On Twitter, there was an interesting discussion I dropped in on recently talking about the medical model of Autism and how, technically (under the medical model), to be defined as an Autistic Person in a medical context, you must be someone whose Autistic traits “cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.”

Due to the language above, this person suggested if you’re not struggling, you might not be Autistic in a medical context (regardless if you were diagnosed previously and met the criteria). “Are they Autistic?” they asked.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://neurodivergentrebel.com/2023/05/03/if-an-autistic-person-isnt-currently-struggling-are-they-still-autistic/