Super amazing. Bianca Toeps is one of the only foreign people on the autism spectrum to actually move and thrive in Japan successfully. Yay good for her. ❤😢
Belle resonates because she was at ease talking with animals. She read to the sheep by the fountain, and she was arguable the only one to get through to Beast (also an animal). I used to personify furniture and objects and pretend they were 'friends so Belle was an instant favorite. 🌹
Thank you, not being the loudest angriest voice sometimes makes me feel like I'm not doing enough so it was super reassuring to chat to someone who has a similar approach.
Thank you both for this insightful video! I'm currently writing a university paper on autism representation in a Danish young adult novel (Hullet) connected to emotions, and I find the research very tiring at times because I come across either outdated info or things discussing new insights and thus reflecting the outdated opinions still prevalent in even professional fields. There's a whole rabbit hole I could get into regarding alexithymia and autism and how they are not sufficiently separated in the diagnosis criteria, but I'll save you from that. Anyhow, it all hits quite close to home since I have a sister who got her diagnosis some years back in her early twenties, yet when I expressed to the professionals diagnosing her that I thought I might be on the spectrum as well, they just brushed me off without knowing anything about me, probably because I was making eye contact and being polite. By now, I am in my early twenties and I've gotten the classical array of other things diagnosed that often happen to women on the spectrum (depression, anxiety, adhd), and while I do think those are correct, too, it upsets me that I by now appear to know more about autism than the professionals around me (as they are not autism experts, just general mental health professionals or medical doctors). It is so exhausting to have to fight an uphill battle to even be TESTED, I'm not asking for a diagnosis without testing, just to be allowed to fill in some forms. So yes, as you can see, I feel very strongly about many of the things you discussed, and now I have to go check whether I can get my hands on that book :D
I am so sorry that you are going through this!!! I feel the same kind of thing is happening in my extended family… with some getting the diagnosis and others overlooked. I hope you will eventually get a diagnosis or at least a lot of validation. ❤️❤️❤️
Yeesss, I feel so recognized with your words! I too feel the exact same way about feeling like the expert and honestly all this mental health hill I've been climbing with diagnosis ( bipolar, adhd, anxiety, catatonia, depression)and medications forced upon me ( even with horrible side effects due to body sensitivity) has given me trauma. All I ask is to be given an opportunity to get assesed, that's it! Why do they make it so hard and exclusive...All my psychiatrist did was give me a quotient test, which all indicated autism, but since I'm in my 20 I'm not able to get aseesed because assessments are only for those under 18 in my insurance....medical professionals treat autism as a "childhood" disorder and leave all those adults who would still benefit from resources for the neurodiverse behind and forgotten and forced to somehow work within the boundaries of mental health institutions and I'll informed doctors who only see what they were taught. You start to doubt yourself and deny the autism suspicion because of them and begin to believe the other diagnosis ( some which might be true but miss a big part of the distress autism might cause ) I'm currently working on becoming neuropsychiatrist all due to my experience and other (especially women) who have been diagnosed with other mental health conditions and might also have a comorbid mental disorder alongside autism! I'm so happy for this platform and to be able to make this turmoil a little less overwhelming and I hope you receive your assessment soon , we deserve it no matter what they tell us ❤ P.s sorry for my spelling > < I typed this a little too fast and not willing to use auto correct lol
@@Scoobiekittydoo So sorry that you're in a similar mess, it's really heartbreaking how elitist much of the mental health professional care still is, and so frustrating when they are age-restricting diagnosis and treatment for life-long conditions! Wishing you lots of strength :)
@@Scoobiekittydoo I appreciate your post so much I’m going through the exact same thing… all my life felt different incredibly artistic, musical, sensitive, the noise was too much, the lights were too much, the people were too much. I was always crying or nervous or biting my nails. I must’ve been presenting in the more masculine way I got in trouble a lot but then I learned to mask I guess and I learn to fit in although I suffered, and got in trouble all the time- addiction issues and sexual abuse situation happened and I feel lucky to survived my teens. I started having at weight gain issues, eating and hoarding issues…I mean the list goes on. So they say oh you’re depressed or anxious and finally at 48 they diagnosed me with ADHD waited two years to get into a hospital in Canada two years with a therapist that wasn’t even an actual therapist- he was a trauma I don’t even know but not clinically trained to even be meeting with me about ADHD and like you said I ended up reading everything I could for three years and now at 51 - I’m thinking this isn’t just ADHD this must be ASD. In my life I worked as a professional supporting people with autism and being an advocate for nonverbal people - all my life I’ve been drawn to autism community along with anyone else who is an outsider are treated differently or bullied. And now I spent all my energy trying to advocate for myself- I’m on a waiting list to meet at the psychiatrist in Canada which was supposed to have universal healthcare it’s a 7 month wait and see a counsellor to 5 month wait. And even then I think it will be a real struggle to get diagnosed here in Canada they don’t even consider ADHD to be a disability or anything that needs accommodations if you’re an adult. So I watch RUclips videos and I read more and I track symptoms. I practice self-care and honour myself and know that all the little things that I’ve been fighting when I support myself I can really excel but it is pretty exhausting. I found purple Ella, because she was talking about digestive issues and right now I think that’s my number one barrier to work is my constant ibs because I get so nervous about what might happen in the situation. If only I could just ask for the support I needed I could be a great worker. and I know I will be again. I just have to get the right match for what I’m doing or just work for myself and get enough coaching to set that up. thank God I have my music and my guitar and I’m able to write songs…you guys are amazing thank you for posting we’re all going to rise up together and we will change the world for late diagnose people for women and for doctors to actually understand it doesn’t end at 18. Imagine if they put that much energy into Viagra or photo shopping or jingles. Oh and my special interests are songwriting medical marijuana life on other planets, and probably the mind what makes us tic. Anyway this is a long post but it feels good to talk to other people who get it keep taking care of yourself.
