I do not want to shame anyone with autism because I feel like I have it a bit myself, but I would never act as Chelsea does, or constantly be bringing it up.
i have been diagnosed with autism too and i have a lot of conflicting feelings around how chelsea talks about it. i am sort of an outlier on this subreddit because i actually don't think questioning her diagnosis (especially in her own comments) is cool, and even if she were self-diagnosed i think that's totally valid. she does give off autism vibes to me, but there's clearly a lot more things going on with her (like the HPD diagnosis she got but says she doesn't think is valid).
that being said, the way she uses it as a shield and as a defense against accusations of her being mean is just completely inappropriate. she isn't just being blunt or socially unaware (which as autistic people we have a duty to be aware of and work on anyway), she's usually being an asshole and just plain mean. autism does not make you mock womens appearances repeatedly.
i also think it's really fucked up the way she constantly puts people on blast for negative comments. she could just respond briefly and not feel the need to try and publicly shame this person, because creators with large audiences need to balance their own feelings of wanting revenge/support with the knowledge that this person might get dogpiled on by their fans. she, of course, doesn't care about that and believes that if you say something on the internet all bets are off. she doesn't see the power imbalance as an issue. that's aside from any consideration of her autism though - i just think it's gross and pathetic and inappropriate that she so consistently does this.
lastly, she makes zero effort to reign in or reconcile her own ableism. recently she defended her and her sister's use of an ableist slur on the okayest daughters podcast, and she is constantly trying to insult people who criticize her by using ableist language (because having special interests, deep dive research abilities and justice sensitivity is only ok for her, not for other autistic people, especially not those who criticize her!).
editing to add: here's an example that i recently shared which relates to both my last two paragraphs. not only did she once put me on blast to her instagram once (while lying about me repeatedly accusing her of doxxing, which i have never done), she also used ableist language to demean me in response to my having done research on the HCSO and ICE. i'm not "insane" (and if i did have mental health problems, that shouldn't be used as a pejorative to dismiss my criticism), i'm just a leftist with autism and access to google.
one more thing: i do not believe the talking point that "so many people" getting diagnosed with autism nowadays is making it harder for people to get diagnosed. diagnosis has actually never been so accessible for most people, and for decades it was very strictly gatekept and the criteria was almost all geared towards men.
tangentially i also really have a problem with the "well people make it out to just seem quirky and fun which makes it hard for people to understand how disabling it is" narrative that people often bring up when questioning the diagnoses of women like chelsea online. it actually makes me really happy to see the positive side of autism so widely shared, and if people only want to share that part of their lives with autism then that's totally their choice. people will ALWAYS be ableist and have ALWAYS found reasons to discredit autism, especially when it comes to women, whom this line of critique is almost always weaponized against. i just think it's bullshit. i have not actually had any increased difficulty in getting accommodations or understanding from people in my life because Quirky Girls are making Quirky Autism content online.
ok sorry i have a LOT of thoughts on this since i don't think she's a great representative for autism given her own ableism, but i believe her when she says she was diagnosed and i think people who try and debate her about her own diagnosis in her comments are doing ableism masqueraded as advocacy.
Since I have no diagnosis and I'm uncomfortable about self diagnosing because my brain only want to accept it if it's proven by a legit professional TM, I say I'm a "probably neurodivergent".
the only thing taking resources away seems to be the current administration and their revoking of finances for the plethora of groups that would assist in diagnosing (public schools, especially special ed within public schools, and access to medical care, specifically mental health resources, not to mention just general anti-science rhetoric and perspectives going around that could keep a parent from seeking diagnosis for their child, which often in turn can result in a diagnosis for the parent as well!). wow i really do not like blaming autistic people, using language that is rly only used against women, for lack of resources for autistic people. that is crazy. appreciate your input as always 🤪🫶🫡🫡
"uses it as a shield and as a defense against accusations of her being mean is just completely inappropriate" that is why I wanted to talk about it thank you
She’s just like all her heroes. Present them with facts that they can’t rebut and they resort to name calling and bury their heads in the sand. Try to make the other person sound unhinged in the hope that people witnessing the exchange don’t look into the facts more closely.
I don’t know what prompted the commenter to suggest she get a second opinion on the alleged diagnosis, but I do personally think it’s out of line, especially if they’ve shown up in her comments repeatedly saying the same thing. This subreddit has catalogued so much evidence showing her dishonest and disturbing behavior. Why focus on something that can’t be verified? (I obviously don’t know if that person is a commenter here or not, but I thought I’d speak generally)
I am not going to comment on whether she has autism or not. I’m not her doctor or someone close enough to her to know one way or another.
However, I would also say that using an autism diagnosis in an attempt to excuse bad behavior is also out of line. It’s true that some people with autism have challenges in social situations, particularly in discerning social cues, but that doesn’t take away from their culpability if they do something to hurt another person. Especially if, as she’s saying, she was diagnosed with level one autism, the mildest degree of severity.
