Didn’t find it blunt at all. Very fair and important question. I am a researcher in autism related field (I also have imposter syndrome about calling myself autism researcher, I prefer language researcher) and keep myself immersed in all the latest research. Yet I don’t feel like I have the knowledge required to decide and be sure I am right. It is somewhat a me thing but I recognize it is largely the unavoidable outcome of medicalizing an identity (would love to hear what others here think about autism as an identity). The individual can not be the authority.

Sorry to hear about your struggle with trying to get a diagnosis. May I ask, are you a woman?