So after watching, tell us ⤵️ what surprised you, what questions you still have, and anything you'd add to this list of things you wish everyone knew about autism!
There are many studies whose focus is the subconscious ability for people to notice an autistic person during socialization. Many of these studies show that people are prone to avoiding autistics or be more likely to treat them negatively. Many times, people will pick on us without ever understanding why, when their minds are reacting to the mismatched communication skills as a possible threat
I'm just starting to explore my autism (self-diagnosed 45yo), and I didn't realize my self-soothing stims were considered real stims, because I thought stimming was only done when overwhelmed and trying to calm down. And this is the first time I've ever said this to another person (or many persons!), but I also suck my thumb sometimes to self-soothe and this has been a source of IMMENSE shame throughout my adult life. None of my partners or roommates ever knew because I was stealth about that, I knew a thumb sucking adult was completely unacceptable (until now). I literally thought I would take this secret with me to my grave until I saw this video and realized that's part of my autism and I shouldn't be ashamed of that anymore.
What I wished everyone knew about autism: Just because someone is autistic, doesn't mean the person is necessarily broken. We may have our things, we struggle with, but they can be also positive. Like, yes, it's annoying when I can't focus on our conversation because a subtle noise that you can't hear, even when I'm pointing it out, is so distracting that I can't hear anything else but that. But on the other hand, that noise could be caused by a faulty electrical chord that was waiting to start a fire. And because that noise is bothering me so much, I won't stop looking for what is causing it, until I found it. Yes, it's annoying when I get hung up on a tiny detail that's slightly wrong. Or pointing weird stuff out, that has got absolutely nothing to do with what we are engaged with. But these two traits could make me see that you are about to eat moldy bread or the fly on your spareribs and stop you from doing so. You're welcome. And although it apparently can be uncomfortable talking to an autistic person who is also very direct, at least you can be sure, that I say what I mean and mean what I say. No playing games. It's not always helping our social life, when our brain gets obsessed with one topic. And being on the receiving end of info dumping can be exhausting, I get it. But I think it's an beautiful thing, how much knowledge about a certain topic we can gather, as soon it got our attention. One week ago I didn't know, that I would be capable of remembering so many botanical names of aquarium plants and that I would be interested in them in general. But today I have got twelve on the lined up, all awaiting to be planted in according to their individual needs.
Always love your videos! I feel the need to point out that introverts can also enjoy being around (the right) people and getting attention. The difference is that extroverts recharge their batteries with social interaction, whereas introverts are drained and need alone time to recharge. I think that is really misunderstood in general.
Man, story of my life right there. Being Autistic, ADHD. Introverted, etc. can be ... challenging ... at times. Especially for me, being a public speaker/announcer. Extrovert on the outside, but on the inside, I crave solitude ... and some soothing Classical music.
@@KellyRVaden That's outstanding. It is so difficult to explain this to people. It is like a breath of fresh air when someone truly understands. This reply has made my day. Now I am ready to go out and face the world (at least my small corner of it). Thank you. :)
Chris has actually mentioned that in a few of his past videos, I think because he is pretty extroverted a lot of times which most people don't associate with autism. But yeah, the right people are fun to be around... for about 2 or 3 hours, and then the batteries need to recharge for a month lol.
I'm born with Triple-x syndrome, I was diagnosed while I was still in my mothers bbelly, they got the option to abort me, cause in the 90s they were like *danger danger* she may be autistic, but it was my parents last chance of a kid, as my mother already was in her late 30s and had a miscarriage a few years before me, after 3 kids.. So all my life I struggled in social enviroments and school, as I was often taken out of math, reading and language classes cause I couldn't keep up with my fellow peers and got easily overwhelmed. To be taught on a smaller team, and than put back in my own class and still had to do the homework that I had no clue about, cause I was just trying to learn and catch up, thats how it felt my first 18 years of life, as I ended up dropping out of high school, than my mother send me to a therapist with a letter in hand, that read "please my daughter is lazy, please fix her", my parents oversaw and just listened to my teachers and doc that i would grow out of it all of my life. Instead of seeking professional help for my struggles, i worked best in Art class and social studies cause it was actually interesting, but sadly my parents wouldn't let me go that way for school cause it wouldn't bring in any money they said, and the quiet kid that been taught your elders knows best, listened ofc. So today i'm 34 and stuck in this constant loop of emotions, and trauma from my childhood and past relationships cause managed to get attracted to the wrong type of ppl (cause apparently I was trying to seek approval, of being good enough). I know i have undiagnosed ADHD and Autism, I've talked with therapist that also thinks I have complex- ptsd plus other stuff. But sadly trying to get ahold of psych in this day and age is impossible, cause we have 130 of them and 300k+ ppl that need a psych (2 years waitlists and if you say you have adhd ref they wont take you cause its not condemned life threatening here), so I have called every single one, I hate phonecalls btw, takes a lot of energy. I have stumbled through my entire 20s, and first now realizing in my 30s that I need help, but no professional here in Denmark wants to listen to me :( I have alot of the issues you mention with Autism, and ADHD. I'm very grateful for your content, and feel that you give us invisible children/adults a platform to share and reflect, and feel less alone. And understood, so Thank you.
i am so so sorry for the experiences you’ve had over the years, including the lack of support and compassion.😔 i truly wish for you many open doors and opportunities that will lead you towards becoming your best, well-treated, self. continue at it! and if you have to end up travelling outside of Denmark to seek and receive the treatment you need and deserve, i say go for it!
It will make me very happy when these researchers finally figure out we are just humans whose brains work differently than the majority...and it's only a "disability" when society makes it one by not supporting our needs...like having clean Ubers in your case. It's just the way some of us are...like some are gay, and some are redheads, or left handed dominant.
Yes! This is why I have never described my autistic son as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. The “disorder” part pisses me off. I’ve always explained to him he simply processes information differently but there’s nothing wrong with that. If we all thought the same no one would ever innovate or invent anything new or solve problems no one else could.
@@deirdrestatham5730 Spot on. Being Autistic myself, I have never considered it to be a "disability" in my case. Of course there are some for whom it really is a disability, but for me that is not the case. The part about processing things differently hits home with me. I can have something explained to me in detail, but I tend to struggle until I have processed it my own way. Hard to explain. On the other hand, sometimes I will explain something in a way that makes perfect sense to me, but the person I am talking to will not quite get it. I have learned that I can do a lot of things that others do. I just need to do many of them in a different way. My boss at work is sometimes confused at the way I do things, but I think that after over 12 years he has come to (mostly) understand that even though I may approach things differently the job gets done, and done correctly....in spite of my sometimes "quirky" ways of doing it. BTW, yes, I really do love my job, and the people I work with. They have for the most part accepted me as Autistic and have moved on to being simply friends and co-workers. Hard to explain, but coming out as Autistic has been extremely liberating to me. I wish all Autistics had it this good. My heart goes out to your son. I wish all the best for him as he makes his journey through life. I don't know you or him, and probably never will, but from one Autistic to another, always remember that we can do this...maybe a little differently, bur we CAN do this.
Well, I mean this isn't entirely true. Some autistic people have such high support needs that they need multiple caregivers 24/7. So it really is a disability in some cases and that would remain true even if things were different.
Just yesterday I had a health professional say to me, "aren't we all a little bit Adhd these days?" As the conversation progressed, I mentioned I had the old school experience conflicting diagnoses of adhd and autism. She responded with, "Oohhh, you've been diagnosed." Not the first time this conversation has happened with medical professionals though sometimes it's just an eye roll.
ADHD is especially prone to getting this kind of reaction, because everyone will experience reduced executive fincruoning at times. But it’s not the same thing as all the time, which is what the criteria does try to suss out. Though that aspect sometimes leads professionals to imagine that the condition is wholly static and unchanging. As Barkley has observed, symptoms remain consistent over time, but levels of impairment can increase or decrease depending on circumstances. And diagnosis is still catching up from the time when the view was that you could only have one or the other. Presumably, lots of AuDHDers got diagnosed with whichever was most perceived, and the other thus assumed not to be present.
These videos help me to stop blaming myself for being sensitive and hyper focused and missing social cues and burning out and melting down and accept myself instead. This has really improved my quality of life because I now realize it's ok to do the things that make me feel ok so I stopped pushing myself to act and talk like other people my age and adapt and accommodate. I thought I was a bad person, just I'm just neurodivergent. So it's good to do self-care because then I can adapt and thrive. And it's giving me hope that I'll be able to find a career. Thank you!
I just laughed out loud, thankfully I'm just sitting here with my dog. You're hilarious. Thank you for your videos; they are so helpful. We have a family member with level 2 Autism, and this helps me understand so much better.
I’m so glad I found this channel. I was diagnosed in February this year, just prior to turning 40. I wish I knew and understood this earlier in life. It certainly explains a lot. Self taught: - Guitar - Bass - Dobro - Mandolin - Can play a banjo and piano if you give me a few minutes to put the sounds together - Software Developer (And more)
I, too, was diagnosed with ADHD well before I was diagnosed with any form of autism, and for the same reason: it was far more obvious. But I’d like to address something else in the video: the date of 2013 for the changeover to “ASD” from “Asperger’s Syndrome.” On one hand, I do want to thank you for accurately portraying the intended reasons for the change in the DSM-V, and for not linking it by mistake to any controversies surrounding the life of Dr. Hans Asperger (which were not publicized until 2018). That over-hyped misinformation has actually gotten autistics taunted online, especially if we have doubts about the change (as some people do). However, I have to point out that the change was only *proposed* in 2013, not enacted until the DSM-V was published with the change in 2015. Thank you.
