I've got the same problem. Not wanting to stop although I'm dead tired. I've learned the hard way that the time to stop is when the first screw up happens. Don't try to power through, just remember what happened the last time I tried that and stop. In my case it's probably because of my ADHD although according to test results I'm also on the fringes of the autism spectrum.
An advantage goes to autistics in retirement. We live in our own self-created bliss of hobbies, interests and not being forced to socialize with people we think are odd and boring.
I've been accused of 'having to be 'the smartest person in the room!', by people who have zero knowledge of things that I worked with for years. I've been called racist or stuck up, simply because I don't have any common interests. I simply can't deal with hours of inane conversations. I was given a work station away from most of the techs at my last job after they complained that I ignored their conversations. I simply had no interest in sports. I didn't drink and I didn't chase cheap women, but that was all they talked about.I was into my work in Electronics. The were also angry that I was outproducing everyone by my third day there. There was a mandatory six week training and probation period. I was told that it was never cut short so don't ask. Nine ended on that third day. I soon had our design engineers asking me questions about our older designs, because I understood them better than anyone currently in engineering. I worked on cars, I did both metal and wood working as hobbies. I used to love to read, until my vision got so bad. I loved classic 'Space Opera' and I collected old engineering books like Skolnick's RADAR Handbook. I collected hundreds of data books of electronic parts that I used to reverse engineer a design. I was repairing undocumented computers, starting in 1982, when you replaced bad pars because there were no spare boards. I was also repairing C-band microwave equipment without a spectrum analyzer or signal generator in 1982.
@@danl6634 My solution is to join clubs and volunteer to work behind the scenes. I am currently treasurer for my local geology club and my local Unitarian Universalist fellowship. Most people don't want to be treasurer, but it is a good fit for those of us who like working with computers, so we can get away with being direct and less social by making ourselves indispensable! Eventually, we make friends with those who accept us for how we are and appreciate our honesty, reliability and accuracy.
THANK YOU! (Not shouting). This video really is one of the most enlightening I have ever seen and heard. At the age of 56, working in IT, It gives me so much insight into who I am and how others must see me, but that I’m only just recently starting to become aware of. Wonderful stuff. This should be used as a training video. Simply awesome.
@@thatjpwing Funny. Just turned 57 and excelled in IT my whole life. I've taken autism online tests & scored very high. I've been able to relate to everything Dave covered. My physician thinks I'm just ADD. I also was born with a chronic balance disorder that causes anxiety my whole life. I've often had difficulty in relating to most people. Now after seeing the video I think the investment in getting a professional diagnosis might still pay off this late in my life.
Same here. 46 year old diagnosed with AuDHD 8 years ago. You're right about the puzzle getting larger. Mostly, I don't feel as bad about myself as I used to.
I work in networking. A modest guess is that at least 80% of networking specialists are neurodivergent, and probably 2E, with ADHD and/or autism as the heavy hitters.
I realized long after the fact that comments made to me, were in fact insults, to me they were inaccurate observations and I reacted to those comments as a request for information and clarification. Accidentally quite effective.
Happy birthday, Dave. I had the benefit of leading a team of analysts and programmers-the majority of the people I was in charge of seemed to appreciate clarity and repeatable processes. It was the people above me whose raging randomness I could not deal with-I will never understand how managers can manage a process they don’t know anything about. (No, buying Jira does not make your process agile. Just putting that out there.) In any case, I’m happier as an IC because I don’t have troops I need to protect, which is the part of the old job that broke me. The fall back is not great for my career trajectory-I expect any day to be replaced by AI because someone who’s never met me thinks AI can do my job-but it’s much better for my sanity.
A gift and a curse, I’ve felt both sides of the sword throughout my life. Some of my children have the same obstacles to overcome and I will help them where I can.
My brother's autism...Physics...is more profound than mine...Mechanical Engineering. I struggled in corporate America. "Everything' Dave describes defines me to a T. But I can mask. Many consider me even outgoing...hyper verbal which is unusual for an engineer. I am 70 now...build computers...high power ebikes, used to build racing motorcycles and cars. I always felt I was better at technical matters than others. I hate social gatherings even though people always want to invite me because I seem even outgoing. PS. I can generally spot autism...or believe so....because I have studied it so much and live it.
"A gift and a curse, I’ve felt both sides of the sword throughout my life" Wow that nails it, as a fellow gifted and at times cursed old chap I know from those few words you have the understanding to guide your children to where they can see their strengths and flaws, finding what they can excel at is the challenge but you are halfway there have faith in yourself. Best
@@WOFFY-qc9te And will say, it is perhaps the gift of autism, IQ, focus and resulting insight that helps to offset the social curse of not wanting to conform to the nebula of social boundaries. The gift helps compensate for the curse. I have always felt special for the gift and cursed for self imposed boundaries of not wanting to deal with the social norms of society. I have never been good at willing myself to do things I don't want to do. Philosophically, I believe it can even be distilled down the debate about free will. Do we have free will? No. We are constrained by our neural network preordained by our DNA. Just like a person with low IQ can't do calculus which comes easy to many high functioning Aspergers. Many of the greatest scientists in world history have been Autistic. Elon Musk has spoken of his troubled childhood due to this condition. It is speculated that most of the greatest composers in history were Autistic. My mother was a classical violinist, and I believe she was the carrier for my brother and myself. A superpower with a downside. Accepting this, my life is happy. Having the conversation about Autism with neurodivergent people who know nothing about it is almost impossible and best case, nuanced. But, many neurodivergents suspect people with autism because they are different and don't conform to social cues.
