@whileyouwonder: Meltdowns aren’t part of the autism diagnostic criteria. Neither are shutdowns. 👀 Which is WILD when you consider how often they’re talked about as part of the autistic experience. They’re very real. They can be incredibly intense. They’re common in the autistic community. But you can be autistic and never have a meltdown or shutdown in your life. AND you can be having them without realising that’s what they are, especially if your idea of a meltdown is based on what autism supposedly “looks like” from the outside. Sometimes it’s crying uncontrollably. Sometimes it’s snapping because you physically cannot take ONE MORE THING. Sometimes it’s “I don’t know” to every question because your brain has simply left the building. Sometimes it’s going quiet, losing words, staring into space, or desperately needing everyone to STOP TALKING TO YOU. None of those things make you more or less autistic. 🧠 And yep, I mean both the DSM-5-TR AND ICD-11. Meltdowns, shutdowns and emotional regulation difficulties are not explicitly part of the diagnostic criteria for autism. If you’re currently in the “wait… could I actually be autistic?” stage, hi 👋 That’s basically my corner of the internet. Follow along for autism without the stereotypes, or check out my Self-Identification Program in my bio if you want some actual structure around figuring this stuff out. 💛 #actuallyautistic #autisticadult #latediagnosedautistic #autismtraits #neurodivergent

Dasha🌻AutisticAutismAssessor

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Saturday 08 August 2026 00:34:46 GMT