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Michelle Sutton, Autism and Self-Diagnosis

Jerry Seinfeld
“Bee Movie” LA Premiere
Mann’s Village Theater
Westwood, CA
October 28, 2007
©2007 Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins Photo

Image Description: Jerry Seinfeld at a premiere, waving to the camera with one arm while his other hand is around his wife Jessica’s waist.

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In 2014, Jerry Seinfeld, in an interview with Brian Williams, said, “I think – on a very drawn-out scale, I think I’m on the spectrum.”

Asked what made him think that, he said, “You’re never paying attention to the right things. Basic social engagement is a struggle. I’m very literal; when people talk to me and they use expressions, sometimes I don’t know what they’re saying. But I don’t see it as dysfunctional. I just think of it as an alternate mindset.”

The Autism Community Reacts

I remember anger from the autism community at his comments, like Kim Stagliano’s reaction, Ginger Taylor’s article (I remember this one specifically), and this post from Autism Daddy’s blog.

I don’t remember picking up on this distinction: The people who felt most negatively about Seinfeld self-diagnosing himself seemed to be parents. Autistics like John Elder Robison seemed more positive, encouraging the autism community to welcome Seinfeld. Lots of excellent points in his article.

But I don’t remember reading it in 2014. I don’t much positive reaction at all to Seinfeld’s comments. Maybe that’s why this enthusiastic post by Michelle Sutton about how she self-identifies as autistic confused me so much initially. I didn’t think that self-diagnosis was something was accepted or encouraged by any disability community.

How Would Michelle Sutton React to My Self-Identification Process?

To be fair, I’ve never really heard someone self-identify (the term that Sutton prefers to self-diagnosis) as a stroke survivor. For those that insist on self-identifying as being clinically depressed or having obsessive-compulsive disorder (two things with which doctors have diagnosed me), I tend to shift the conversation onto feelings and away from labels. Something about the person’s feelings made them self-identify that way, regardless of whether the self-identification is accurate or not. Or whether I believe it’s not. I’m often skeptical when people say things like, “I’m really depressed” or are convinced that they have OCD because they wash their hands a lot, but we can connect on feelings.

I’ve long figured, just from my own research and experience, that I have Attention Deficit Disorder. No one explored the possibility when I was a kid (I think likely because my grades were good). But as an adult, I can see ADD traits in myself, both now and when I was a kid:

  • Constantly losing things
  • Forgetting appointments
  • Getting and staying organized
  • A lot of problems with daytime sleepiness

The ADD assessment isn’t covered by Ontario’s health plan and is very expensive (not a reason I actively avoid trying to get a medical diagnosis, as Michelle Sutton does, but certainly a reason for why getting one isn’t possible right now.) I’ve told people that I suspect that I have ADD and will talk about the reasons why. But I don’t self-identify with it. It doesn’t feel right to me.

I can imagine why Michelle Sutton might tell me that I’m misguided, and I might talk with her about how her anti-psychiatry stance and “I’m being defiant” doesn’t work for me. And for me, ultimately, I’d rather have a doctor’s diagnosis, but I admit to bias – having worked in social services, I know that no diagnosis means no support services.

But even if it turns out that Michelle Sutton isn’t autistic beyond her self-identification, and I’m not suggesting she isn’t, if she’s found ways through her research and her connections with the autistic community to become more comfortable with all aspects of herself, and the community itself is supportive, who am I to judge?

I don’t talk with other people who have ADD…but I read some blogs on a regular basis, and I know that adopting some of the strategies that people use to stay organized have helped me to become more organized and less stressed out about losing things all the time. So even if I don’t have ADD, who’s harmed if I use the strategies and they make my life easier? No one that I can see.

I’ll have to do some more thinking about this. In the meantime, I’m glad that I read this blog of Michelle Sutton’s. At the very least it corrected some of my  erroneous thinking about the autistic community’s stance on self-diagnosis. I will put her blog on the list that will go on this site’s blogroll (when I get time to put it up!)

ETA: Seinfeld later backtracked on his comments and said that he wasn’t on the autism spectrum

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The post Michelle Sutton, Autism and Self-Diagnosis appeared first on Girl With The Cane.



This post first appeared on Girl With The Cane, please read the originial post: here

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