If you want an autism diagnosis?

Right now? If you want a formal autism diagnosis, you can’t just show up as your epic autistic self, with your awesome autistic traits. Because it doesn’t matter what autistic sensitivities, strengths, intensities, or all-around-awesomeness you bring – if you want the official piece of paper? You better be drowning.  

Based on the current diagnostic criteria, happy, settled, un-traumatised autistics do NOT receive a diagnosis. A formal autism diagnosis currently views us from the outside. It requires evidence of difficulties and deficits: Difficulties with social interaction and relationships. Deficits in communication. Repetitive behaviour, restricted interests, impairments, adverse and excessive responses. 

Autistic identity is soooo much more than our support needs, challenges, and disabilities. Yes, the label gives us access to things we need, but it also confirms our identity, connects us to community, and validates our experience of the world. With more awareness, more autistic parents, more autism-friendly homes, earlier discovery, and raised consciousness all over the place, the future is brighter (or more shaded) for every kind of brain.  

And that’s the future. Not having your identity determined by what you can’t do, and how you don’t measure up. Knowing and being who we are from the inside out. Autistics who grow up seen and heard. Celebrated sensitivities. Autism without the disorder. The future is autism (without the disorder).