I still don't understand why so many people are against self-diagnosis. Someone is suffering and trying to find help, a lot of people, especially minorities and women, can't find it professionally. What's wrong with those people looking for help themselves? Having a word for what is different with you helps finding this help.
I'm not talking about people claiming to be autistic and demanding attention and accomodations, that's a whole different story but trying to keep people from finding help themselves seems to be very wrong to me.
Because a diagnosis can tell you what you are, it's not a supposition anymore, and you don't have to convince yourself as it becomes an objective truth.
I used to think I was autistic, and while I wasn't that far, autism wasn't the right diagnosis and that new information allowed me to act on the right things.
I live a much better life now than when I was relying on my self-diagnosis
Yes, but you are answering on the experience that diagnostics are available to you, and what sounds like an assumption that this is universal.
The biggest point of contention is people who want to be assessed properly, but can't get a professional to sniff their brains. They still are who they are and need help and support.
Of course, if it isn't available to people, my point falls apart completely and I was in an ideal situation that isn't as accessible to most people. (I live close to a mental health center specialized in autism)
Still it helped me tremendously and I want to encourage people to seek a diagnosis.
For people who don't/don't yet know, support groups like this one or ND friends are invaluable