I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this, I can only assume that they have, but I am sick and tired of people using claimed autism as an excuse for just being an asshole.

These are not people who have ever been diagnosed by a doctor with anything. These are not people who are on any medication. These are just people who use it as an excuse so they can act like a prick in public, knowing that just their empty claim will make a lot of people defend them.

Fuck that.

I’ve had these conversations a lot over the years. Someone acts like a prick, I call them out on it and they get mad and say “I’m autistic, I can’t help it!” Really not? Did you have that diagnosed by a doctor? Nope. Are you on any prescribed medication for that? Nope. Then how do you know you’re autistic?

“I just do!”

Sorry, I am not impressed by your self-serving self-diagnosis.

This happened again today, when someone on Reddit, someone clearly young, showed a picture of their book collection and I said something along the lines of “That’s a good start, keep going” with a happy face. It was less than 20 books. I have no idea why this guy is trying to show off 20 books, but okay, fine. My own bookshelves are stuffed to overflowing, but then again, I’ve probably got 45-50 years on this guy. Keep going.

He gets mad. I think he was expecting everyone to ride him around on their shoulders, which is a stupid expectation. I tell him that. He gets even more pissed. So I tell him to pound sand because that is a completely unjustified reaction and he pulls it out.

“I’m autistic!”

i don’t care. If you are that screwed up, then you shouldn’t be online without adult supervision. I know autistic people, ranging from the highly functional to people who are stuck perpetually at about 6. None of them, the ones that are capable anyhow, use their legitimately medically-diagnosed condition as an excuse for bad behavior. Sure, some of them can’t help it, but most, once they realize they’re acting out, they apologize and people are sympathetic. I’m fine with that. The ones who can’t handle it, they have full time care and they are not allowed to just run loose without supervision. That’s how responsible people operate.

These are not responsible people. I have my doubts that they are autistic at all. They’re just using the claim as a cover That doesn’t mean they aren’t autistic, but you know the place to find that out? A legitimate doctor! One that can diagnose the disorder and prescribe a treatment, whether it be behavioral management or medicines or whatever. It’s just just waking up one day and saying “I’m think I’m autistic!” It’s as dumb as saying “I think I have cancer!” The time and place for deciding that is not when you’re getting called out for being a jerk. There’s way too much of that today.

I’m just sick of all of the excuses.