2-Minute Neuroscience: Autism
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ธ.ค. 2021
- Autism is characterized by impairments in social communication and interaction and restricted and repetitive behaviors. In this video, I discuss the neuroscience of autism along with potential factors and mechanisms involved in the development of autism.
TRANSCRIPT:
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder, is characterized by symptoms that include impairments in social communication and interaction and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Although the neuroscience of autism is still poorly understood, autism is considered to be a complex developmental disorder that involves atypical brain organization starting early in development.
Individuals with autism often experience a period of unusually rapid brain growth in infancy and early childhood. This accelerated brain growth is linked to an atypical pattern of connectivity between brain regions. A number of studies report that alterations in brain circuitry involved with social interaction and attention can be detected well before the symptoms of autism begin to appear. At this point, however, it’s unclear how brain overgrowth and atypical connectivity might be linked to the occurrence of autism symptoms.
Research suggests that the risk of autism is strongly influenced by genetics, yet studies consistently report that environmental factors also play a large role. Although a number of potential environmental factors have been identified, the risk factors for autism are far from definitive, and it remains unclear which factors are responsible for causing an increase in autism risk, and which are associated in a non-causal way. The risk factors that are most strongly linked to autism are associated with the prenatal or perinatal period. Thus, it’s possible they might be responsible for disruptions to typical neural development, leading to symptoms of autism months or years later. How these risk factors might interfere with neural development is still uncertain, but hypotheses have suggested potential mechanisms such as epigenetic effects, inflammation, oxidative stress, or damage caused by oxygen deficiency. More work needs to be done, however, to fully elucidate the genetic and environmental risk factors for autism, as well as the mechanisms for the development of autism symptoms.
REFERENCES:
Lord C, Brugha TS, Charman T, Cusack J, Dumas G, Frazier T, Jones EJH, Jones RM, Pickles A, State MW, Taylor JL, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020 Jan 16;6(1):5. doi: 10.1038/s41572-019-0138-4. PMID: 31949163.
Lord C, Elsabbagh M, Baird G, Veenstra-Vanderweele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Lancet. 2018 Aug 11;392(10146):508-520. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31129-2. Epub 2018 Aug 2. PMID: 30078460; PMCID: PMC7398158.
Modabbernia A, Velthorst E, Reichenberg A. Environmental risk factors for autism: an evidence-based review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Mol Autism. 2017 Mar 17;8:13. doi: 10.1186/s13229-017-0121-4. PMID: 28331572; PMCID: PMC5356236.
Muhle RA, Reed HE, Stratigos KA, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. The Emerging Clinical Neuroscience of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018 May 1;75(5):514-523. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4685. PMID: 29590280. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
**IMPORTANT NOTE** While this video uses terminology that is common in the scientific and medical community, it's important to note that many who are part of (or connected to) the autism community prefer to describe autism in a non-pejorative manner that does not imply that autism is a pathology. This has led to the avoidance of terms like disorder and disability when describing autism. An alternative is to describe autistic individuals as neurodiverse, and non-autistic individuals as neurotypical.
The neurodiversity movement points out that variation in neurological development is common, and the resultant differences in functioning are not necessarily pathological. Indeed, in some cases, the differences in brain function that occur in autism can offer advantages over typical brain function, especially in certain environments.
Many clinicians and autism researchers are thus adjusting their perspectives on autism to at least incorporate a neurodiversity perspective into the traditional medical model of autism. Doing so has the potential to improve how autistic individuals are treated, both in medical and societal settings.
Additionally, I have learned since posting this video that many find the puzzle piece symbolism to be objectionable for various reasons (e.g., due to its association with Autism Speaks, due to the implication that autistic individuals are "missing something"). I was unaware of these issues with the puzzle piece symbol, and I chose it simply because I thought it meant autism was a puzzle we are still trying to figure out (the same could be said for almost any aspect of brain function). I apologize if anyone finds my use of this symbol offensive; if I knew it had a negative connotation I would not have used it.
Why didn't you use the terms that are not offensive towards the autistic community, if you are apparently aware of the situation? Why did you use jigsaw puzzle pieces? Being autistic, this video was really uncomfortable to watch.
Thanks for your comment; I'm sorry that this video was uncomfortable for you. The aim of my videos is to accurately reflect current perspectives in the scientific and medical communities. Thus, I rely on scientific texts and academic journal articles as my sources, and much of my audience uses my videos as reference material. That being the case, I didn't feel like I could create a video without using terms like "autism spectrum disorder," as it wouldn't accurately reflect current scientific perspectives on autism. I tried to be careful with the use of the term "disorder," though, and only used it twice when I felt like using a different term would not match up with current perspectives in the scientific community.
Honestly, I had no idea that the puzzle piece symbolism was problematic. I used it to represent that neuroscience is still attempting to understand autism, not to imply that individuals with autism are "missing" something. But I appreciate you and others letting me know that this symbol is disliked by many in the autism community.
It's not solely about the word "disorder". There are other offensive elements (please, if you're interested, look up the critiques of the deficit approach to diagnosis in DSM). This video is unfortunately another video about neurodivesity that perpetuates stigma instead of dismantling it.
Moreover, the chance has it that a big chunk of your audience IS neurodivergent, because neuroscience is a very popular special interest (it's a term) in ND community. Maybe you also noticed that neurodivergent people are actually well represented in Neuroscience, not only as subjects of experiments but as researchers as well. It's crucial to listen to autistic/ND voices, and in 2021 it's absolutely possible to actually do this: the resources are abundant. (Compared to the situation 10 years ago).
And please, if you decide to do a video on ADHD, keep this is mind as well. If you are not neurodivergent yourself and if you don't specialise in neurodivesity, you shouldn't approach these topics at all, imho, or should approach them very gently.
I hope I didn't offend you, I didn't mean to. I enjoy your content, keep up the good work and have a nice day!
Then there are others who are suffering greatly at the hand of various cognitive impairments that get lumped in with this vague, un-neurological and quite frankly hideous label known as ASD and now their suffering is sugar coated as "Just being different" by society. It is getting to a point where even discussing potential cures is about to be considered offensive.
@Anna Kataeva No offense taken at all. I appreciate hearing your perspective and learning more about this; thank you for the feedback!
As an autistic person I want to say this for all others out there. We are built different, not incorrectly.
Beautifully said!
Literally not true.
You could make the same virtue signal about people born with 3 fingers, vs 2, vs 4 etc but the reality is you were meant to have 5.
We are different BECAUSE our bodies didn't form correctly, in this case our neurological connections are sufficiently different that it causes issues.
To pretend something didn't go wrong is just silly, particularly when you see how rough Low functioning Autistic people have it.
You shouldn't feel bad for that difference so if that's what you are getting at, then fair enough but let's not hide our heads in the sand either.
Great summary! I might use that in the future!
We are built differently
@@seantaggart7382 No we're built different 🥶
Years ago I was disgonzed with low functioning autism today I am talking verbally! Parents don’t lose hope ur son or daughter ll find their voice don’t give up never never give up they re in there!
Yay!
@@Ekkaisara thank you 🙏
congrats man
Thanks my son is 3 now . Non verbal
What is your age now?
Kids with autism aren't stupid or broken. They need a different environment to thrive. They learn differently and no one knows how to teach them. They socialize differently and no one can talk to them. They have different needs and no one knows how to help them. They aren't stupid, but they are at a disadvantage because they are usually alone in their lives
Ffs stop treating us like we’re aliens. “No one knows how to help them.” “No one can teach them.” No one can talk to them.” For your information, I’m autistic and have many friends that I talk to, and I interact with them perfectly fine. I just struggle with social cues, because personally they don’t make much sense to me. Why not just say exactly what you mean instead of expecting people to read into what you’re saying? It’s wild to me.
There are many neurotypical people who can interact with us. And of course we’re great at interacting with each other because we can understand each other better.
Thanks for saying we’re not stupid. I personally think we’re very smart. And in fact I would go so far as to say that autism gives me an advantage in most areas. It is one of the reasons I have perfect visual memory, and it’s also one of the reasons I have a “highly superior” IQ score.
Also, just saying, Einstein was autistic. People assumed he was stupid, but he turned out to be one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen, and is now basically representative of what an intelligent person is.
You don’t have to feel pity for us
We enjoy spending time with ourselves
Autistics are fucking intelligent being.
I’m really getting tired of people using autism as an insult or pointing to it as an excuse or cause of poor behavior. This happens to be most people.
I am autistic . I am a 15 year old girl and struggle a lot with communication and am sometimes non verbal . Whilst this is hard, I would not say that I am challenged , I am gifted by this condition . I am extremely academically smart and am predicted A* and A**s in every one of my exam subjects . Autism also has resulted in me being very good at art . I can replicate perfectly any picture in any media such as pencil or digital art and, because of this skill and my creative abilities, I also find things such as video editing and photo editing come naturally to me . Sometimes I do wish that I was “normal” ; my oddities no longer effecting my relationships with others and how I view the world . However I now see my condition as a gift and am working on accepting how my brain works and the way that I am .
That's really cool!!
Plz guide me
My child has mild autism
He is 3 year old
My daughter is 12 with ASD. She can speak but could not keep conversation that long even with me as a mother including her siblings. Because of slow in responding to conversation so she gradually lose friends at school and gets bullied from time to time. But one thing that is positive about attending school is that she gets a lot "A" from studying. This term she is the only one in the class who gets A for French and Art. I'm surprised to know this as she doesn't look that clever.
One thing I’ve noticed greatly about us Autistic people is that we have the incredibke gift of godlike creativity in music and in art. It’s almost celestial or dietal in a sense.
Please don't see the way you are as a curse. Based on what you said you just need to learn the ways to interact with other people, luckly things are not exclusive (your social skills OR you inate talents), you can have both. Seek professional help to improve these communication skills, be proud of yourself and good luck!
I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of 69 nearly 6 years ago. Prior to that, I had been misdiagnosed as a schizophrenic (while I was institutionalized, mind you) and wasted the prime of my life cowering in the shadow of that conclusion. My proper diagnosis was extremely liberating, particularly since it made me realize that a diagnosis is an explanation, not some life-defining label. This had the added effect of almost eliminating the depression I had had all my life. I came across a meme on FB that asked the question, in three words, what advice would you give to your 18-year-old self? Mine would be, Normal is Overrated. There are gifts that can be found in an autistic brain.
Well said! I am 53 and have not been diagnosed with Autism yet. Lol
You are normal, somewhat. How’d you get to the autistim conclusion?