Was raised an ADHD kid which never fit but didn't know how to use my words to say stimulants just made things worse, left me feeling dumb and ended up dropping out. Fortunately I got into tech when it was what you knew not what paper you had. It wasn't until my late 30s though I started going down the autism path and finally the puzzle pieces fit. Your stories have helped me figure out a lot of how it not only works against me but for me as well especially in a tech career. Appreciate it.
Hi Dave, I notice a lot of autistic traits are also found in people with schizophrenia. sometimes they are found together. learning more about autism is helping me also understand myself as a schizophrenic. i recently been using calming and coping strategies that is often used in the autism community. surrounding myself with light pleasant colors, consistent shapes, and satisfying lines. it has lessened hallucinations and has helped me in my own coping. i recently found a love for digital logic. like TTL stuff. i never knew i would it would take over my life like it has. for two years now i been learning how to build adders, and multiplexers all from fundamental concepts. for me i find boolean logic very satisfying. because with schizophrenia, truth becomes a subjective thing. but with logic you can make complicated statements and tell you if it really is true. the mechanical way to determine a truth is just such a mind blowing concept for me. it has allowed me to organize my own thoughts into logic gates and see if i get rational results. thank you dave for all your hard work in spreading the knowledge of what being on the spectrum means.
I really appreciate you doing this video! Both of my daughters are on the Spectrum and are now 19. It’s been an interesting journey with more to come. I asked them to watch this just so they can see that yes, they can live a happy and full life.
Thanks for talking about what it’s like to be an autistic manager, there’s so little info out there on what to consider. I do disclose proactively that I’m autistic to all my staff,peers and managers. As a practical tip, I’m a huge fan of the walking meeting, don’t need to worry about eye contact when walking next to the other person.
This explains a lot regarding a colleague of mine. I last worked with him almost twenty years ago. The way he interacted with everyone, from new hires all the way up to executives was exactly the same. Direct, honest and almost no regulation in correcting what he believed was incorrect information. I enjoyed working with him as he was a mountain of knowledge and the rest of us were mere mortals. He did not understand sarcasm which was a bit frustrating but did make me look at myself at how and how much I used sarcasm as a crutch. Dave, I'm the same age as you and from Canada. I'm in Hamilton. One thing I have noticed is, every single person I meet from Saskatchewan is an outstanding individual including my Dad who was born in Moose Jaw.
Hi Dave, I was a developer in the Windows core OS division back in the late 90s and early 2000s. While I do not believe I am "on the spectrum" necessarily, I do know that many of the attributes you describe here do describe me. Many of them, but not all. Thank you for sharing this; I believe it will help many people. Although many will probably apply it erroneously to themselves... but hey, that's life. Best wishes.
Wish you were one of my instructors... Your stright forward talking is very fluid and clear... Thanks I listened to you first on Microsoft Bluescreen... 😊
I've watched this a few times and the examples you've given have explained me to a tee .... I recently took the same quotient test you were talking about and i myself scored a 38. I've been in tech for 15 years in the IT sector and have always knows I was somewhere on the spectrum. It's not over when i am tired, it's over when i've figured it out - this made me jump out of my seat ... i've always prided myself in being able to solve problems by bashing my head into a table until i found the answer ... no matter how bloody my head got. Appreciate your content Dave! I'm in my mid 30's and I think i'm going to grab your book - might make the second half of my life a bit easier with your guidance.
I've long enjoyed your videos, but this one is transcendent. It resonates with me on many levels, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting it.
My youngest was diagnosed with ASD 4 years ago. He also got diagnosed with epilepsy a year later. His Consultant had him tested for genetic abnormalities. He was found to have a 16p13.11 micro duplication. I was subsequently tested and have the same gain. I’ve over 30 years in IT, and have always avoided working with people, so no aspirations for management or supervisory roles. Reading up on ASD after my son’s diagnosis, I recognised many of the traits discussed. I’m still waiting to get assessed as waiting times are unbelievable for adults. I also identify with many ADHD traits which are a massive problem to someone now working from home, who took many que’s from peers. Often finding important emails still in draft, as I’ve gone off to clarify dates or facts, and gone off down some rabbit hole while checking. I’ve attended 2 Christian parties and one summer bbq in 30 years! I really don’t like social outings!
Dave I too was a coder. I too have been called Aspergers. I never believed I had Aspergers. I could easily do what I saw others do, be involved in the superficial things, image status and relationships, but I could not be bothered with those trival things. I saw and still see the so called normals as lesser beings, and i saw that they needed to classify me as abnormal, broken somewhat, they called me autistic. We are not lesser Dave, imo quite the contrary. And yes I have done all those things you mentioned from eye contact failure to failure to be deferential, and office politics can go to the appropriate place. Happy birthday, and I see you as far beyond me. Autistic is an incorrect and cruel label. We are advanced evolved and hence we are attacked and labeled by the lessers. Respect.
I believe that your video has allowed me to reach a moment of clarity about my 35-year career and the issues that I faced. A number of things that you discussed resonate deeply with me and help provide some level of understanding of the difficulties that I faced when I just didn't understand what others priorities and concerns were. As an adult now reaching retirement, I need to reflect on what this may mean as I redefine and reboot my life to live outside of the world of a professional IT career.
