@moi @actuallyautistic @alice Gatekeeping is far more harmful than the occasional self-misdiagnosis. Eventually, those folks will figure it out and move on, after getting to know autistic people and developing a better understanding of what autism is, or seeing a professional and learning of their mistake. I lived for 13 years as a self-diagnosed autistic person before having the $$ to get a formal dx. Those years would have been way more difficult had I not been welcomed into the community as someone who belonged, considering that I did, in fact, belong.

Nothing is getting watered down or becoming meaningless here.