Love it! ❤️
One shouldn't use labels such as high functioning and low functioning as they imply defectiveness and brokenness and undermine one's individuality, struggles, and humanity by using terms one would use to describe a malfunctioning machine. Also it comes from outdated science and also functionality and vocality are fluid.
Bingo! We rock!
One hypothesis is that autistic brains are far more plastic than a "neurotypical" brain. This would seems to align with the atypical connectivity mentioned. This can be a major strength in terms of having a unique perspective and being able to integrate information from diverse sources to solve problems in innovative ways.
What wasn't addressed in the video is why autistic brains seem to run more on a manual, logic-based framework rather than an automatic social-hierarchy based framework. Neurotypical people seem to innately grasp distinct social interaction behaviors and reinforce social hierarchy, while autistic one's require a clear logic framework and step-by-step procedures in order to inform and execute their actions. This would explain the difficulty in innately understanding social norms, since most "norms" are largely arbitrary (as evidenced by widely differing norms across different societies) and many processes are never explicitly explained.
For example, I never understood the point of small talk or how a back and forth conversation functionally worked. Once I learned that humans evolved as a close-knit tribal species, the importance of knowing the current emotional state of others and the ability to predict the behavior of others through data collected via conversation became clear. I then could integrate this model of the purpose of social conversation and create a protocol to follow in real life. It sounds ridiculous typed out, but this was a game-changer. Decades of observing others never yielded an innate understanding like it does for non-autistic people.
The comorbitities that come along with autism are also very interesting (delayed audio processing, hypermobility, queerness, sensory issues, etc.). As the root causes get parsed and the structural function is mapped it will be very interesting to see what we find. It wouldn't be surprising if there are multiple causes that are currently only lumped together under ASD due to similar external presentation.
intresting info :) at first im not sure to read ur comment which looks like a big para, i feard that would it be worth reading it but i actually got a new kinda info/data...
autistics don't enjoy Smalltalk because they feel more stressed by social interactions. most people, however get feel good emotions from doing small talk. This could be explained by a lack of mirror neurons which would help people empathize with and related to others around them
@@DrNanite The hypothesis that autistic people lack empathy and have an impaired theory of mind has largely been debunked from what I've read. Have you heard of the "double empathy problem"? In this view any stress from social interactions would simply be due to past negative experiences in social interactions (e.g. because they don't value small talk, people to not befriend them, this forces them to attempt small talk to form social bonds, this turns social interactions into high stake encounters, this causes stress).
As well under this theory they've found there are not these same types of social struggles when autistics communicate with other autistics, suggesting they simply have a difference of communication style rather than a lack of communication ability.
woah that's a good point on small talk. I've always felt it's worthless and a drag to make, but that perspective shines an interesting light on it.
I like this. As someone who thinks they have minor autism, it helps explain a lot
As an autistic kid I struggled with social anxiety, bullying, and reading social cues. After years of practice and observation, I feel completely normal as an adult in my mid twenties. It doesn’t wear on me mentally, I adapted. 😊
Pl. Drop me your email address.. I would definitely like to know what must be going on my child head.
This resonates with me personally,as someone with Autism i can say that social capabilities and emotional intelligence was not something that came natural to me,i only developed it after years of observing and analyzing people
I has autism and I cant speak to other people
I think it nonverbal autism
Kind of same here. I can recognize communicative subtleties but am aware that even some simple stuff still flies well over my head. I've spent years researching psychology, sociology and animal interaction. But I wouldn't say I feel completely normal :)
I was diagnosed back in 2003 with asperger syndrome. And honestly despite all the people saying that it's a strength, that normal is overrated, etc. I can honestly say I hate it.
I feel like it's held me back a lot, not just socially, but in other areas of development. I struggled a lot with schoolwork outside of a handful of subjects that interested me and lagged behind in every other class. I had to finish highschool a year and a half late simply because it was difficult to even attempt classes I wasn't interested in. I couldn't focus.
There are a couple of sensory issues that are a problem as well. Certain noises trigger a disproportionate amount of anger or discomfort. Taste is another, I only really eat the same seven foods over and over with only occasional differences because nearly everything else just tastes gross to me. Which is a shame since I love cooking, but not eating.
I often wonder how different my life would have been if I didn't have this (in my opinion) mess in my head. I don't feel special, I feel broken.
I understand your frustration, from personal experience. I find all that ‘superpower’ nonsense patronising and stupid. Have you thought about your diet and lifestyle? As we age, they play a more and more important part. A lot of people control the symptoms/difficulties with balancing the carbohydrates. There must be some connection between gut flora and the brain. I also avoid medication and vaccines. I wish I never had any.
Things were shitty in 2003, I know how it feels (or at least I can understand). Autism is difficult to live with no doubt, and maybe if you got the help you needed from the start things would be different. I remember back in 2012 when they couldn't say the word autism aloud. But the world is changing, people like you and me have to remind the world of their mistakes so we can get people the help they need. How you feel is justified, education often only fits 60% of people and you and I have to pay for it, and is not fair. So i urge you to seek help. Because what is broken can be fixed, and what is fixed can flourish. I wish you every happiness.
You're right, it's no "superpower", or something like that, or at least it's more of a super power which turns out to be a "super curse" since nobody understands it around you. Anyhow, despite all the problems it comes with, and despite all the crap I had to cope with in my life, and now I know the reason it is like that, I wouldn't change myself for any other person and I wouldn't want to be any other person than I am. If something I would have wished to had that information about myself in my childhood and not as an adult, but after all I coped with (badly, Ok, but coped) and all those drawbacks, here I am. No, I don't feel special either nor I pretend to be, but recall all those things you had to cope with also (like everyone in the spectrum) and why it was like that. Was it your fault? No, it wasn't, it was the world around us misjudging and misunderstanding us all the way, so why would I feel any sorry for what others do to us? It's not my fault, they're prejudicial and intolerant all the time, not me. After all, I'm a better person than them, so no, I wouldn't change myself even though I can think that same idea about "how would that it be if…", but I'm myself because of my asperger and without it I would be a whole different person but not the present me, so I can't regret that whatsoever.
I find the "It's a superpower" mindset a little annoying, even though I would probably fit that stereotype. I was 3 grades ahead in math by sixth grade. But that didn't make things easy for me. I got terrible grades in middle school and I currently find going into supermarkets to be a stressful experience. I think the problem is that many neurotypical people don't realize that being "smart" can mean a variety of different things and it doesn't mean that your life is easy.
I would caution you against thinking of yourself as broken though. EVERYONE is broken in some way. The trick is to figure out how to live your best life despite the brokenness.
Mess in your head is a great way to describe it.
I have a couple friends who are Autistic. I like them just the way they are. I think people should accept others who are different and be more open to them. We're all different and human.
Expect for Mark Zuckerberg he’s a Robot Lizard
My son is 7.5 yrs and has been diagnosed with autism. I hope he finds friends like you in life. Blessings to you!
I don’t believe that my brain is damaged, I just function differently. The more I learn about being on the autistic spectrum, the more I see neurodivergancy in others. I have been harassed and minimized by a few very vocal individuals that seem to believe that they function “normally” and it’s the rest of us that are damaged. Just because a few people repeat an opinion often and loudly, doesn’t mean that there opinion is the “valid.” Reality seems to be what the vocal minority say it is. Yes, I will concede that communicating with others is a challenge. However, I believe all people face challenges. A little patience and compassion would go a long way to help people reach their maximum potential and to improve the quality of life for us all.
@@debrajohnson523 i 💯 agree with you! Bless you and more power to you
@@debrajohnson523 totally agree. We don't need to be fixed. Just accepted and supported.
Being autistic, I have noticed that neurotypicals are more confident that the majority have accurate concepts about reality. That many acquaintances of a neurotypical believe something makes it easier for them to accept that concept as true. This characteristic allows them to save mental processing. I find it more laborious to calculate the probability that something is true. I am not so confident about concepts that represent aspects of reality. But I can spend a lot of time developing a concept.
I am completely veiled in recognizing the subtlest body language meanings and even obvious gestures such as a smile barely dent my awareness of their meaning. I see it but I don't assign it as much relevance. That instinct is very broken in me.
I'm the same with the concept thing I could never accept something just because someone else believes it lol that would be so dumb to me 🤣
💜 I'm autistic, too. I wonder if you're actually like me and you can read through when people are dishonest. I kept being told that I was bad at reading people and then I realized it's because of how many people fake how they feel. I started learning about this during my unmasking beginnings.
Like how people can be having a horrible day, but if you say "how are you doing?" they're supposed to smile and say "I'm doing fine! how are you?" and then I'm supposed to smile and say "I'm great! thank you!" and that's the end of that. 🤔
@@livvielov Yes. But that leads us to ask what is the queue to be served even if we have three windows in sight and a long queue in only one of them.
@@octoberdawn1087 In my opinion it is because we are almost blind to the meaning of body language and thus we are forced to consciously analyze the meaning of what is said. We are impervious to a very effective part of deception. But that results in higher resource usage.
I notice them too, but the opposite effect happens to me. Instead of just brushing them aside I get overly concerned. Like when my mom has red eyes I also get very very sad when she literally just took a shower.
My older brother has autism, sometimes it's very difficult, a lot of people laugh at him, but for me he's the best of them all. Thanks for the video❤️
My child was so playful and very interactive since 1year of using doctor Dr Omena and now he is verbal and also improve in social skills
Growing up, I kept hearing stories about parents who would rather have dead kids than autistic ones (looking at you, anti vaxxers) and that led me to believe autism was something like a death sentence, where if you "had" it you'd never be able to live a regular life. Then I was diagnosed with it at sixteen. For a while I was devastated, I thought I was always going to need support, that I would never be able to live on my own, but as time went on and I talked with my therapist I slowly came to realise that wasn't true at all. It's not a death sentence, it's not something bad or something to fear in yourself or in others. It's taken a long time but I'm learning more every day and now I can finally look back and say, "it all makes sense now"
Sounds like a typical autistic person - learning about it step by step and with every step getting new details to form the bigger picture.
I, myself, 21 years old, think have found out i got autism (*or ASS, or whatever)
Muh vaccines
Lol
As a father of 2 yo severe autistic boy I can say that you’re lucky that you didn’t grow up noticing that all that much and it means high-functioning. My kid is already a target for bullying, people giggling, uncomfortable gaze, even from friends. It is impossible for my son to stand still for a second, difficult to feed, impossible to conduct any medical tests and so on. Zero words, inability to communicate or even to look into my eyes.
It is really a nightmare. Consider yourself lucky and don’t overgeneralise. There are different stories out there.