I found this very interesting and revealing. I have in fact wrestled with many of the same social variables. Even though I’m older and have managed others for over 34 years I still don’t understand the “rules”. Truly enlightening! I’ve never liked being a manager but it has afforded me particular freedoms and choices such as personal work space and time allotments that suited my thought patterns and mental down time when needed. Managing has also allowed me to accommodate others as well. Well delivered Dave and much appreciated.
Very good. I was also an undiagnosed autistic Microsoft employee in the mid nighties to early 2000's. Your descriptions of everything about that time at Microsoft, management, dealing with differing styles and neurodiversity are right on point, as are your descriptions of typical autistic traits, strengths and challenges. I had an almost equal mix of managers that used me well and others that wanted all identical round pegs in their round hole world. A few groups only used me for tasks that others had failed, which was great. A few had a set of 100's of small tasks on the wall and wanted everyone to do a task, then another, then another... This wasn't so great. (No one wanted to know that those tasks wouldn't be consistent, complete or meet the goals.)
Dave, it's not counting cards if you just remember the entire deck sequence. Also happy age up day Dave and I'm enjoying another video where you explain how I act at work 😅
Thanks for talking about this. I think it can be a touchy subject for some people, so thanks for being so open. In a management or leadership position, I sometimes find it's difficult to find an appropriate time to disclose my diagnosis. For a lot of my life it was a secret I kept, and it's not particularly easy for me to tell other people about it, especially not with large groups. I see that, especially when there's movement or a change of personnel, my new team can find it hard to adjust to me. Whether that team be my superiors, subordinates or especially my peers. Going from a leadership role in one department to a more basic one in another, I have been told I tend to "take charge" a bit too much. At the same time, I trust my own judgement completely (having been in a leadership role before), and it can be hard to take off my manager hat when I know what's what. Talking to someone "more senior" than me to have a chat with them feels like an escalation, and I won't do that if it can be avoided.
Thank you for raising awareness about autism and life on the spectrum. I lost a friend who was undiagnosed but looking back, clearly on the spectrum. He took his own life in the midst of life and relationship stress likely compounded by the pandemic. It's heart breaking because the relationship probably could have been saved or reconciled but the part about having difficulty dealing with strong emotions built up over time probably came into play. I've read the s*cide rate is higher with people on the spectrum and the more education and awareness that's put out there, perhaps more can be saved.
Just discovered your channel: What you say is very recognisible. I am 53 years old now, and got an official diagnose Aspergers just 3 years ago. It's like my past behaviour is becoming clear in some way.
Dave! Thank you for doing this. Not only was it fascinating, and was very informative, and very self-reflective. Happy Birthday tomorrow, and keep up the amazing work sir, I really enjoy your content.
Wow, I just might have Autism and oblivious to it. it explains some of the issues I've have my entire life and career. I retired with 37 years as an avionics tech in the military. I was called Mr. Spock by a local friend growing up as a kid (I did take it as a compliment). I do find this interesting, I don't think I haven't experience anything you've talked about. I also must say I've watched a few of your other videos an found them enjoyable and I have learnt a few things. Oh, I wanted to say that there is another name for someone that is introverted and can have extroverted abilities, and classed as an Ambivert. Your reminiscing of the years gone by make me think of my passed too. It's also cool that I can relate to all the software evolutions that have taken place. Now, I' going to try and find out if I am Autistic in any way. If so I will be glad to know where so of my gits come from. Cheers, Brian
I feel there is a link between Autism and ADHD and being tech saavy. I have ADHD and took a profound interest in the working of computer when my parents bought one. I once read part of the MS-DOS 5.0 manual on a 1 1/2 hour drive with my parents on a ski trip.
I may be at the edge of the spectrum according to a couple of online evaluations (yes I understand they are not diagnostic). I refused to go into management at the 5-year mark of my career because I didn't want to deal with a dysfunctional division director and I didn't want to perform personnel evaluations. Eventually I ended up as a skilled and very highly paid engineer/analyst that cost too much for the work that was available, which led to my layoff. Fortunately, I was near full retirement age.
That sounds like my story. My career peaked while I was in my 40's, then the layoffs started happening and the jobs were for shorter durations while my salary declined when adjusted for inflation. I decided to retire when I was laid off at age 59 because the ACA (aka "Obama Care") allowed me to purchase medical insurance after COBRA ran out. The premiums became my single biggest expense, but I managed to afford them until I turned 65 and started Medicare. Fortunately, my 401K and IRAs did very well, so it worked out and I've been very happy since!
Dave, happy birthday and thank you for taking the time to talk to us about life on the spectrum. I have a lot of traits and videos like this help me put my life into perspective. Thanks again
I'm 67 and was diagnosed with ASD a bit over a year ago. It is scary how my journey mirrored what was recounted in this video. I so wish I had been diagnosed long ago. It would save me a lot of grief and pain. I have high hopes these days everyone becomes more knowledgable on ASD and how to react to those with it, how to work with them, etc. Oh, if you are on the spectrum and your diagnosis is new to you, don't feel bad when you learn your ability to mask isn't a bad thing. I found in my life many got the wrong impression when they learned I have masked all my life. For me, masking was essential to surviving, not 'living a lie' like some neuro-typicals see this as.
I love your videos. When I was 35 years old, I recorded a video for someone and forgot to turn the camera off - when I was going back to trim the video down I got to see for the first time what I look like when I'm alone and the mask comes off. When I saw myself in the comfort of my apartment when I KNEW that nobody could see me - it was an INSTANT realization. When I was in college I had a full neuro-psych eval done and they caught my combined-type ADHD and my dyslexia and a couple other minor things where I tested oddly; but they missed the piece of the puzzle that tied it all together. So, I love hearing from someone else that went decades before connecting the dots.
The one "super-power" I have that I relate to my autism is (and I say super-power only because you did; it tends to be at least as much a detriment as an asset) - I OBSESS over any anomaly or occurrence that I cannot explain. Any time something happens contrary to the result I was predicting, I MUST come up with SOME explanation (correct or incorrect) to settle in my brain - why the heck did that happen?
I've also wondered from time to time about what might have contributed to my autism. In my case, I see my autism manifest itself primarily as being "overly" analytical about EVERYTHING. I have to analyze, de-brief, and study EVERYTHING that happens and then I will dive down hours-long rabbit-holes (mostly on the internet) to try to answer ANY lingering questions I have. Both of my parents are hyper-analytical too, so I just chalk it up to - I must have gotten too much of analysis-gene. I was an emergency c-section because I stopped breathing for several minutes during that whole thing - so I've wondered if that had any impact
00:20 "Emotions, mind blindness, marriage, relationships, friendships, parenting, employment" I live in the UK and I am 38. I have clear issues with each of those and anyone who knows me well has always said I was very 'off' on said topics, but when I went to the GP 2-3 years ago to discuss my issues (and the potential for it to be autism), he gave me a paper test and said my score said I was too low to be on the autism spectrum. I felt so lost. Autism felt like a perfect fit to me and to those who know/knew me (past and present) but this test showed something else is screwing with my brain. I have anxiety but that is not the main cause of my issues. I just don't know what is. I feel I will die still lost. And, due to the issues, alone. (as I have had no friends in over 15 years etc, struggle with relationships etc).
ADHD? Many ASD facets resonate strongly with me (and I also have a variety of anxieties and phobias), but I was recently diagnosed with ADHD as a 54 year old. You can do broad screening questionnaires online if you’re interested. And never say never on the question of relationships - after a failed marriage years ago and a long period where I thought “oh well”, I’ve now been in a fantastic relationship with a wonderful woman for the last three years. Neither of us were looking for lurrrve and yet somehow….
Seconding the ADHD suggestion. There is SO VERY much overlap. Find the book Driven to Distraction and take the questionnaire at the back of the book. It’s pretty detailed. If you explore that route, definitely then discuss it with a doctor and definitely consider medication. Meds can change your life if you have ADHD. I was diagnosed at 38, shortly after my two youngest kids were diagnosed. Seriously can’t encourage you strongly enough. If Dave’s experience is resonating with you, first explore the ADHD possibility (on your own, doctors can be dismissive initially), and if you get dismissed again, then think about getting a different doctor.
If no friends or relationships , get back to your family. Don't think you're alone. Don't be alone. Go out and watch people on the street as they go about their lives. It's so much fun. You'll learn that you're not alone too. Good luck 💐
Being blunt and very direct is also a question of the culture. Germans and Danish are known to be among the most direct cultures in the world, and our directness is quite often seen as offensive. But in our (German) logic is is not rude, 'cause it saves the time others spend by talking around the bush. And it saves misunderstandings by being clear instead of using a convoluted "not offending is the most important thing" wording. That is not a excuse for finger pointing of course. Simply blame a person or group instead of focus on the problem if seen as very rude - and a waste of time. Thank you for that video!
Thank you for sharing your experience with autism in such detail. Very enlightening. I myself took several informal online autism tests before having a formal, medically sanctioned evaluation. In each of the online quizzes that I took, my score was always within a few points of the maximum, e.g. 47 out of 50 was a typical result for me. As an older autistic adult, I have struggled with maintaining gainful employment, despite being highly skilled and having vast experience in my field (Excel VBA automation development). Thanks again for a wonderful and informative presentation.
I took it to heart when you mentioned mean what you say and say what you mean, 😂 my kids know these words to be the most common words in my vocabulary if I need to be honest and direct. Thanks for sharing and stay true to.
When I was head of the IT department, I had an engineer who was figured out to have autism. In his workfield he was brilliant. But when things didn't go to his planning, he went beserk. I aways valued his work, and now and then I had to have a personal conversation wiith him, to protect his collegues from him. Alas he got another job.
I remember being absolutely shocked when I was diagnosed as an adult and then everybody I knew was like "It was pretty obvious" and I'm just like well why didn't you guys tell me until I was in my mid 20s. I was diagnosed as a kid even but my parents never even told me.
I LOVE your channel so much and think you're awesome and honest. I may not be very smart but you definitely open my eyes to all kinds of things and make me think. Btw, happy birthday! 🎈🎂
So many things you mentioned makes me feel like I'm way more than just ADHD, it's comforting in a way... To know that there's others out there who often feel just like I do...
Thanks for a thoughtful presentation. As a high school CompSci teacher I have many spectrum students in our classes. I've witnessed many of the behaviours you mentioned. Your discussion is very informative. Thank you.
I’m 52 and just found out I’m on the spectrum. I’m an ex network engineer and database designer & developer. Taught high school for 15 years, elementary the last 5. I have a wife and twin daughters, we’re doing okay. I think that’s hilarious.
I do believe I need to get myself tested because so much of your video resonates with me and would explain quite a bit! Thank you for this video. It should be compulsory watching IMHO 💕
Thank you for the key words "Autism Spectrum Quotient." I found the online test and my result was 34. Some questions I was a bit on the fence about, so I will try another test at a later time. Again, thanks for the video!
I have never been diagnosed but I may have a few similarities like having my own IT hobbies now I am retired, working in IT Support for 40 years (including Microsoft UK), being good at IQ tests, quizzes, etc. My 2nd wife has a Psychology degree and is sure I don't have most of the signs. My 1st wife, older son, her father and grandmother all have autism and I have a lot more empathy than any of them, so there is a large genetic cause in her side of the family... happy birthday Dave!
Fantastic video. Diagnosed last year after a similar event and its shed some light on things work in IT as well. Forwarded to my line manager and team too !
Your life and mine have many parallels. I am one of the UPS tracking and routing creators. Like you I quit high school and went back. I also went to college starting at 30 years old. I am 5 years older than you. I started programming on a 8080a in 1975. I unfortunately have Aspbergers and can't perceive body language or subtle facial expressions. I am a skilled expert in electronics, embedded controllers, machine interfaces, databases, PLC programming and every every aspect of human machine interfaces. I think you and I could share a lot of war stories and could possibly be good friends. We share so much in common. Needless to, say since I am also AADD I know how to do everything that requires manual dexterity. Also I only think in full motion 3D visualization with color and sound. I have asked around and found this is extremely rare.
It wasn't until I married my second wife, a child Psychologist, that I began to understand that my leet nerd skills that had served me so well were also part of being on the spectrum. And yes - been a director twice and both times gladly stepped away. It's just too much work playing the role and towing the line.
Hello Peter, what's happening? Um... I'm going to need you to go ahead and come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around... 9, that would be great, mkay? Oh oh and I almost forgot: um, I'm also going to need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday, too, okay? We um, lost some people this week and uh we need to sort of play catchup. Thanks! . -Bill Lumbergh 😜
Wow, this was enlightening. SO much of what you're saying is resonating with me. I've worked over 30 years in IT, more than half of that at a big blue business machine company. Our employers may have been rivals of sorts but there are striking similarities in their culture. "I may not be on the spectrum but I can see it from here." I guess a fish doesn't know what water is... It's probably time I investigate this topic further for my own well-being as well as those around me.
We have much in common. I began a few years before you when 8k came on a truck and required a lot of power. I was auto didactic beginning with CPM. My career was Windowless for the most part. UNIX/AIX/SUN, serial terminals. I did put several services into production using NT PRO in the late '90s. They went into tightly controlled government installations where they were indoctrinated Microsoft fanatics. Never did so many reboots in my life. Retired now and a happy Linux guru. I'm very likely Autistic. I was always in charge though, so may be an alpha Autistic if that is a thing. I did significant work that changed the world and can only be whispered in your ear. Not sure if you'll see this, but my work with slot machines in the '90s may interest you. Thanks for sharing a lot of your time and work.
"Flipping the bit" as a term for a different perspective (polarized? off-the-wall? definitely wrong if you assume the other is right?) is hilarious and versatile; thank you for that
Hi Dave. Hey, I like your tech videos a lot. But this was extra nice. My son is mid-career, having left Apple recently for a, well a hiatus let's say. He discovered after decades of wondering what's wrong with me" that he was significantly into the Autism spectrum. He's happy he found out, and adjusting his life for in in general. But he will face lots of work life challenges, when he decides to re-engage. I'm forwarding this to him.
"Great Filter", i like how you incorporated that idea from Intelligence in Cosmology is a great reference! Thanks Dave you're one of my favorite youtubers.
Wow. So much of this describes me. I started following you for your tech and geek videos. I find your autism videos enlightening. I’m starting to think I may be on the spectrum
Hey Dave, watched the movie "Land of Bad" yesterday and Russell Crowe's character in the movie was definitely "on the spectrum". I know I'm pretty OCD and have known several fellow programmers that were definitely "different". Keep making your great videos! (My first computer was a PDP-8, with toggle switches, at 14.)
Thanks, Dave. I work as a human interface between technical workers, general public and management. I am technically minded but luckily enjoy social interaction, but not too much! What you have said has reinforced my understanding of the complexity of the personal and personnel interaction I have to deal with on a daily basis.
Obviously there are many variations in how people on the spectrum are but I find it a bit interesting that you speak in terms that you was oblivious that you were different until you got your diagnosis. Personally I've felt different and out of place my entire life but I just couldn't understand why. I often ended up in situations were it was obvious that others also thought that I was different and weird. Pieces started to fall in place only when my son got diagnosed 5 or 6 years ago. Since then I've learnt a lot about the spectrum and perhaps most important of all, about myself. It was such relive to finally understand why (most likely) I am like I am. Since I have not gotten an official diagnosis (yet) I don't know if my struggles are big enough that it would qualify as a disorder, but I have strong traits that Indicates that it would. Anyway, after realizing this I understand much more about my needs and I'm much more easy on myself for not going to social events (or whatever), when I feel I don't have the energy for it.
"It's not over when I'm tired, it's over when I've figured it out." Oh dear, that describes me to a significant extent...
The obsession. Kept me up days before.
I got old and discovered there's a trade-off when I started falling asleep while coding.
This explains why I would never sleep until I got a clean compile
I've got the same problem. Not wanting to stop although I'm dead tired.
I've learned the hard way that the time to stop is when the first screw up happens. Don't try to power through, just remember what happened the last time I tried that and stop.
In my case it's probably because of my ADHD although according to test results I'm also on the fringes of the autism spectrum.
"How long have you been working at this thing? When did you last eat something?!" - "Thursday..."