I have high functioning autism and ADHD (im almost 16), im definitely doing a lot better in daily life now than i was, lets say 4-5 years ago. I had a speech therapist for about 3-4 years through elementary and middle school. The one thing that affects me most is really loud noise. I HATE IT. When my school has these "pep rallies", everyone, and i mean EVERYONE in my school is there, yelling and cheering while im just there hating the noise, i get a headache every time i go to one, because i have to. Emotionally, kinda eh rn, broke up with my ex a couple days ago and not sure how to feel about it. Anyways great video :)
Are you diagnosed and able to get accommodations? I went to work the Monday following Hurricane Helene and I live in North Carolina. I gotta work and the fire alarm was going off. It took them 45 minutes to get it off. I got to my computer and saw no internet. I texted my boss that I was leaving. This past week I apologized to him, as I didn't explain the sensory issues and I was done for the day. The plus side is that I found earplugs in my desk from when they tested the alarms last. Time to bring more to work. Thqt saved me. Otherwise I would have left sooner
I am glad that you made this video. My oldest son, who was born in 2000, was only diagnosed with ADHD. My younger son, born in 2007, was diagnosed several years ago with AuDHD. My older son is obviously on the autism spectrum and I have felt like I did something totally wrong with the diagnosis process back when he was little. I guess it was just that their 7 year age gap made all of the difference and a major change in the DSM.
I had the joy of growing up with a narcissistic mother that hated me for being different than my cousins. To this day she would rather tell people that I am a problem rather than autistic. I find it kind of strange how many autistic males have similar stories.
Yup. I walked around on a broken ankle for 3 days before finally going to the doctor but WHY HASNT ANYONE CHANGED THE SMOKE ALARM BATTERY????!!! Can you NOT HEAR THAT???? 🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂 Yes! On my wedding day, while I was getting dressed, I was running through the house and crushed my little toe against a door frame. Bones were broken. One hour before the wedding ceremony. Later that day we took the wedding party to hospital as one of my best friends was in and couldn't come to the wedding. Months later when I was telling someone the story they asked why I didn't get some treatment, painkillers at least, since I was at the hospital anyway. Didn't occur to me! 😂
I’m a little jealous of the people like you guys that can’t seem to feel much pain (though it seems like a double edged sword, so maybe it’s a good thing I’m more sensitive to pain? I dunno 😆)
I really like that you do the talk in stereo, or at least not in full mono. It makes it so much easier to follow you, because it does not feel artificial.
I’m now 44, I tried to get a diagnosis a few years back, according to the doctors I am a point off autism and a point off ADHD, very much neurodivergent, but not enough for an official diagnosis. They state that because I have friends and I have held important jobs, I couldn’t possibly be autistic. Most of my friends are autistic or very much on the spectrum and it was them that pointed me towards getting a proper diagnosis as I do struggle with stuff that I shouldn’t struggle with
I am looking for an autism evaluation at 67. I was told by one psychologist that she "can't diagnose something I have learned to mask" wtf? Isn't that the work? Maybe she thinks I should be younger.....discrimination is just frustrating!
This is interesting to read but sounds frustrating to not get very clear information about your brain. Have you been able to make adjustments to your life based on what you have realized you struggle with? I also think the two things you mentioned (having friends, having important jobs) are examples of somewhat outdated misconceptions of autism. It seems a bit like the "you seem to be functioning well enough..." part of why the "high functioning" label doesn't work well (in my opinion). BUT I also don't know you personally and can't diagnose you so I'm not sure if the same doctors would still say the same thing today that they said years back when you had met them. From what I've read, the understanding of the autism spectrum keeps evolving, even for therapists and medical professionals. But in the meantime, I hope you're finding some ways to accommodate yourself better too.
@@ChrisandDebby I have made a fair few changes in my life and have found ways of getting around my struggles. The people around me accept me (and my strange ways of doing stuff). My partner picks up the slack when I have issues and vice versa. My big issue at the moment is motivation, and being able to prioritise what is important, I get overwhelmed quite quickly and end up with executive dysfunction and just stare into space for a few hours while I try to work out what I actually need to do.
this is the first video ive been able to play in my car. yay. it was like listening to a nice smooth podcast. youve got a great voice. i sure dont miss those sound effects. thanks again
Woohoo! New achievement in our video creation journey unlocked 🙌 On a side note we're talking about possibly doing a podcast in the future. We'll make sure the sound effects are kept minimal 😆 Thanks for your ongoing support - we really appreciate it!
@@ChrisandDebby Agreed, minimal sound effects at a reasonable volume! Thank you! I really appreciate you guys, same story as many but I started doing more research and being more honest with myself and am pursuing services in hopes of getting a diagnosis or at least help of some sort. Your channel is one of the main ones Ive been watching and listening to. I believe I have AuDHD, and I strongly believe I have ARFID in relation to that, its an eating disorder. It causes me a lot of trouble Ive never understood and got me in a lot of trouble as a kid I couldnt help and couldnt understand why. Thanks for helping me start figuring out who I am and to pursue help.
@@ChrisandDebby a podcast sounds wonderful. thanks for being open to viewer suggestions. I could feel your artistic drive thru the screen. you've done an amazing job distilling your craft.
Chris, thank you for putting out these videos. They make such a big difference for so many and are appreciated more than you could possibly know. Your point about introversion/extroversion hit home. I need alone time but I also love people time, with _certain_ people. That I want people time at all has made me question whether it's possible I could be autistic even though I check so many other boxes, so this was enlightening. A while back you wrote a really thoughtful reply to one of my comments that obviously took some time. I was gonna reply back but couldn't right then, then couldn't find it again after that, have felt bad that I couldn't at least say thanks. I had commented on my dilemma of whether to seek an eval for ASD, what difference it would make for an old guy (55 now) who checks SO many of the boxes but long ago diagnosed with ADHD. Your response was basically "it's good to know for sure", and after months of mulling I concluded you're right and I should. Since then my challenge has been finding a clinician who can help me with this. Almost all the resources I've identitfied in my area are limited to children and the few who mention adult evals seem sketchy, "specialize" in 35 other things completely unrelated to autism, and only do "remote" appointments. This is important and will probably be expensive, and I have a lot of trouble with talking on the phone and video calls, but those are the only options I've found in my area. I'm in Ohio, in a big city, seems like there should be more options!? So my question for you (or anyone else reading this).... Is there a good directory of providers in USA who work with ASD in adults, and/or an organization that can provide guidance for this? Thank you!! (By the way, I agree, the nose hairs are annoying as hell. But don't fret. You'll notice them far less when they also start popping out from your ears and between your eyebrows, and start disappearing from your scalp. Aging is awesome! 🤣)
About the fourth point on the list… I have a whole washing list of medical conditions and I’ve had quite a few surgeries as a baby/young child which I can’t remember. I have quite a few unique medical things professionals are still finding more about to this day.
From a transdiagnostic perspective, neurodevelopment is a complex process that involved many different variables that interact over time in an interdynamic way. Many things can influence this neurodevelopment, like sensory differences, adverse events, genetic syndromes, mutations, and just common variation, leading to many conditions, which are often co-ocurring.
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According to you before 2013 Asperger Syndrome was not considered a form of autism. I don't remember it this way. I've checked the wikipedia's article from december 2012 and it starts: «Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger disorder, is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)» In fact, the first draft of the article in 2002 started as: «Asperger's Disorder (or Asperger's Syndrome) is also known as high-functioning autism»
SHYYYYYYYYYYY❤😂❤😂❤😂❤😂❤ I personally think that Autism is nature playing with evolution, I think we are the first tries of natures for the next human evolution. I saying it because of the moral compass that we have as a build in feature.
I think we are a strong argument for the “punctuated equilibrium” model of evolution, rather than the gradualism model. PE, as I understand it, suggests that the dominant traits in a species can effectively change suddenly, rather than bit by bit through advantages conferred by incremental “improvements.” The way this is hypothesized to work is that what changes rapidly is the environment, and sudden changes may abruptly cause traits present in a subset of the species to confer advantage. Technology would be an example. Coding is now a sought after skill, as Chris noted, and it’s one that autistic people are often good at. My father had trouble keeping a job until he stumbled onto early computer programming.
I'm very sensitive to certain flavours, especially the bitterness of cruciferous vegetables, but I have a high pain tolerance, and can block pain when I choose.
Again- another helpful video ❤. I will attempt to only make limited comments but there is so much I'd like to say! 20 years ago i asked my therapist why I blurted out random words or sounds...he called it normal thinking i did it to entertain. But I think it was for a neurodivergent reason because it just popped out and was for no one else!
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (and several co-morbidities); there’s a very high rate of Autism in EDSers. My ADHD was diagnosed in my thirties, but my Autism wasn’t diagnosed until after age 60; which tracks with the updated DSM diagnostic criteria. I’m grateful to have answers/more information to understand myself and my life experiences ☮️
Thanks Chris …. Awesome and so Funny … my Husband who has ADDD and Autism, has just Broken his arm in two places, he swam like this for two days , in the ocean ( we live in Tassie)..not knowing it was broken… even my trying to point out the swelling and black arm was not getting through…he thought it was just arthritis because he’s now 63 yrs …. Yeah that’s one way of looking at it … didn’t know his arm was broke , 3 days of trying to get him to understand that it’s really not arthritis… he honestly didn’t make the connection to the gate slamming his arm = Broken before it didn’t really hurt …. 😮 Anyone else relate … 😊🙈🙏
Yup! I broke my little toe (crushed against a door frame while running through the house) one hour before my wedding ceremony. Later that day we visited a friend in hospital and it didn't occur to me to get it looked at while I was there. It was purple and swollen through my honeymoon. I never did get it checked. 😂
I would add problems with executive functioning. For me this looks like everything is so very important, that I struggle setting priorities. As a consequence, when I work on one thing, I get anxious because at that particular moment i am not working on something else, that feels equally important. Also, I need a lot of time after I finish one task, to start concentrating on the next one. These two factors chronically impact my productivity. There are, however, some tasks that I focus on so completely that these struggles disappear. So I hope that, in the future, those can become a bigger part of my job.
Yes, you're right that executive functioning and what you described is also a very common challenge. Thanks for sharing this - and just curious, what's your job at the moment? Sounds like having a role that allows you to hyperfocus and complete one thing at a time will be great for you
@@ChrisandDebby I divide my time over three things, all of which I love, but the dividing is making me struggle: tourist guiding, scientific illustrating and biological field research. All is either seasonal and/or project dependent, which means that financial uncertainty adds another layer of anxiety. In the future, I want to do a lot more of one and a lot less of the other two, but right now none is sustainable on its own. P.s. I have visited Taiwan very, very briefly a couple of years ago, and I really want to return one day. After a fair, I skipped organized tours (because I anyway needed alone time) and went hiking in the forests near Alishan. I am in the forest almost every day of my life, but to be in a forest where every plant and every insect was new, was totally unforgettable. I felt very safe there too.
When I worked at a big software firm managing/mothering a team of smart high masking types, 'randomizing' somebody else's team was a high cardinal sin. All the high social people in charge of software teams actively guarded their coders' calm uninterrupted work spaces, and gossipped fiercely about managers with the terminity to mess with another manager's workers by saying good morning or bringing coffee to their desks.
Great idea! Will add this to our list - because yes, for me, when I can't do a special interest, it doesn't mean my brain isn't constantly still thinking about it...and not much else...😆 is it the same for you?
@@ChrisandDebby Its always been the same for me. If work and life keep me away from my special interests I gradually get depressed. In recent years I had children and what this has meant is because of the anxiety and suppression of special interests I cannot keep up with bills and lack any energy for masking at work etc. before kids I used to be quite good with bills because I would schedule them around my special interests and my other essential activities. But with routine gone and special interests almost unreachable most days I feel anxious.
Another thing is that sometimes our sensitivities don't make sense, and we know that. For example, I work in healthcare. I can handle the worst smells a body can produce - no problem. But air freshener? Perfume? Incense? Very likely to give me a massive headache. No, I can't explain it, but I promise it's not something I make up to avoid hugging Aunt Mildred.
EXACTLY!!!! I’d rather stand in horse manure than be exposed to dryer sheets or fabric softeners. Not only do I get a headache but my brain gets hot, like it’s inflamed and my personality can change 😮 So for everyone’s safety, I bounce out of many situations fast!
The fragrances in those things are endocrine disruptors, among other things, so it makes sense that your body is giving you alarm bells for it. I’m very similar.
Yes! I always described this as chemical sensitivities. But the weird thing is that real flowers with strong fragrances are also a problem. It’s true that I’ve always had “hay fever” allergies, and that’s possibly a connection. Realizing, in recent years, that histimines are neurotransmitters has made me wonder...
I don't think I've ever felt as validated as when you did the word blurting. I've spent 40 years feeling very confused (and hid it from everyone other than my partner) I get words on repeat in my head for days and random phases, then I end up having to say them out loud in ridiculous ways. I'll stand in the kitchen on my own doing a weird dance and singing/saying/shouting a phase over and over hahaha I don't know why but I can't not do it. It's so nice to finally not feel alone in it! 😊
Hi, I am blind and I have autism. I absolutely love listening to your videos. One thing that we both have in common is and I’ve noticed this. You have a way of explaining things that really get my attention because of how funny they are and we both love to do rocking and to yell random things just because we can Like when I’m listening to a movie I love to yell out lines from it that I find particularly funny or interesting and I love doing it in the most exaggerated voice. I can make like if they’re yelling something that I find particularly funny. I’ll repeat that line in the most high-pitched Exaggerated voice and it just makes me feel awesome but whenever I have to do masking, I get really grumpy and then I pretend to hate all of the things that I absolutely love and love all of the things that I find absolutely not very funny like when I’m with my sister and I’m pretending that I really love Movies that are similar to 50 shades which I find really gross and disgusting and then I pretend to really hate watching stuff like the Muppets, which I absolutely love watching on Disney+. I really love those because they are absolutely crazy weird and everybody is different. I also really love movies from the 80s Particularly ones directed by Steven Spielberg and I’ll watch anything if it has a character named Harry in it or Willie because I have a thing with certain names, I don’t know how to explain it. Also, if parts of this comment looks weird it’s because I’m using dictation instead of manual typing because due to being blind, as well as having autism, I am screen leader dependent, meaning that I use a screen reader software that reads the screen in this case voiceover on my iPad, so I can’t really turn voiceover off in order to use quick typing because if I turn my screen reader off, that would be like if somebody was dependent on wearing glasses in order to see, and you took the glasses from that person
There’s an article by Claire Jack in Psychology Today, 8/2022, describing how autism “spectrum” implies a linear aspect to symptoms. She thinks it should have more of a pie chart method of describing the symptoms. I would take this a step further and consider the symptoms existing in a three-dimensional sphere, which in my mind would give a broader range for symptoms and variances.
Apropos of nothing, I found a new stim!! I realized that my rings make a delightful noise when I clap. But I will only do it when I'm in a loud place or by myself.
I am on a 3 year waiting list to see if I am Autistic or have ADHD. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia as a child and Borderline Personality Disorder 2 years ago, but I still feel like there is something else. Have had my family tell me it's impossible, but other people I am close with say otherwise; so am a bit lost atm. Watching your videos, and others, I can relate to a lot of what you are saying. The way you show/explain really explains things well to me. Much easier for me to understand and compare to what is concidered normal vs autistic/adhd. Especially as I am female, your female vid was both useful and super funny. Love that wig btw! Any tips while waiting to find out if I am ADHD/Autistic? It's a LONG wait for me, I want to help myself while I wait but I also want to avoid jumping to conclusions. Either way, thank you for your help. :)
Trust me! You do NOT want to get rid of nose hair!! I pulled all my nose hair once. Then I realized the nose hair not only kept me from inhaling fruit flies, but they prevent post nasal drip from being pre nasal flush! My bald nose made everything drip out without any warning! Nose hair holds your drip long enough to grab a tissue.
Fellow autistic guy here - I'd like to share with you a harsh path, just to make people aware of what's out there.. I was born autistic like you - my father punched me, even for not smiling on a photo or looking the wrong way. Imagine what he would have done, if I dared to allow myself to show my meltdown !? Imagine what that feels, growing up like that, with an iron mask, not being allowed to exist. My father would have been a horror for a normal child - I had to stuff my entire being inside a box, otherwise he would beat me. He broke my NT brothers arms for playing too loudly. I came back too late for a lesson, age 9, he punched me in the chest, I couldn't breath for 40 secs. He and my mother just went back to the sofa, reading newspaper, while I was on the ground, looking at them, unable to get air. Do you know what it cost me, not to become like my father ? How much restraint it costs me, not to do something bad ? I have a heart for people in need, I feel with people in pain, so I would never hurt anyone. Just to show you, what some of us have to "swallow and smile", while dying / exploding inside. I couldn't even eat in peace. At dinner, I didn't dare to look at him, but one bad exam at school, and he screamed and punched me at the table, kicking me off the chair. Every f.. time ! I couldn't focus in school, I tried hard, my autistic brain made it impossible. I got mocked and beaten in school too. Even the teachers made a public mockery of me, the whole class laughing for my autistic behavior (which was being quiet, withdrawn and not understanding things they said !!). And all this, while I was shy, polite and didn't dare to question anyone. I'm 6 foot 2 and very strong since age 20, now everybody behaves... I'm 44 now, still the same and I never lashed out on someone innocent. I have a 9 year old autistic son, not just an aspie like me, but intensely on the spectrum. (in special school). I see so much of my autistic behavior in him. He grows up as a happy version of myself, without fear. But the hell I have inside myself, you couldn't imagine, my friend. I masked like crazy my whole life, faked being someone else, so work colleagues would accept me. I failed so often and made a fool of myself without realizing, cause I ran out of energy and nerves to keep up that stupid mask. I have auditory processing disorder, so I often don't understand people on the phone or I take too long, while everybody else of course has no problem at all.. After 15 years of freelancing in IT, working like a machine, it burned me out, I got all grey hair in my 30s. I felt years of my life being subtracted in fast-forward. I could sell myself as the performance guy, barely human, but was unable to socialize with others.. People immediately notice that I'm "odd". 20 months ago, my wife died of cancer. I started reading the bible, otherwise I'd have collapsed. I found comfort in Jesus Christ after my wife's passing, that's the only reason, why I still stand and can be there for my son. Since I was 6 yo, I couldn't sleep - part of my autism. I can only sleep from exhaustion, not like normal people, falling asleep. So, I have a 25/26 hours day rhythm. Because that doesn't work with home and work, I forced it to work like always, so I'm sleep deprived my entire life. On youtube I see sometimes people who are barely on the spectrum (not talking about you), who share how the entire world needs to make room for any kind of fit they throw - it makes me angry ! In my heart I feel with people struggling, but I struggle with decades of bitterness. I just put these words down for awareness. May it give you hope, that even if hell rains down on you, it doesn't have to be the end. All the best to you ! EDIT: With this message I mean - instead of getting a helping hand, some of us were just kicked into a life of bitterness. I'm very glad there's autistic people who share on the internet, cause it starts with awareness.
Also a little story: Back in grade school people would say hi to me and I wouldn’t even notice cuz I was in my own head all the time, and my mom would have to point it out and say “hey, so and so just said hi to you!” Dunno if that counts as missing a social cue, but it’s interesting to look back on nonetheless.
I absolutely love all the characters you play along with the stories you're explaining 💯👍 Wait, autoimmune? Ok, this is getting bizarre. The more I watch, the more things line up with me. I'm just trying to understand more about myself since the last screening I had they said "Oh, we didn't know we were supposed to test for autism, we just tested for ADHD and TBI." even though the notes I read afterwards asked for autism screening as well. 🤷♂ I actually was going to pull my own tooth the other day... huh. It would've hurt less than the nagging pain! I didn't though, I went to the dentist and got a root canal. I had to really make sure I took my anxiety meds that day 😱 I did find a place up here in northern MN that does adult autism testing but the wait list is at least a year. I'm leaning more and more towards just making an appointment and hoping for the best that I can make it there when the appointment is. I don't drive (anxiety) and it's in a very remote town from me. Mind you the population town is only around 8000, so yeah, tiny and remote lol. I actually had a kid one time ask me "Why do you laugh so much, are you sick?" ...now I'm really noticing that the more nervous I am, the more I laugh, chuckle nervously, and am very uncomfortable around people. I'm a definite introvert. I like to do nice things for people (learning that some people like to take advantage of that so working on boundaries!) Thank you for another great episode!
Trigger warning! With the one I’ve had, the root canal was not so bad, but the process of grinding the tooth down to accommodate the crown was the part I hated.