I've been looking into autism for a while now because I think (at this point I'm almost certain) that I'm autistic. Bianca's book and your videos are both so helpful and have made me realise so many things about myself, so seeing this was a really fun crossover
Thanks for this video. I really enjoyed your book, Bianca! One of the most relatable ones I've come across. P.S. I also had an interest in Japan and did study abroad there.
Yes 🤗👍🏼👏🏼100% I agree. 🤗👍🏼👏🏼I used shape my mask to be in situations that weren’t meant for me. Today I don’t care if people like or not at my age? I’m Grateful for those who are still in my life for my Authentic Self🌱💛Being kind is not all a bad thing I do have Trust Issue due to my Life Experiences. You’re Both Fantastic Ladies! Take Care & Thank You.💛
thanks Ella and Bianca - I was interested in your comment Ella that your views on Theory of mind have changed - it would be great to know what your current thinking is please - thanks 🌺
![Autistic Adults in Japan [ENG CC]](/img/1.gif)
Super amazing. Bianca Toeps is one of the only foreign people on the autism spectrum to actually move and thrive in Japan successfully. Yay good for her. ❤😢
Thank you so much for having me!
Thank you for having this chat with me, I really enjoyed chatting to you.
My special interests are: meteorology, Marvel and DC superhero genre, Sci-fi and Sci-fi fantasy as well everything about Scotland.
Belle resonates because she was at ease talking with animals. She read to the sheep by the fountain, and she was arguable the only one to get through to Beast (also an animal). I used to personify furniture and objects and pretend they were 'friends so Belle was an instant favorite. 🌹
I love what you guys say about avoiding angry advocacy and instead going with more compassionate and understanding advocacy.
Thank you, not being the loudest angriest voice sometimes makes me feel like I'm not doing enough so it was super reassuring to chat to someone who has a similar approach.
I love Bianca's book to pieces and your channel, too!
My interests are Japan, Japanese language, world history, politics and collecting coins.
Thank you both for this insightful video! I'm currently writing a university paper on autism representation in a Danish young adult novel (Hullet) connected to emotions, and I find the research very tiring at times because I come across either outdated info or things discussing new insights and thus reflecting the outdated opinions still prevalent in even professional fields. There's a whole rabbit hole I could get into regarding alexithymia and autism and how they are not sufficiently separated in the diagnosis criteria, but I'll save you from that. Anyhow, it all hits quite close to home since I have a sister who got her diagnosis some years back in her early twenties, yet when I expressed to the professionals diagnosing her that I thought I might be on the spectrum as well, they just brushed me off without knowing anything about me, probably because I was making eye contact and being polite. By now, I am in my early twenties and I've gotten the classical array of other things diagnosed that often happen to women on the spectrum (depression, anxiety, adhd), and while I do think those are correct, too, it upsets me that I by now appear to know more about autism than the professionals around me (as they are not autism experts, just general mental health professionals or medical doctors). It is so exhausting to have to fight an uphill battle to even be TESTED, I'm not asking for a diagnosis without testing, just to be allowed to fill in some forms. So yes, as you can see, I feel very strongly about many of the things you discussed, and now I have to go check whether I can get my hands on that book :D
I am so sorry that you are going through this!!! I feel the same kind of thing is happening in my extended family… with some getting the diagnosis and others overlooked. I hope you will eventually get a diagnosis or at least a lot of validation. ❤️❤️❤️
@@thirtycats Thank you :)
Yeesss, I feel so recognized with your words! I too feel the exact same way about feeling like the expert and honestly all this mental health hill I've been climbing with diagnosis ( bipolar, adhd, anxiety, catatonia, depression)and medications forced upon me ( even with horrible side effects due to body sensitivity) has given me trauma. All I ask is to be given an opportunity to get assesed, that's it! Why do they make it so hard and exclusive...All my psychiatrist did was give me a quotient test, which all indicated autism, but since I'm in my 20 I'm not able to get aseesed because assessments are only for those under 18 in my insurance....medical professionals treat autism as a "childhood" disorder and leave all those adults who would still benefit from resources for the neurodiverse behind and forgotten and forced to somehow work within the boundaries of mental health institutions and I'll informed doctors who only see what they were taught. You start to doubt yourself and deny the autism suspicion because of them and begin to believe the other diagnosis ( some which might be true but miss a big part of the distress autism might cause ) I'm currently working on becoming neuropsychiatrist all due to my experience and other (especially women) who have been diagnosed with other mental health conditions and might also have a comorbid mental disorder alongside autism! I'm so happy for this platform and to be able to make this turmoil a little less overwhelming and I hope you receive your assessment soon , we deserve it no matter what they tell us ❤