I'm autistic, I was diagnosed at 4 years old and for most of my life I've been bullied for it. They said my brain was "formed incorrectly" but I like to think of it as "formed a slight bit differently", it's not a superpower like some media presents it as, but it's not a thing that puts a stop to my everyday life. I think it's just the thing that makes me who I am, and I wouldn't wanna swap it for the world!
I was born with it. We do be smart. Hey, he said it grows an unusual rate right? I mean, i have high function. ( this is not meant to offend anyone)
@@worldsboss the spectrum refers to different symptoms, not an 'autistic to neurotpyical' kinda gradient deal
@@worldsboss dunno how that works but im explainin how it doesnt work
though to your benefit it doesn't even work as an insult without implicating the insulter
@@Dragon_prince90 it wasn't meant to be rude;-;😭😭😭😭😭😭
@@Dragon_prince90 ok;-;
I’m a 56 year old male, classed as high functioning, but everyday life is still very difficult. The more videos put out there concerning autism will help people better understand what we are all about.
Thank you.
Look up an Aussie guy called 'Asperger's from the inside' that's his channel. Has helped me greatly. It could help you also. Have a nice day.
@@thekajalflaneur Thanks for that. I’ve been watching that channel for a few years now and he’s very good. And we are both in Melbourne.
@@thekajalflaneur That's a wonderful channel! Thank you so much for sharing!
@@thekajalflaneur Got diagnosed in 2015 and only last year I truly learned what Autism was to me, like found my identity and reconciled the diagnosis with who I was. His channel was a major part of that.
Have a newly diagnosed 7 year old (medium to high functioning). As his neurotypical dad- i have no idea where to start the path to help him. We haven’t told him what it means yet. At this stage- I’m leaning towards small, casual conversations about how he’s wired.
16 year old female here! I was diagnosed as autistic a long time ago (3rd grade or so) since I'm lucky enough to have parents who noticed I was diffrent from other kids; this feels relieving to hear some of the exact science behind it, it's so validating and comforting to know that I'm not "broken" like how adults in my life have called me; I'm just wired differently.
though while I'm on the topic it makes me curious, since I struggle with this lots: does anyone else struggle with understanding hygiene? I've always had the hardest time comprehending it; I can't brush my hair by myself properly and my mon always tells me I never bathe myself properly when she notices my state of hygiene, no matter how hard I've tried it never turns out right when it's apparently so simple, and I wonder if this is a thing that's due to autism or something else entirely.
@NEW HOPE INSURANCE LTD autism cannot be cured
That’s probably due to autism. A lot of autistic people have trouble with executive function, which impacts simple actions in day to day life. If you search what executive function is on the internet it may explain what you are experiencing.
There are ways around it, though. Maybe figuring out what exactly you are missing in your bathing routine will help you. Making detailed lists helps me.
you could use a clock that is water resisting & put it in the shower. It can help you by making sure you shampoo your hair for 1 minute, you do it 2 times and when you put on the water to get it all off you can look at the clock to make sure you are doing it enough time to get all soap off. the time depends on your hair length , but I would say at least 3,4 minutes if you have long hair… also balsam at least 2 minutes. Shampoo the body is usually 2 minutes. when you brush your hair you start brushing the ends first & then up. youtube is very helpful even for these everyday things if you need it visualized people make videos about everything
also I just wanna say you could suggest your mom to show you how it’s done instead of just criticize you. if she really doesn’t want to youtube is always available
Autistic person here(also 16F, actually). You said that your parents noticed that you were different from other kids. But for me… well, when I was little, I kept telling my mom that I felt like I was an alien, completely different from every other kid I interacted with. She just told me that “everyone feels that way.” To this day I’m still wondering if that’s true or if my mom is just autistic like me(she thinks she might be) and that is what caused her to think that way.
Edit: I feel the same way bout hygiene. From my understanding, autism makes hygienic practices more difficult because we(autistic people) learn visually, and obviously you don’t usually watch other people wash themselves (unless you’re in an intimate relationship with them). It can be hard to learn how to maintain good hygiene as an autistic person when you don’t have access to visual instructions to it
As someone who was diagnosed with severe autism when I was around 2-3, this a massive help in understanding how people with autism work in the world. Thanks a lot for this!
I'm an autistic male and I'm 23 years old, and I feel like I'm more observant than a lot of people around my age. I can't tell if it's my autism or if it's just how I have grown up. Either way, it doesn't help with my depression because I overanalyse a lot which can sometimes make me see things that aren't there.
Anxiety come from seeing a multitude of possibilities, many feeling threatening because you may have past experiences of failure in dealing unforeseen situations, and because your current self cannot mitigate these risks in the here and now. It’s hard to accurately predict the future, and your analysis of a given situation is limited by your knowledge, and probably also somewhat by having a limited ability to accurately predict other people behaviour and thoughts. If your unconscious learns that you can deal with variety of situations that may come up that will help, that comes through repeatedly solving situations that bother you mentally, “closing loops” so to say. Accepting some risk as a part of life is also good. If your understanding of others improves, your ability to predict and influence situations to repeatedly get better outcomes improves and anxiety and depression decrease. That requires you to go and try things, just overanalyzing limited data doesn’t help. If you get good at pushing yourself to do and try things, then think about them and gain insight, your ability to analyze situations will be a blessing, if you don’t combine it with actions and emotional growth from that it will make you unhappy
@@DyllanMawson1022 same here.
Sameeeee
Hey dude I just turned 23 and I totally agree, it's like, I'm not breaking the internet or anything, but it seems like even from random to basic encounters with strangers nobody notices anything. Maybe we just notice a lot? But sometimes I'm just so taken back someone's lack of self awareness or behaviour that I'll go through a check list to see if they were Neuro divergent and why it was so bizarre, I just find that I approached them as a person like me, and they were just Neuro typical
Its definitely an autistic trait... people don't seem to notice anything outside their own bodies or something. Its mind boggling but apparently, that's what "normal" people consider acceptable. Over analyzing is stressful but therapy can help manage it. I learned to stop fighting how my brain works. Let the thought roam for a bit, then just calmly shut it down. I tell myself, ok, how is all this analyzing gonna benefit my life? If I can't think of a logical answer, I move on from the thought, distract myself with stimuli until my mood or thinking changes. Its not easy, its a challenge when its not yet a habit. But when i pull it off, it saves me needless stress. Maybe this will help others going thru this too. My therapist has been helping me learn to work with my autistic brain, not against it; just because society wants me to think and act a certain way.
Good video, thank you! I would like to point out that the way you're describing the symptoms is based mainly on studies done in male children. Women with autism have a strong ability to copy social behaviour, which makes it alot harder to diagnose (hence only 20% of diagnosed autistic people are female). Also restricted and repetitive behaviours is very stereotypical, most of the high functioning autistic people don't do this. You often really can't see it when observing someone. What I think charactarizes an autistic person is that they're struggling with an overload of unfiltered information daily, they miss the automatic translation in their head of what is normal/typic, often resulting in panic attacks (tantroms/implosions), anxiety, depression, and sometimes even psychosis.
The difference between "high functioning" autistic people and women with autism from "low functioning" autistic people and autistic men is that women have higher pressures to conform and be socially literate with neurotypicals, and that "high functioning" autistic people have learned to mask many of those repetitive behaviors with ones that are more acceptable.
There’s no such thing as high- and low-functioning autism. You’re basically saying if your IQ is above or below 89. I’m autistic and have rocked daily for 40+ years, most people wouldn’t know I’m autistic because I can mask very well. It’s a spectrum, so you can’t say that most don’t do restricted or repetitive behavior, that’s the foundation of my life is for things to be a certain way - restricted behavior.
The observation of symptoms is the only definitional way to diagnose autism. What you just said is a meaningless word vomit. You basically said what characterizes an autistic person is fulfilling the criteria of having autism and people who only fulfill some of the criteria are called high functioning than those that fulfill the all the criteria. Calling something stereotypical which is a diagnostic criteria for a condition is asinine.
@@SR-rz9uj I agree it's quite difficult to get the right terminology on this. However, these are nowadays commonly understood and used terms by people, including professionals. I think an important thing is to talk about it, share perspective, try to understand what the other person means with their words/story, and not to zoom in on / attack specific wordchoice (unless very deliberately offensive/inappropriate words are used, ofcourse).
I'm pretty sure part of the reason only 20% of autistic diagnoses are women is because men are more likely to be autistic. You're prolly not wrong, but it's not only that
Autism is like a gift to me though. Most of my classmates who don't have autism are overly active, annoying, uncreative and aggressive. I like to be quiet most of the time and mind my own business.
I work as an accounting customer service at Wegmans and also in the pricing office and I cashier.
Plz help me
Nope, this is just coping
@@nodical802 By your standards
I am a 16 year old girl, and me and my therapist both agree that i am on the spectrum, although I would need my mom to get me formally evaluated. I was tested at 13, but lied and masked a lot of my behaviors as much as I could, because I was scared of being put in a special ed program and feeling even more alienated. Recently I have been experiencing serious burnout, and it is likeI moving backwards. Sounds and environments hurt more, and my social anxiety is far higher than it ever has been. I think it's because I tried to hard to be "normal" for so long, and I simply do not have the mental energy to suppress meltdowns anymore, and school has been so draining for me, I fall asleep all the time because I'm just so exhausted. Being autistic as a girl is also a bit different from being autistic as a guy, it can show different traits and be a different experience because of the difference i. male and female brains. the studies and tests for autism were based around research done on male patients, and so it is quite a bit harder for women to get a diagnosis. I feel as though an official diagnosis would help me understand myself better, and find better resources in the future when I go to college and start having more responsibility for my own medical care and mental health support. My mom however, does not want to get me a diagnosis, despite me and my therapists reasoning, as she says I "shouldn't label myself" or "put myself in a box". Honestly though, I think she is scared of having an autistic child. I have displayed symptoms my whole life, from banging my head into the wall as a child, to flapping my hands, to having a very very slim grasp on sarcasm and social cues. I wondered why she didn't notice the signs sooner, and honestly I think she did, but was scared to be wrong or stereotype me. I love my mom very much, she is one of my favorite people and I would consider her as one of my close friends along with a huge support, but this is one thing I do not know how to make her understand. Any advice? I don't want to make her upset with me by seeming redundant or demanding, but I really do feel like this is a nessacary step towards being mentally healthy and managing my extreme anxiety.
