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Guest Essays

On Autistic Self-Diagnosis

This is a guest essay by Courtney A. Munnings, Esq., Neurodiversity Enthusiast, Certified Life Coach, and Speaker Certified in Disability Inclusion and Advocacy.

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Can I diagnose* myself with autism? Well. Let’s break that down.

Can I diagnose myself with difficulty interpreting what people are saying or feeling?

Can I diagnose myself with not intuiting unspoken neurotypical social rules? Or avoiding superficial conversations?

Can I diagnose myself as being “in my own world”?

Can I diagnose myself as engaging in repetitive behaviors or routines?

Can I diagnose myself with only eating a limited group of foods?

Can I diagnose myself with a meltdown?

Can I diagnose myself with a strong or unusual special interest?

Can I diagnose myself with headaches or migraines?

Can I diagnose my sensitivity to rejection?

Can I diagnose myself as not preferring to make eye contact when I speak?

Can I diagnose myself with bumping into my walls or tripping over my feet?

Can I diagnose myself with handwriting that hurts?

Can I diagnose myself with not understanding a figure of speech?

Can I diagnose myself with making up special words or phrases or signs?

Can I diagnose myself with rocking back and forth or pacing to soothe myself?

Can I diagnose myself with being mistaken for an answering machine when someone calls me?

Can I diagnose myself with being expected to overreact? Can I diagnose myself with being called robotic, neurotic, or obsessed?

Can I diagnose myself as buying the same garment in as many colors as I can find?

Can I diagnose myself with needing my items arranged in a specific or symmetrical fashion? Can I diagnose myself with making involuntary noises?

Can I diagnose myself with rage or disgust when my food order is wrong?

Can I diagnose my difficulty regulating certain emotions?

Can I diagnose myself with unintentionally changing my demeanor or personality to fit in?

Can I diagnose myself with trouble keeping up in a conversation? Or speaking for longer than I meant to?

Can I diagnose myself with picking at my skin until it hurts or I bleed?

Can I diagnose myself with miscommunications or misunderstandings with others?

Can I diagnose myself as hating bright lights or certain noises or strong smells?

Can I diagnose myself with preferring others to speak on my behalf when I’m uncomfortable?

Can I diagnose my forgetting to eat or not noticing when I’m tired or when I have to pee?

Can I diagnose myself with compulsive shopping or collecting things?

Can I diagnose myself as a deep or “over” thinker?

Can I diagnose myself with seeing both sides of a thing?

Can I diagnose myself with taking things literally?

What about my honesty or “oversharing”?

Can I know that I’m always very different from my peers?

Can I diagnose myself with gullibility?

Can I diagnose myself with putting my needs last or not thinking about them at all?

Can I diagnose my anxiety?

Can I diagnose myself as noticing patterns others do not?

Can I diagnose that I did not get a joke?

Can I diagnose myself with devastation when people doubt me?

Can I diagnose myself with fascination or overwhelm at my own thoughts?

Can I diagnose myself with being called “rigid” or “controlling''?

Can I diagnose my exhaustion?

Can I diagnose myself with frequent stomach problems?

Can I diagnose my social anxiety?

Can I diagnose my self doubt?

Can I diagnose myself with only talking to dogs or babies at social gatherings?

Can I diagnose myself with accidentally interrupting people in conversations?

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