P.s sorry for my spelling > < I typed this a little too fast and not willing to use auto correct lol
@@Scoobiekittydoo So sorry that you're in a similar mess, it's really heartbreaking how elitist much of the mental health professional care still is, and so frustrating when they are age-restricting diagnosis and treatment for life-long conditions! Wishing you lots of strength :)
@@Scoobiekittydoo I appreciate your post so much I’m going through the exact same thing… all my life felt different incredibly artistic, musical, sensitive, the noise was too much, the lights were too much, the people were too much. I was always crying or nervous or biting my nails. I must’ve been presenting in the more masculine way I got in trouble a lot but then I learned to mask I guess and I learn to fit in although I suffered, and got in trouble all the time- addiction issues and sexual abuse situation happened and I feel lucky to survived my teens. I started having at weight gain issues, eating and hoarding issues…I mean the list goes on. So they say oh you’re depressed or anxious and finally at 48 they diagnosed me with ADHD waited two years to get into a hospital in Canada two years with a therapist that wasn’t even an actual therapist- he was a trauma I don’t even know but not clinically trained to even be meeting with me about ADHD and like you said I ended up reading everything I could for three years and now at 51 - I’m thinking this isn’t just ADHD this must be ASD. In my life I worked as a professional supporting people with autism and being an advocate for nonverbal people - all my life I’ve been drawn to autism community along with anyone else who is an outsider are treated differently or bullied.
And now I spent all my energy trying to advocate for myself- I’m on a waiting list to meet at the psychiatrist in Canada which was supposed to have universal healthcare it’s a 7 month wait and see a counsellor to 5 month wait. And even then I think it will be a real struggle to get diagnosed here in Canada they don’t even consider ADHD to be a disability or anything that needs accommodations if you’re an adult.
So I watch RUclips videos and I read more and I track symptoms. I practice self-care and honour myself and know that all the little things that I’ve been fighting when I support myself I can really excel but it is pretty exhausting.
I found purple Ella, because she was talking about digestive issues and right now I think that’s my number one barrier to work is my constant ibs because I get so nervous about what might happen in the situation. If only I could just ask for the support I needed I could be a great worker. and I know I will be again. I just have to get the right match for what I’m doing or just work for myself and get enough coaching to set that up. thank God I have my music and my guitar and I’m able to write songs…you guys are amazing thank you for posting we’re all going to rise up together and we will change the world for late diagnose people for women and for doctors to actually understand it doesn’t end at 18. Imagine if they put that much energy into Viagra or photo shopping or jingles.
Oh and my special interests are songwriting medical marijuana life on other planets, and probably the mind what makes us tic. Anyway this is a long post but it feels good to talk to other people who get it keep taking care of yourself.
I've been looking into autism for a while now because I think (at this point I'm almost certain) that I'm autistic. Bianca's book and your videos are both so helpful and have made me realise so many things about myself, so seeing this was a really fun crossover
Thanks for this video. I really enjoyed your book, Bianca! One of the most relatable ones I've come across. P.S. I also had an interest in Japan and did study abroad there.
Yes 🤗👍🏼👏🏼100% I agree. 🤗👍🏼👏🏼I used shape my mask to be in situations that weren’t meant for me. Today I don’t care if people like or not at my age? I’m Grateful for those who are still in my life for my Authentic Self🌱💛Being kind is not all a bad thing I do have Trust Issue due to my Life Experiences. You’re Both Fantastic Ladies! Take Care & Thank You.💛
I might have to comment here multiple times!!! But first: I love the: first the parks, then the songs, then the movies. THAT is so me.
My special interest is also Japan!
thanks Ella and Bianca - I was interested in your comment Ella that your views on Theory of mind have changed - it would be great to know what your current thinking is please - thanks 🌺
That's a good suggestion, I'll have a think about making a video about that.
It is becoming more apparent that ASD has an affinity for things Japanese, this needs further research.
Re: the red thread. I’ve heard of the golden thread used in Buddhism
Oh interesting, it's a lovely image
Cool video