oklol123 wrote:
these people are literally part of the reason i'm afraid to tell anyone i'm autistic, because there's so many people faking disorders that they'd probably just assume i'm faking it to be quirky or to get clout
This stuff predates TikTok and is damaging. In my almost nine years here I have read so many accounts of people who when they describe themselves are obviously autistic 1. Who has not gotten diagnosed and won't because they think they are a horrible attention-seeking NT 2. Who have gotten diagnosed but still doubt their autism due to the belief they faked themselves and their clinician. They are stuck and can't move forward in life because they are tearing themselves apart over the belief they are a horrible person. It is heartbreaking that because of this they doubt their autism or believe they can not tell people who they really are.
The sad part is the problem is not that so many people are faking autism to seem cool or excuse bad behavior, it is the
perception there is a massive Autism wannabee phenomenon going on. Most people who try this will not be rewarded like the TikToker but will be sorry they tried this when they soon find out there are all sorts of stigmas and negative assumptions people have about Autistics.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman