This is a EXCELLENT video, But my only complaint is that some of the audio is not very hear-able, I found myself raising the TV Volume to 100 just to listen to some parts, If possible in future videos like this can you proof check the audio and increase it where need be?
Yes Ryon well put. Ironic that that would be the case since people with Autism have sensory issues. Unless... that was the point. Here world, see what sensory issues feel like to us. Although if that were the case I suppose bright and dark visuals would have been throughout as well. Most likely the person didn't realize you could edit sound volume while making the video or the software used did not allow it. Sad that that should happen. I'm on my 3rd attempt to finish watching and have to stop again.
I edited to sound as much as I could but I'm not a sound or video expert, I made the whole thing in Windows Film maker in my spare time. Sorry it's rubbish but I tried my best!
Hi Hannah! Thank you for making this video. I agree with the others about the sound. I wonder if we can reach out to autism / aspergers groups to help out with better sound editing. Such as: www.autismhangout.com/ or www.autismempowerment.org/ community.autismsupportnetwork.com/ etc. I would love to refer people to this video, and better sound will be great! If I was more techie, I'd help out.
Just now diagnosed at 59, started looking around for any support or discussion groups for other late diagnosis people - 1 group on Facebook. I guess I'll just stick with finding British and Australian videos about it, because you folks are about it. Thanks for making this one.
Thank you to all these beautiful young women who have shared their life stories and helping us to understand the importance of diagnosis and a support network. No one should have to cover up their impairments to fit in. We are all unique and deserve the best quality of life we can have.
Most remarkable to me is how differently all of these women act and speak. I don't think I'd ever guess that any one of them has ASD. I have to say this though: they are all white. If a diagnosis is difficult to come by for a white woman, how hard is it for a woman of color?
Audio issues aside, this was an excellent video and helped me tremendously. I have a daughter who was just diagnosed at 16. I hope & pray that she can find her place in the world along with people who are willing to accept her as she is. It's been difficult up to now but this video gives me hope for her future. I am in the process of learning as much as I can to help her as well as myself and the rest of my family. I get really sad at times because of all the challenges she has to face...but even within the sadness, I remain hopeful and will continue to be an advocate for my talented, charming, and intelligent daughter whom I love with all my heart. Thank you for the video!
Love how one talked about her "rulebook". I have "scripts", the way i think interactions should go. Sometimes they let my down, sometimes they are successful. I find myself in binds, when i don't have a "script".
It's frustrating to hear the babble about how it COULD be a social bias. I was not the kind of girl who picked up behaviors from other kids and blended in. It was the 80s and people knew crap about Autism. What I got was labels like "problem child" and "gender confused" because of the cheap dinosaur psychiatrist who thought that wearing jeans meant a girl was exhibiting gender dysphoria (in 1983. EVERYONE wore jeans... what an old fart). So yeah, I'd say it's a whopping social bias.
Yep 1984 a psychiatrist told me I was 'very immature' when I was actually doing really well keeping safe, keeping a job and having a few friends. Jeans I still wear them they are comfortable. Gender confusion? We develop our sexual interest five to ten years later than typicals hence our confusion. Best lecture I've seen is Prof Tony Attwood Girls and Aspergers. So illuminating for me. Were still here despite everything. Go well. Hx ruclips.net/video/wfOHnt4PMFo/видео.html
Helen Bennett I’m an Aspie woman 38 now not diagnosed until 23 not at all interested in sexual relationships I’d rather have intelligent conversations with guys
I am just now watching this in 2021 and reading these comments, it's like, you could be me in the 1980's and '90's. I was diagnosed when I was 24 and I am now 53. Back then there was NO help for anyone. Not even our parents, if you were a girl.
Thank you so much. As a male with Autism/Asperger's I often find it strange that I meet many males with a diagnosis but I've only really ever met one female who has it and I was curious as to why that was the case.
Shawn Wolfe, it’s the same for women with heart disease - the symptoms are not the same as men’s, but that has (until more recently) been where the focus was placed. “Second class citizen” may ring a bell for you.
Thank you so much for this. It made me cry..My daughter was diagnosed with ASD at 17 years of age after experiencing disordered eating, anxiety and depression..The diagnosis means a great deal and I could see her in all of the wonderful women who contributed to this. This video will help her friends, grand parents, aunts, uncles and cousins etc to understand more clearly, education is key and I am very grateful to you
Growing up with constant stress and anxiety because you feel awkward and uncertain in most areas of your life regarding people takes its toll. Not understanding the feelings that are brought up at those times is what triggers other mental health disorders, or exacerbates them. I was suicidal at 10 years old and I didn't even know why. The sudden loss of friends and ostrisizing that occurs when people pick up that you are different, or enjoy more solitary, quiet activities that don't fit their societal norm can greatly impact happiness at a young age. You will feel deeply and see the reactions of others but simply not know why they do what they do, so you internalise it and lock it away. It is best for autism in women to be picked up as soon as possible so they can learn to understand their own mind, and how it differs and what their strengths can be. My mother possibly had autism as well as mental illness, and she never ever talked about her 'feelings'. If picked up sooner, assistance can be given to learn to be more comfortable in the community they live in and with themselves in general. That is something that is important no matter the gender. Children are not often good at knowing how to ask for help, so if discomfort or even trauma is covered over often the parents won't know there is a problem until kids start acting out. Knowing they are not alone is important. Knowing how to verbalise their feelings is just as important. Don't be afraid to share that you are struggling or feel very uncomfortable with parents and doctors. Give them a chance to 'see' what the world is like for you. I'm only now going to be tested for autism....at 60, with a life of trauma and depression that began at a very early age, not least because I didn't know why I felt so bad 'in my head', or what it meant.
Oh my gosh, I identify with this so much! Thankyou for putting it all into words for me. I am approaching 52 and feel so angry that I've never been diagnosed, all because no one had the common sense to think there might be gender differences. All those years of self hate when I could have been enjoying my Aspien greatness...
I'm getting evaluated for autism. These women are surprising good at hiding their autism. Part of me feels like being diagnosed would be a relief but these women seem so normal and functional it actually also makes me feel awful because I'm not as good as them at fitting in. I guess there's always a part of me that feels like I've got to fit in. I just feel like everyone was born with a manual telling them how to be social but I didn't get mine.
im not diagnosed due to the lack of knowledge and resources abt it in where i live. but i use the list that identifies our struggles as a guide for me to improve and learn by myself.
Me, too, and older still than any women in the video. Yes, the stress level is higher from having to learn to mimic others just to get by. It was heartbreaking for me on the day I realized I had absolutely no idea who *I* was/am. I’ve been through a lot. I’m kinder to myself now.
@Indeterminate Origin YT is about the only “social media” I subscribe to, and I know you’ll understand that I don’t want to post my email addr here. What helped me was making quiet time to think back to the kind of person I was in elementary school ... what my motives were - never the reactions or responses of others, but what my personal intentions were, whether they turned out well or not. I’m wishing you great success in this rocky journey. You are loved.
I remember trying to conform to how other people acted at the early age of 3 or 4 while watching Sesame Street. I would mimic how other's did things. I saw they said and did them differently than I did. That's how early the conforming started and I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30. One of the biggest struggles I find is discrimination. When you look like a "normal" person and you can act like a "normal" person then when you're having a hard time or you'd like for someone to understand that you do have autism they don't always want to accept it. I've had people say to me "Oh you're just sensitive." or even "You just want to be a special snowflake!" Autism has it's challenges but it's not a disease. It's society that turns it into one :(
I really wanted to watch this movie to the end but I couldn't handle moving the volume up and down and being blasted by the next commentator... what I did watch was very informative.
So helpful to hear women speaking out about their experiences and to see how less severe ASD manifests in adults (I've only worked with more severe cases in adolescents). Unrelated: Dr. Stagg has such a soothing voice and demeanour. So calming!
@19min. All my life i've been told I was 'Weird in a Good Way ". . . " a Breath of Fresh Air" by the few who appreciated my ways . . . " make sense of a Lifetime of Difficulties' . . . I have learned to Cope . . .
Thank you so much for this. I first watched about a year ago, and just watched twice again. Every time I end up weeping, resonating with the experiences you all are describing. It took my son getting diagnosed and doing a lot of research, all the while feeling like I might be autistic too. We are here. If anyone in this documentary ever comes to the NYC area, you have a friend here for life.
You all are a beautiful Bugatti with an engine like no other vehicle, like me... We fly, we are exuberant, why fit in? A Chevy can't touch this anyway. I can't express how much I love my differences now. I had decided to be who I am with joy and enjoy the big gaps of space between me and others. Seems kind of lonely but the universe always found me a stranger to chat with somehow. Strangers are never really strangers, you just feel them somehow. If the vibration feel good inside I talk, if the vibration don't feel well I move on. I don't need anyone to agree with me, listening in here makes me smile, like knowing there are a lot more other kindred spirits. There is a whole lot of advancement gadgets built-in to us and we need to value the differences.
thank you. made me tear a little. When that lady said: I was suicidal at the age of 11 I felt so emotional... I was suicidal from the age of 3. At younger years it was more in phases and I did not understand death well, but still it affected me from such a young age, not being able to understand what was 'wrong' with me.
I’m 62, found out when I was 59…..a lifetime of not fitting in, misunderstood and not understanding what was going on. Misdiagnosed, non fitting treatments that caused so much stress…now I know I just do me and given up trying to conform.
Thank you for making this video. I'm not sure if I have Autism. But know I was in special ed and never given any type of diagnosis. But lately have been questioning it. I do have a son with Autism.
Excellent. I discovered I am on the spectrum recently, at 36. I can relate to so much of this. I especially like what the woman in the blue t-shirt is saying at 5:53 . I would sure like to make her acquaintance. She describes the coping mechanism so well.
really liked this video. was nice to hear what it is like being on the spectrum from the perspective of girls and women.also I'm from the UK and esp liked to see British women speaking out. didn't like the recording as it was not always easy to hear then other parts were too loud and hurt my ears.also found the font difficult to read and would appreciate something that was less busy.☺
Thank you all for being so open and honest. It's a shame about the sound issues (too loud in places, too quiet in others) but I still enjoyed this video very much.
The content of each person is remarkable. Thank you for your sharing and insight. Due to the extreme volume fluctuations I ended up in a lot of pain, when it suddenly became very loud. I was not able to hear the entire presentation.
i had the diagnoses pdd-nos and adhd at the age of 37 ..and people just dont believe and understand i have this because i look normal :( people asume you have to look strange to have this ..i really love this video it show every body can have this and look perfectly typical
Danilo i mean to say , that I don't get any recognition if I tell that I have autism ,, they think that people with autism have to look retarded ,, but the truth is you can't see if a person have autism we all look the same with or without autism .. so most people don't believe I have it
TO THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS VIDEO: THANK YOU! Back in 2017, I watched this video and it was instrumental in helping me to realize that I might be on the spectrum. Before seeing this video, I had absolutely no clue. A year later in 2018, I received my ASD diagnosis at the age of 29 after decades of struggling and not knowing why I was struggling. All in all, I'm not ashamed to be autistic. As much as I struggle at times, I know this is how God created me. It's been a rollercoaster ride, but I'm hopeful that my journey into figuring out exactly who I am and putting all of the pieces together will be a fruitful and rewarding one.
scheduled for an evaluation assessment next month, this is really affirming. I have been scared to look for stories of other women that might be on the same journey, but I am only looking because other people told me and things I overheard right have resonated with me. psychiatry has done a number on me. I mean it's helped me in some ways but I am very confused. I love myself and I know who I am and I just want to feel like I make better sense to people I guess. love to anybody was reading this.
I can relate because as a child I was diagnosed as being developmental disabled(autism was unknown at the time)as a teen I was diagnosed as being mildly autistic.Growing up I had many challenges in school and making and keeping friends because of how I am in school I was picked on and bullied in Jr high and high school I had a c average I was also in college but had to be transferred to vocational education and did well and than I had a job for a few years got married with a child now I'm doing well despite my challenges I have mild autism but it doesn't have me
Diagnosed at South London Maudesly/Kings College Adult Genetic Unit. My DNA for genealogy projects I do, bought awareness of 5 generations on Males in my paternal lineage all with ASD children. Confirming ASD is something that developed before birth. My DNA connection links to Charles Robert Darwin, as my 7th Cousin 5 x removed. Also, there needs to be Female Autism Support group that actually does invoke Autistic support, as Local Authorities and Councils do not provide support or care for Adults with Autism...most only focus on children infant to 14? As a now happily married woman, who had her three sons kidnapped by father who then charged with Menacing, beating and abusing my children and evicting them from their only home. As, he was as 15 year old. There was no ASD, especially for women...only derogatory labels, Bi-polar, Manic depressive, obsessive compulsive. I was deported back to uk after two years of fighting and detention in federal and immigration facilities in USA.
I was diagnosed with 14 mental illnesses (not all at once) over a 30 year period before being diagnosed with autism. In my case the mental illnesses hid the autism. I was diagnosed with medium support needs in my late 40's. I can't hide that I am different. But I still got missed because I am older (born in the 70's) and all of my symptoms were seen through a mental health lens.
i am just starting to learn about autism, but from what i learned from this video and what i experienced myself there is no difference in male and female autism. i was acting and hiding myself my whole life, each day i was wondering what the most appropriate facial expression was to pretty much any situation i faced. i never understood why others do what they did. i think the only difference between male and female autism is that for some reason males are being detected earlier, but there is no difference if the country you are living in does not detect it at all, no matter what gender. however i am relieved to know why i had to act to be like everybody else.
I didn't mimic well. My drive was for authenticity and living according to my principles--it took me until after high school to realise I had to not stim. In many ways, I am closer to how many males experience autism except that I pass easily until people are around me for a while and then they tell me I'm odd or weird. Often they do this in jest, but it gets old.
I was diagnosed at the age of 13. I have ADHD and the combination is very hard. I have sensory issues, overloads and hypo Proprioception, I get migraines from loud sounds, fall over for no apparent reason, I reacting paradox to medication, I faint in too loud/hot/buzzy and get overwhelmed with to many people.
I genuinely feel that this is great. However, I feel like I'm losing my mind. I identify with female autism much more than the male version. I am male, I am Gay (I think this is where the female identify comes from). I wish more research was done on Gay Aspergers and Autism. I think the way this subgroup manifests symptoms could really change the way we view the male and female brain and the sexual orientation link between brain structural differences.
This video changed my life and made me decide to find a diagnosis three years ago. I'm eternally grateful for that. Is there a way to contribute with you and translate this video? (at least to spanish). I struggled for several months with my psychologist because she didn't quite "belive me" (about having Asperger's), even though all the tests, other 2 psychologists and 1 psychiatrist said I do. I quitted therapy because of her attitude towards me and I would love to send this to her one day, but I wish she didn't have the excuse of not paying attention to it 'cause it's in a language she doesn't speak. This inspired me to write my thesis focused on the importance of getting a special diagnosis for women. She wanted to see all the common "men with autism" symptoms in me, and couldn't bare the idea of me being femenine. I wonder how many girls and women get the help denied because of that.
"I learned to conform.. which is really quite sad" No, no it's not! I was 18 when I consciously decided to really try and conform. (By that I mean: learn speech patterns and mannerisms that would not cause me embarrassment, so that I could more easily make friends.) I've thought a lot about that. Is it dishonest? I don't think so, because it's still myself that I'm expressing, but now I'm doing it in a way other people understand. If you are hiding yourself, then maybe it's sad. But if you are just learning a new language, what's bad about that? These women have done a good job of adapting. The way they speak is so natural. (I know very well that must have been learned.) They all have adapted so young. When you don't know anything else, I think it's easy to be pessimistic. Yes it can be hard to conform and to stay on your toes all the time. But it's so much worse to be isolated and strange with no friends. Being different doesn't just mean being alone, it means being embarrassed all the time and having your peers biting at you all the time. It's beautiful to be able to connect to the people around you and feel good with other people. And every time you succeed, you gain more confidence. (Which is a vital thing you need to succeed to even higher levels.... It's a lot like getting EXP so you can level up so you can get EXP much more efficiently.) But on another note... pretty much everything the woman at 12:25 says is the exact opposite of my experience, and I think it's terribly insulting to say we feel "so much deeper" than other people. So many people say that about other groups. It's never true. All humans feel emotion to incredible depth. And all humans have an internal struggle.
***** Everyone has to change themselves to fit in and succeed sometimes. Everyone. And that's okay, because humans are made to be adaptable like that. If you're making yourself sick, if you feel like you're always pretending, I don't think you're really doing it right. I don't think we have to be dishonest to fit in... like I said, I just think we have to learn to communicate in ways other people will understand. They can't be blamed for not understanding, when the normal human manner of communicating is built right into them from birth.
***** Look, I'm not saying that wouldn't be great, I just don't think it's going to happen. You're talking about teaching every single person in the world how to communicate in an autistic way. Who's going to do that? If it happens, that's great, but I don't expect to see anything like that in my lifetime. What I want is to connect with people NOW, in the real world, in my life. So I will learn to reach out to them. And I think if other autistics want the same, they will need to do the same. We can talk about ideals all day, but if you don't learn how to reach for others, don't be surprised when nobody reaches for you.
+GuacamoleKun I agree with you wholeheartedly. You've got a good read on the real-world and how it operates. I get so tired of Aspies insisting that the rest of the world should accommodate them, without them having to meet halfway. Social skills can be learned and can open up so many doors in your life. It's not conforming for conforming's sake. Don't pay any attention to the person who called you "stupid" and "discriminatory". He lost all his credibility when he resorted to name-calling. I must admit that I find it amusing that a man is challenging you and telling you what your attitude should be, especially since this is a video intended for autistic women. Male entitlement in action.
I wish more people could understand that. I get teased by other Aspegirls 'cause they feel it's hypocrite to adapt; it's not... at least for me it's necessary and it's the best for my inner peace. Some days I come home exhausted from that much "acting" and thinking of every single thing I do', tha'ts the only "sad" part. But it isn't nearly as bad as it was getting bullied every single day for about ten years straight.
So, really everyone didn't go through this to learn how to be in social situations? Genuinely asking. This is so normal to me... Thanks you in advance, those who don't have autism, for answering.
Very interesting and relatable. There is only one thing that is mentioned a few times and that is incorrect: the autism spectrum has no 'this end' or 'that end', no severe and mild end. That is not what is meant by the spectrum here. It is more like the colour spectrum: blue is as much a colour as yellow, but it presents completely differently. Autists who need more support than others have comorbid disorders or problems. It's weird and a pity that this idea still persists.
Lo intenté, pero me dijo que el video no lo permite. Escribí hace unos minutos un comentario preguntando si hay forma de hacerlo; igual y me puedes ayudar dándole "me gusta" para que suba y lo note. También me serviría bastante poder compartirlo subtitulado.
I am half way through and { I'm in my late 50s - Never Diagnosed ASD} thinking 'Wait!! Isn't this how we all Learn to Be In the World???!! My little Grand niece has been diagnosed ASD I believe my deceased Mum may have had it too . . . I appear Normal, have had a successful career . . . if it's not Broke, why fix it?
I can so relate to these women. on my report clearly says autism and when i talked to the psychologist Asperger came up assessment and that was what i have and it was like a light bulb went off as to why I felt different. tried to go to a therapist about depression this tried to say you look normal because you are giving me I contact so you don't look like you have Asperger it amazes me how many professionals don't know much about Aspergers again i went for depression this was not an assessment. it not about how you look.
I got obsessed with the 50's and nick at night. I compulsively watched my shows. Dennis the menace, Donna reed, Mr. Ed, Bewitched. The cars, asking older ppl about what it was like then. I also went through a Night Court phase. Then I liked clueless. Then in my 20's when I understood sex I became a radical feminist. Then I got over that and believed myself a singer songwriter and was obsessed with Dwight Yoakam and really old country. Then I just got depressed because as I got in my thirties my quirkiness wasn't so cute and I was a teacher and got traumatized from being bullied by kids and staff. I didn't understand gray area for rules because I always followed them all except when my friends took me to parties and my parents ok'd. I was young er obsessed with movies and acting and moved to Hollywood and got smacked by the gray area there too. Matthew Gray gubler and criminal minds was an obsession. Dogs are a thing. I'd get food obsessions. Physics. Psychology. .nothing ever lucrative. Thinking about fixaring on entrepreneurialism.
I absolutely adore this video, but I alternatively blew my eardrums out, and then had to strain to hear. I'm around 80% sure it wasn't my brain being wonky, and about 60% sure it wasn't my computer being wonky.
Its an interesting video, but I do have one issue. Not with the people in the video but how the text is shown. That font is really hard to read, I had to pause the video multiple times just to make sence of it. Did anyone else have this issue?
Really enjoying watching this so far and learning, but it is difficult to hear some of the voices. Volume is completely up on computer, youtube, browser.. and I have no idea what the guy at 8 minutes is saying, and the captions are way off. So some of the voices are super quiet, some or reasonably loud, and then the music between testaments is just blaring. :c
I am on a waitlist for ASD assessment. At 57yo I finally realise that there might not be something broken/wrong with me, that maybe I'm not a monster after all :(
Does no one have the experience that they think everyone feels the same as you do? I have a lot of the same issues but I have gone through my whole life thinking that most people have the same issues.
My girlfriend is one of the women in this video and she felt like that all the time until I started pointing out that that was untrue. It took awhile for her to wrap her head around that.
I have that, I didn't know that I was different at all, I just thought that everyone went through the same things as me, they were just better at hiding it.
Nice put-together. I don't agree with the blond guy in black shirt that a lot more males have autism more than females. As Dr. Tony Atwood says, there are a ton more that are not diagnosed (or not diagnosed yet) that continues to leave the balance appearing to be more males than females have autism when it really is not that accurate.
Please don't try to bundle Autism into your list of society destroying millennial bs. Autism has been around for centuries but it is being diagnosed more due to a greater understanding. I bet you think women destroy nations, or that feminism is the devil, give me a break.....
chupacabra get a referral to a clinical psychologist who specialises in autism spectrum disorders in adults and children and complete psychological testing
Wish people would test out their mics before making a video... I know i'm hard of hearing and all but I still hear pretty well with my headset on... and there's 3 people in that video i just can't hear very good ... one of them i can't hear at all.
Do you find a correlation between Autism or Aspergers and Intersex, and transgender folk? I think I have seen it but am not a scientist. I was just recently told I am Aspergers. I'm 68.
+Khadijah Brown Yes, they are all 'coming out' at the same time, as it were, in the media. Awareness programs for both are reaching the public at the same time, but there doesn't seem to be any correlation beyond that. Though keep in mind there are Aspies who are transgender. One is not the other, nor are they mutually exclusive.
I am post op transgender of 14 years and recently found I am Aspergers also. Finding that the transgender transition was a huge mistake, and searching for a way to make sense of it all. It seems clear that reverting back to my old life won't work because I do not look at all like it. Hoping to figure out a way to live as neither?
Yes. But then with that considered, my theory is that gender dysphoria is really just a symptom of ASD, and if you’re genderfluid or transgender, you’re probably autistic as well, even if not diagnosed. I say this based on my own personal experience. Just a theory, but I feel it’s representative of many.
So I'm guessing you're a fan of early diagnosis? It's a common question I'm asked (being diagnoses at 30), if I wished I had known earlier.... hard to say really. I guess it depends on the level of the 'problem', if you know what I mean.
Thank you for this video. I gotta ask though: why are these women all white? It was absolutely striking to hear one of them say "sometimes I feel like I'm from a different culture, and sometimes from a different planet"... Well imagine being autistic AND from a different culture!
hello my name is Carmen. my daughter is 19 and I know something is going on with my daughter she has inside the anxiety depression she has been in special education clases and they aleaysnsaid was just learning readability. but I know there is more. she is 19 and she can use money she doesn't have friends sims like nobody understand her. she looks normal and can have a conversation but only about the subjects that she is realy in to. I been asking her doctor always for an evaluation and he just said it was depression and anxiety and then just like 3 weeks ago she saw another doctor and the doctor sent my daughter dor evaluation but her insurance said that is not cover. PLEASE IF SOMEONE HERE CAN HELP ME GIVE ME ORIENTATION AND WHAT TO DO. my daughter is really depressed and with a lot of anxiety and panic attacks. she wants to be normal that's what she always say and she wants to work and be productive she had been applying in a lot of places but with not luck. well Thank you in advance. I will appreciate your help.
The audio going from a quiet whisper to very loud is terrible. Hypersensitivity is a symptom many people with asperger’s have ..and considering many women are probably looking at this while researching whether or not they have this..this editing is really really insensitive and tone deaf considering the content. Sound made it unbearable to watch.
I wss called nutty professor, quirky, eccentric, nerdy, weird, "different," wall to beat of a different drum. There's something wrong with you. You're nuts. You don't have to say everything you think outloud. Laughed at/humored at jobs for taking less important rules too seriously. Bullied for not knowing what's going on around me by bosses, coaches, teacher, siblings.
This strikes me as utterly ridiculous. These are 5 or 6 women of above average intelligence, each of whom likely has some form of an anxiety disorder, and felt the need to smack an ASD label on themselves. In some of them more than others-- like the busy mom, who talks about how she was always the "loudest and funniest" growing up-- you can really see the pathology in how they needed that diagnosis to make themselves feel special and different. The most glaring thing is that all of these women, it sounds like, have always possessed the ability to self-regulate, which is a hallmark impairment in people who truly have autism. They additionally all purport to be deeply empathic and compassionate and speak about how they have-- independently, mind you-- adapted to social situations. I would like to point out that that is something literally all functioning members of society have had to do throughout their lives; taking cues and examples from others and having them shape your personality is not the hallmark of a disorder. Also, if you've made it to your mid-thirties functioning essentially *just fine*, don't you question whether you've received an accurate diagnosis? This just seems to cheapen the diagnosis for families with members who actually suffer from autism and have had their lives upended as a result. When I was a child I was obsessed with cats, hated loud noises, had meltdowns if I was dressed in tight clothing, and, like almost every other child, watched and learned from the successful social interactions held by my peers. If my parents had taken me to a psychiatrist back then, maybe I'd have been given a diagnosis-- rather, a misdiagnosis-- of ASD, too.
Please excuse me for being rude or presumptuous, but who are you to say that the women are not truly autistic after just watching one video? Are you a professional clinician? Conducting an assessment for autism takes HOURS and it is not a one-step process. I grant that some of the accounts may be merely anecdotal. But that may be because autism among females is still a severely understudied topic, because for a long time it was assumed that only males had autism, and the "masculine" profile is the criteria that women are still possibly being judged by. Maybe if more research were funded to this population, we may think differently. There are other points that I would like you to consider: -Autism occurs in a spectrum. This means that there are different levels of severity. Perhaps the women in this video are in the mild end of the spectrum. However, from reading your post you seem to view autism as a disorder that occurs in ONLY ONE extreme manifestation. I do not know if autistic women generally have a milder form of autism than their male counterparts. However, "mild" may be deceiving. People on the mild end of the spectrum still have social skills that are much worse than the average "neurotypical" person, and this IS enough to warrant a diagnosis. This is the case even if their social skills are still not as bad as people with "lower functioning" autism. -Co-morbid diagnoses do occur in autistic people, though certainly not all. Anxiety is one of the most common co-morbid diagnoses among autistic people. If you listened to this video, maybe you would have understood that these women's anxieties worsen because they feel that they must cultivate a self that is not natural to them. I agree with you that all of us need to adapt to surroundings that we may not like. However, the social skills that neurotypical people practice effortlessly are not skills that come naturally to people on the spectrum, and this applies to BOTH genders.. I'm sure that pretending to be someone else can make anybody anxious. It is also said that autistic women often are misdiagnosed as merely suffering from an anxiety disorder or bipolar disorder, though these diagnoses may worsen as a RESULT of cultivating a self that is necessary, but difficult for them. -If anything, autism may be over-diagnosed among males. It is estimated that approximately 10% of children(again often men) who receive an autism diagnosis lose it as they grow older. -Considering the possible stigma that accompanies an autism diagnosis, I seriously doubt anybody would desire to the diagnosis merely to "feel special". I do not know these women personally, but the diagnosis may have been a last resort. for them. -In all honestly, it seems that you are also autistic. I am sorry, but most kids DO NOT react the way you do( or did in your view) to tight clothing, cats, and loud noises. I hope you are aware of this. Like these women, you may have adapted to your surroundings. But you gave yourself a false sense of superiority by isolating yourself from these women, saying that you are not like one of them. What did you accomplish by doing that? Insights like yours are perhaps why women with autism continue to suffer in silence. Have a nice day. Please feel free to reply. I grant that it is difficult to understand autism and how it manifests differently in people.
Oh sorry, what are your qualifications again? All these girls have not functioned just fine, they've been through a lot of trauma. It's sounds like someone might be in denial about themselves and taking it out on us as a whole.
Krista Neckles I didn't read all this cos it's too long. But basically this video is about how autism is different from male autism. So yeah they don't act like the male autism people. That's the point of the video.
This is amazing!! Thank you so much for making this for all of the girls and women out there!!!
This is a EXCELLENT video, But my only complaint is that some of the audio is not very hear-able, I found myself raising the TV Volume to 100 just to listen to some parts, If possible in future videos like this can you proof check the audio and increase it where need be?
Yes! It's annoying. The music gets loud, then they switch to a speaker and you can barely hear it!!
if they're not gonna have shit sound they should have at least added some captioning
Yes Ryon well put. Ironic that that would be the case since people with Autism have sensory issues. Unless... that was the point. Here world, see what sensory issues feel like to us. Although if that were the case I suppose bright and dark visuals would have been throughout as well. Most likely the person didn't realize you could edit sound volume while making the video or the software used did not allow it. Sad that that should happen. I'm on my 3rd attempt to finish watching and have to stop again.
I edited to sound as much as I could but I'm not a sound or video expert, I made the whole thing in Windows Film maker in my spare time. Sorry it's rubbish but I tried my best!
Hi Hannah! Thank you for making this video. I agree with the others about the sound. I wonder if we can reach out to autism / aspergers groups to help out with better sound editing. Such as: www.autismhangout.com/ or www.autismempowerment.org/ community.autismsupportnetwork.com/ etc. I would love to refer people to this video, and better sound will be great! If I was more techie, I'd help out.
Just now diagnosed at 59, started looking around for any support or discussion groups for other late diagnosis people - 1 group on Facebook. I guess I'll just stick with finding British and Australian videos about it, because you folks are about it. Thanks for making this one.
Fantastic film; keep them coming, Hannah. People don't believe I have an ASD as I mask it so well.
Thank you to all these beautiful young women who have shared their life stories and helping us to understand the importance of diagnosis and a support network. No one should have to cover up their impairments to fit in. We are all unique and deserve the best quality of life we can have.
Most remarkable to me is how differently all of these women act and speak. I don't think I'd ever guess that any one of them has ASD.
I have to say this though: they are all white. If a diagnosis is difficult to come by for a white woman, how hard is it for a woman of color?
Much harder.
I know.
Only hidden racist ppl notice shit like that
danilo osiris Oh, it's one of these people.
ganondorfchampin correct
Audio issues aside, this was an excellent video and helped me tremendously. I have a daughter who was just diagnosed at 16. I hope & pray that she can find her place in the world along with people who are willing to accept her as she is. It's been difficult up to now but this video gives me hope for her future. I am in the process of learning as much as I can to help her as well as myself and the rest of my family. I get really sad at times because of all the challenges she has to face...but even within the sadness, I remain hopeful and will continue to be an advocate for my talented, charming, and intelligent daughter whom I love with all my heart. Thank you for the video!
Love how one talked about her "rulebook". I have "scripts", the way i think interactions should go. Sometimes they let my down, sometimes they are successful. I find myself in binds, when i don't have a "script".
It's frustrating to hear the babble about how it COULD be a social bias. I was not the kind of girl who picked up behaviors from other kids and blended in. It was the 80s and people knew crap about Autism. What I got was labels like "problem child" and "gender confused" because of the cheap dinosaur psychiatrist who thought that wearing jeans meant a girl was exhibiting gender dysphoria (in 1983. EVERYONE wore jeans... what an old fart).
So yeah, I'd say it's a whopping social bias.
Bee Whistler wow! I really like what you said and how you said it. Thank you
Yep 1984 a psychiatrist told me I was 'very immature' when I was actually doing really well keeping safe, keeping a job and having a few friends. Jeans I still wear them they are comfortable. Gender confusion? We develop our sexual interest five to ten years later than typicals hence our confusion. Best lecture I've seen is Prof Tony Attwood Girls and Aspergers. So illuminating for me. Were still here despite everything. Go well. Hx ruclips.net/video/wfOHnt4PMFo/видео.html
Helen Bennett I’m an Aspie woman 38 now not diagnosed until 23 not at all interested in sexual relationships I’d rather have intelligent conversations with guys
Helen Bennett Tony Atwood is legendary in the field
I am just now watching this in 2021 and reading these comments, it's like, you could be me in the 1980's and '90's. I was diagnosed when I was 24 and I am now 53. Back then there was NO help for anyone. Not even our parents, if you were a girl.
Thank you so much. As a male with Autism/Asperger's I often find it strange that I meet many males with a diagnosis but I've only really ever met one female who has it and I was curious as to why that was the case.
Shawn Wolfe, it’s the same for women with heart disease - the symptoms are not the same as men’s, but that has (until more recently) been where the focus was placed. “Second class citizen” may ring a bell for you.
Shawn Wolfe ratio is more 1:1 there are lots of us but either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because we present differently
Thank you so much for this. It made me cry..My daughter was diagnosed with ASD at 17 years of age after experiencing disordered eating, anxiety and depression..The diagnosis means a great deal and I could see her in all of the wonderful women who contributed to this. This video will help her friends, grand parents, aunts, uncles and cousins etc to understand more clearly, education is key and I am very grateful to you
Growing up with constant stress and anxiety because you feel awkward and uncertain in most areas of your life regarding people takes its toll. Not understanding the feelings that are brought up at those times is what triggers other mental health disorders, or exacerbates them. I was suicidal at 10 years old and I didn't even know why. The sudden loss of friends and ostrisizing that occurs when people pick up that you are different, or enjoy more solitary, quiet activities that don't fit their societal norm can greatly impact happiness at a young age. You will feel deeply and see the reactions of others but simply not know why they do what they do, so you internalise it and lock it away. It is best for autism in women to be picked up as soon as possible so they can learn to understand their own mind, and how it differs and what their strengths can be. My mother possibly had autism as well as mental illness, and she never ever talked about her 'feelings'. If picked up sooner, assistance can be given to learn to be more comfortable in the community they live in and with themselves in general. That is something that is important no matter the gender. Children are not often good at knowing how to ask for help, so if discomfort or even trauma is covered over often the parents won't know there is a problem until kids start acting out. Knowing they are not alone is important. Knowing how to verbalise their feelings is just as important. Don't be afraid to share that you are struggling or feel very uncomfortable with parents and doctors. Give them a chance to 'see' what the world is like for you. I'm only now going to be tested for autism....at 60, with a life of trauma and depression that began at a very early age, not least because I didn't know why I felt so bad 'in my head', or what it meant.
Having had anorexia for the past 10 years and misdiagnosed with bpd, only finally now at 31 am I being diagnosed with asd, thank you for this x
Oh my gosh, I identify with this so much! Thankyou for putting it all into words for me. I am approaching 52 and feel so angry that I've never been diagnosed, all because no one had the common sense to think there might be gender differences. All those years of self hate when I could have been enjoying my Aspien greatness...
I'm quite certain I have autism. I'm 31 now.
Finding someone to diagnose an adult female is extremely difficult.
Hi! I know your post was a year ago, but you ever get diagnosed?
@@meghanwebber4977 Thanks for checking in. I tried to look into it, but money was an issue and then Covid happened. 😆
I plan on doing it someday. Lol.
Did you ever get diagnosed?
I'm getting evaluated for autism. These women are surprising good at hiding their autism. Part of me feels like being diagnosed would be a relief but these women seem so normal and functional it actually also makes me feel awful because I'm not as good as them at fitting in. I guess there's always a part of me that feels like I've got to fit in.
I just feel like everyone was born with a manual telling them how to be social but I didn't get mine.
I am not so good at fitting in either.
im not diagnosed due to the lack of knowledge and resources abt it in where i live. but i use the list that identifies our struggles as a guide for me to improve and learn by myself.
Me, too, and older still than any women in the video. Yes, the stress level is higher from having to learn to mimic others just to get by. It was heartbreaking for me on the day I realized I had absolutely no idea who *I* was/am. I’ve been through a lot. I’m kinder to myself now.
@Indeterminate Origin YT is about the only “social media” I subscribe to, and I know you’ll understand that I don’t want to post my email addr here. What helped me was making quiet time to think back to the kind of person I was in elementary school ... what my motives were - never the reactions or responses of others, but what my personal intentions were, whether they turned out well or not. I’m wishing you great success in this rocky journey. You are loved.
I remember trying to conform to how other people acted at the early age of 3 or 4 while watching Sesame Street. I would mimic how other's did things. I saw they said and did them differently than I did. That's how early the conforming started and I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30. One of the biggest struggles I find is discrimination. When you look like a "normal" person and you can act like a "normal" person then when you're having a hard time or you'd like for someone to understand that you do have autism they don't always want to accept it. I've had people say to me "Oh you're just sensitive." or even "You just want to be a special snowflake!" Autism has it's challenges but it's not a disease. It's society that turns it into one :(
Thank you so much for creating this video! Watching it made a difference for me.
I really wanted to watch this movie to the end but I couldn't handle moving the volume up and down and being blasted by the next commentator... what I did watch was very informative.
I relate very much. To the Woman in the Blue abd White patterned shirt I really connected with what you said
So helpful to hear women speaking out about their experiences and to see how less severe ASD manifests in adults (I've only worked with more severe cases in adolescents). Unrelated: Dr. Stagg has such a soothing voice and demeanour. So calming!
@19min. All my life i've been told I was 'Weird in a Good Way ". . . " a Breath of Fresh Air" by the few who appreciated my ways . . . " make sense of a Lifetime of Difficulties' . . . I have learned to Cope . . .
Thank you so much for this. I first watched about a year ago, and just watched twice again. Every time I end up weeping, resonating with the experiences you all are describing. It took my son getting diagnosed and doing a lot of research, all the while feeling like I might be autistic too. We are here. If anyone in this documentary ever comes to the NYC area, you have a friend here for life.
You all are a beautiful Bugatti with an engine like no other vehicle, like me... We fly, we are exuberant, why fit in? A Chevy can't touch this anyway. I can't express how much I love my differences now. I had decided to be who I am with joy and enjoy the big gaps of space between me and others. Seems kind of lonely but the universe always found me a stranger to chat with somehow. Strangers are never really strangers, you just feel them somehow. If the vibration feel good inside I talk, if the vibration don't feel well I move on. I don't need anyone to agree with me, listening in here makes me smile, like knowing there are a lot more other kindred spirits. There is a whole lot of advancement gadgets built-in to us and we need to value the differences.
thank you. made me tear a little. When that lady said: I was suicidal at the age of 11 I felt so emotional... I was suicidal from the age of 3. At younger years it was more in phases and I did not understand death well, but still it affected me from such a young age, not being able to understand what was 'wrong' with me.
This makes sense to me. I went through the same type of thing, and I still do. I’m so glad this video is around to help others, as well as myself.
I’m 62, found out when I was 59…..a lifetime of not fitting in, misunderstood and not understanding what was going on. Misdiagnosed, non fitting treatments that caused so much stress…now I know I just do me and given up trying to conform.
Thank you for making this video. I'm not sure if I have Autism. But know I was in special ed and never given any type of diagnosis. But lately have been questioning it. I do have a son with Autism.
So glad you put this together. This representation is definitely needed!
Brilliant, what a relief, thanks Hannah
Excellent. I discovered I am on the spectrum recently, at 36. I can relate to so much of this. I especially like what the woman in the blue t-shirt is saying at 5:53 . I would sure like to make her acquaintance. She describes the coping mechanism so well.
really liked this video. was nice to hear what it is like being on the spectrum from the perspective of girls and women.also I'm from the UK and esp liked to see British women speaking out. didn't like the recording as it was not always easy to hear then other parts were too loud and hurt my ears.also found the font difficult to read and would appreciate something that was less busy.☺
Thank you all for being so open and honest. It's a shame about the sound issues (too loud in places, too quiet in others) but I still enjoyed this video very much.
When there is a problem autism is the first thing looked for in boys and the last in girls. This has to change.
The content of each person is remarkable. Thank you for your sharing and insight. Due to the extreme volume fluctuations I ended up in a lot of pain, when it suddenly became very loud. I was not able to hear the entire presentation.
i had the diagnoses pdd-nos and adhd at the age of 37 ..and people just dont believe and understand i have this because i look normal :( people asume you have to look strange to have this ..i really love this video it show every body can have this and look perfectly typical
Jenny Derksen "because I look normal" stfu
What do you mean with your reaction ? I think we have a miscommunication
Thanks I noticed 😄
I didn't aspies look a certain way. look normal? Wtf does that mean!
Danilo i mean to say , that I don't get any recognition if I tell that I have autism ,, they think that people with autism have to look retarded ,, but the truth is you can't see if a person have autism we all look the same with or without autism .. so most people don't believe I have it
What I learned... Girls are good at masking and are super smart! ❤
TO THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS VIDEO: THANK YOU! Back in 2017, I watched this video and it was instrumental in helping me to realize that I might be on the spectrum. Before seeing this video, I had absolutely no clue. A year later in 2018, I received my ASD diagnosis at the age of 29 after decades of struggling and not knowing why I was struggling. All in all, I'm not ashamed to be autistic. As much as I struggle at times, I know this is how God created me. It's been a rollercoaster ride, but I'm hopeful that my journey into figuring out exactly who I am and putting all of the pieces together will be a fruitful and rewarding one.
scheduled for an evaluation assessment next month, this is really affirming. I have been scared to look for stories of other women that might be on the same journey, but I am only looking because other people told me and things I overheard right have resonated with me. psychiatry has done a number on me. I mean it's helped me in some ways but I am very confused. I love myself and I know who I am and I just want to feel like I make better sense to people I guess. love to anybody was reading this.
I can relate because as a child I was diagnosed as being developmental disabled(autism was unknown at the time)as a teen I was diagnosed as being mildly autistic.Growing up I had many challenges in school and making and keeping friends because of how I am in school I was picked on and bullied in Jr high and high school I had a c average I was also in college but had to be transferred to vocational education and did well and than I had a job for a few years got married with a child now I'm doing well despite my challenges I have mild autism but it doesn't have me
Diagnosed at South London Maudesly/Kings College Adult Genetic Unit. My DNA for genealogy projects I do, bought awareness of 5 generations on Males in my paternal lineage all with ASD children. Confirming ASD is something that developed before birth. My DNA connection links to Charles Robert Darwin, as my 7th Cousin 5 x removed.
Also, there needs to be Female Autism Support group that actually does invoke Autistic support, as Local Authorities and Councils do not provide support or care for Adults with Autism...most only focus on children infant to 14?
As a now happily married woman, who had her three sons kidnapped by father who then charged with Menacing, beating and abusing my children and evicting them from their only home. As, he was as 15 year old. There was no ASD, especially for women...only derogatory labels, Bi-polar, Manic depressive, obsessive compulsive. I was deported back to uk after two years of fighting and detention in federal and immigration facilities in USA.
I was diagnosed with 14 mental illnesses (not all at once) over a 30 year period before being diagnosed with autism. In my case the mental illnesses hid the autism. I was diagnosed with medium support needs in my late 40's. I can't hide that I am different. But I still got missed because I am older (born in the 70's) and all of my symptoms were seen through a mental health lens.
i am just starting to learn about autism, but from what i learned from this video and what i experienced myself there is no difference in male and female autism. i was acting and hiding myself my whole life, each day i was wondering what the most appropriate facial expression was to pretty much any situation i faced. i never understood why others do what they did.
i think the only difference between male and female autism is that for some reason males are being detected earlier, but there is no difference if the country you are living in does not detect it at all, no matter what gender.
however i am relieved to know why i had to act to be like everybody else.
I didn't mimic well. My drive was for authenticity and living according to my principles--it took me until after high school to realise I had to not stim. In many ways, I am closer to how many males experience autism except that I pass easily until people are around me for a while and then they tell me I'm odd or weird. Often they do this in jest, but it gets old.
This is an AMAZING video with AMAZING women 💕
I was diagnosed at the age of 13.
I have ADHD and the combination is very hard.
I have sensory issues, overloads and hypo Proprioception, I get migraines from loud sounds, fall over for no apparent reason, I reacting paradox to medication, I faint in too loud/hot/buzzy and get overwhelmed with to many people.
This was a great video
I genuinely feel that this is great. However, I feel like I'm losing my mind. I identify with female autism much more than the male version. I am male, I am Gay (I think this is where the female identify comes from). I wish more research was done on Gay Aspergers and Autism. I think the way this subgroup manifests symptoms could really change the way we view the male and female brain and the sexual orientation link between brain structural differences.
We should talk! I'm also a male with SSA and relate highly to these fine ladies.
This video changed my life and made me decide to find a diagnosis three years ago. I'm eternally grateful for that.
Is there a way to contribute with you and translate this video? (at least to spanish).
I struggled for several months with my psychologist because she didn't quite "belive me" (about having Asperger's), even though all the tests, other 2 psychologists and 1 psychiatrist said I do. I quitted therapy because of her attitude towards me and I would love to send this to her one day, but I wish she didn't have the excuse of not paying attention to it 'cause it's in a language she doesn't speak.
This inspired me to write my thesis focused on the importance of getting a special diagnosis for women. She wanted to see all the common "men with autism" symptoms in me, and couldn't bare the idea of me being femenine. I wonder how many girls and women get the help denied because of that.
this has been helpful thank you
Excellent video! Very helpful!
Drama is important for teaching people with autism how to express themselves
"I learned to conform.. which is really quite sad"
No, no it's not! I was 18 when I consciously decided to really try and conform. (By that I mean: learn speech patterns and mannerisms that would not cause me embarrassment, so that I could more easily make friends.) I've thought a lot about that. Is it dishonest? I don't think so, because it's still myself that I'm expressing, but now I'm doing it in a way other people understand. If you are hiding yourself, then maybe it's sad. But if you are just learning a new language, what's bad about that?
These women have done a good job of adapting. The way they speak is so natural. (I know very well that must have been learned.) They all have adapted so young. When you don't know anything else, I think it's easy to be pessimistic. Yes it can be hard to conform and to stay on your toes all the time. But it's so much worse to be isolated and strange with no friends. Being different doesn't just mean being alone, it means being embarrassed all the time and having your peers biting at you all the time. It's beautiful to be able to connect to the people around you and feel good with other people. And every time you succeed, you gain more confidence. (Which is a vital thing you need to succeed to even higher levels.... It's a lot like getting EXP so you can level up so you can get EXP much more efficiently.)
But on another note... pretty much everything the woman at 12:25 says is the exact opposite of my experience, and I think it's terribly insulting to say we feel "so much deeper" than other people. So many people say that about other groups. It's never true. All humans feel emotion to incredible depth. And all humans have an internal struggle.
***** Everyone has to change themselves to fit in and succeed sometimes. Everyone. And that's okay, because humans are made to be adaptable like that. If you're making yourself sick, if you feel like you're always pretending, I don't think you're really doing it right. I don't think we have to be dishonest to fit in... like I said, I just think we have to learn to communicate in ways other people will understand. They can't be blamed for not understanding, when the normal human manner of communicating is built right into them from birth.
***** Look, I'm not saying that wouldn't be great, I just don't think it's going to happen. You're talking about teaching every single person in the world how to communicate in an autistic way. Who's going to do that? If it happens, that's great, but I don't expect to see anything like that in my lifetime. What I want is to connect with people NOW, in the real world, in my life. So I will learn to reach out to them. And I think if other autistics want the same, they will need to do the same. We can talk about ideals all day, but if you don't learn how to reach for others, don't be surprised when nobody reaches for you.
+GuacamoleKun I agree with you wholeheartedly. You've got a good read on the real-world and how it operates. I get so tired of Aspies insisting that the rest of the world should accommodate them, without them having to meet halfway. Social skills can be learned and can open up so many doors in your life. It's not conforming for conforming's sake.
Don't pay any attention to the person who called you "stupid" and "discriminatory". He lost all his credibility when he resorted to name-calling. I must admit that I find it amusing that a man is challenging you and telling you what your attitude should be, especially since this is a video intended for autistic women. Male entitlement in action.
Star Chained Heart Haha thanks. I've definitely run into females with the same opinion though.
I wish more people could understand that. I get teased by other Aspegirls 'cause they feel it's hypocrite to adapt; it's not... at least for me it's necessary and it's the best for my inner peace.
Some days I come home exhausted from that much "acting" and thinking of every single thing I do', tha'ts the only "sad" part. But it isn't nearly as bad as it was getting bullied every single day for about ten years straight.
Some girls get diagnosed early, I was 8 and funnily enough Im 'mild' Aspergers
So, really everyone didn't go through this to learn how to be in social situations? Genuinely asking. This is so normal to me... Thanks you in advance, those who don't have autism, for answering.
This vid is brilliant!
LOL, I love to write feminist Science Fiction with good Aliens. :)
Very interesting and relatable. There is only one thing that is mentioned a few times and that is incorrect: the autism spectrum has no 'this end' or 'that end', no severe and mild end. That is not what is meant by the spectrum here. It is more like the colour spectrum: blue is as much a colour as yellow, but it presents completely differently. Autists who need more support than others have comorbid disorders or problems. It's weird and a pity that this idea still persists.
Please someone can make subtitles in Spanish? It would be a great help.
Lo intenté, pero me dijo que el video no lo permite. Escribí hace unos minutos un comentario preguntando si hay forma de hacerlo; igual y me puedes ayudar dándole "me gusta" para que suba y lo note. También me serviría bastante poder compartirlo subtitulado.
Very informative, i think i may have it.
I am half way through and { I'm in my late 50s - Never Diagnosed ASD}
thinking 'Wait!!
Isn't this how we all Learn to Be In the World???!! My little Grand niece has been diagnosed ASD I believe my deceased Mum may have had it too . . . I appear Normal, have had a successful career . . . if it's not Broke, why fix it?
kate_loves_Christ Yeah exactly
I can so relate to these women. on my report clearly says autism and when i talked to the psychologist Asperger came up assessment and that was what i have and it was like a light bulb went off as to why I felt different. tried to go to a therapist about depression this tried to say you look normal because you are giving me I contact so you don't look like you have Asperger it amazes me how many professionals don't know much about Aspergers again i went for depression this was not an assessment. it not about how you look.
Absolutely. Same thing happened to me. It's not about how you look at all.
I got obsessed with the 50's and nick at night. I compulsively watched my shows. Dennis the menace, Donna reed, Mr. Ed, Bewitched. The cars, asking older ppl about what it was like then. I also went through a Night Court phase. Then I liked clueless. Then in my 20's when I understood sex I became a radical feminist. Then I got over that and believed myself a singer songwriter and was obsessed with Dwight Yoakam and really old country. Then I just got depressed because as I got in my thirties my quirkiness wasn't so cute and I was a teacher and got traumatized from being bullied by kids and staff. I didn't understand gray area for rules because I always followed them all except when my friends took me to parties and my parents ok'd. I was young er obsessed with movies and acting and moved to Hollywood and got smacked by the gray area there too. Matthew Gray gubler and criminal minds was an obsession. Dogs are a thing. I'd get food obsessions. Physics. Psychology. .nothing ever lucrative. Thinking about fixaring on entrepreneurialism.
Nice video; and thanks for causing permanent damage to my hearing .
Soz, I'm a novice!
I absolutely adore this video, but I alternatively blew my eardrums out, and then had to strain to hear. I'm around 80% sure it wasn't my brain being wonky, and about 60% sure it wasn't my computer being wonky.
Its an interesting video, but I do have one issue. Not with the people in the video but how the text is shown. That font is really hard to read, I had to pause the video multiple times just to make sence of it. Did anyone else have this issue?
Really enjoying watching this so far and learning, but it is difficult to hear some of the voices. Volume is completely up on computer, youtube, browser.. and I have no idea what the guy at 8 minutes is saying, and the captions are way off. So some of the voices are super quiet, some or reasonably loud, and then the music between testaments is just blaring. :c
I am on a waitlist for ASD assessment. At 57yo I finally realise that there might not be something broken/wrong with me, that maybe I'm not a monster after all :(
Covering up your impairments is often called masking.
I wad diagnosed when I was 23.. :i
24 now
Guess I was good at hiding it
Does no one have the experience that they think everyone feels the same as you do? I have a lot of the same issues but I have gone through my whole life thinking that most people have the same issues.
My girlfriend is one of the women in this video and she felt like that all the time until I started pointing out that that was untrue. It took awhile for her to wrap her head around that.
I have that, I didn't know that I was different at all, I just thought that everyone went through the same things as me, they were just better at hiding it.
When I was young, I just didn't want to be bothered with social etiquette. I avoided people.
Nice put-together.
I don't agree with the blond guy in black shirt that a lot more males have autism more than females.
As Dr. Tony Atwood says, there are a ton more that are not diagnosed (or not diagnosed yet) that continues to leave the balance appearing to be more males than females have autism when it really is not that accurate.
Who's the woman at 13 minutes please? I love her. Thank you so much for thi video :)
those music interludes are too loud and annoying...
Cried the whole time
How do get diagnosed? What are the steps ?
Please don't try to bundle Autism into your list of society destroying millennial bs. Autism has been around for centuries but it is being diagnosed more due to a greater understanding. I bet you think women destroy nations, or that feminism is the devil, give me a break.....
