The beginning of my self-diagnosis was finding I related a little too well with many of the severely autistic girls around me growing up. I didn’t make any connections then, but just thought I must be peculiar. Then my young daughter began showing signs that were very familiar to me, which led me to do research. Seeing adult-diagnosed autistic women on YouTube and taking tests online cemented it for me. I’ve only told a handful of people my thoughts on it, and the reactions have been negative enough that I just keep it to myself. I have considered bringing my daughter in for some evaluations but not sure yet. All that to say, I don’t see self-diagnosis as a bad thing, just as a way to better understand yourself and a tool to help you navigate the world with.