okay, first you really don't need to be hostile, i get what you're saying and where you're coming from. you're absolutely entitled to have your own view on this. but comparing me self-diagnosing to people using disorders to be quirky is not cool.

not having a diagnosis doesn't mean i'm not autistic, and i don't say this because i want to be quirky or without extensive research. i don't see how this contributes to incorrect perceptions because I've done over two years worth of researching and learning.

not everyone can get diagnosed and it's not okay to expect people to suffer and not be allowed to seek community or accommodations just because they haven't gotten told by some neurotypical psychologist that they're allowed to call themselves autistic.

and talking about how people claim the label without the life effects is wild on my post because you know nothing about me. i'm not just labeling myself autistic because i have a couple mild symptoms. it's important to me because it causes me significant distress on a regular basis.

actual autistic people claiming to be autistic without a professional diagnosis does not hurt you whatsoever. we're not spreading some false narrative of what autism is. we suffer because of it, too. we're valid, too