Noam Adelman lol thanks
chupacabra get a referral to a clinical psychologist who specialises in autism spectrum disorders in adults and children and complete psychological testing
thank you so much for this
Thank you
Wish people would test out their mics before making a video... I know i'm hard of hearing and all but I still hear pretty well with my headset on... and there's 3 people in that video i just can't hear very good ... one of them i can't hear at all.
Do you find a correlation between Autism or Aspergers and Intersex, and transgender folk? I think I have seen it but am not a scientist. I was just recently told I am Aspergers. I'm 68.
+Khadijah Brown Yes, they are all 'coming out' at the same time, as it were, in the media. Awareness programs for both are reaching the public at the same time, but there doesn't seem to be any correlation beyond that. Though keep in mind there are Aspies who are transgender. One is not the other, nor are they mutually exclusive.
I am post op transgender of 14 years and recently found I am Aspergers also. Finding that the transgender transition was a huge mistake, and searching for a way to make sense of it all. It seems clear that reverting back to my old life won't work because I do not look at all like it. Hoping to figure out a way to live as neither?
Yes. But then with that considered, my theory is that gender dysphoria is really just a symptom of ASD, and if you’re genderfluid or transgender, you’re probably autistic as well, even if not diagnosed.
I say this based on my own personal experience. Just a theory, but I feel it’s representative of many.
You and all who pose their theories in response would benefit from learning about “comorbidities.”
I got dianosged with pdd nos at the age of 50 years old
I am 65 yo woman and I am going for assessment next month and I am scared now in case I am not but just an awful person.
Diagnosed late!! Try 52
So I'm guessing you're a fan of early diagnosis?
It's a common question I'm asked (being diagnoses at 30), if I wished I had known earlier.... hard to say really.
I guess it depends on the level of the 'problem', if you know what I mean.
Thank you for this video. I gotta ask though: why are these women all white? It was absolutely striking to hear one of them say "sometimes I feel like I'm from a different culture, and sometimes from a different planet"... Well imagine being autistic AND from a different culture!
In an ironic twist, I couldn't watch this video because the audio fluctuates so much
wow
hello my name is Carmen. my daughter is 19 and I know something is going on with my daughter she has inside the anxiety depression she has been in special education clases and they aleaysnsaid was just learning readability. but I know there is more. she is 19 and she can use money she doesn't have friends sims like nobody understand her. she looks normal and can have a conversation but only about the subjects that she is realy in to. I been asking her doctor always for an evaluation and he just said it was depression and anxiety and then just like 3 weeks ago she saw another doctor and the doctor sent my daughter dor evaluation but her insurance said that is not cover. PLEASE IF SOMEONE HERE CAN HELP ME GIVE ME ORIENTATION AND WHAT TO DO. my daughter is really depressed and with a lot of anxiety and panic attacks. she wants to be normal that's what she always say and she wants to work and be productive she had been applying in a lot of places but with not luck. well Thank you in advance. I will appreciate your help.
@R J
Thank you very much for this and all the best!!
From a fish who's no longer trying to climb a tree 😜
good thing Rosie didn't know them ,,she would of Outed them,,,
The audio going from a quiet whisper to very loud is terrible. Hypersensitivity is a symptom many people with asperger’s have ..and considering many women are probably looking at this while researching whether or not they have this..this editing is really really insensitive and tone deaf considering the content. Sound made it unbearable to watch.
I wss called nutty professor, quirky, eccentric, nerdy, weird, "different," wall to beat of a different drum. There's something wrong with you. You're nuts. You don't have to say everything you think outloud. Laughed at/humored at jobs for taking less important rules too seriously. Bullied for not knowing what's going on around me by bosses, coaches, teacher, siblings.
This strikes me as utterly ridiculous. These are 5 or 6 women of above average intelligence, each of whom likely has some form of an anxiety disorder, and felt the need to smack an ASD label on themselves. In some of them more than others-- like the busy mom, who talks about how she was always the "loudest and funniest" growing up-- you can really see the pathology in how they needed that diagnosis to make themselves feel special and different. The most glaring thing is that all of these women, it sounds like, have always possessed the ability to self-regulate, which is a hallmark impairment in people who truly have autism. They additionally all purport to be deeply empathic and compassionate and speak about how they have-- independently, mind you-- adapted to social situations. I would like to point out that that is something literally all functioning members of society have had to do throughout their lives; taking cues and examples from others and having them shape your personality is not the hallmark of a disorder. Also, if you've made it to your mid-thirties functioning essentially *just fine*, don't you question whether you've received an accurate diagnosis? This just seems to cheapen the diagnosis for families with members who actually suffer from autism and have had their lives upended as a result. When I was a child I was obsessed with cats, hated loud noises, had meltdowns if I was dressed in tight clothing, and, like almost every other child, watched and learned from the successful social interactions held by my peers. If my parents had taken me to a psychiatrist back then, maybe I'd have been given a diagnosis-- rather, a misdiagnosis-- of ASD, too.
Please excuse me for being rude or presumptuous, but who are you to say that the women are not truly autistic after just watching one video? Are you a professional clinician? Conducting an assessment for autism takes HOURS and it is not a one-step process. I grant that some of the accounts may be merely anecdotal. But that may be because autism among females is still a severely understudied topic, because for a long time it was assumed that only males had autism, and the "masculine" profile is the criteria that women are still possibly being judged by. Maybe if more research were funded to this population, we may think differently. There are other points that I would like you to consider:
-Autism occurs in a spectrum. This means that there are different levels of severity. Perhaps the women in this video are in the mild end of the spectrum. However, from reading your post you seem to view autism as a disorder that occurs in ONLY ONE extreme manifestation. I do not know if autistic women generally have a milder form of autism than their male counterparts. However, "mild" may be deceiving. People on the mild end of the spectrum still have social skills that are much worse than the average "neurotypical" person, and this IS enough to warrant a diagnosis. This is the case even if their social skills are still not as bad as people with "lower functioning" autism.
-Co-morbid diagnoses do occur in autistic people, though certainly not all. Anxiety is one of the most common co-morbid diagnoses among autistic people. If you listened to this video, maybe you would have understood that these women's anxieties worsen because they feel that they must cultivate a self that is not natural to them. I agree with you that all of us need to adapt to surroundings that we may not like. However, the social skills that neurotypical people practice effortlessly are not skills that come naturally to people on the spectrum, and this applies to BOTH genders.. I'm sure that pretending to be someone else can make anybody anxious. It is also said that autistic women often are misdiagnosed as merely suffering from an anxiety disorder or bipolar disorder, though these diagnoses may worsen as a RESULT of cultivating a self that is necessary, but difficult for them.
-If anything, autism may be over-diagnosed among males. It is estimated that approximately 10% of children(again often men) who receive an autism diagnosis lose it as they grow older.
-Considering the possible stigma that accompanies an autism diagnosis, I seriously doubt anybody would desire to the diagnosis merely to "feel special". I do not know these women personally, but the diagnosis may have been a last resort. for them.
-In all honestly, it seems that you are also autistic. I am sorry, but most kids DO NOT react the way you do( or did in your view) to tight clothing, cats, and loud noises. I hope you are aware of this. Like these women, you may have adapted to your surroundings. But you gave yourself a false sense of superiority by isolating yourself from these women, saying that you are not like one of them. What did you accomplish by doing that? Insights like yours are perhaps why women with autism continue to suffer in silence.
Have a nice day. Please feel free to reply. I grant that it is difficult to understand autism and how it manifests differently in people.
Oh sorry, what are your qualifications again? All these girls have not functioned just fine, they've been through a lot of trauma. It's sounds like someone might be in denial about themselves and taking it out on us as a whole.
Krista Neckles I didn't read all this cos it's too long. But basically this video is about how autism is different from male autism. So yeah they don't act like the male autism people. That's the point of the video.
embraceable_you I have severe autism and I agree, all I could think through watching this is “is this a joke”!
@@kristaneckles9215
Thank you very much for this!! My thoughts - put here so elaborately.
All the best to you!!