When you say it smelled like rust, I know exactly what you mean. Im often sensitive to smelling menstrual blood. Even before the menstruation cycle begins.
Hmm: psoriasis, slight touches, overwhelming smells and sounds, pulling out my own teeth (it was annoying me, had to come out, and I didn't have the $$ for a dentist to do it), swinging in my chair, data system & software expert, super-high pattern recognition, etc, etc... Yeah, think I do fit the bill. But I'll always question my self-diagnosis
@@wizardsuthNeeding to mask also makes it a disability. It leads to severe burnout, even if you don't know you're doing it. Disabled is not a dirty word, or something to be ashamed of.
I'd argue that autism begins even before birth! When i was pregnant with my twins, i spent 10 wks on bedrest. 4 of those were in the hospital. I had PLENTY of time to pay attention and get to know their personalities, even then! The one on the right would periodically make this movement, it was like a really strong flutter. Sometimes it was so strong, it would make me vomit. Shortly after she was born, i saw her doing it and thought "Oh! Thats what that was!" She did it off and on until she was 3, when I yelled at her to stop. She looked like she was about to take flight! She never did it again. Over the years I'd mention to her doctor that i thought she could be on the spectrum but was always brushed off; she was "too high functioning", hit her milestones, good gross and fine motor skills, makes eye contact, etc. Anyway, she was diagnosed level 1 two weeks before she turned 17!! And when the therapist asked me questions about when she was little, i described what i felt during pregnancy.....she was flapping in utero! Even as a fetus, my girl needed to stim! ❤
Woah. At first with the story of the guy who took his own tooth out, I cringed... but then I remembered that I pierced my own lip 4 times in one night when I was 19, I fell asleep getting my huge mermaid tattoo when I was 18, and I regularly cut myself (when I'm crafting) and do nothing but stare at my bleeding wounds for a moment wondering how that didn't hurt. And when I was 10, I stepped on a broken glass bottle at the beach, and that didn't hurt either, I was more freaked out that I was bleeding so much. I even remember the doctor at the E.R. praising me for being so "grown up" about the gigantic gash in my foot because apparently grown men screamed and cried like babies for far smaller injuries; I was literally reading a book while they stitched me up. I'm sure they numbed up the area, but considering I was a kid and I hardly feel pain even now (except for headaches), they couldn't have given me so much that I was still able to read.
I'm new to your channel so I don't know if you've covered the 'hormonal changes' conversation. As someone who only recognised I had ADHD when I hit menopause, I did a lot of research. I found many doctors and neurospecialists talking about how ADHD can present better and worse at certain times of a woman's life, due to hormonal changes. I suspect it's the same for men but at a slower pace as they age. However, I haven't looked into whether hormones may play a part in the changes in Autistic traits throughout your life. Have you done any research on this area at all?
I was surprised that in brain scans, autistic brains all looked different - actually, what I was surprised by was that neurotypical brains all looked about the same. Given that, I’m really curious what the criteria for difference is. Response to a given stimuli or task -what parts of the brain activate - is the most common determinant I’ve seen used in comparing brain scans. But there are other possibilities. I also am someone who presents more strongly as ADHD, although my autistic traits seem to keep me from checking off certain common ADHD boxes too. For example, anxiety and the need to know how something is going to go down meant that chasing dopamine did not make me a risk taker. The weirdest part of the combo is that inattention made me fairly oblivious to my social difficulties for a long time. A big yes to blurting out words or sounds. It seems to be a reaction to a cringeworthy thought or feeling. Feels a lot like Tourette’s, but I don’t think it is.
Just curious about the sensitivity to pain thing. I have OA and so bad that sometimes is debilitating in ways that I can't seem to get anyone to understand. Even on the "Good Days" it is worse than if I smash a finger or cut myself to the bone at work. (I am a mechanic by trade) So can one type of pain be worse than it should be while another seemingly less than it should be? I am undiagnosed but suspect I may be.
Darn you! Now you have me saying はい、はい、はい、えと じゃー ｡｡｡ And my cats are looking at me like WTF? 😹 I didn’t think echolalia was on my AuDHD bingo card, but I guess it is.
Disgnosed with adhd long before autism and also gifted, I'm extremely good at recognizing patterns, maybe I should get a job in counterterrorism for the feds 😂
I would be interested to know if autistic people who got Covid lost their sense of smell? I kept my sense of smell, but sweet things tasted much sweeter. Even bread! Bread tasted like sweet rolls to me.
My kid - at about age 6 - once joyfully gesticulated himself right off the cliff beside our house! Thankfully the beside cliff is not as far a drop as the behind cliff + he got caught in some trees not too far down it. So he was more outraged than hurt. But yeah, no attention paid to where that joyful motion is happening in space at all.
So glad he was okay! But yes about the joyful rocking...he must love that space a lot 🙂I also recognize that tendency to get upset when jolted out of that peaceful spot in my brain
fell oliff the cliff haha try explaining to your mom, why you were lighting up plane paper models on a gas hob and throwing out of the window, until it disturved neighbours so much they called my mom at work and made her come back home, 50km from a nearby city, I was 10, and wanted to see "How the sky is raining fire?'
I am hypersensitive in 99%, but I need hard hugs and pressure several daily to regulate and a weighed duvet isn't heavy enough to do the job. 😅 I am AuDHD too and highly intelligent and late diagnosed, my special interest has always been humans, I am an expert in body language even without eye contact, as eye contact is not needed to understand how others feel, horses hate eye contact as it is what pretender animals use to communicate and intimidated their pray, horses communicate and understand eachother and other animals and humans without eye contact, by analysing body language, sounds, smell, mood, etc. I feel like a horse when eye contact is forced, I feel like the pretender animal are going to toy with me and then kill and eat me. I have always been the polite but quiet and shy kid, "situational mute", and scared of others just observing others and analysing them and their actions and outcomes of their actions, decoding their way of living, and also realising that they could optimize a lot of things to live better lives, unfortunately people don't like to be told their way of doing things is inefficient or puts them in high risk of disease ans such. I have lost all my jobs because i optimize everything, so i didn't look as busy and active as my colleagues, as they was always running around and making everything more complicated and inefficient, so it damage the economy of the company, but no one wants to listen to the one who looks lazy. And I simply can't pretend to be busy, I can't stand fakeness and lies 😅 it goes against my ethics. I would rather get fired for doing my best, than doing nothing productive and nothing honest and keep my job.
As you pulled a Chris Farley impression at the end, it made me wonder what amount of the entertainment industry is autistic. The same amount as gen pop or more?
i had mysterious Seizures (Atypical) and still till this day Doctors never gave me a reason why I had them. I do have adhd but ASD is more of a mystery. I suspect it to be there but people kind of don't believe me.
I feel like my AuDHD balances itself out so well, for the most part, that I come off as almost completely normal... other than my burnout and hyperfixation.
Apparently pulling out nose hairs may not be good for your health. It may lead to infection which can carry straight to your brain. Trimming might be the better option.
Hyposensitivity, group activities- nonexistent (dance alone). Can't follow group conversations. Jokes "go over my head", etc. More of these "symptoms" (best word I can think of right now), I'm seeing now as an adult.
So after watching, tell us ⤵️ what surprised you, what questions you still have, and anything you'd add to this list of things you wish everyone knew about autism!
There are many studies whose focus is the subconscious ability for people to notice an autistic person during socialization. Many of these studies show that people are prone to avoiding autistics or be more likely to treat them negatively. Many times, people will pick on us without ever understanding why, when their minds are reacting to the mismatched communication skills as a possible threat
I'm just starting to explore my autism (self-diagnosed 45yo), and I didn't realize my self-soothing stims were considered real stims, because I thought stimming was only done when overwhelmed and trying to calm down. And this is the first time I've ever said this to another person (or many persons!), but I also suck my thumb sometimes to self-soothe and this has been a source of IMMENSE shame throughout my adult life. None of my partners or roommates ever knew because I was stealth about that, I knew a thumb sucking adult was completely unacceptable (until now). I literally thought I would take this secret with me to my grave until I saw this video and realized that's part of my autism and I shouldn't be ashamed of that anymore.
@@monicajuarbe8972suck away without shame
FYI, some additional often co-occurring conditions: epilepsy, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and stretchy and/or fragile collagen (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome / hypermobility syndrome)
What I wished everyone knew about autism:
Just because someone is autistic, doesn't mean the person is necessarily broken. We may have our things, we struggle with, but they can be also positive.
Like, yes, it's annoying when I can't focus on our conversation because a subtle noise that you can't hear, even when I'm pointing it out, is so distracting that I can't hear anything else but that. But on the other hand, that noise could be caused by a faulty electrical chord that was waiting to start a fire. And because that noise is bothering me so much, I won't stop looking for what is causing it, until I found it.
Yes, it's annoying when I get hung up on a tiny detail that's slightly wrong. Or pointing weird stuff out, that has got absolutely nothing to do with what we are engaged with. But these two traits could make me see that you are about to eat moldy bread or the fly on your spareribs and stop you from doing so. You're welcome.
And although it apparently can be uncomfortable talking to an autistic person who is also very direct, at least you can be sure, that I say what I mean and mean what I say. No playing games.
It's not always helping our social life, when our brain gets obsessed with one topic. And being on the receiving end of info dumping can be exhausting, I get it. But I think it's an beautiful thing, how much knowledge about a certain topic we can gather, as soon it got our attention. One week ago I didn't know, that I would be capable of remembering so many botanical names of aquarium plants and that I would be interested in them in general. But today I have got twelve on the lined up, all awaiting to be planted in according to their individual needs.
The hip thrusting cliff edge part got a legit LOL out of me. 😂
Me too.
Always love your videos! I feel the need to point out that introverts can also enjoy being around (the right) people and getting attention. The difference is that extroverts recharge their batteries with social interaction, whereas introverts are drained and need alone time to recharge. I think that is really misunderstood in general.
Man, story of my life right there. Being Autistic, ADHD. Introverted, etc. can be ... challenging ... at times. Especially for me, being a public speaker/announcer. Extrovert on the outside, but on the inside, I crave solitude ... and some soothing Classical music.
