Guest Essays

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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.
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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