New study finds online self-reports may not accurately reflect clinical autism diagnoses. Adults who report high levels of autistic traits through online surveys may not reflect the same social behaviors or clinical profiles as those who have been formally diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

[u/mvea]

https://www.psypost.org/new-study-finds-online-self-reports-may-not-accurately-reflect-clinical-autism-diagnoses/

[u/ghoulthebraineater]

Not everyone can afford it. Even with insurance my assessment was nearly $1,000. And it's not like a former diagnosis really does much other than give you some answers. If you're lvl 1 and middle aged like myself you've likely already figured out coping strategies on your own.

[u/zeno0771 → u/ghoulthebraineater]

It is expensive especially in the US (after insurance mine was $1800). A formal Dx does a lot more then just "give you some answers", however.

I was 50 when I got mine and knowing why I am the way I am was a game-changer for me. In most cases, without a Dx, you won't know which behaviors are coping strategies, or even that there are any. You may just plow through life nihilistically and blame the rest of the world for all of your problems--a common behavior of narcissists as well, and that's not a group you want to belong to.

If you know why your various traits are what they are, you may discover that some of your coping strategies are actually harmful: Substance abuse is a common one. The externalities will all point to the substance abuse itself being the problem and not a symptom of something else. So now you're left with a harmful coping strategy being taken away and nothing to replace it with, because you don't know why you need a coping strategy in the first place.

If you don't know why you behave a certain way, it's not really a coping strategy; it's a shaky stopgap that doesn't follow any actual reasoning because not only do you not know why you behave the way you do, you also don't know why others behave the way they do toward you.

[u/ghoulthebraineater → u/zeno0771]

I guess that's what I meant by some answers. I had a lot of unanswered questions about why I struggled with certain things. Understanding the why of things has always let me figure out the hows.

[u/dtalb18981 → u/[deleted]]

Because for a lot of people their feelings matter more than objective reality.

They have decided they are autistic because of xyz so they are autistic because it makes them feel better.

Instead of just admitting they could just be weird.

[u/dtalb18981 → u/ghoulthebraineater]

This is the same dumb argument i see all the time.

"Ugh nobody can afford going to the doctor im just gonna Google it really hard.

Oh all my symptoms match cancer guess I have it.

I know i have cancer and nobody can tell me otherwise.

I'm a survivor."

Edited for better realism.