Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism
Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵
You might be Autistic if you meet the dsm5 criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner
Category A
Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy
You intutively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.
Three Requirments: 1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms. Example: you Infodump. 2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication. Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time. 3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling. Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."
Category B
Identifiying Autistic Traits
Note again that masking, aba,, emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.
2 out of 4 of the following are required.
1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.
Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?
Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.
Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.
Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.
Vocal simming takes many forms:
- Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
- Random sounds
- Repeating what was stated by another
- Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.
Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.
The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.
2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
- Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
- Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
- Resistance to illogical changes
3. Special Interests
- Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
- Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"
4. Hyper and Hypo Senses An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard. Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.
Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.
This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.
Category C
People are born Autistic.
You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.
If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
The most relevant aspect of Category c is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though ptsd, tbi, and other scenarios.
If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing ptsd, tbi, or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.
Category c is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.
Category D
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier
A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.
At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category a, b, and c, must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.
If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.
What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category d and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.
Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.
Category d is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category d remains part of the dsm, the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.
It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.
Category E
Check for a better explanation
Category E is extremley similar to Category c. The difference is that Category c is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category e applies to other life long conditions that are more general.
I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category c and e, but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.
Summary
So what this all boils down to is this:
- If you meet all 3 requirements of Category a
- If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category b
- If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.
You very very likely have Autism.
<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the dms5, this video is BRILLIANT
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We meant *more expansive
<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:
- You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic
& 2+ of the following:
- Stimming
- Desire for Predictable Outcomes
- Special Interests
- Hyper/Hypo Senses
If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.