I'm an autistic adult. I'm sorry that your mom is being close minded right now, I hope she will be able to come around. I personally see the autism diagnosis as a benefit to me, not something holding me back. Having a label/diagnosis can allow you to get accommodations to curb overwhelming situations and prevent meltdowns and even curb the need for stimming (though harmless hand flapping can be fun and I'm not judging you at all! I do that too sometimes!) Spending all of your energy on appearing neurotypical leaves you with very little to actually be productive, it sucks that you had to mask so much as a kid. I believe you that your mom does care about you, but if she doesnt accept you getting a diagnosis you may have to consider making the decision anyway when you're 18, as it can help you getting accommodations in college classes (if you choose to go to college), and it will always be your choice to out yourself as an autistic person in places like work, I'm pretty sure it's illegal for anyone to force you to admit a disability (unless you are asking for accommodations). I still have hard days and face overwhelming situations and meltdowns, but as an adult it's easier to find a place to cool down and to have control over my life, and to be able to get through anything.Believe me when I say that things will get infinitely better after high school; in hindsight, high school was a lot harder than college at least for me. I hope you can convince your mom that there is nothing wrong with admitting your autism or having a label or being abnormal. Good luck with everything and I hope this was somewhat helpful!
I guess my advice in a nutshell is hang in there, have hope for the future, hold on to what you and your therapist say, and try to explain your position to your mom but if she doesnt come around let her know (only IF it's safe to say this to her, I dont know your mom and how she reacts) that this is a choice you already want to make for yourself when you're 18, so she cant talk you out of it and you'd appreciate to be able to get a diagnosis now rather than later. If it's not as safe to say that, then just carry your goals with you and keep being honest with your therapist. I'm sure your mom loves you and cares about you, but by preventing you from getting a diagnosis she is making life harder for you. Again, good luck!
My son is now 22. I didn't want a diagnoses because I thought he would lean into it and be lazy as was typical of him, or he would feel inferior. It was not so by the time it came. Try to explain to her one more time that many ppl find it a relief to have this diagnoses. They are exhausted as you have explained. I wish you the best and your mom. 💓
I'd recommend the book "aspergirls ". I was in a similar mental situation, especially in high school. The book simply brings a lot of different women with autism and shows their lives from their perspective. Reading it made me feel less alone and realise we can have normal lives- just creative, or with amazing perspectives. You're not alone out there! Take care and good luck.
I’m not a girl, so my experience with autism is very different, but my advice would be hang in there, it’ll be ok. I would try to meet with your therapist and mom together once or twice, maybe the therapist can explain things in a way your mom would understand better. I do a check in with my mom and therapist like every six months or so and it really helps my mom.
You’re wonderful and doing great, be gentle with yourself
To be on the spectrum, I was ashamed of it for a long time because people would harass me for it, and it took me a LONG time to become as self assured as I am today. My advice to you all is this: people who mock you for who you are are NEVER worth your time, and you need to be FEROCIOUS and STAND YOUR GROUND. It took me far too long to learn this, and now that I know it, I'm happier now than I've ever been in my life.
@Mp That may work for your son, but I recommend not advertising such an agent unless it's proven by multiple other sources to work. Plus, I'm doing just fine with most aspects of my life now I do not even need such a thing to begin with.
Too exhausted to stand my ground, I can't wait for euthanasia to become legal in my country.
I stand behind your words. We weren’t given to the world to behave like other people want us to! I was so touched when my friend wrote this phrase into my yearbook entry.
@@user-hl5eq3cq2f I'm highly skeptical about comments like these
Sometimes I think it's really cool that I can have 3 different thoughts running concurrently. One thought doing logics and problem solving, one thought running my physical body, retaining spacial awareness and can sometimes even carry out conversations, and another thought strictly for keeping myself entertained, daydreaming, stuff like that. I would say that it helps me stay productive, but only happens when there's something I care about. I struggle to find topics I genuinely care about, but when I am passionate about something, I flourish.
I was surprised to learn that most people don't have multiple streams of consciousness. I always have at least two because there is always music playing in my mind (at the moment it's Vivaldi's _The Four Seasons_ ), but I usually have three or four, and sometimes more as needed.
For example if I'm driving on a highway I always have at least two dedicated to that task, one to watch the immediate situation and operate the vehicle and another to analyze the traffic pattern and predict how it will flow for the next few minutes. A third handles navigation. At the same time a fourth is playing music and a fifth is thinking about other things, like what I might do when I arrive, the best strategy in a video game I've been playing, or whatever happened to Radagast the Brown. I also usually notice little things like license plates, the writing on trucks, billboards, etc.
I have very high functioning autism, nobody really ever suspected me of having autism. Taking the IQ test basically doctors discovered my literacy/ English levels were lower(in the low 90s or average) while my physics and mathematics understanding was in the 120s region(qualify as genius). I’ve found ways around problems that others never thought to be possible and will go far deeper into a subject I genuinely care about than many people would. I am not a socially dependent person, but I’ve spent a lot more time with friends recently and it’s been great. Every once in a while we reach a long pause and I can’t figure out what to say(that’s my biggest issue). But autism has never harshly effected my everyday life.
Hate to point this out, but an IQ of 120 is not considered genius, but superior. You aren't Albert Einstein, but you would probably qualify to be instructed by one of his students. That's coming from a dude whom some consider intelligent, though I know better. So, not a rocket scientist, but likely a mechanical engineer. Either way, you've got at least something to work with; which is a lot more than a lot of others.
@@jakefromspace4659 that’s very fair. I don’t believe I am a genius. I only thought that was the “nice scientific term”. I definitely ain’t no Einstein lol, some stuff like math and physics has always come easy for me. I’m a hands on person, I work maintenance and cars. I clearly don’t know the most about IQ testing, I only know my results. I’m glad you could clear it up for me. Cause the term genius sounds like a very generous way to describe me.
@@ryanrake2714 You work on equipment? Cool! Actually, I fix industrial equipment and I'm hoping on finishing my bachelor's too. Best of luck with your work and studies!
@@jakefromspace4659 thank you very much. That’s pretty neat. I’m taking advanced systems technology and Fastrack welding. That’s real cool. Have a good one man🍻
120 is certainly above average, but genius level is considered to be 140 or above.
Perhaps others would not agree, but I wouldn't want to be neurotypical myself. Sure, I would probably understand people better and not habitually interrupt people when I get excited (working on that), but I know I have a phenomenal ability when it comes to philosophy, self-analysis, psychology and other human emotion-related things.
Autistic people are by nature self-centred, and I follow that trend 100%. However, I have found that I can apply the things I learn about myself (because I am always thinking about myself) to others, so accurately that others have remarked on my 'startling insight' into people's motivations and intentions.
Granted, while I am very talented at analysing people, I'm pants at actually applying this quickly. It's more like a slow realisation followed by the even slower realisation of how to apply what I learned.
Still, I like my brain how it is. It's really quick at some times, and pretty slow at others, but to me it's like putting points on your D&D character. Want more intelligence? Take points off strength. That kind of thing. To me (at least as a high-functioning autistic), it's a fair trade.
I agree im the same way. And I love how I am like.
Normal is boring. At least, I think. I'm far from it and my life isn't nearly what I think normal is.
me too! i have creative genes from my mom's side, but the autism/adhd from my dad really made my connection with nature, art, music, and dance incredible.
"Autistic people are by nature self-centred, and I follow that trend 100%. However, I have found that I can apply the things I learn about myself (because I am always thinking about myself) to others, so accurately that others have remarked on my 'startling insight' into people's motivations and intentions.
Granted, while I am very talented at analysing people, I'm pants at actually applying this quickly. It's more like a slow realisation followed by the even slower realisation of how to apply what I learned."
This is me in a nutshell.
Same when i figure it out its very satisfying but before that its very frustrating. I can notice that someone do not like me thru slight changes in their facial expression but ita always so hard to figure out why and it drives me crazy. Also some ppl actually like expect u to read their mind!!?! Anyway i do not know yet for sure if i am on the spectrum or not
this makes so much sense. I remember an autistic kid in my middle school who was an absolute beast chess player, beat anyone who challenged him, but he did dumb/funny shit like insulting teachers and sticking his middle finger up at random times to random teachers.
Yay. What a hero. More power to that kid! Neutodiversity it a wonderful thing.
I have a form of autism, that does sound like the kind of shit I would have done in middle school.
sigma male
Us autists are viscous at remembering everyone that has ever slighted us. It sucks
Yep, I was insulting towards teachers too .. I clearly remember one instance with a teacher where I called them out and told them they’re crazy. The whole class was like whaaaaat .. but I was pissed off for some reason that I dont remember.
I was officially diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 12. I always knew I was strange, and unlike neurotypical people. Understanding subtext in any given conversation has been nothing short of mysterious and challenging on a daily basis. And so that struggle persists at 23 years old. Still very young, but it's gotten old for so long, now.
I'm autistic and from Indonesian. And I was born in 1996. Actually I loves anime, game, and video, and I was feeling love witg other thing that I liked such as japanese music and good music which has a good meaning of dream. That's why my dream is to become youtuber and content creator until now.
Fun fact: Evolutionary biologists believed that autism may had arose from experienced hunter-gatherers during the prehistoric age. Their heightened senses could had aid them in tracking prey and looking out for predators, while their repetitive behaviours may had stemmed from the practice of stockpiling, weapons maintenance and other strenuous tasks required to uphold a well-supplied food cache and bundle of javelins/arrows needed to hunt down game. Since they are also solitude in nature, they don’t have to share their food with others and are much less likely to be unfairly offed by potential competing cave dwellers.
That's actually really interesting and in hindsight makes a lot of sense especially given what I've been through and what some of the other comments have been saying!
Yikes modern cave people but yikes in a kinda cool Berry picker kind of manner !
That doesnt make any sense. Since autist people are born with unusually small bodies.
that seems likely at least for Singular or small groups of Cave men no need for Much Social skill when it a fight for survival and if a rival don't like what you say or do you can Donk them across then head.
tho eventually Organisation and more group Integration would lead to less Autism Cave men and more Atypical Behaviours tho those with those genetics would continue to support the larger community as Hunter Craftsmen and less Interactive Careers when Society start to develop.
That kinda explains the collecting behaviors people with ASD have, whether it be pencils, bottle caps, rocks, etc.
The comments are so wholesome.😢 I hope you guys have a life full of joy and health. We are all unique and that is okay.💜
Diagnosed with Asperger's at age 4, and I've always worn it on my chest like a badge of honor. I've never seen my autism as something to be ashamed of. That doesn't mean I don't have any challenges, mind you.
That said, I really hope the world stops looking at autism like some curable disease or some extreme disability that requires physical restraining. High-functioning autism is a thing. I have it, and I know others who have it, too. Autism as a whole should be treated as something that just makes people a little different, but not inferior. Sure, it might make some things in life more difficult, but it's not the end of the world.
