I’m sure a lot of people seeking an ADHD / Autism diagnosis after “discovering” they “totally have it” after seeing a video on social media do not in fact have ADHD / Autism.

this dismissive attitude, with the scare quotes, is so bizarre to me.

to make an analogy to physical health:

someone has chronic gastrointestinal pain, but they just live with it and have never talked to a doctor about it.

they watch a video from someone talking about having chronic GI pain and getting diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

they go to a doctor and say "I think I have ulcerative colitis"

the doctor runs tests, and they come back negative.

I get that it's tempting to say "oh this person was misled by a video on social media"

but, the pain they were feeling was real. even if they jumped to an incorrect conclusion about its cause.

and after those negative tests, they can work with their doctor to find out "ok, what else might be causing my symptoms?"

Yes and a lot of folks do too, it’s not useful to make sweeping statements either way.

Who knows? At least a YT video puts them in the direction of getting a proper evaluation after potential decades of struggling and not knowing "what's wrong with me", etc.

Yes? That why you go to a certified professional to see if you have it.

Diagnosis isn't 'read online.'

Of course. You know better other people minds than they know themselves. Why being spiteful? Are you jealous that someone is disabled?