I really appreciate you joining in, in fact! It's always refreshing when a community decides to work towards inclusion and against gatekeeping, and I love that link you provide.

(Speaking only for myself, I think the some of the doubt about self-identifying as autistic feels... kind of like all the times I asked myself if I was really trans, or just making that up for some unknown reason? Like, it seems to fit, and rationally I know that as you say, there's nothing wrong with exploring that path and seeing where it leads me. It just at the same time feels somehow too bold, like laying claim to something that might not be rightfully mine. But that's just all the more reason I appreciate your contribution here.)