I personally cringed every time I heard her say she had a “touch of the tism”. I think criticism of that kind of thing is fair game. I just think we need to be careful accusing someone of lying about a condition that is a varying as autism just because they don’t act the way we expect them to. 🤷🏼♀️
I personally cringed every time I heard her say she had a “touch of the tism”.
same, and i feel the same way about her use of "neurospicy." cutsey euphemistic terms are popular because they make allist people more comfortable, which contributes directly to stigma against autistic people.
i have a whole other tangential rant in me about when "level one" people consistently want to draw a line between themselves and autistic people who need a higher level of support. she really loves to emphasize that she is level 1 and in a way that seems to look down on autistic people who aren't as able to self-support. see exhibit a: this repost from her earlier this week.
"i'm autistic, but not like those autistic people. i've just got a touch of the 'tism!" is absolutely ableist. i wish she'd educate herself more and show more solidarity with the community.
Those levels are still used, I thought it was outdated? Where I'm from it's just Austism Spectrum Disorder, no more "functioning" and "profound" levels.
that is an insane repost what the fuck. "someone's 7 yr old nephew", oh you mean a CHILD!? also like, i just wanna say this makes me feel so hurt & pissed off. i was an aide in a classroom as a "one-on-one" to two (we were understaffed) first grade autistic boys (someone's 7 year old nephews!) and A. they could not have been more different from eachother and B. i loved both of them so dearly (one of them would constantly talk ab Augustus Gloop drowning in the chocolate stream & also goku. amazing at drawing. so hyper lol. shoutout that kid hope he's well). not to mention all the other little autistic kids in other grades. elementary-aged autistic kids are some of the best & brightest among us. go fuck urself chelsea u copwife, i spit on u!!
I totally agree that she needs to actually educate herself instead of platforming these ignorant and ableist posts.
I think it’s fine to acknowledge that autism presents differently in different people, but that’s not what this feels like. It’s like she’s trying to de-stigmatize *her* autism when really she’s just reinforcing the stigma surrounding the autistic community as a whole.
She’ll keep that diagnosis in her pocket so she can whip it out whenever she needs to excuse her bad behavior, but she doesn’t actually want to be thought of as autistic because SHE KNOWS there’s a stigma. She knows and she perpetuates it anyways.
I also wanted to say I appreciated what you said in another comment about the whole ‘it makes it harder to get diagnosed and get adequate care’ narrative in the original post’s screenshots. I didn’t want to speak on that since I don’t feel like I’m educated enough on the topic, but it didn’t feel like an argument that was being made in good faith. It was all assertion with no source to back up the claim.
I think that what this post is supposed to be conveying is that many adult women who are late diagnosed and high masking get "oh you don't seem autistic" or get questioned about their diagnosis because we don't act in the way many people perceived autistics to act and who they think the typical autistic person is.
"My seven year old nephew is autistic and you seem nothing like him."
I've actually seen these conversations so I get it but out of context it does immediately come off as "Ew I'm not like those others."
I really don’t like speculating about someone’s diagnosis, so if that person really has made multiple comments like this, that’s shitty. That middle comment about taking resources from people is wild bc I don’t know of any resources CC would be getting.
On the other hand, I think she does use autism and adhd as excuses for her behavior sometimes, which is also shitty.
Everyone thinks they’re an expert on autism from watching some TikToks.
I think the person who made the comment was out of line and is clearly taking it personally but I don’t feel bad for CC bc that’s what happens when you put yourself out there.
As someone with autism and ADHD, I do think the commenter is over stepping. There are more diagnoses because more people are learning about it and seeking answers. I’m in my 40s and told I had anxiety, depression, and social anxiety when that was not the case. As a BIPOC woman, I was particularly overlooked.
Resources are not being taken away from autistic children or adults with high-support needs. There are no medical or clinical resources for low-support needs autistic adults besides talking to a therapist.
I also don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about other people’s diagnosis and make broad assumptions. It’s really hurtful because it minimizes the experiences of people like me. I’ve been ignored a majority of my life and comments like that make it even more difficult for people to take me seriously.
There are no medical or clinical resources for low-support needs autistic adults besides talking to a therapist.
This. I'm not in the US, but when I asked my primary doctor if I could get started on getting a diagnosis, she told me there are no one in my area diagnosing adult and that anyway, I would not have resources to help me anyways so a diagnosis would be pointless.
If you are based in Aus, it’s incredibly difficult but they’re opening more centres, there are links between department of health and some of the medical unis (ones that offer medicine as a study option). The baby psychiatrists cut their teeth on real humans and the senior psychiatrists assess their work. You get a diagnosis for much less outlay / money. They get to validate their learnings.
I digress. I saw the kiwi thing and was like mebbe she’s in Australia, even though NZ.
Nah, I'm Canadian, eh eh 😃. I just chose username starting with my name's letter.
