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How would an autism diagnosis help an adult? (Lets assume otherwise functional) Not being sarcastic at all, just wondering what specific help would apply, sinc

How would an autism diagnosis help an adult? (Lets assume otherwise functional) Not being sarcastic at all, just wondering what specific help would apply, since there is no "autism medicine". Then what? Would labelling it sometimes do more harm than good? I have seen what they provide to autistic children, and it seems to me, a layperson, that most autistic adults will have figured that stuff out the hard way over time. I assume I could be missing something but don't have a clue what that might be.

novok 4y ago
It creates self understanding that lets you figure out how to treat yourself properly. What to attribute to the autism, which is also pretty diverse in itself in what parts of it people have, and what to attribute to yourself. What to willpower through, and what to accept and work around. There is therapy, techniques, skills, occupational therapy, social tutoring, etc. You begin to figure out why you have your problems, and with that you create understanding. It's like trying to build a house without understanding the composition of the ground underneath to create your foundation. You need to take samples so you can create the proper foundation. If you don't, your house might start to sink, or you over-engineered it and wasted money. Or trying to drive a manual transmission without any proper feedback on what your doing wrong. You might be driving your entire life lurching and stalling frequently, thinking 'that's just the way it works!' because you don't know and you completely self taught, and nobody quite gets that it's your manual transmission techniques. Or understanding how you have to modify your weightlifting technique because your tall, or short. Or to learn to not bother trying to make your calves bigger or not because it's mostly genetic. I can go on and on with the metaphors. How you help someone with ADHD, SPD or ASD with their social or other issues is fairly different too! You might be wrong about your autism self-diagnosis, and some of it can be assisted by medication. If you have sensory integration issues, willbarger brushing might help you integrate your senses better and not cause clothing, lights, and sounds to feel overwhelming. Or it might help you notice more things in the world and move more gracefully if your under-stimulated. So yes, there is a lot you can do. And I think a lot of un-diagnosed autistic adults are living a life with a lot of pain and maladaptive compensatory strategies that makes their lives a lot worse. They will do better with their lives, their jobs and their happiness in life. Also just because you have a medical diagnosis, does not mean you need to share it or label yourself in public as so, you can keep it as private as you wish. The power of self knowledge is amazing.

novok 4y ago

It creates self understanding that lets you figure out how to treat yourself properly. What to attribute to the autism, which is also pretty diverse in itself in what parts of it people have, and what to attribute to yourself. What to willpower through, and what to accept and work around. There is therapy, techniques, skills, occupational therapy, social tutoring, etc. You begin to figure out why you have your problems, and with that you create understanding. It's like trying to build a house without understanding the composition of the ground underneath to create your foundation. You need to take samples so you can create the proper foundation. If you don't, your house might start to sink, or you over-engineered it and wasted money. Or trying to drive a manual transmission without any proper feedback on what your doing wrong. You might be driving your entire life lurching and stalling frequently, thinking 'that's just the way it works!' because you don't know and you completely self taught, and nobody quite gets that it's your manual transmission techniques. Or understanding how you have to modify your weightlifting technique because your tall, or short. Or to learn to not bother trying to make your calves bigger or not because it's mostly genetic. I can go on and on with the metaphors. How you help someone with ADHD, SPD or ASD with their social or other issues is fairly different too! You might be wrong about your autism self-diagnosis, and some of it can be assisted by medication. If you have sensory integration issues, willbarger brushing might help you integrate your senses better and not cause clothing, lights, and sounds to feel overwhelming. Or it might help you notice more things in the world and move more gracefully if your under-stimulated. So yes, there is a lot you can do. And I think a lot of un-diagnosed autistic adults are living a life with a lot of pain and maladaptive compensatory strategies that makes their lives a lot worse. They will do better with their lives, their jobs and their happiness in life. Also just because you have a medical diagnosis, does not mean you need to share it or label yourself in public as so, you can keep it as private as you wish. The power of self knowledge is amazing.