When it comes to our health, the internet can be an extremely useful tool. You can easily search for your symptoms in seconds and put your mind at ease. Don’t worry, that rash is totally normal. And no, that pain does not mean you have cancer. But at the same time, having access to so much information can be confusing.
We might convince ourselves that we have plenty of afflictions without having any real evidence. And when it comes to developmental and neurodevelopmental disorders, people can self-diagnose as much as they want. That’s why this man began to become concerned about his girlfriend. After seeing one video discussing autism, she suddenly decided that she’s on the spectrum, but her partner isn’t quite convinced. Below, you’ll find the full story that he shared on Reddit seeking advice, as well as some of the replies readers left him.
This man's girlfriend watched a video about autism and suddenly decided that she's on the spectrum
Image credits: DC_Studio / envato (not the actual photo)
But he's concerned about her making claims that she's autistic without receiving a proper diagnosis
Image credits: DC_Studio / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: AideRelative4272
Over a quarter of women on the autism spectrum don't receive a diagnosis until they're an adult
According to the National Autistic Society in the UK, autism is a “lifelong neurodivergence and disability." It often causes individuals to feel and react to things differently than neurotypical people, and it can create challenges when socializing or trying to read social cues. Many people on the autism spectrum attempt to mask their discomfort, but this can be exhausting and sometimes even lead to developing a mental illness.
The reason why autism is understood as a spectrum is because each autistic person will have their own unique combination of characteristics, the National Autistic Society explains.
“Autistic people can be very different to each other, with different sets of strengths and challenges,” the experts write. “It is important not to make assumptions about an individual autistic person’s skills, abilities or support needs.”
Now, when it comes to receiving an autism diagnosis, specialists look for certain “core characteristics" in an individual. These include: having unique communication styles, skills, and preferences; having special interests and unique behaviors; and often, being very sensitive to a certain kind of sensory input.
Children often undergo developmental screenings during visits to their pediatrician or in school. But if their parents start to suspect that they might be autistic, they can request an assessment to specifically determine whether or not their child is on the spectrum.
These screenings often involve specialists such as developmental pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.
Despite the fact that signs of autism usually start appearing when a child is between two and three years old, many people on the spectrum don’t actually receive a proper diagnosis until much later. In fact, the average age to be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States is 10.5.
However, women tend to receive diagnoses later than men, often because they’re much better at masking their symptoms. A quarter of women on the spectrum don’t even receive an official diagnosis until the age of 19 or older. Because we now have so much access to information about Autism Spectrum Disorder, and because it can be so difficult to get a proper diagnosis, particularly for women, many people decide to self-diagnose.
Self-diagnosing is controversial, but it's quite common in the autistic community
Image credits: Andrej Lišakov / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Autistic Psychologist Amy Marschall, PsyD, wrote a piece for Psychology Today breaking down her thoughts on self-diagnosing, and she noted that it’s often accepted by many people in the autistic community. This is because autism evaluations in the U.S. can cost thousands of dollars, and they’re typically not covered by insurance providers. So they’re simply not feasible for everyone.
Meanwhile, it can be incredibly difficult to even get an autism evaluation, as some families wait for years for their child to be tested. At the same time, having a diagnosis in your medical records can be risky. Dr. Marschall notes that this can sometimes open people up to being discriminated against, as some states actually keep registries of autistic residents. And some countries refuse to grant immigration visas to autistic individuals.
But it’s important to remember that just because you relate to autism content online doesn’t mean that you are actually on the spectrum. Forta notes that many conditions, such as ADHD, anxiety, and trauma, can share symptoms with autism. So it’s easy for people who watch a short video on the topic to get confused.
Plus, it’s natural to resonate with a few traits of autism. Plenty of people feel awkward in social situations and have sensory issues. “But [this] doesn’t mean you meet the formal diagnosis criteria outlined in the DSM-5,” Forta writes.
“This is where confirmation bias often kicks in. Once someone suspects they’re autistic, they may focus only on information that supports that belief—and ignore evidence that doesn’t,” they explain. “This can create a feedback loop that leads further away from clarity.”
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this woman’s self-diagnosis is valid? Or should she do some more research? Feel free to weigh in. Then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing similar themes right here.
Many readers took the man's side, noting that it's disrespectful for his girlfriend to make these claims after seeing one video
However, some readers called out the man for failing to believe his girlfriend