An advantage goes to autistics in retirement. We live in our own self-created bliss of hobbies, interests and not being forced to socialize with people we think are odd and boring.
I've been accused of 'having to be 'the smartest person in the room!', by people who have zero knowledge of things that I worked with for years.
I've been called racist or stuck up, simply because I don't have any common interests. I simply can't deal with hours of inane conversations. I was given a work station away from most of the techs at my last job after they complained that I ignored their conversations. I simply had no interest in sports. I didn't drink and I didn't chase cheap women, but that was all they talked about.I was into my work in Electronics. The were also angry that I was outproducing everyone by my third day there. There was a mandatory six week training and probation period.
I was told that it was never cut short so don't ask. Nine ended on that third day. I soon had our design engineers asking me questions about our older designs, because I understood them better than anyone currently in engineering.
I worked on cars, I did both metal and wood working as hobbies. I used to love to read, until my vision got so bad.
I loved classic 'Space Opera' and I collected old engineering books like Skolnick's RADAR Handbook. I collected hundreds of data books of electronic parts that I used to reverse engineer a design.
I was repairing undocumented computers, starting in 1982, when you replaced bad pars because there were no spare boards. I was also repairing C-band microwave equipment without a spectrum analyzer or signal generator in 1982.
It's a fine line though; at some point having a circle of people to help with life stuff as you age gets to be more important.
Ouch, a little close to home :-)
@@danl6634 My solution is to join clubs and volunteer to work behind the scenes. I am currently treasurer for my local geology club and my local Unitarian Universalist fellowship. Most people don't want to be treasurer, but it is a good fit for those of us who like working with computers, so we can get away with being direct and less social by making ourselves indispensable! Eventually, we make friends with those who accept us for how we are and appreciate our honesty, reliability and accuracy.
✅💚 I am 77 and discovered late in life I am ADHD with one foot in the spectrum. Creativy is a major blessing.
THANK YOU! (Not shouting). This video really is one of the most enlightening I have ever seen and heard. At the age of 56, working in IT, It gives me so much insight into who I am and how others must see me, but that I’m only just recently starting to become aware of. Wonderful stuff. This should be used as a training video. Simply awesome.
Same boat here, 56, IT, everything. This was an excellent video!
@@thatjpwing Funny. Just turned 57 and excelled in IT my whole life. I've taken autism online tests & scored very high. I've been able to relate to everything Dave covered. My physician thinks I'm just ADD. I also was born with a chronic balance disorder that causes anxiety my whole life. I've often had difficulty in relating to most people. Now after seeing the video I think the investment in getting a professional diagnosis might still pay off this late in my life.
Professionally diagnosed a few years ago at 45. It filled in a lot of missing pieces, but the puzzle suddenly became larger.
Happy Birthday Dave!
Same here. 46 year old diagnosed with AuDHD 8 years ago. You're right about the puzzle getting larger. Mostly, I don't feel as bad about myself as I used to.
I work in networking. A modest guess is that at least 80% of networking specialists are neurodivergent, and probably 2E, with ADHD and/or autism as the heavy hitters.
Dave please let this book be made into audio form. I really want to listen to it.
Thank you for your willingness to share this valuable information with those of us ignorant on the subject.
I realized long after the fact that comments made to me, were in fact insults, to me they were inaccurate observations and I reacted to those comments as a request for information and clarification. Accidentally quite effective.
It's Dave's birthday tomorrow btw
Happy Australian Birthday (it's tomorrow here today)!
Indeed, although it is raining here in Brisbane. Happy Birthday Dave.
Will come back tomorrow to wish Dave happy birthday 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Happy birthday 🎂
Happy Birthday Dave! You rock!!!
Happy birthday, Dave. I had the benefit of leading a team of analysts and programmers-the majority of the people I was in charge of seemed to appreciate clarity and repeatable processes. It was the people above me whose raging randomness I could not deal with-I will never understand how managers can manage a process they don’t know anything about. (No, buying Jira does not make your process agile. Just putting that out there.) In any case, I’m happier as an IC because I don’t have troops I need to protect, which is the part of the old job that broke me. The fall back is not great for my career trajectory-I expect any day to be replaced by AI because someone who’s never met me thinks AI can do my job-but it’s much better for my sanity.
A gift and a curse, I’ve felt both sides of the sword throughout my life. Some of my children have the same obstacles to overcome and I will help them where I can.
My brother's autism...Physics...is more profound than mine...Mechanical Engineering. I struggled in corporate America. "Everything' Dave describes defines me to a T.
But I can mask. Many consider me even outgoing...hyper verbal which is unusual for an engineer.
I am 70 now...build computers...high power ebikes, used to build racing motorcycles and cars. I always felt I was better at technical matters than others. I hate social gatherings even though people always want to invite me because I seem even outgoing.
PS. I can generally spot autism...or believe so....because I have studied it so much and live it.
"A gift and a curse, I’ve felt both sides of the sword throughout my life" Wow that nails it, as a fellow gifted and at times cursed old chap I know from those few words you have the understanding to guide your children to where they can see their strengths and flaws, finding what they can excel at is the challenge but you are halfway there have faith in yourself. Best
@@lukewalker1051 Go for it Luke and stop counting the years this is a great time for you just don't burn out.
