“I just don’t see it”

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My therapist told me today that she believes I have Autism. I mentioned it to my parents and my dad replied with, “I just don’t see it.” And “Autistic people don’t have empathy”, “my friend’s son is Autistic and he screams if two people are talking at once.” And when I told him things I struggled with he said, “A lot of those things are just being human, I work with a lot of people your age (24) and they are all socially awkward from technology.” Etc. Everything I said I struggled with him and my mom both said were normal experiences, but when I explain them to my therapist she believes I have autism. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere and things were making sense, and my parents don’t believe it. My mom just told me she related to everything I was struggling with. That she gained confidence and learned things later in life.

That's annoying. I think a lot of people don't realize how relieved you can be, saying you think you have autism. So they rush to console you by trying to relate. And parents can really have a hard time with this, since they think you're saying something is wrong with you.

I was once told I couldn't be autistic because I don't spontaneously sing national anthems in public lol.

Who is the more qualified mental-health professional, your therapist or your father?

I can't imagine how infuriating it must be when your own parents, the two people you should depend on, think all autistic people are the same. When I was diagnosed with Asperger's in my late 20s, I was a bit skeptical about it too at first, but when my mother showed me the information she had gotten (hooray for the internet) about girls and women on the spectrum, I knew it must be true. The psychiatrist had wanted to keep the diagnosis a secret from me as well, but my mom knew better.

I am glad that you have supportive parents. I have supportive parents, but not when it comes to this. When I told them my therapist believes I have Autism, they became unsupportive when it became a reality. My mom believes I am sensitive when I have sensory issues, and that I need to deal with some inconveniences. My dad states that all kids my age struggle with the issues I'm facing, everything I state that I struggle with is "normal' to him. I don't know how to show them inside my brain. About how I've copy and pasted my entire life, and I can't anymore. I need to just live as me.. I think things were just different in there time. I think a lot of kids with autism went undiagnosed and were just seen as quirky, weird, different.. and internalized their issues. They only see Autism as those with high support needs, or savants. I don't know how to change their minds.