I like to think that my autism makes my life a little more interesting.
I am grateful for living and seeing things and myself though an autistic brain. It makes me reflect about my purpose in life and the importance to be myself
Even if there were a "cure" for autism it would be unethical to administer it. Such a treatment would radically alter the patient's mind and personality.
I feel like I'm in a bit weird space when I read these comments. Long story short, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which- if I remember right- is on the Autism Spectrum. In school, I often sit alone- not because people tended to avoid me (which- they kinda did), but because it felt more comfortable. The people who'd break the mold and come over were usually guys who thought they'd find an easy target to get some laughs out of. Hell, one day, I even got a 'Kill Yourself' note in my locker once. Thing is, when I received it, I didn't feel anguish, sadness- no. I actually felt excited. Like it was a game to cut the everyday routine of classes. I actually had a positive reputation among the faculty at the time, so they agreed to look into it. I was having fun looking for the culprit and everything- even though I knew I should've felt depressed or something along those lines. I was also the kind of guy who'd question a lot of things. "Why do people blame a Concept when the real culprit is another sentient being- then move on with a 'That's just life'?", "Why do we have to follow this rule? What is it's purpose?", "Why are people online always seeking out something to hate, 'criticize' (insult), or push down in favor of the (seemingly) one thing they enjoy?", "Why are people so beguiled by catchy one-liners like 'The ends justify the means' instead of making their own conclusions on what is justified and what's not?", and other questions like that. I know I gave my parents a bit of a hassle, growing up. My Mom homeschooled me all the way up to high school (which was my decision to re-enter public schooling) due to some similar problems back in Elementary school- so she used to tell me that it may get hard because of this thing about my brain.
Those days, I kinda went into a mindset you'd only see on a TV Show and decide to do all I can to not use Asperger's as an excuse for whenever I made a mistake. I don't want to be defined by having something the majority don't have. I want people to see that I'm just another person trying to make a path for myself- not a 'Token Neurodivergent' character in their stories.
So- yeah.
... TL;DR: I uh. Kinda just spewed a bunch of words. And hope someone gets what I mean.
Asperger's Syndrome probably exsisted since humanity was living on caves. It's just modern world with all rules, knowegde and laws that makes Autism to be very noticiable. Just think about it. Someone with Aspereger would be in let's say medieval times, because in that times you are focus on your survival alone. Maybe someone will notice you are weird for not mixing chickens brown eggs with white eggs but will probably will pass it on just fine. It's just the modern world that's maybe, just maybe more complicated for people with autism.
I understood that reference
I never get insulted by anyone. It's not that people don't try, it's just that their material sucks so much it's laughable.
@@optimisticwatermelon I usually get the same insult tens of thousands of times, it's pretty remarkable, after a while you become speechless that they just tell me about themselves so proudly
@Wesley Hinson Lies
I just finished a really complicated project where I had to relate ASD with abnormalities in cell communication and specific genes where basically I was like, “I’m not sure and neither are researchers. Something something WNT/β-catenin blah blah neural pathways blah blah here’s 20 genes and their various effects,” where I essentially came to the same conclusion. Your videos are always very interesting and informative, thank you!
Yes, part of the issue is that there are probably multiple developmental pathways that can lead to autism. It is definitely an area where there are a lot of hypotheses, but not a lot of clear answers!
"blah blah neural pathways" felt that...
Haha nice. It’s often that way when trying to relate molecules to minds. Not impossible, just always a lot of grey areas of uncertainty.
@@Neuroscientificallychallenged I believe it's just the hyper active amygdala causing all the connections.. I can't shut my brain off.. Autism and ADHD is the worst comorbidity you can imagine for a human brain.. I will soon be making videos describing my life with ADHD and recently discovering that I have been FULL BLOWN AUTISTIC since I was born. Unbelievable lol
@@Neuroscientificallychallenged I would say it is because autism is so heterogeneous (thus underlying causes) and relying on clinical presentation is not the best path to study autism among many other mental and neurodevelopmental disorders.
I was just diagnosed with autism at 29. I’m glad I have a diagnosis, because it will help me develop better coping mechanisms now that I have a foundation upon which to build treatment and support. I’ve already started the healing process from the social and emotional trauma I endured in my childhood, and am on the road to fully accepting and understanding myself. I also no longer associate my autistic traits with just cons to my personality they should be repressed, but normal occurrences in regards to my brain and working with them or through them.
The main issue with ASD, and a problem that arises quite often, is that the spectrum has become so broad that signs of other mental illnesses are often lumped into it. For example, I was initially diagnosed with Autism several years back. But it turns out I had schizoid personality disorder, and the symptoms of that illness misguided the diagnosis.
Very interesting, a commenter above you had the opposite experience... he was diagnosed as a schizophrenic at first, and only 6 years ago was diagnosed with autism... the brain, people's behaviours and biology can be very confusing sometimes, but as an autistic person who watches reddit videos consisting of idiots, karens and kevins, I can confidently say everyone who is known as a 'weirdo' can sometimes be the most normal, sane and socially appropriate people lmao
@Wesley HinsonOr possibly your son just learned it himself, in his own way and his own time. Give him more credit. It's highly unlikely that ingesting anything can change the way a brain is formed.
@Wesley Hinson lies
@@user-hw2qg5vo6d I reported them
It happens a lot. I think its more of a poor/underfunded mental health services (not to say a bad word about the lovely people who work there) problem then a definition issue. However, both are a problem, and your right it has effected lives.
At 37, I was diagnosed with Autism. This was a big change in my life and explained so much. However, a lot of problems occurred with the diagnosis not be full since I also was PTSD but am waiting for further diagnosis here.
Because it took too long for me to be diagnosed with the disorder, I went for years without the help and was labeled as just "weird". I was bullied at school and high school and my university classmates found it odd. Add a mix of domestic violence and I've basically been mentally screwed, with the possibility that all that made a trait worst and magnified things further.
I can now apply for finical help but it took too long. My father used to tell me there was nothing wrong with me and I "invented" issues, bearing in mind this guy was an abusive control freak so... Yeah... I was also already diagnosed in my 20s with Dyspraxia but my father accused me of wanting only more money and that if I register it I'd be kicked out of the house. In reality, he thought it would reflect on him bad to have a kid like that and he is now in his 80s... In short... He was old fashioned and had only knowledge that was out of date and incorrect, but couldn't accept he was wrong.
I think the hardest part is you can't use autism as an excuse to not fail, but it is still a restriction on what you can do. Its something people forget. It goes back to the whole "anyone can be an astronaut" but in reality, this is not true as genetics and upbringing provide different approaches and capabilities in life. Many of those acquired traits end up being useless in certain situations. The problem is for anyone whose not diagnosed early in life is that everyone presumes when you fail your stupid or lazy. I also have a degree so, which automatically makes people presume I'm smarter then them (you don't need to be smart to get a degree and art is easy). In my case, its not my autism restricts things, its that I was never taught how to cope with it. This plays a role in a lot of things and often Autism can be an issue for people like me, because if you get help early on you can learn to cope. Your chances to succeed increase dramatically when you have help early on compared to life beyond 25.
The other thing is, a lot of the diagnosis comes from input of family and friends, particularly growing up. I would never have gotten mine if not for my mother. She basically described me as struggling as a child to fit in and being socially left behind, that after my first day of school the happy baby she knew just vanished and was never seen again in my childhood. And I didn't know that at the time, but the bullying started from the very first day of school, and I went to a nursey. So... yeah... My father can jump off a cliff.
Your story mirrors mine exactly and I am currently 37. I am memtally scarred from my past experiences.
@Wesley Hinson you dont even have autism stop promoting
It makes me so happy to see so many people that are just straight up saying, “Yeah, I am autistic. Anyways…” Its not really a BIG thing. It just is.
Yes. I am autistic too.
As an autistic person, I can definitely agree with that statement.
I should take a test. I'm pretty sure I fit somewhere on that spectrum.
Autism is just another form of genetic variation just like skin color and shouldn't be seen as a disease or being broken
If you are autistic will you die? No. Will you go to jail? No. Will you get locked up in a padded room with your sleeves tied around you? No. Don't worry about it then
@Mp no such thing, sir/ma’am. That is probably placebo or an increase in confidence.
I have been binge-watching your 2-minute and 10-minute neuroscience videos for the last couple of days, and have found them very educational and enjoyable. I’ve only just dipped into the ’Pathology & Disorders’ playlist, and thought it would be interesting to know more about what neuroscience currently says about Autistic brains and how they are different from allistic (non-Autistic) brains (or at least what can be said in 2 minutes).
So I was dismayed to see my neurology so lazily characterised.
• Autistic brains are neurodivergent (differing from the neurotypical ‘average’ brain), not ‘disordered’. This is a biased value judgement.
• Having an Autistic brain is not a disease, so there are no ‘symptoms’. Traits perhaps.
• I don’t have ‘impairments’ in social communication and interaction. I simply communicate differently from neurotypical people. See for instance research by Catherine Compton at the University of Edinburgh: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1362361320919286 and doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586171
• So-called ‘restrictive and repetitive behaviours’ are actually either things that we’re passionately interested in, and things that give us pleasure, or coping mechanisms we resort to when we’re under extreme stress, which may go unnoticed by neurotypical people because of our very different sensory profiles.
• We are not ‘individuals with autism’. We are Autistic people. There are many reasons the vast majority of Autistic people prefer this way to describe ourselves, the main one being that most of us couldn’t imagine being, and wouldn’t wish to be, anything other than Autistic: there is no ‘autism’ we ‘have’ that we could do without.
• Talk of the ‘risk of autism’ plays to this idea that being Autistic is undesirable. (Oh, and the risk of being neurotypical is also strongly influenced by genetics!)
• My brain probably looks a lot like yours: it certainly isn’t made out of brightly coloured jigsaw pieces. The so-called charity that this imagery is linked to is reviled by the Autistic community. We prefer to use our own symbols, notably the gold infinity sign.
I hope you can take these comments on board in the spirit of constructive criticism. I really appreciate the rest of your videos that I’ve watched thus far.
Autism isn't much of a disadvantage on the lower end of the spectrum. We get to avoid a lot of typical brain function that companies love to exploit, (social norms being the worst offenders), become hypertalented in everything we love to do, and just live without worrying about what's popular, and just being true to ourselves. I'd say that's pretty priceless.
All we really sacrifice is social ease with non-autistic people, others generally not liking being around us who aren't autistic, having sensory problems that can be a little annoying somtimes, having ttouble with some systems most people see as easy, and occasionly certain patterns we might not like.
I am really proud to have autism. You don't have to be if you have it, I reconize the negitives are a bit much for many, but I am just so happy I can take the positives for granted.
