Aspies For Freedom

Here are my reasons with a color key (For Against):

To get the services you need
To provide an excuse for your not-so-normal behavior in public
To make yourself a more credible member of the autism rights movement
If you spend many a sleepless night wondering whether or not you're autistic, to end your insomnia once and for all Big Grin

A diagnosis implies that autism is an illness, which is an offensive idea to many in the neurodiversity camp
If you get diagnosed, then you probably have to put up with crap from the doctor about how sorry s/he is for you
Risk of discrimination at work
The label might lose you an oppurtunity for a love life (people not wanting to date you)
I don't really remember what the diagnosis is like nor did I really have a choice. I was two years old and didn't really know what a diagnosis was, nor could I speak a word of protest.

SakakiSan Wrote:

For:
Finding an explanation for the way you are/understanding of self/no more confusion or thoughts of feeling fk'd up.
Validating your eccentricities and other associated quirks for others, that you are not just making your problems up.
You can claim to have AS without feeling like a fake/become a true member of the autistic community.
Access to services

Against:
Loss of legal capacity as an individualPeople may wrongly assume that due to your DX, you may not have to ability to make descisions about your life/loss of independance.
Discrimination for having the diagnosis.
Having to deal with people treating you as inferior, a child, or thinking you're incapable of doing things due to thier misconceptions of AS.
Medical mistreatment or institutionalisation due to (again)misconceptions about AS and how it should be treated.
The DX can be used as ammo for family/friends/co-workers/bullies to mock, bully and abuse you.

Does anyone know whether or not this is true? legal capacity as an individual?

I do think that it is currently "legal" (in the US) for insurance companies to treat depression as a pre-existing condition - (which means that even if you pay for health insurance they will not cover any percentage of your costs). Even if you didn't have any diagnosed or clinical depression previous to a claim asking for insurance to cover new issues if you have EVER seen a mental health professional they get away with this.* (getting a diagnosis of Aspergers many times predicates seeing a pscychologist or psychiatrist and "Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger Syndrome. DSM-IV - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

If you aren't in the US then this point means nothing. This is one reason I may have my sons DX changed - especially since having the DX has not helped him yet. Time will tell.

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Johanna

Walden