In Which I Explain Why Autistics Would Want a Diagnosis

Autism Pride week blurb #2: Why Do Autistic People Need/Want a Diagnosis?
 

There are lots of people, mostly government and academic people, but also people in our personal lives, who refuse to accept you have any reason to do things differently and to deviate from their "systems" unless you have a diagnosis- a stupid piece of paper or whatever from a professional "proving" something. 

Autistic People don't need our diagnoses for anything more than some self-validation, the knowledge that yes, we are simply a bit different- but *other people* so often HAVE to have that Official Diagnosis or they'll accuse us of all manner of things when we're just being ourselves. 

People are scared of Different and will attack it as a character flaw unless it's "validated" by someone with a PhD. It sounds cynical, I know, but that's been what I have seen so far. Without a Diagnosis for an explanation, some people will get really upset with you for being the way you are.

 Edit: On the point of calling a Diagnosis a "stupid piece of paper"- It isn't always. Let me explain: 

A qualified psych doing a good thorough evaluation will be able to tell you things about yourself that you didn't realize, and maybe help you to make your life more streamlined and comfortable.

 I think it's only a "stupid Piece of paper" in the awkward sense that while it's obvious we are different, some people just refuse to listen to anything about you being different, not *negative adjective here* until you have that Stamp of Officialdom. It's just frustrating how we are obviously not like other people in significant ways, but sometimes other people won't believe it until it's signed off by the right authorities- even when we're melting down in front of them.