My ten year old son is autistic and to my displeasure was just recently informed of this at his most recent IEP meeting and seems troubled by this knowledge. Thank you for this clear and straightforward summation. It will be helpful as I talk to him later today.
I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism when I was a child. My parents told me I had it. They told me all about it, but I didn't understand or pay much attention. All I saw and knew was I had that autism and that I was different. Back then, I hated being different or being forced and told to be different. I wanted to be and do what made other folks happy and successful. I hated having autism, and I hated how often I would stumble and fall growing up and dealing with life.
Nowadays, I'm trying to get out of that toxic mentality and not look at my autism as a curse.
Conversations between other people used to seem like magic to me. I couldn't possibly understand what devilry people were using to understand each other so quickly and coherently without using words that clearly elucidated their emotional states.
What's funny is - this was comorbid with bipolar and intense bouts of mania. So what I lacked in social understanding, I made up for in these episodes of extreme energy where I wanted to be around people and interact with them and have relationships.
So eventually I did learn, just in my own unique way.
Yall acting like you are interacting with Martians solving complex alien equations.
No, they are people. Humans like you with flaws. So why so fearful of interaction with another flawed similar being
@@intermilan9731 I feel like you dont know what autism is, there are many forms. It aint "acting" you are rude for saying that, please inform yourself before you say stuff like that, no offense, take care.
My child was so playful and very interactive since 1year of using doctor Dr Omena and now he is verbal and also improve in social skills
understanding and supporting individuals on the spectrum is a step towards creating a more inclusive and empathetic world. Keep up the great work!
I don't care if someone is autistic or not, I care if they are nice or mean
I was diagnosed with autism as a child, my father was a drug addict and my mother has serious psychological disorders, these conditions forced me to mature at an early age, I was always a sensitive child and later I noticed I was very empathetic towards people and my dream quickly became to be a psychiatrist, while I may not have directly achieved that dream I'm a social worker now and the field I excel at in particular is communication. While I'm extremely proud to be deviating from socially inept standard that has been given to autism, my point isn't to brag. My point is that each and every individual differs.
I think that's why autism is hard to classify, my autism is different from yours and mine affects me in different ways. one's fatal flaw might be another's greatest talent. And I always fought back against labelling people based on a diagnosis and instead tried to push people to see the potential and strengths of the person they're dealing with. We as people are diverse and unique, don't let others tell you what you can and can't do. don't let a diagnose define who you are. use it to understand some things about yourself but don't let it become your personality more than you have to.
Thank you for sharing!! How do you handle social situations. I don't have a diagnosis but I always find back and forth conversations are difficult
My inner journey with myself and my Autism took many turns. For many years I knew I had it but didn’t really understand what it meant, so I didn’t even pay it mind. It wasn’t until I was in High School that I really started to figure it out. I realized why I always acted so different from the other kids in Pre-School, Elementary, and Middle School, why certain textures and feelings were so unpleasant, why I would look everywhere but someone’s eyes during a conversation, why I’d be told something and forget it moments later (Though that might be caused by my ADHD, which I also have), why a sudden change in my schedule would bother me so much, why some teachers would speak to me and treat me differently from other students, and why I would gain massive interest in specific things for short or long periods of time.
My initial reaction wasn’t very pleasant, being shame and denial. “I’m normal. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m just like everyone else.” I would say those things to myself, I thought that if I was different from all the ‘normal’ people I was inferior or less capable. It was a horrible stage of self doubt.
I think a big thing that snapped me out of that phase was seeing other people with the same conditions as me. It made me feel less alone, and made me feel validated. Another thing was probably just maturity, I did a lot of maturing and self improving during my Sophomore and Junior year. I was eventually able to realize that there’s nothing wrong with the fact that I am autistic.
Even to this day I’m relieved I lost that sense of self doubt. I’m proud of my autism and ADHD, and see them as parts of me. I’m thankful to my family for understanding and accepting my differences as well. Though sometimes they misunderstand, I feel like they try their best.
To any fellow neurodiverse people reading who might feel insecure about those parts of them; just remember that you are valid, there’s nothing wrong with you, and you have your place in the world. ❤️
Out all the posts i have read here, yours honestly is nearly relatable. Because from pre-k to elementary school, they all kept trying to "provoke" me due to how i responded at them. I really need to get myself checked....
I was diagnosed I believe at the age of 4-6 years old, there was my abnormal behavior of not talking until I was 6 years old, I was also told I didn't cry as a baby when I wanted to be fed. I was however high-functioning, so the struggles there only posed minor issues, some major, but you get through with it. Yet I was told by my father that the autism I have was a gift, to him I assume, but also myself which I can see why. I can say that I do easily take pleasure with senses I experience, as well as the joys that come along with it, until it gets out of hand when there's too much backround noise or unnecessary negativity.
I hope autism acceptance becomes mainstream sometime in the near future. We’re still misrepresented, harrassed, and told that we’re defective way too often :(
Ok for many people in the comments who are talking about their autism functioning levels. The term is actually not very accurate because it determines how we function when we are masking and how we affect other people instead of how our autism affects us.
I think "NT-passing" is more accurate
@@kirabad-artist6532 "NT-passing" similarly fails to avoid stigmatizing those who cannot pass as NTs, even if it is an improvement from function labels.
I personally use Support Labels (High Functioning -> Low Support, Low Functioning -> High Support, etc) because it only labels the amount of sensory aids and other support needs that an autistic under the label requires, rather than their ability to function as a neurotypical would.
Sure, it still fails to truly encapsulate the complicated and nebulous nature of the disorder, but it's certainly less stigmatizing.
@@seanrobinson7464 Oh, that’s pretty good. Thanks!
I am 55 and was diagnosed with Aperger Syndrome 15 years ago.
I have stopped play acting to give people what they want.
Today I am allowing myself to celebrate who I am and what I am like.
If people can't cope with that, it's their problem not mine.
Good for you. Be the best you, you can.
Peace and love
Autism is not necessarily a disorder. I am super happy with the way my brain works. It's not my problem society finds it different.
I’m autistic and my brain is wired differently. I see things that Neurotypicals can’t.💕
As a person with High Functioning Autism I consider it a blessing for me, because without it I wouldn’t be able to act and think the incredible ways I do.
I’m completely sick and tired of being autistic and being at a complete disadvantage in 90% of things. The disadvantages completely outweigh the advantages. The worst thing is is that I have 0 motivation to do anything therefore I have no set goals. Having autism without any goals or focuses is pure hell as the upside of autism is being able to focus more on your interests and become become better at those things twice as quick than the average person.
Sorry about my shitty grammar but I’m having a crying fit writing this shit lol.
@@bushcatbandit2566 that’s okay man you just have to find what it is you want. I desire art, literature, and video games. I now am on my way to getting a Bachelors in Literature with a minor in Creative Writing. I love that stuff, and you can find it as well, just go looking until something clicks.
@@Sci-Fi_Freak_YT it’s not just that. It’s also the fact that the life expectancy for the average person with Asperger’s is 56.9 years. That’s ridiculous. I wonder why I shouldn’t kill myself when Asperger’s is essentially a long drawn out and painful death sentence.
@@Sci-Fi_Freak_YT I’m sure that I have hope I just don’t know how.
I have had Autism for 16 years now, diagnosed from the age of 5. From where I am on the spectrum I consider it more as a benefit, for I can see and think more logically around me and have a more calculating mind, but I am aware it can be a cursed for others and their family.
same
Ay same. I think what you might be looking for is the term "high-functioning", maybe?
My child was so playful and very interactive since 1year of using doctor Dr Omena and now he is verbal and also improve in social skills
as a autistic person I can confirm I have red arrows in my brain
“Unusually rapid (brain) growth in infancy and childhood”
*BIG BRAIN*
I've delt with high functioning autism for many years now, and while i can't speak for everyone I've made great progress in being a working member of society and making my condition a strength rather than a weakness, i try to speak for the community and make people understand that auists aren't at all inferior or incapable as much as i can
Same here
I have autism and can still talk but I'm happy you can still help others and be able to talk online
@Pateck Aaron i don't seem to be seeing your comment properly, maybe that is for the best
@Mp i don't know if i feel more sorry for you or your child, chances are you're a bot or a troll but autism isn't something to be lost or fought against, and there is no getting rid of it
@@falconboi9126 stop the jealousy…
I was 18 when I was diagnosed. It's been a rough journey because I was diagnosed so late, but it's been an eye-opener to me. It's taught me that the reputation autistic people have for being stupid and being the kinds of people who can't do anything right simply isn't true.
people being unable to do a thing right is 9/10 the responsibility of the person who taught them. one of the most common tutorial failings is being able to adapt a lesson to someone who needs it communicated differently
I realized I'm autistic in med school, really weird that symptomp of autism are described in front of me
The media is not very good at intentionally making respectful depiction of autism.
@@Cheesus-Sliced asian wisdom dictates that the ability to learn and master something is all in you. You have every tool needed to master something and no one can make you learn something. A master can teach you, but they cannot make you learn. You are responsible for learning. You are also responsible for your life and your failings. A teacher can be bad but so can the student, and you are the student. Learn or not, your choice.
@@HolyPineCone In my experience, the teacher is the problem almost every time. Truly incompetent learners are extremely rare
This might sound egocentric but I think the autistic mind is beautiful
I got autism from the spinal meningitis I had when was 2 years old. My mother tells me that before that incident, I was the happiest kid you'd ever seen, always smiling and I never cried. After the incident, my personality did a complete 180.
I hope you are still able to be happy sometimes... It must have been traumatic to go through such an illness as a baby.
I have memories from age 2. It's mind blowing remembering what happens before school.
I had been diagnosed with high-functioning autism by the age of 3. I became so enamored with games that i started seeing them more clearly, their mechanics, and development process each time before even beginning college, and i would do that every time I play one, even today. I love to talk about games with my friends so often that some just don't like it. But that didn't stop me. I did get to study game design, and it was a dream come true, I started creating videogames because it was my passion, but I also enrolled in 3d modeling, graphic design, vfx and other parts of the digital industry. I'm thankful for my mom for doing the impossible: Getting an autistic kid into the normal current (instead of special education class)
Nice, keep it up
My child was so playful and very interactive since 1year of using doctor Dr Omena and now he is verbal and also improve in social skills
Took that like away REAL fast when you showed puzzle pieces. We still ain't missing any pieces, thanks
Agreed
I have High-functioning Autism and you just nailed the descriptions on how much I struggle with expressing and understanding some of the simplest of materials.