@@NJP76 As an AuDHD introvert and performer, I get it.
@@KellyRVaden That's outstanding. It is so difficult to explain this to people. It is like a breath of fresh air when someone truly understands. This reply has made my day. Now I am ready to go out and face the world (at least my small corner of it). Thank you. :)
@@NJP76 I love that I was able to help in some way. ❤️ Your comment made my day, too.
Chris has actually mentioned that in a few of his past videos, I think because he is pretty extroverted a lot of times which most people don't associate with autism. But yeah, the right people are fun to be around... for about 2 or 3 hours, and then the batteries need to recharge for a month lol.
I only learnt I was autistic recently (in mature age) and I am so happy to finally fit in somewhere.
I'm born with Triple-x syndrome, I was diagnosed while I was still in my mothers bbelly, they got the option to abort me, cause in the 90s they were like *danger danger* she may be autistic, but it was my parents last chance of a kid, as my mother already was in her late 30s and had a miscarriage a few years before me, after 3 kids.. So all my life I struggled in social enviroments and school, as I was often taken out of math, reading and language classes cause I couldn't keep up with my fellow peers and got easily overwhelmed. To be taught on a smaller team, and than put back in my own class and still had to do the homework that I had no clue about, cause I was just trying to learn and catch up, thats how it felt my first 18 years of life, as I ended up dropping out of high school, than my mother send me to a therapist with a letter in hand, that read "please my daughter is lazy, please fix her", my parents oversaw and just listened to my teachers and doc that i would grow out of it all of my life. Instead of seeking professional help for my struggles, i worked best in Art class and social studies cause it was actually interesting, but sadly my parents wouldn't let me go that way for school cause it wouldn't bring in any money they said, and the quiet kid that been taught your elders knows best, listened ofc. So today i'm 34 and stuck in this constant loop of emotions, and trauma from my childhood and past relationships cause managed to get attracted to the wrong type of ppl (cause apparently I was trying to seek approval, of being good enough). I know i have undiagnosed ADHD and Autism, I've talked with therapist that also thinks I have complex- ptsd plus other stuff. But sadly trying to get ahold of psych in this day and age is impossible, cause we have 130 of them and 300k+ ppl that need a psych (2 years waitlists and if you say you have adhd ref they wont take you cause its not condemned life threatening here), so I have called every single one, I hate phonecalls btw, takes a lot of energy. I have stumbled through my entire 20s, and first now realizing in my 30s that I need help, but no professional here in Denmark wants to listen to me :( I have alot of the issues you mention with Autism, and ADHD.
I'm very grateful for your content, and feel that you give us invisible children/adults a platform to share and reflect, and feel less alone. And understood, so Thank you.
i am so so sorry for the experiences you’ve had over the years, including the lack of support and compassion.😔 i truly wish for you many open doors and opportunities that will lead you towards becoming your best, well-treated, self. continue at it! and if you have to end up travelling outside of Denmark to seek and receive the treatment you need and deserve, i say go for it!
It will make me very happy when these researchers finally figure out we are just humans whose brains work differently than the majority...and it's only a "disability" when society makes it one by not supporting our needs...like having clean Ubers in your case. It's just the way some of us are...like some are gay, and some are redheads, or left handed dominant.
Yes! This is why I have never described my autistic son as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. The “disorder” part pisses me off. I’ve always explained to him he simply processes information differently but there’s nothing wrong with that. If we all thought the same no one would ever innovate or invent anything new or solve problems no one else could.
@@deirdrestatham5730 Spot on. Being Autistic myself, I have never considered it to be a "disability" in my case. Of course there are some for whom it really is a disability, but for me that is not the case.
The part about processing things differently hits home with me. I can have something explained to me in detail, but I tend to struggle until I have processed it my own way. Hard to explain. On the other hand, sometimes I will explain something in a way that makes perfect sense to me, but the person I am talking to will not quite get it.
I have learned that I can do a lot of things that others do. I just need to do many of them in a different way. My boss at work is sometimes confused at the way I do things, but I think that after over 12 years he has come to (mostly) understand that even though I may approach things differently the job gets done, and done correctly....in spite of my sometimes "quirky" ways of doing it.
BTW, yes, I really do love my job, and the people I work with. They have for the most part accepted me as Autistic and have moved on to being simply friends and co-workers. Hard to explain, but coming out as Autistic has been extremely liberating to me. I wish all Autistics had it this good.
My heart goes out to your son. I wish all the best for him as he makes his journey through life. I don't know you or him, and probably never will, but from one Autistic to another, always remember that we can do this...maybe a little differently, bur we CAN do this.
Well, I mean this isn't entirely true. Some autistic people have such high support needs that they need multiple caregivers 24/7. So it really is a disability in some cases and that would remain true even if things were different.
We autistic people rock!
I love that my brain is unique!🎉
Just yesterday I had a health professional say to me, "aren't we all a little bit Adhd these days?" As the conversation progressed, I mentioned I had the old school experience conflicting diagnoses of adhd and autism. She responded with, "Oohhh, you've been diagnosed." Not the first time this conversation has happened with medical professionals though sometimes it's just an eye roll.
ADHD is especially prone to getting this kind of reaction, because everyone will experience reduced executive fincruoning at times. But it’s not the same thing as all the time, which is what the criteria does try to suss out. Though that aspect sometimes leads professionals to imagine that the condition is wholly static and unchanging. As Barkley has observed, symptoms remain consistent over time, but levels of impairment can increase or decrease depending on circumstances.
And diagnosis is still catching up from the time when the view was that you could only have one or the other. Presumably, lots of AuDHDers got diagnosed with whichever was most perceived, and the other thus assumed not to be present.
These videos help me to stop blaming myself for being sensitive and hyper focused and missing social cues and burning out and melting down and accept myself instead. This has really improved my quality of life because I now realize it's ok to do the things that make me feel ok so I stopped pushing myself to act and talk like other people my age and adapt and accommodate. I thought I was a bad person, just I'm just neurodivergent. So it's good to do self-care because then I can adapt and thrive. And it's giving me hope that I'll be able to find a career. Thank you!
I just laughed out loud, thankfully I'm just sitting here with my dog. You're hilarious. Thank you for your videos; they are so helpful. We have a family member with level 2 Autism, and this helps me understand so much better.
So glad to hear these videos are helpful for you and your family! Your family member is lucky you're spending time learning better to connect better 😊
I’m so glad I found this channel. I was diagnosed in February this year, just prior to turning 40.
I wish I knew and understood this earlier in life. It certainly explains a lot.
Self taught:
- Guitar
- Bass
- Dobro
- Mandolin
- Can play a banjo and piano if you give me a few minutes to put the sounds together
- Software Developer
(And more)
Diagnosed myself at 65. You are young!
I, too, was diagnosed with ADHD well before I was diagnosed with any form of autism, and for the same reason: it was far more obvious. But I’d like to address something else in the video: the date of 2013 for the changeover to “ASD” from “Asperger’s Syndrome.”
On one hand, I do want to thank you for accurately portraying the intended reasons for the change in the DSM-V, and for not linking it by mistake to any controversies surrounding the life of Dr. Hans Asperger (which were not publicized until 2018). That over-hyped misinformation has actually gotten autistics taunted online, especially if we have doubts about the change (as some people do). However, I have to point out that the change was only *proposed* in 2013, not enacted until the DSM-V was published with the change in 2015. Thank you.
Thanks for helping to clarify!
@@ChrisandDebbyThese facts are widely misquoted; thank YOU for listening.
I braid my nose hair. Sometimes I put beads on them. And sometimes I make up stuff, just like atoms do.
I have high functioning autism and ADHD (im almost 16), im definitely doing a lot better in daily life now than i was, lets say 4-5 years ago. I had a speech therapist for about 3-4 years through elementary and middle school.
The one thing that affects me most is really loud noise. I HATE IT. When my school has these "pep rallies", everyone, and i mean EVERYONE in my school is there, yelling and cheering while im just there hating the noise, i get a headache every time i go to one, because i have to.
Emotionally, kinda eh rn, broke up with my ex a couple days ago and not sure how to feel about it. Anyways great video :)
Are you diagnosed and able to get accommodations? I went to work the Monday following Hurricane Helene and I live in North Carolina. I gotta work and the fire alarm was going off. It took them 45 minutes to get it off. I got to my computer and saw no internet. I texted my boss that I was leaving. This past week I apologized to him, as I didn't explain the sensory issues and I was done for the day. The plus side is that I found earplugs in my desk from when they tested the alarms last. Time to bring more to work. Thqt saved me. Otherwise I would have left sooner
I am glad that you made this video. My oldest son, who was born in 2000, was only diagnosed with ADHD. My younger son, born in 2007, was diagnosed several years ago with AuDHD. My older son is obviously on the autism spectrum and I have felt like I did something totally wrong with the diagnosis process back when he was little. I guess it was just that their 7 year age gap made all of the difference and a major change in the DSM.
I had the joy of growing up with a narcissistic mother that hated me for being different than my cousins. To this day she would rather tell people that I am a problem rather than autistic. I find it kind of strange how many autistic males have similar stories.
me too.
And autistic women.
I´m pretty sure I did not get an official diagnosis because I was not allowed to be different in my mother's eyes
Yep, having autism and ADHD is a crazy mixture brother I understand
I can walk around on a broken foot but am so sensitive to noise 😅
Yup. I walked around on a broken ankle for 3 days before finally going to the doctor but WHY HASNT ANYONE CHANGED THE SMOKE ALARM BATTERY????!!! Can you NOT HEAR THAT???? 🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂 Yes! On my wedding day, while I was getting dressed, I was running through the house and crushed my little toe against a door frame. Bones were broken. One hour before the wedding ceremony. Later that day we took the wedding party to hospital as one of my best friends was in and couldn't come to the wedding. Months later when I was telling someone the story they asked why I didn't get some treatment, painkillers at least, since I was at the hospital anyway. Didn't occur to me! 😂
@@rkgomes3875are you me?? I finished a rugby game and walked around for 3 days before finding out it was broken and not a sprain 😅
I’m a little jealous of the people like you guys that can’t seem to feel much pain (though it seems like a double edged sword, so maybe it’s a good thing I’m more sensitive to pain? I dunno 😆)
I really like that you do the talk in stereo, or at least not in full mono. It makes it so much easier to follow you, because it does not feel artificial.
