example you'd of thought one of the world's most renowned scientists would of changed things for us no.  Same with Darwinism the man who came up the theory evolution now disproven though. But still the point I'm getting at it is why does it matter?

Oh is THAT what a spiky profile is!!!

If by 'this' you mean what M described as being the 'spiky circle thing':

Then read:

Autism, Personality, and Human Diversity: Defining Neurodiversity in an Iterative Process Using Aspie Quiz

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244013497722

And check out perhaps the following website explaining and for taking the Aspie Quiz:

https://embrace-autism.com/aspie-quiz/

M said:

The spectrum isn't a straight line from mild to severe = not linear. Usually it is demonstrated with a diagram that I don't know the correct term for but a spiky circle thing. 

The same for me and suicide. It would ruin my daughter's life if I died. So I am always trying not to kill myself.

It makes autistic people seem nutters. Autism is mainstream and it's normal. Until you can see that all is chaos.

No, mine is:

'D'you wanna flake in that, luv?' 

'You've got your trolleys on back to front, Torquil.'

hahahaha.

Can't relate to her at all. As a severely disabled autistic on state benefits, I could never do what she does. I can't raise a kid, can't have relationships, couldn't start my own business etc. I'm glad she can get understanding and help, but we really do need more sub categories because she doesn't have the condition I have at all.

Brill, that's the one! I like how she says we have got to learn each others' language. Her hair looked like a freshly windswept cat! 

She does! That appearance on the talk show was good. it was an Irish chat show, it's on youtube somewhere. 

i do a long walk to blow stuff out of my head --- a brisk walk until u get tired 

she has 2 programmes on Netflix 

There's a great comedian called Hannah Gadsby. She is diagnosed autistic. Maybe check her out. One of her interviews on a talk show I seem to remember she discusses how she is fine with being on stage because she is in control. This is also true to a certain extent of myself as a tutor. I know my role. Conversations are on my terms and usually functional. 

I feel compelled to reply and attempt to explain why your comments are causing so much upset - I read this thread last night and was also upset by it and the assumptions being made.  This is not an attack - this is me attempting to address points you have raised.

• 'many of the difficulties you are describing are challenges I can easily relate to, maybe even more so.' - yes, lots of people have problems with different things, what differs is that those are often caused by the autism in people who are autistic and are accompanied with a myriad of other 'symptoms' (I don't like that word in this context) that have been present since a child. By stating this - you are trivialising other people's experiences and it reads like you are saying 'yes you struggle with communication, so do lots of people - it doesn't mean we're all autistic' - no it doesn't, but it is a feature along with other symptoms.
• 'understand how her diagnosis is logically possible’ - and neither should you. You do not know her personally - you know the person she presents on camera. You have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Many people who are autistic can communicate effectively - this is only one of the 'symptoms' and some people have strengths in some areas, and weaknesses in others.  It does not make them 'more' or 'less' autistic. This is a misunderstanding on your part, and perhaps you need to start seeing this from a wider angle.  For example, once a year I have to present to a room of approx 300 people (yes I am diagnosed - no I did not seek it, I saw a new psychiatrist who immediately said it was blatantly obvious) - in this meeting you wouldn't think I was 'autistic' because I am putting on a show, I can interact, communicate, look at people etc.  But it is absolute hell, and when it's over I tend to be sat on the floor of a hotel room banging my head against the wall because I've kept everything so tightly controlled that I cannot cope anymore, I even tried to kill myself after one of these.  But those people in the meeting do not know that.  I'm not saying this is what happens to others, or Melanie Sykes - but what you see presented for a few minutes, is not necessarily the person.  
  Her diagnosis is possible because she has been assessed by qualified assessors who know what they are doing.
• 'Melanie Sykes does not require anywhere near the level of support that my son does. She may well require support and I hope she get it, along with anyone with autism, but there needs to be perspective.' I do not believe anyone has every said that there should not be perspective. But why does this mean that she should not talk about it? Does this mean that those of us who struggle silently do not have a right to be heard because we do not need constant support?  I don't leave the house other than for occasional work meetings - I don't go shopping, I don't see anyone - maybe I need support? I have to have someone else with me if people come to the house etc.  Where do I fit in this perspective? Do I not deserve anything because I can speak?  It is all about perspective - but by (I'll use the word again) trivialising people's experiences and needs - you are appearing quite rude. I'm sure you do not mean to - but you are.
• 'Does someone who has establised a career, a social life, family life really require as much finding as a child who cannot speak, does not respond to his name, self harms and may never live an independent life, may never get married , may never get a job or ever even have friends? Or should we just accept autism is just a quirk of nature, requiring no support or the same support based on subjective self diagnostic criteria?'
  Autism as a quirk of nature - you may want to rethinking this sentence, referring to something as a 'quirk' when it can cause debilitating problems seems entirely inappropriate.
  I can speak, respond to my name, but I self-harm, I need help to live independently, I'll never get married, but I have a job, and 1 friend.  So where do I fit in your 'require as much funding' - you are again suggesting that only people who have those autistic characteristics requires help.  Yes your sun should have help, but so should many, many others who may have problems as severe as him, or less severe, or more severe in other areas, and not in others.  Why are they not deserving of help?
  I think suggesting the diagnostic criteria as being 'subjective' is dangerous territory - people get a diagnosis through a process which is often challenging and lengthy - by professionals who are qualified to do this.  Full stop.  It is not for someone non-specialised in this area to suggest that the diagnosis processes are inappropriate, or subjective.
• 'But its one thing to say ASD can be subtle/almost an invisible disability, and quite another to have the polar opposite characteristics of ASD, and still say this is autism.' Why? Why can two people who are autistic not be different.  If two people are slightly different, then a third person is slightly different again - and you keep going and you start to get people who are very different from those at the start.  That's like saying, well people who only have stage 1 cancer can't really say they have cancer as it's subtle/invisible disability. 
• I have said I do not understand MS diagnosis.' - it is not for you to understand or not, because you do not know the person. If someone appeared on tv and said they were bipolar - would you say that you don't understand that when you've only seen them for a few minutes on screen?

Sorry I've run out of steam. 

There is also:

The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): A Scale to Assist the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: An Internation Validation Study

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3134766/

And:

Thanks again. Very much appreciated :-)