Autism isn't real 💀🚶🏻♂️
I love these videos. I learn alot from watching these but can you guys do one on ADHD？
Yes, I'll add it to my list of topics!
ADHD is hereditary. There's a great channel on TH-cam called
"How to ADHD".
@@Neuroscientificallychallenged Thank you so much!
@@jenniferbates2811 Hi brains!
@@jenniferbates2811 Anything can be hereditary.. I was born Autistic and with ADHD and now I also have Social Anxiety.. do I blame that on genetics also? My father was neurotypical.. I discovered that my mother is the Autistic one now that I've analyzed her behavior.. so I am Autistic because she is Autistic.. but ADHD.. nah.. thats formed from lifestyle.. but this is me just being pedantic.. how I see it.. is.. everyone who has ADHD might also be Autistic but everyone who's Autistic (high functioning) probably also has ADHD which helps mask Autism well.
To be fair though, as an individual who is diagnosed with "high functioning" (never liked that term) autism, it becomes less of a disability in my country (England aka shit Island) every year as awareness, understanding and acceptance (socially and physically) has gradually increased. Here's to a better world for all!
you could use support need terms instead! you could say you have low support needs
@disillusi0ned I was thinking that "near typical" and "non typical" could be decent ways of addressing ends of the spectrum, maybe adding "neuro-" to the front for clarity.
This could also sound egregious so yeah :x.
@MpMp I wouldn't try and get rid of your son's autism. It would be like curing someone of their personality. Autism is only difficult to live with because of the society we live in. I know this as I've lived with it for 18 years, and i can tell you that it was hard. I'm glad that you son can now better express himself but Autism Isn't something that can or should be "cured" high or low functioning (still hate those terms "hight and low functioning"). But your son sounds like he's life has improved, just try not to change, or cure him. Peace and Prosperity and happiness for all.
@@MFlari and @disillusi0ned, I agree with you both. Both are incredible alternatives to the current system.
I just got dianosed today, and i'm surprised my parents are willing to support me instead of judging me, i feel so lucky to have them ❤️
We're not damaged, we're just based 😎
based
We can't know much about risk factors, epidemiology etc when the vast majority of women with autism go undiagnosed. Maybe diagnose all those women and then you'd have the other half of the patient population to study.
Got diagnosed with autism as a kid, from baby to toddler, I never spoke until one day I asked my mom what’s for breakfast in full sentences, as I grew up, I was completely unaware that my brain worked differently but the only things I’ve noticed myself is I have a lot of trouble with math and writing, here I am now as an adult knowing I’m on the spectrum
Yeah i was four (i think) when diagnosed
From then i moved to mn and i just grew to a normalish kid by 13ish
At 19 i feel neurotypical at my best times but at my worse im the stereotype of REEEE autism
@@seantaggart7382 I don’t remember how old I was when I got diagnosed, lol
Omg! My mom said I didn't talk until three years old and one day, I just started using full sentences! ☺
@@coversongsqueen333 I guess we were observing before we actually decided to start talking
I love my spectrum coloured perspective of being a part of the greater whole of this universe
Growing up autistic I went to certain classes when I was younger and eventually went to regular classes by the time I was in middle school. I had visits from certain people that I believe were there to help determine where on the spectrum I was and to check up on me. My main issue was social interactions and a wandering mind. (Random side note: One time I won a bike in an art contest and the attention I got made me panic and hide under a table.😅)
I remember a nice old lady came to visit me every so often to ask questions, have me write some stuff down and showed me things like those heat sensitive squares that would tell you your mood by putting your finger on it. I told her I liked collecting different kinds of coins and she brought some for me to keep. ♥️
I believe at the time I was told I was mildly autistic but I never bothered to ask the specifics so I just accepted it and did my best.
I graduated highschool, opened up more and made many friends over the years all because I had support from friends, family and the schools.
You've got it the wrong way around and there are clues to it in the very beginning of the video. Autistic brain has more connectivity and more neurons on average. The "neurotypical" brain is merely a modification of the monotropic baseline which endowed "neurotypicals" with polytropism, at the expense of higher functions required for survival, such as heightened perception, pattern recognition, clear and logical thinking and communication, all of which are hallmarks of autistic neurology. The issue here is that neurotypicals have become the majority due to evolutionary preassures of forced conformity and sharing confined living space with un-related individuals, as well as the propensity to follow charismatic leaders... Which brings us to the dire issues we face today, in spite of our incredible technological advances.
There is nothing to fix in autistic neurology and yet, so much to fix in the current society, majority of which are "neurotypical" humans.
Love it! ❤️
That's pretty much it. I fucking hate neurotypicals though because they are psychopathically arrogant and make up this oppressive majority. I have no sympathy for any plight of theirs - let 'em burn in Hell for all I care.
Interesting perspective, thanks.
A minor critique: Your text would have been clearer if you replaced "it" with the actual subject a bit more often. Your first sentence is hard to parse since the video made several points and you could be refering to any of them.
Nice!!
I worked with people with Autism at various functioning levels, age ranges, etc for 20+ years.... I'm ALWAYS interested in helping & learning & still being involved anyway I can....
I was diagnosed in the late 90s. The diagnosis report for young me sounded aloof and condescending, but then that may just be the psychologist drawing a lot of comparisons to "typical" or "normal" development. Expressing thoughts into words was very difficult for me.
What did help me to be able to freely get my words out, though, was being in the presence of someone like a teacher or relative who believed in me. Then, suddenly, the words came naturally and quickly. All the angst of being misunderstood before, melted like giant blocks of ice blocked up inside me, and could flow freely.
As a kid, I could sense how people felt. When the vibe felt open and positive, I felt okay, like I was just an ordinary person living his life. My heightened self-consciousness died down to manageable levels. I wasn't just living in my imaginary world anymore, but had permission to connect outside of myself. I felt real, and that is the best feeling.
"Risk Factors for autism", "Damage caused by...", "Disorder", and "challenged"... Don't treat Autism like a disease. It's different for everyone, and I can only comment on myself, but for me, it's kind of like Linux: harder to learn, less convienient, and nothing ports, but much better for more coplicated topics, and delving into intricate fields of study and neuanced artforms. I find learning, whether it be Japanese, Linux, Quantum Physics, Set Theory, Calligraphy, or antkeeping, to be extremely fulfilling. But I get distracted easily due to my ADHD, and somtimes fail to pick up on subtle expressions and arbitrary conventions. Also, I mainly identify people by their voice, and inspect the auditory qualities rather than facial expressions when I do look for post-lexical information. There's strong evidence that Einstien had autism.
I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of 11. Copying the socializations of others helped me to communicate with others in a less robotic way, though others do describe me as “intense”. When it comes to special interests, I stay locked on for at least a year, my longest one lasting 5 years.
That was my main strategy for the longest time as well (copying the current socializations)
@@nicholasjh1 It’s funny, sometimes I copy them so hard that I subconsciously copy accents. When I talk to strangers, I sound subtly like a Brit at times (I’m Canadian), but then my voice auto-adjusts.
@Mp Stop fuckin’ lying. Autism is a developmental disorder which you can’t “cure”. It means my brain was wired a different way from birth and I naturally respond different to external stimuli, be it physical or mental.
There is no rewiring my neural pathways to reflect a “normal”, socially acceptable member of society, because that would imply that your wonder-drug can just inject social knowledge and cues specific to my culture right into me when I couldn’t learn them from natural integration.
Hell, there is no real standard of normal when we speak about comparing high functioning autism with neurotypical brains. So please, take your snake oil somewhere else.
@@user-hl5eq3cq2f Quit spreading misinformation. It is physically impossible to “cure” ASD. For those reading considering this, you have to understand that ASD is literally the brain developing in a different way to maturity.
What this means is that there is no “normal” version of your brain lying in wait somewhere, something snake oil peddlers don’t understand or care to inform people about.
Your brain is your brain, and a “normal” brain is entirely subjective and based on averages.
My autism isn’t a weakness, it simply is. I can live with it and I see no reason to try and “fix” it, especially when it’s physically impossible to change how my brain works unless under the temporary influence of drugs.
Behavioural therapy can help an autistic person mask better, but it doesn’t make you “normal”; when I say that, I’m not addressing the fact that it doesn’t take away your autism (it doesn’t), I’m addressing the fact that our definition of normal is so abstract and easily broken that’s it’s pointless to use it as a benchmark of how we’re “supposed” to be.
In short: There is no herb or oil that will cure your autism. Stop bullshitting.
It makes me happy to see some work put into understanding autism and not just calling it the "your different disease"
I was diagnosed with Autism around 7 years ago it's really hard though because I'm high-functioning which is good in a sense but it's also really hard to explain to people about mistakes I made where I acted overly sexual or took a joke too far and it's hard to explain to them that I genuinely can't really control it it's like a second part of me takes over until I snap out of it, it's easy for me to get into legal and social issues when I just don't understand what I was doing at the time. Autism to me is just linked with very impulsive inappropriate behavior in social situations for me at least but it's also partially to do with my history of trauma and whatnot that I've been working on but its certainly true that Autistic brains overly think or examine or act irrationally in situations that make them uncomfortable it's even worse when you feel like everything is your fault and you pile the guilt and the shame onto yourself for something you didn't even realize was happening. Autism is certainly challenging but not unmanageable.
The amount of ableism here is uncanny !
Impairments are only present when interacting with neurotypicals which is something to take into account. We are not broken, we are just minority.
Or when interacting with environments shaped by neurotypicals. Our cities aren't typically designed for people with sensory issues, for example.
Exactly! They just look at us as a burden and hands us over to the wolves! I get sick and tired of other neurotypical communities complaining about being a minority and how they were treated. I even heard white neurotypicals complaining about becoming a minority. Come on, really? Like we're not important too? We're the true minorities and always has been! I feel like BOTH the neurotypical left and the right is coming after us. That's why I'm not swaying either direction.
@@mathiassigneben2882 I used to hate crowds. But then when the pandemic hit, I actually welcome them back because it felt eerie going to an empty mall shopping, like being in an apocalypse. I'm basically an ambivert. I only talk to people when I'm in the mood to or I'm just picky with people.
I have relatively high functioning autism, but I'd still describe it as a disability. It gives me an edge over neurotypicals in many ways, but disables me in others. So it's fair to still call it a disability or disorder.
Yup. I never really saw having asd as anything to be proud of on contrary it embarrased me all throughout my life despite my psychiatrist telling me about how 'tHe bEsT rEseArChErS iN tHe wOrLd hAvE iT aNd ArE sAvAnTs' nah miss, I as an individual am dumb as shit and all my perks you speak of mean nothing since I am only good at useless things that wont really get me anywhere and would gladly trade brains with anyone willing to if it was a feasible and realistically achievable option.