" rust, onions and a wet bag of fast food" BWHAHAHAHAHA oh man, I have 100% smelled that exact combo on the bus before.
When he described the smell I almost 🤮. I smelled it too!
🤢🤢🤢
Me too. A stench so palpable you can taste it, hence the barfing response! 🤢
We both also need to time to process what someone has said to us before we can provide an answer.
Some of us have both hyper and hypo sensitives, varying from sense to sense
I’m now 44, I tried to get a diagnosis a few years back, according to the doctors I am a point off autism and a point off ADHD, very much neurodivergent, but not enough for an official diagnosis.
They state that because I have friends and I have held important jobs, I couldn’t possibly be autistic. Most of my friends are autistic or very much on the spectrum and it was them that pointed me towards getting a proper diagnosis as I do struggle with stuff that I shouldn’t struggle with
I am looking for an autism evaluation at 67. I was told by one psychologist that she "can't diagnose something I have learned to mask" wtf? Isn't that the work? Maybe she thinks I should be younger.....discrimination is just frustrating!
This is interesting to read but sounds frustrating to not get very clear information about your brain. Have you been able to make adjustments to your life based on what you have realized you struggle with? I also think the two things you mentioned (having friends, having important jobs) are examples of somewhat outdated misconceptions of autism. It seems a bit like the "you seem to be functioning well enough..." part of why the "high functioning" label doesn't work well (in my opinion). BUT I also don't know you personally and can't diagnose you so I'm not sure if the same doctors would still say the same thing today that they said years back when you had met them. From what I've read, the understanding of the autism spectrum keeps evolving, even for therapists and medical professionals. But in the meantime, I hope you're finding some ways to accommodate yourself better too.
@@ChrisandDebby I have made a fair few changes in my life and have found ways of getting around my struggles. The people around me accept me (and my strange ways of doing stuff). My partner picks up the slack when I have issues and vice versa.
My big issue at the moment is motivation, and being able to prioritise what is important, I get overwhelmed quite quickly and end up with executive dysfunction and just stare into space for a few hours while I try to work out what I actually need to do.
this is the first video ive been able to play in my car. yay. it was like listening to a nice smooth podcast. youve got a great voice. i sure dont miss those sound effects. thanks again
Woohoo! New achievement in our video creation journey unlocked 🙌 On a side note we're talking about possibly doing a podcast in the future. We'll make sure the sound effects are kept minimal 😆 Thanks for your ongoing support - we really appreciate it!
@@ChrisandDebby Agreed, minimal sound effects at a reasonable volume! Thank you! I really appreciate you guys, same story as many but I started doing more research and being more honest with myself and am pursuing services in hopes of getting a diagnosis or at least help of some sort. Your channel is one of the main ones Ive been watching and listening to. I believe I have AuDHD, and I strongly believe I have ARFID in relation to that, its an eating disorder. It causes me a lot of trouble Ive never understood and got me in a lot of trouble as a kid I couldnt help and couldnt understand why. Thanks for helping me start figuring out who I am and to pursue help.
@@ChrisandDebby a podcast sounds wonderful. thanks for being open to viewer suggestions. I could feel your artistic drive thru the screen. you've done an amazing job distilling your craft.
One crucial detail you left out, common among all autistic people, is differences in communication and social processing.
Yes, we have included this in other videos on this topic, but you're right that it's fundamental to autism
Chris, thank you for putting out these videos. They make such a big difference for so many and are appreciated more than you could possibly know. Your point about introversion/extroversion hit home. I need alone time but I also love people time, with _certain_ people. That I want people time at all has made me question whether it's possible I could be autistic even though I check so many other boxes, so this was enlightening.
A while back you wrote a really thoughtful reply to one of my comments that obviously took some time. I was gonna reply back but couldn't right then, then couldn't find it again after that, have felt bad that I couldn't at least say thanks. I had commented on my dilemma of whether to seek an eval for ASD, what difference it would make for an old guy (55 now) who checks SO many of the boxes but long ago diagnosed with ADHD. Your response was basically "it's good to know for sure", and after months of mulling I concluded you're right and I should.
Since then my challenge has been finding a clinician who can help me with this. Almost all the resources I've identitfied in my area are limited to children and the few who mention adult evals seem sketchy, "specialize" in 35 other things completely unrelated to autism, and only do "remote" appointments. This is important and will probably be expensive, and I have a lot of trouble with talking on the phone and video calls, but those are the only options I've found in my area. I'm in Ohio, in a big city, seems like there should be more options!? So my question for you (or anyone else reading this)....
Is there a good directory of providers in USA who work with ASD in adults, and/or an organization that can provide guidance for this?
Thank you!!
(By the way, I agree, the nose hairs are annoying as hell. But don't fret. You'll notice them far less when they also start popping out from your ears and between your eyebrows, and start disappearing from your scalp. Aging is awesome! 🤣)
About the fourth point on the list… I have a whole washing list of medical conditions and I’ve had quite a few surgeries as a baby/young child which I can’t remember. I have quite a few unique medical things professionals are still finding more about to this day.
I appreciate your gusto for making noises loudly. My go-to verbal stim is singing, especially while doing tasks like chores.
Sooo funny. Thank you. Perfect delivery 😂
Chris You Are Not An Idiot You are a great person What Everybody Loves❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I can vouch for autoimmune disease/diseases not being fun. And deep in to the realm of things which are seriously un-fun is ME/CFS.
I agree. I have severe ME/CFS and it's awful. ❤️❤️❤️
@@CricketGirrl Well, I clicked Like while not at all liking that you have this mess, but liking that you understand.
I just LOVE your channel and so want have coffee and a good chuckle with you 💙
😄😄😄
From a transdiagnostic perspective, neurodevelopment is a complex process that involved many different variables that interact over time in an interdynamic way. Many things can influence this neurodevelopment, like sensory differences, adverse events, genetic syndromes, mutations, and just common variation, leading to many conditions, which are often co-ocurring.
According to you before 2013 Asperger Syndrome was not considered a form of autism. I don't remember it this way. I've checked the wikipedia's article from december 2012 and it starts:
«Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger disorder, is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)»
In fact, the first draft of the article in 2002 started as:
«Asperger's Disorder (or Asperger's Syndrome) is also known as high-functioning autism»
www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/why-fold-asperger-syndrome-into-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-the-dsm-5/
@Chris and Debby, I can't thank you both enough
SHYYYYYYYYYYY❤😂❤😂❤😂❤😂❤ I personally think that Autism is nature playing with evolution, I think we are the first tries of natures for the next human evolution. I saying it because of the moral compass that we have as a build in feature.
I feel it the same... And honesty :)
I think we are a strong argument for the “punctuated equilibrium” model of evolution, rather than the gradualism model. PE, as I understand it, suggests that the dominant traits in a species can effectively change suddenly, rather than bit by bit through advantages conferred by incremental “improvements.” The way this is hypothesized to work is that what changes rapidly is the environment, and sudden changes may abruptly cause traits present in a subset of the species to confer advantage. Technology would be an example. Coding is now a sought after skill, as Chris noted, and it’s one that autistic people are often good at. My father had trouble keeping a job until he stumbled onto early computer programming.
Great video you guys! Chris knows hairs can drive me absolutely bonkers so I feel your pain brother!
I'm very sensitive to certain flavours, especially the bitterness of cruciferous vegetables, but I have a high pain tolerance, and can block pain when I choose.
Thank you!
Again- another helpful video ❤. I will attempt to only make limited comments but there is so much I'd like to say! 20 years ago i asked my therapist why I blurted out random words or sounds...he called it normal thinking i did it to entertain. But I think it was for a neurodivergent reason because it just popped out and was for no one else!
Thanks for the nice words - and that example about the words popping out is very relatable 😅
😊@@ChrisandDebby
I've actually been laying off masking cuz it's SO exhausting. It's improved my quality of life a little
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (and several co-morbidities); there’s a very high rate of Autism in EDSers. My ADHD was diagnosed in my thirties, but my Autism wasn’t diagnosed until after age 60; which tracks with the updated DSM diagnostic criteria. I’m grateful to have answers/more information to understand myself and my life experiences ☮️
Thanks Chris …. Awesome and so Funny … my Husband who has ADDD and Autism, has just Broken his arm in two places, he swam like this for two days , in the ocean ( we live in Tassie)..not knowing it was broken… even my trying to point out the swelling and black arm was not getting through…he thought it was just arthritis because he’s now 63 yrs …. Yeah that’s one way of looking at it … didn’t know his arm was broke , 3 days of trying to get him to understand that it’s really not arthritis… he honestly didn’t make the connection to the gate slamming his arm = Broken before it didn’t really hurt …. 😮 Anyone else relate … 😊🙈🙏
Yup! I broke my little toe (crushed against a door frame while running through the house) one hour before my wedding ceremony. Later that day we visited a friend in hospital and it didn't occur to me to get it looked at while I was there. It was purple and swollen through my honeymoon. I never did get it checked. 😂
I just realised I have a broken rib that I never got chexked 8 years ago
That skit about hip-thrusting off the cliff totally made my day lol. That was really funny.
Please learn the difference between itch and scratch. Itching is a sensation. Scratching is an action. You can't itch something.
Yes! Thank you!
I would add problems with executive functioning. For me this looks like everything is so very important, that I struggle setting priorities. As a consequence, when I work on one thing, I get anxious because at that particular moment i am not working on something else, that feels equally important. Also, I need a lot of time after I finish one task, to start concentrating on the next one. These two factors chronically impact my productivity. There are, however, some tasks that I focus on so completely that these struggles disappear. So I hope that, in the future, those can become a bigger part of my job.
Yes, you're right that executive functioning and what you described is also a very common challenge. Thanks for sharing this - and just curious, what's your job at the moment? Sounds like having a role that allows you to hyperfocus and complete one thing at a time will be great for you
@@ChrisandDebby I divide my time over three things, all of which I love, but the dividing is making me struggle: tourist guiding, scientific illustrating and biological field research. All is either seasonal and/or project dependent, which means that financial uncertainty adds another layer of anxiety. In the future, I want to do a lot more of one and a lot less of the other two, but right now none is sustainable on its own.