@@WOFFY-qc9te And will say, it is perhaps the gift of autism, IQ, focus and resulting insight that helps to offset the social curse of not wanting to conform to the nebula of social boundaries. The gift helps compensate for the curse. I have always felt special for the gift and cursed for self imposed boundaries of not wanting to deal with the social norms of society. I have never been good at willing myself to do things I don't want to do. Philosophically, I believe it can even be distilled down the debate about free will. Do we have free will? No. We are constrained by our neural network preordained by our DNA. Just like a person with low IQ can't do calculus which comes easy to many high functioning Aspergers.
Many of the greatest scientists in world history have been Autistic. Elon Musk has spoken of his troubled childhood due to this condition. It is speculated that most of the greatest composers in history were Autistic. My mother was a classical violinist, and I believe she was the carrier for my brother and myself. A superpower with a downside.
Accepting this, my life is happy. Having the conversation about Autism with neurodivergent people who know nothing about it is almost impossible and best case, nuanced. But, many neurodivergents suspect people with autism because they are different and don't conform to social cues.
@@lukewalker1051 How did you manage to date ? I mean as an autistic, it's pretty damn hard to be loved by girls.
Was raised an ADHD kid which never fit but didn't know how to use my words to say stimulants just made things worse, left me feeling dumb and ended up dropping out. Fortunately I got into tech when it was what you knew not what paper you had. It wasn't until my late 30s though I started going down the autism path and finally the puzzle pieces fit. Your stories have helped me figure out a lot of how it not only works against me but for me as well especially in a tech career. Appreciate it.
Hi Dave, I notice a lot of autistic traits are also found in people with schizophrenia. sometimes they are found together. learning more about autism is helping me also understand myself as a schizophrenic. i recently been using calming and coping strategies that is often used in the autism community. surrounding myself with light pleasant colors, consistent shapes, and satisfying lines. it has lessened hallucinations and has helped me in my own coping.
i recently found a love for digital logic. like TTL stuff. i never knew i would it would take over my life like it has. for two years now i been learning how to build adders, and multiplexers all from fundamental concepts. for me i find boolean logic very satisfying. because with schizophrenia, truth becomes a subjective thing. but with logic you can make complicated statements and tell you if it really is true. the mechanical way to determine a truth is just such a mind blowing concept for me. it has allowed me to organize my own thoughts into logic gates and see if i get rational results.
thank you dave for all your hard work in spreading the knowledge of what being on the spectrum means.
Might be a good idea to also pursue proper and consistent punctuation..
I don't know much about the association myself, but autism was at one point often diagnosed as childhood schizophrenia...
Have to finish watching mate but I really appreciate your openness and share. Much gratitude 🙏
I really appreciate you doing this video! Both of my daughters are on the Spectrum and are now 19. It’s been an interesting journey with more to come. I asked them to watch this just so they can see that yes, they can live a happy and full life.
Thanks for talking about what it’s like to be an autistic manager, there’s so little info out there on what to consider. I do disclose proactively that I’m autistic to all my staff,peers and managers. As a practical tip, I’m a huge fan of the walking meeting, don’t need to worry about eye contact when walking next to the other person.
This explains a lot regarding a colleague of mine. I last worked with him almost twenty years ago. The way he interacted with everyone, from new hires all the way up to executives was exactly the same. Direct, honest and almost no regulation in correcting what he believed was incorrect information. I enjoyed working with him as he was a mountain of knowledge and the rest of us were mere mortals. He did not understand sarcasm which was a bit frustrating but did make me look at myself at how and how much I used sarcasm as a crutch.
Dave, I'm the same age as you and from Canada. I'm in Hamilton. One thing I have noticed is, every single person I meet from Saskatchewan is an outstanding individual including my Dad who was born in Moose Jaw.
Hi Dave, I was a developer in the Windows core OS division back in the late 90s and early 2000s. While I do not believe I am "on the spectrum" necessarily, I do know that many of the attributes you describe here do describe me. Many of them, but not all. Thank you for sharing this; I believe it will help many people. Although many will probably apply it erroneously to themselves... but hey, that's life. Best wishes.
Wish you were one of my instructors... Your stright forward talking is very fluid and clear... Thanks I listened to you first on Microsoft Bluescreen... 😊
I've watched this a few times and the examples you've given have explained me to a tee .... I recently took the same quotient test you were talking about and i myself scored a 38. I've been in tech for 15 years in the IT sector and have always knows I was somewhere on the spectrum.
It's not over when i am tired, it's over when i've figured it out - this made me jump out of my seat ... i've always prided myself in being able to solve problems by bashing my head into a table until i found the answer ... no matter how bloody my head got.
Appreciate your content Dave! I'm in my mid 30's and I think i'm going to grab your book - might make the second half of my life a bit easier with your guidance.
Thanks Dave and Happy Upcoming Birthday!
The non-visible part of the spectrum is both a super power and a struggle but these insights bring many things into focus.
One of the best indicators I came across in the 90's and early 2000's was the ability to be a really good Forth programmer..... 😀
Hm. I implemented Forth on a home-built 80C535 computer...
I've long enjoyed your videos, but this one is transcendent. It resonates with me on many levels, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting it.
My youngest was diagnosed with ASD 4 years ago. He also got diagnosed with epilepsy a year later. His Consultant had him tested for genetic abnormalities. He was found to have a 16p13.11 micro duplication. I was subsequently tested and have the same gain. I’ve over 30 years in IT, and have always avoided working with people, so no aspirations for management or supervisory roles. Reading up on ASD after my son’s diagnosis, I recognised many of the traits discussed. I’m still waiting to get assessed as waiting times are unbelievable for adults. I also identify with many ADHD traits which are a massive problem to someone now working from home, who took many que’s from peers. Often finding important emails still in draft, as I’ve gone off to clarify dates or facts, and gone off down some rabbit hole while checking. I’ve attended 2 Christian parties and one summer bbq in 30 years! I really don’t like social outings!