From an evolutionary viewpoint autism is a "high cost, (very) high benefit" variation that increases a population's fitness in the long term. It is possible that autism has given us our modern technological world.
“Risk” of autism has never sat well with me as a form of language. It’s not a danger you can be at risk of. We simply have different neurotypes.
I'm of the opinion that many "autistic" traits are simply the consequences of us being different and not and implicit part of that difference. For example, we may struggle socially because society is built for neurotypicals, and trying too hard to fit in may cause excessive stress that may eventually lead to a tantrum or something similar. And our behavior isn't necessarily more "restrictive" than that of neurotypicals; As an autist, I tend to notice plenty of "restrictive" behavior in neurotypicals. It's just that most of them agree on what's considered "weird".
27 year-old full grown boy here that's in the high-functioning spectrum and is asexual typing in and have to say, this was so-well explained and straight through the bullet! ♠
So many people don't understand that being autistic or an aspie depending on the term one may want to be called is similar to playing Super Smash Bros. Classic Mode on Very Hard as our neurological people (a person without autism), is playing Classic Mode on Very Easy or at least Easy.
The reason?
It's because being on the spectrum, it can come into many challenges. I can definitely explain from my experience.
*#1:* Lack of eye contact while having a conversation with another person and feeling too nervous.
*#2:* Being overwhelmed in loud large crowds that may be too noisy to be in.
*#3:* Being sensitive to light as my mood would be slightly affected on the time of the day or having a favorite color of the outfit I would wear.
*#4:* Being obsessed with a certain topic we may be interested in (such as Geography for example), I am deeply interested in country maps, country flags, & even languages of the globe. 🌎
*#5:* We do come in different levels of the spectrum as someone like me may seem normal in public but you can easily tell I'm not once you get to know me more. Not to mention there are people that are mid & low-functioning that need more help in social situations and even the simplest tasks to communicate as well.
We are also 1% of the global population which is extremely rare even though we are the same population of Germany for example (around 77 million people give or take) as I don't even recall meeting another autistic person. Practically similar to me not even meeting another German person that speaks the language. I also had to point out asexuality as I'm also part of the 1% as I'm not into oral or anal activity as it disgusts me deeply which is also a huge possibility of my autism as us aspies are more likely to be asexual but that's something I read about from Reddit.
It's a challenge for me as I struggle not having any friends to struggling with suicidal tendencies to social / generalized anxiety & severe ptsd along adhd that my mood of feeling I'm in danger increases 10x whenever I'm out in public.
Having autism doesn't make me less of a human being, childish, or broken as it's a brain function we're born with that's seen as a disability as we don't have a disease and can live a healthy & happy life as normal people so to speak. ☺
Please pardon me for the long comment as I get deeply interested in topics about my condition as I'm not ashamed to express it and want to let anyone with autism know you need to be treated equally and loved like everyone else just as how you're born short, black, or even having curly hair! 😁
Dang. You got interested in something useful. I got interested in food and gaming..
Still not gonna make me sad about making a pizza though.
I grew up as the eldest son of deaf parents, I always thought my difficulties in life were from not speaking until much later in life as I grew up in a deaf community.
I was diagnosed when I was 60 as my eldest grandson is on the spectrum and I saw a lot of similarities. I now now have meds for anxiety and things a lot better.
It is ABSOLUTELY poorly understood. 20+ years ago doctors/specialist wrote my nonverbal child off BUT we did not. Today that child has grown into a wonderful loving adult, with a strong vocabulary, that is in college getting ready to graduate 👍
Something interesting I have observed over the years, is most individuals (including many experts), have a rather fascinating misunderstanding of Autistic Communication.
The assumption being that it isn't spectacular. This is both true, and false at the same time.
Communication exists in two condensible forms in my experience: Precise, and Transient.
In the case of precise, I am largely referring to written communication, but it can be verbal, and this is in regards to interpretation of words used.
As a high functioning ASD individual, I have discovered that when compared to almost everyone I have ever encountered, my use of language is much more precise, and developed. I recently had an issue at university, where the I contested a mark I lost, because a question was asking about measurement of a Proline concentration against Glycine.
It asked why can the glycine SC not be used to measure the unknown proline concentration, explain your reasoning.
So I did. The question asked for my reasoning, not "the" reason - there is a difference. The latter implies a strict, inherent, absolute answer, whilst the former implies an interpretative answer.
The other communication type I have labelled as transient, relates to the real time communication we experience.
Everyone develops a general frame of reference for how to interact and interpret prgamatic lagnuage and general communication. HF ASD do this also, with two minor variations:
1. The Frame of reference is usually unique to each person, that is to say, there is more than one, thus it is less easily applied to new social contacts
2. Real time communication has too many moving parts, it's like trying to solve an equation with multiple unknown variables. Later on, I can solve it, but in the transient moment, the calculations are too complex.
This is a process of trying to apply a supremely logic driven mind, into a situation that does not soley consist of logic.
But that can have an equally confusing effect on neurotypicals.
It's what made me a really good law student, and it's what is making me a fantastic Immunology student.
The focus on teaching Autistic conformation is ridiculous, it will not work. It is a tool, something to be utilised, weaponised.
You can try and teach an Autistic person to 'fit in', and you may succeed, my Psychiatrist did, but what changed his perspective, was when he and I discovered that fitting in is a flawed concept - all you can achieve is placing a complentary piece of the wrong puzzle in. No, fitting in, is an unrechable hope, perchance to dream.
The focus instead should be standing out. If people are going to call you arrogant anyway, you may as well earn the right to be arrogant in the first place.
Simply, we should be coaching HF ASD individuals not to fit in, but to use their minds to stand above, and use that ability to do aamzing things in the world
No offense, but you just came to the same conclusion people having been espousing for decades, especially more recently with motivational speakers. I've had similar experiences where I had an "epiphany", but was sadly already a common thought process amongst others lol.
❤️
@@TroublezAhead00 Not exactly. You've missed thee nuance, but I understand why.
The concept of Autism as an advantage is not a new one, not at all, but in clinical understanding, the communication aspect is still considered to be under developed. That is now a shifting paradigm.
The frame of reference idea has never been referred to in any literature, so I'm not entirely sure as to what you are talking about there.
And please, do better than "No offense", it is thinly veiled, cheap, and pathetic. Be honest. You either intend to offend, or you don't, however, whether a person is offended or not is rarely within your control, so don't act like it is.
There has to be some merit to my idea, because if not, I wouldn't have been offered a post graduate PhD opportunity in Paediatric Psychiatry, more than a year and a half before I actually finish my bachelor degree
@@thesenate3728 I always knew the senate was autistic
What means risk factors? It's genetic, it runs through my family line, but they are all very high functioning, so no one even got diagnosed. Moreover, I enjoy being on the spectrum. From my perspective I consider neurotypical people much more disordered than those with autism. I don't think it should be labeled as autism spectrum "disorder". It's stigmatizing and simply untrue.
Totally agree. Keep being the best version of you you can.
It's environmental. Or epi-genetic. How our environment and things we put in our bodies affect our genes.
Autism definetly has genetic elements, but research has shown that it might be more than just genetics. Which is something the video has mentioned as well.
As for why it's considered a disorder, that's because it's the exception, not the norm. Hence it being a disorder. Also, "disorder" is as far from stigmatizing as medicine can get. Or are you mixing it up with disease?
@@OzixiThrill I mean technically everything has genetics involved but what genes are expressed depends on environment including before birth.
As a person in this world with autism, even tho we have some harsh behavior on the people we like or trust, just note that autistic people are actually very nice people and don’t deserve to get bullied just because they have autism
My son improved excellently from his autism spectrum disorder with assistance of herbal medicine from Dr imenherbal channel on TH-cam
I, unfortunately, was misunderstood during primary school years due to my autism. I was never abused, but primary school years left such a horrible taste in my mouth. However, I’m now getting music therapy weekly and seeing a mental health nurse monthly, so hopefully, things should start looking up.
@Tiana Malcom Hmm
*Important to note* that autism come in MANY different colors and sizes. That's why it's called a spectrum. I got me a bit of Asperger but I can confidently say it has slowly decreased over the years (I'm 32 now). Had a period where I used Citalopram and that actually seemed to help a lot too 🙂 Would almost call myself "normal" nowadays, but that term is pretty tainted by itself, unfortunately...
I thought Citalopram was only used for depression. Interesting to read its used with asperger also. Oh and be happy with not being 'normal', it would be boring. Love to be a bit different.
@@renes9407 well, you're right, that was the intention. What I meant to say that it was more like a side effect - a very positive one, in this case. Psychology and drugs have a complicated interaction and different people *will* have different experiences. Just felt I should mention this is one of the possibilities.
I know this is a weird thing to ask, but what do you mean by 'normal'?
Autism is a lifelong condition, it doesn't go away
Hi, just wanting to let you know that the term asperger probably shouldn't be used anymore. You can look into what Dr asperger has done and why it was removed from the DSM.
I appreciate the addendum. It's good to know that you're taking the time and effort to listen and educate yourself.
My first grandson has ASD Type 1, but we live him the same regardless. I look forward to seeing how he develops.
Now I can finaly understand my brain. Thank you so much for posting this.
I was a 100% healthy newborn despite being born a few weeks early. But huge. My body grew proportionally with my huge autistic brain. I have a picture of my nursery group at age 4, I was more than twice the size of normal toddlers! I lacked the social skills but not the enthusiasm, so I carried those poor kids around like ragdolls. I also learned to read and write and do maths on my own long before school.
Autism was kind to me, other people were not. Parents and teachers shouted at me all the time, saying I should know better with my intellect. Other kids bullied me and if I fought back, it was my fault of course, being so large and scary...
Because I didn't understand the social heirarchy, and therefore had to manually learn it like a skill, I was automatically placed at the bottom rung by my peers. The perspectives gained from being a social outcast are invaluable, but the cost of which they're gained is harrowing and painful.
Damn that last sentence is pretty profound, true.
I know the feeling, had exactly the same expierience until my twenties, where everything took a turn for better.
Instead of understanding social heirarchy, I just ignore it. I don't care how respected someone is, I'll call out any BS I happen to find. I don't care if you're old, you earn respect, not automatically deserve it for living for a hundred and three years.
@@optimisticwatermelonagreed, this is why we irritate the neurotypicals.
As an autistic person I love learning about this :) thank you for educating me and helping me understand my brain better :)
Thanks for making this video. My girlfriend has autism and I wanted to learn more about it, so I can understand her better.