P.s. I have visited Taiwan very, very briefly a couple of years ago, and I really want to return one day. After a fair, I skipped organized tours (because I anyway needed alone time) and went hiking in the forests near Alishan. I am in the forest almost every day of my life, but to be in a forest where every plant and every insect was new, was totally unforgettable. I felt very safe there too.
When I worked at a big software firm managing/mothering a team of smart high masking types, 'randomizing' somebody else's team was a high cardinal sin. All the high social people in charge of software teams actively guarded their coders' calm uninterrupted work spaces, and gossipped fiercely about managers with the terminity to mess with another manager's workers by saying good morning or bringing coffee to their desks.
Can you do a video about supressing special interests/thinking about special interests for a long period of time?
Great idea! Will add this to our list - because yes, for me, when I can't do a special interest, it doesn't mean my brain isn't constantly still thinking about it...and not much else...😆 is it the same for you?
@@ChrisandDebby Its always been the same for me. If work and life keep me away from my special interests I gradually get depressed. In recent years I had children and what this has meant is because of the anxiety and suppression of special interests I cannot keep up with bills and lack any energy for masking at work etc. before kids I used to be quite good with bills because I would schedule them around my special interests and my other essential activities. But with routine gone and special interests almost unreachable most days I feel anxious.
I actually wrote a full length play about the suppression of my special interest 🤣
Another thing is that sometimes our sensitivities don't make sense, and we know that.
For example, I work in healthcare. I can handle the worst smells a body can produce - no problem. But air freshener? Perfume? Incense? Very likely to give me a massive headache. No, I can't explain it, but I promise it's not something I make up to avoid hugging Aunt Mildred.
EXACTLY!!!! I’d rather stand in horse manure than be exposed to dryer sheets or fabric softeners. Not only do I get a headache but my brain gets hot, like it’s inflamed and my personality can change 😮
So for everyone’s safety, I bounce out of many situations fast!
The fragrances in those things are endocrine disruptors, among other things, so it makes sense that your body is giving you alarm bells for it. I’m very similar.
Yes! I always described this as chemical sensitivities. But the weird thing is that real flowers with strong fragrances are also a problem. It’s true that I’ve always had “hay fever” allergies, and that’s possibly a connection. Realizing, in recent years, that histimines are neurotransmitters has made me wonder...
Me too. I use as few chemical cleaners in the house as possible but love all animal smells, monkey house at the zoo etc.
I don't think I've ever felt as validated as when you did the word blurting. I've spent 40 years feeling very confused (and hid it from everyone other than my partner) I get words on repeat in my head for days and random phases, then I end up having to say them out loud in ridiculous ways. I'll stand in the kitchen on my own doing a weird dance and singing/saying/shouting a phase over and over hahaha I don't know why but I can't not do it. It's so nice to finally not feel alone in it! 😊
This kitchen dance sounds so awesome
Hi, I am blind and I have autism. I absolutely love listening to your videos. One thing that we both have in common is and I’ve noticed this. You have a way of explaining things that really get my attention because of how funny they are and we both love to do rocking and to yell random things just because we can Like when I’m listening to a movie I love to yell out lines from it that I find particularly funny or interesting and I love doing it in the most exaggerated voice. I can make like if they’re yelling something that I find particularly funny. I’ll repeat that line in the most high-pitched Exaggerated voice and it just makes me feel awesome but whenever I have to do masking, I get really grumpy and then I pretend to hate all of the things that I absolutely love and love all of the things that I find absolutely not very funny like when I’m with my sister and I’m pretending that I really love Movies that are similar to 50 shades which I find really gross and disgusting and then I pretend to really hate watching stuff like the Muppets, which I absolutely love watching on Disney+. I really love those because they are absolutely crazy weird and everybody is different. I also really love movies from the 80s Particularly ones directed by Steven Spielberg and I’ll watch anything if it has a character named Harry in it or Willie because I have a thing with certain names, I don’t know how to explain it. Also, if parts of this comment looks weird it’s because I’m using dictation instead of manual typing because due to being blind, as well as having autism, I am screen leader dependent, meaning that I use a screen reader software that reads the screen in this case voiceover on my iPad, so I can’t really turn voiceover off in order to use quick typing because if I turn my screen reader off, that would be like if somebody was dependent on wearing glasses in order to see, and you took the glasses from that person
There’s an article by Claire Jack in Psychology Today, 8/2022, describing how autism “spectrum” implies a linear aspect to symptoms. She thinks it should have more of a pie chart method of describing the symptoms. I would take this a step further and consider the symptoms existing in a three-dimensional sphere, which in my mind would give a broader range for symptoms and variances.
Apropos of nothing, I found a new stim!! I realized that my rings make a delightful noise when I clap. But I will only do it when I'm in a loud place or by myself.
love it :3
@@EsmereldaPea Today I was shopping for some M&Ms for my new snacking bowl just because I wanted to hear the sound they make in the bowl 😅
I am on a 3 year waiting list to see if I am Autistic or have ADHD. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia as a child and Borderline Personality Disorder 2 years ago, but I still feel like there is something else. Have had my family tell me it's impossible, but other people I am close with say otherwise; so am a bit lost atm.
Watching your videos, and others, I can relate to a lot of what you are saying. The way you show/explain really explains things well to me. Much easier for me to understand and compare to what is concidered normal vs autistic/adhd. Especially as I am female, your female vid was both useful and super funny. Love that wig btw!
Any tips while waiting to find out if I am ADHD/Autistic? It's a LONG wait for me, I want to help myself while I wait but I also want to avoid jumping to conclusions. Either way, thank you for your help. :)
I was missed diagnosed with adhd,(actually bipolar) and I have autism ,the joint asd/adhd diagnosis for me was in 2006.
I can go between hypo and hyper sensitive between certain things depending on the situation and how regulated I am.
A warning for the dentist topic would have been nice /gen
Trust me! You do NOT want to get rid of nose hair!! I pulled all my nose hair once. Then I realized the nose hair not only kept me from inhaling fruit flies, but they prevent post nasal drip from being pre nasal flush! My bald nose made everything drip out without any warning! Nose hair holds your drip long enough to grab a tissue.
Fellow autistic guy here - I'd like to share with you a harsh path, just to make people aware of what's out there..
I was born autistic like you - my father punched me, even for not smiling on a photo or looking the wrong way. Imagine what he would have done, if I dared to allow myself to show my meltdown !? Imagine what that feels, growing up like that, with an iron mask, not being allowed to exist. My father would have been a horror for a normal child - I had to stuff my entire being inside a box, otherwise he would beat me. He broke my NT brothers arms for playing too loudly. I came back too late for a lesson, age 9, he punched me in the chest, I couldn't breath for 40 secs. He and my mother just went back to the sofa, reading newspaper, while I was on the ground, looking at them, unable to get air. Do you know what it cost me, not to become like my father ? How much restraint it costs me, not to do something bad ? I have a heart for people in need, I feel with people in pain, so I would never hurt anyone. Just to show you, what some of us have to "swallow and smile", while dying / exploding inside. I couldn't even eat in peace. At dinner, I didn't dare to look at him, but one bad exam at school, and he screamed and punched me at the table, kicking me off the chair. Every f.. time ! I couldn't focus in school, I tried hard, my autistic brain made it impossible. I got mocked and beaten in school too. Even the teachers made a public mockery of me, the whole class laughing for my autistic behavior (which was being quiet, withdrawn and not understanding things they said !!). And all this, while I was shy, polite and didn't dare to question anyone. I'm 6 foot 2 and very strong since age 20, now everybody behaves... I'm 44 now, still the same and I never lashed out on someone innocent. I have a 9 year old autistic son, not just an aspie like me, but intensely on the spectrum. (in special school). I see so much of my autistic behavior in him. He grows up as a happy version of myself, without fear. But the hell I have inside myself, you couldn't imagine, my friend. I masked like crazy my whole life, faked being someone else, so work colleagues would accept me. I failed so often and made a fool of myself without realizing, cause I ran out of energy and nerves to keep up that stupid mask. I have auditory processing disorder, so I often don't understand people on the phone or I take too long, while everybody else of course has no problem at all..
After 15 years of freelancing in IT, working like a machine, it burned me out, I got all grey hair in my 30s. I felt years of my life being subtracted in fast-forward. I could sell myself as the performance guy, barely human, but was unable to socialize with others.. People immediately notice that I'm "odd". 20 months ago, my wife died of cancer. I started reading the bible, otherwise I'd have collapsed. I found comfort in Jesus Christ after my wife's passing, that's the only reason, why I still stand and can be there for my son. Since I was 6 yo, I couldn't sleep - part of my autism. I can only sleep from exhaustion, not like normal people, falling asleep. So, I have a 25/26 hours day rhythm. Because that doesn't work with home and work, I forced it to work like always, so I'm sleep deprived my entire life. On youtube I see sometimes people who are barely on the spectrum (not talking about you), who share how the entire world needs to make room for any kind of fit they throw - it makes me angry ! In my heart I feel with people struggling, but I struggle with decades of bitterness. I just put these words down for awareness. May it give you hope, that even if hell rains down on you, it doesn't have to be the end. All the best to you !
EDIT:
With this message I mean - instead of getting a helping hand, some of us were just kicked into a life of bitterness. I'm very glad there's autistic people who share on the internet, cause it starts with awareness.
Nose hairs keep insects from crawling into your sinuses. They also assist in keeping particles in touch with your olfactory nerves.
This is a great video as usual!! Your awesome!!! 😎 ❤️
This might be my favorite video of yours.
Loved this video ❤
Also a little story:
Back in grade school people would say hi to me and I wouldn’t even notice cuz I was in my own head all the time, and my mom would have to point it out and say “hey, so and so just said hi to you!”
Dunno if that counts as missing a social cue, but it’s interesting to look back on nonetheless.