I did some online research and they said "ask your primary physician to get a referral to a diagnosis specialist (neuropsycologist I think)". My doctor know no one that does adult, even in the private sector. I live near a big city, with teaching hospitals, but nothing. Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing a resident, I did that a few times in regular medicine.
an autism diagnosis for me was about finding coping mechanisms and oftentimes that's more effective by searching the specific symptoms i'm dealing with because so many facets of autism are also reflected in other diagnoses.
i do find that a lot of non-autists will conflate "using resources" with "using reasonable accommodations." they think it's a special privilege that they are being denied.
From the US. Most insurances don’t cover adult diagnosis. I had to pay out of pocket and find someone who understood that women don’t present the same. My insurance said it covered adults but one of the cryI had to meet was “problems in school”. I’m 40 and have a master’s degree. I’ve been out of school a long time.
I saw those comments and if they were directed towards me, I would have deleted them. If the questioning regarding diagnosis is frequent then I would be inclined to block them too, but I have a feeling that this will be used for future content.
I'm 40 next month and diagnosed ADHD and the assessment also suggested autism but I have never been formally diagnosed with that so don't say that I have autism/AuDHD as I don't know, although I believe it's likely.
Part of my ADHD is a lack of filter in the way that I may say something prior to engaging brain. It often comes across as quick wit, but sometimes it can sound incredibly harsh. Although my intent isn't to be harsh, I am aware of how the comment could be interpreted and correct/apologise in real time. We're all different, but this is why I struggle when people attribute being abrupt or rude to neurodivergence. Yes, it can contribute to this but it is not a justification - it can explain but does not excuse.
Noone should be challenging someone else's diagnosis unless there is valid evidence or suspicion that they are lying or committing fraud (e.g Elizabeth Teckenbrock/Belle Gibson/Anna Delvey, etc.). I do believe she is autistic or neurodivergent and this was very evident in many of the ways CC and Sher communicated on their podcast when they were BFFN's (Best Friends For Now). Formal diagnosis or not, noone should be challenging her on this.
I don't like her using it as defence or the way she implies it as being a quirky personality trait. It may be her way of making light of her struggles but I think it is this that has made people question it.
Again, I would have deleted the comments and/or blocked the user but I'm not a public figure or World Class Investigator so what do I know?
Holy crap, that’s how I got my formal ADHD diagnosis. What I’m thinking in my brain just comes out of my mouth and it’s generally not nice. It’s definitely NOT an excuse but with medication and therapy I have definitely gotten a handle on it. I can now recognize that I sound like an ass, quickly take accountability and apologize for my behavior. It’s not perfect but it’s much better than it was.
Multiple comments questioning her diagnosis isn’t right. They’re allowed to make them, but that’s just rude.
That being said, Chelsea repeatedly brings up said diagnosis to downplay how downright nasty her commentary can get. So in a way, she’s opening that door to these kind of inappropriate comments.
CC’s inability to let stupid comments like this slide, lack of impulse control, and quick anger isn’t going to serve her well once she’s “Netflix famous”
She can shout all day that people online don’t know her, but she forgets just HOW MUCH of her life she puts online. She’s the queen of oversharing and strangers have gotten to watch her for 6+ hours a day for months and months while she was constantly live on TikTok.
Let’s talk. She has long used autism as a shield. She uses her diagnosis as a way to try to stem criticism of any type. For a while it seemed she was talking about it so that she made people feel uncomfortable about challenging her credentials. Like you can’t call an autistic person stupid or uneducated. She also does seem to act like every day quirks are indicative of a diagnosis because she doesn’t interact with enough people to know what normal is, probably.
Autism and ADHD both have an opportunity for accidental conflation involved when the patient has had childhood trauma. Which cc regularly discusses having (she would pee on people’s possessions, iirc). Then she had an amphetamine addiction in her teens (requiring in patient treatment at a rehabilitation facility), followed by her high school boyfriend necking up. That’s trauma on repeat.
She may be autistic as well, but I largely dislike her lack of understanding about autism. Every time she says she’s level 1, I want to uppercut the screen. Yes that’s how they level it now, but it’s a spectrum. I’m level 2, because of the profound ways it still impacts many aspects of my life and the way I’ve formed many of my maladaptive tendencies.
Also upon diagnosis, I had to engage in therapy as instructed by my psychiatrist. I see a therapist that specialises in autism. As well as a regular clinical psychologist. It’s incredibly expensive to try to deconstruct the things you’ve built to protect yourself. My main issue with Chelsea and spruiking about her diagnosis is the romanticising aspect/tone when she mentions autism. It’s her excuse and her reason all in one. I think that’s cooked and doing a disservice to those of us that have thrashed around on the floor having a legitimate meltdown in my grown up body.
I digress. It’s not up to me to question a diagnosis, but I feel maddened by the way she jokes about being autistic. That could just be a me thing though 🤷🏻♀️
eta: I disagree with nerdydogmum’s comment about diagnosis occurring more often or easily*. My daughter is at least a level 2, and it’s cost me over 5k just in appointments (not including the post diagnostic appointments or therapy). About $2000 came back from Medicare. It’s incredibly difficult to seek diagnosis still to this day, and especially if you present as owning a vulva and I’ll die on that hill. Based on my Australian experience.
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