A lot of Autistic people don’t realise they’re Autistic because Autistic traits are typically spoken about in such misleading absolutes and in inaccurate extremes that are hard to identify with - even if you’re undoubtedly Autistic.
The weirdest thing about #adhd is that you can tell people you have it and they sort of SEEM to understand, and then later are surprised and upset when you do all the things that a person with ADHD would do. Like bro what did you think I meant when I said I had ADHD?
If a therapist who works with autistic people says it is "hurtful" to be told they should listen to autistic adults, I'm not sure that therapist got into this career for the right reasons. Therapy doesn't exist to make therapists feel like helpers or to have power over others.
Autists often develop non-verbal emotes to aid in communication.
Some Autists develop complex non-verbal languages with people they frequently interact with.