I absolutely love all the characters you play along with the stories you're explaining 💯👍
Wait, autoimmune? Ok, this is getting bizarre. The more I watch, the more things line up with me. I'm just trying to understand more about myself since the last screening I had they said "Oh, we didn't know we were supposed to test for autism, we just tested for ADHD and TBI." even though the notes I read afterwards asked for autism screening as well. 🤷♂
I actually was going to pull my own tooth the other day... huh. It would've hurt less than the nagging pain! I didn't though, I went to the dentist and got a root canal. I had to really make sure I took my anxiety meds that day 😱
I did find a place up here in northern MN that does adult autism testing but the wait list is at least a year. I'm leaning more and more towards just making an appointment and hoping for the best that I can make it there when the appointment is. I don't drive (anxiety) and it's in a very remote town from me. Mind you the population town is only around 8000, so yeah, tiny and remote lol.
I actually had a kid one time ask me "Why do you laugh so much, are you sick?" ...now I'm really noticing that the more nervous I am, the more I laugh, chuckle nervously, and am very uncomfortable around people. I'm a definite introvert. I like to do nice things for people (learning that some people like to take advantage of that so working on boundaries!)
Thank you for another great episode!
Thanks for sharing all of this! The root canal 😱
Trigger warning!
With the one I’ve had, the root canal was not so bad, but the process of grinding the tooth down to accommodate the crown was the part I hated.
When you say it smelled like rust, I know exactly what you mean. Im often sensitive to smelling menstrual blood. Even before the menstruation cycle begins.
Hmm: psoriasis, slight touches, overwhelming smells and sounds, pulling out my own teeth (it was annoying me, had to come out, and I didn't have the $$ for a dentist to do it), swinging in my chair, data system & software expert, super-high pattern recognition, etc, etc...
Yeah, think I do fit the bill.
But I'll always question my self-diagnosis
That autism is a disability that can manifest depending on the environment as person is in.
It's often not even a disability, just a difference, and it can have benefits as well as drawbacks.
@@wizardsuthWe are often disabled by our environment.
@@wizardsuthNeeding to mask also makes it a disability. It leads to severe burnout, even if you don't know you're doing it. Disabled is not a dirty word, or something to be ashamed of.
I'd argue that autism begins even before birth! When i was pregnant with my twins, i spent 10 wks on bedrest. 4 of those were in the hospital. I had PLENTY of time to pay attention and get to know their personalities, even then! The one on the right would periodically make this movement, it was like a really strong flutter. Sometimes it was so strong, it would make me vomit. Shortly after she was born, i saw her doing it and thought "Oh! Thats what that was!" She did it off and on until she was 3, when I yelled at her to stop. She looked like she was about to take flight! She never did it again. Over the years I'd mention to her doctor that i thought she could be on the spectrum but was always brushed off; she was "too high functioning", hit her milestones, good gross and fine motor skills, makes eye contact, etc. Anyway, she was diagnosed level 1 two weeks before she turned 17!! And when the therapist asked me questions about when she was little, i described what i felt during pregnancy.....she was flapping in utero! Even as a fetus, my girl needed to stim! ❤
Woah. At first with the story of the guy who took his own tooth out, I cringed... but then I remembered that I pierced my own lip 4 times in one night when I was 19, I fell asleep getting my huge mermaid tattoo when I was 18, and I regularly cut myself (when I'm crafting) and do nothing but stare at my bleeding wounds for a moment wondering how that didn't hurt. And when I was 10, I stepped on a broken glass bottle at the beach, and that didn't hurt either, I was more freaked out that I was bleeding so much. I even remember the doctor at the E.R. praising me for being so "grown up" about the gigantic gash in my foot because apparently grown men screamed and cried like babies for far smaller injuries; I was literally reading a book while they stitched me up. I'm sure they numbed up the area, but considering I was a kid and I hardly feel pain even now (except for headaches), they couldn't have given me so much that I was still able to read.
Number 7 is my favorite. ❤
I'm new to your channel so I don't know if you've covered the 'hormonal changes' conversation. As someone who only recognised I had ADHD when I hit menopause, I did a lot of research. I found many doctors and neurospecialists talking about how ADHD can present better and worse at certain times of a woman's life, due to hormonal changes. I suspect it's the same for men but at a slower pace as they age. However, I haven't looked into whether hormones may play a part in the changes in Autistic traits throughout your life. Have you done any research on this area at all?
Haven't researched this much yet, so thanks for this suggestion. Will add it to our list of topics to explore further!
I was surprised that in brain scans, autistic brains all looked different - actually, what I was surprised by was that neurotypical brains all looked about the same. Given that, I’m really curious what the criteria for difference is. Response to a given stimuli or task -what parts of the brain activate - is the most common determinant I’ve seen used in comparing brain scans. But there are other possibilities.
I also am someone who presents more strongly as ADHD, although my autistic traits seem to keep me from checking off certain common ADHD boxes too. For example, anxiety and the need to know how something is going to go down meant that chasing dopamine did not make me a risk taker. The weirdest part of the combo is that inattention made me fairly oblivious to my social difficulties for a long time.
A big yes to blurting out words or sounds. It seems to be a reaction to a cringeworthy thought or feeling. Feels a lot like Tourette’s, but I don’t think it is.
So, what's the difference between ADHD & ASD symptoms? I have ADHD, but not ASD.
Just curious about the sensitivity to pain thing. I have OA and so bad that sometimes is debilitating in ways that I can't seem to get anyone to understand. Even on the "Good Days" it is worse than if I smash a finger or cut myself to the bone at work. (I am a mechanic by trade) So can one type of pain be worse than it should be while another seemingly less than it should be? I am undiagnosed but suspect I may be.
Lol, idk what I'd add to this list- I'm too shyeyyyeey
Yay Autism!
🙌
There’s no such thing as an awesome cop
Darn you! Now you have me saying はい、はい、はい、えと じゃー ｡｡｡ And my cats are looking at me like WTF? 😹
I didn’t think echolalia was on my AuDHD bingo card, but I guess it is.
Disgnosed with adhd long before autism and also gifted, I'm extremely good at recognizing patterns, maybe I should get a job in counterterrorism for the feds 😂
Same here.
I would be interested to know if autistic people who got Covid lost their sense of smell? I kept my sense of smell, but sweet things tasted much sweeter. Even bread! Bread tasted like sweet rolls to me.
I lost my sense of smell with Covid.
My kid - at about age 6 - once joyfully gesticulated himself right off the cliff beside our house! Thankfully the beside cliff is not as far a drop as the behind cliff + he got caught in some trees not too far down it. So he was more outraged than hurt. But yeah, no attention paid to where that joyful motion is happening in space at all.
So glad he was okay! But yes about the joyful rocking...he must love that space a lot 🙂I also recognize that tendency to get upset when jolted out of that peaceful spot in my brain
fell oliff the cliff haha
try explaining to your mom, why you were lighting up plane paper models on a gas hob and throwing out of the window, until it disturved neighbours so much they called my mom at work and made her come back home, 50km from a nearby city, I was 10, and wanted to see "How the sky is raining fire?'
I am hypersensitive in 99%, but I need hard hugs and pressure several daily to regulate and a weighed duvet isn't heavy enough to do the job. 😅
I am AuDHD too and highly intelligent and late diagnosed, my special interest has always been humans, I am an expert in body language even without eye contact, as eye contact is not needed to understand how others feel, horses hate eye contact as it is what pretender animals use to communicate and intimidated their pray, horses communicate and understand eachother and other animals and humans without eye contact, by analysing body language, sounds, smell, mood, etc. I feel like a horse when eye contact is forced, I feel like the pretender animal are going to toy with me and then kill and eat me.
I have always been the polite but quiet and shy kid, "situational mute", and scared of others just observing others and analysing them and their actions and outcomes of their actions, decoding their way of living, and also realising that they could optimize a lot of things to live better lives, unfortunately people don't like to be told their way of doing things is inefficient or puts them in high risk of disease ans such. I have lost all my jobs because i optimize everything, so i didn't look as busy and active as my colleagues, as they was always running around and making everything more complicated and inefficient, so it damage the economy of the company, but no one wants to listen to the one who looks lazy.
And I simply can't pretend to be busy, I can't stand fakeness and lies 😅 it goes against my ethics.
I would rather get fired for doing my best, than doing nothing productive and nothing honest and keep my job.
Patterns, how about coincidence? Super annoyed by coincidence, especially if the smaller the event, the more the consequence.
As you pulled a Chris Farley impression at the end, it made me wonder what amount of the entertainment industry is autistic. The same amount as gen pop or more?
i had mysterious Seizures (Atypical) and still till this day Doctors never gave me a reason why I had them.
I do have adhd but ASD is more of a mystery. I suspect it to be there but people kind of don't believe me.
I feel like my AuDHD balances itself out so well, for the most part, that I come off as almost completely normal... other than my burnout and hyperfixation.
I'm AuDHD and I feel like a walking contradiction.
I get that nose hair all the time. I always have to pull it out because it bothers me so much.
Apparently pulling out nose hairs may not be good for your health. It may lead to infection which can carry straight to your brain. Trimming might be the better option.
@@placeholder24678 I'm not too worried about infection. It's all hairs at the entrance, not deep in.
Hyposensitivity, group activities- nonexistent (dance alone). Can't follow group conversations. Jokes "go over my head", etc. More of these "symptoms" (best word I can think of right now), I'm seeing now as an adult.
I am always shouting Japanese phrases when playing volleyball. Its because of that damn volleyball anime.
Now I have to ask...what volleyball anime?!
@@ChrisandDebby It's called Haikyu - its pretty fun
Comorbidities might also include epilepsy, dyslexia, and/or dysgraphia.
And sleep disorders.
Women still get missed. 😊
I would add that some autistics make eye contact.
Yes, you're right- and always a good reminder that every autistic person is unique/different with all of these "commonalities" 🙂
BRO. Do you hear the high-pitched whine of a TV??? My mom thinks I'm crazy 😂
Any summary around?.... Too long for me LOL 😂🙈😇 (Yeah AuDHD)
OMG. I pulled out one of my teeth😮
👍👍
You’re hilarious 😂
Itchy nose hair is so annoying. I empathize.