Dave I too was a coder. I too have been called Aspergers. I never believed I had Aspergers. I could easily do what I saw others do, be involved in the superficial things, image status and relationships, but I could not be bothered with those trival things. I saw and still see the so called normals as lesser beings, and
i saw that they needed to classify me as abnormal, broken somewhat, they called me autistic.
We are not lesser Dave, imo quite the contrary. And yes I have done all those things you mentioned from eye contact failure to failure to be deferential, and office politics can go to the appropriate place.
Happy birthday, and I see you as far beyond me. Autistic is an incorrect and cruel label.
We are advanced evolved and hence we are attacked and labeled by the lessers.
Respect.
I believe that your video has allowed me to reach a moment of clarity about my 35-year career and the issues that I faced. A number of things that you discussed resonate deeply with me and help provide some level of understanding of the difficulties that I faced when I just didn't understand what others priorities and concerns were. As an adult now reaching retirement, I need to reflect on what this may mean as I redefine and reboot my life to live outside of the world of a professional IT career.
I found this very interesting and revealing. I have in fact wrestled with many of the same social variables. Even though I’m older and have managed others for over 34 years I still don’t understand the “rules”. Truly enlightening! I’ve never liked being a manager but it has afforded me particular freedoms and choices such as personal work space and time allotments that suited my thought patterns and mental down time when needed. Managing has also allowed me to accommodate others as well. Well delivered Dave and much appreciated.
You're a brilliant man, Dave. It's a pleasure to watch your videos. You are very entertaining and insightful. Keep shifting gears! :-)
Thank you. This hit home as I’m realizing you’re speaking to exactly my experiences.
Very good. I was also an undiagnosed autistic Microsoft employee in the mid nighties to early 2000's. Your descriptions of everything about that time at Microsoft, management, dealing with differing styles and neurodiversity are right on point, as are your descriptions of typical autistic traits, strengths and challenges. I had an almost equal mix of managers that used me well and others that wanted all identical round pegs in their round hole world. A few groups only used me for tasks that others had failed, which was great. A few had a set of 100's of small tasks on the wall and wanted everyone to do a task, then another, then another... This wasn't so great. (No one wanted to know that those tasks wouldn't be consistent, complete or meet the goals.)
Dave, it's not counting cards if you just remember the entire deck sequence.
Also happy age up day Dave and I'm enjoying another video where you explain how I act at work 😅
Thanks for talking about this. I think it can be a touchy subject for some people, so thanks for being so open.
In a management or leadership position, I sometimes find it's difficult to find an appropriate time to disclose my diagnosis. For a lot of my life it was a secret I kept, and it's not particularly easy for me to tell other people about it, especially not with large groups.
I see that, especially when there's movement or a change of personnel, my new team can find it hard to adjust to me. Whether that team be my superiors, subordinates or especially my peers. Going from a leadership role in one department to a more basic one in another, I have been told I tend to "take charge" a bit too much. At the same time, I trust my own judgement completely (having been in a leadership role before), and it can be hard to take off my manager hat when I know what's what. Talking to someone "more senior" than me to have a chat with them feels like an escalation, and I won't do that if it can be avoided.
Thanks to you I'm re-evaluating my life at the age of 48.
Thank you for raising awareness about autism and life on the spectrum. I lost a friend who was undiagnosed but looking back, clearly on the spectrum. He took his own life in the midst of life and relationship stress likely compounded by the pandemic. It's heart breaking because the relationship probably could have been saved or reconciled but the part about having difficulty dealing with strong emotions built up over time probably came into play. I've read the s*cide rate is higher with people on the spectrum and the more education and awareness that's put out there, perhaps more can be saved.
Just discovered your channel: What you say is very recognisible. I am 53 years old now, and got an official diagnose Aspergers just 3 years ago. It's like my past behaviour is becoming clear in some way.
Dave! Thank you for doing this. Not only was it fascinating, and was very informative, and very self-reflective.
Happy Birthday tomorrow, and keep up the amazing work sir, I really enjoy your content.
thank you for this Dave, it gives a lot of hope for my son, Im a software engineer and a big fan of yours.
Thanks for this Dave. It helps me understand what Autism is and will help me to better interact with those on the spectrum.
Wow, I just might have Autism and oblivious to it. it explains some of the issues I've have my entire life and career. I retired with 37 years as an avionics tech in the military. I was called Mr. Spock by a local friend growing up as a kid (I did take it as a compliment). I do find this interesting, I don't think I haven't experience anything you've talked about. I also must say I've watched a few of your other videos an found them enjoyable and I have learnt a few things. Oh, I wanted to say that there is another name for someone that is introverted and can have extroverted abilities, and classed as an Ambivert. Your reminiscing of the years gone by make me think of my passed too. It's also cool that I can relate to all the software evolutions that have taken place. Now, I' going to try and find out if I am Autistic in any way. If so I will be glad to know where so of my gits come from. Cheers, Brian
I feel there is a link between Autism and ADHD and being tech saavy. I have ADHD and took a profound interest in the working of computer when my parents bought one. I once read part of the MS-DOS 5.0 manual on a 1 1/2 hour drive with my parents on a ski trip.
Your book changed my life. Keep it up brother. ❤
Happy to hear that!
Happy Birthday and thank you! A timely revelation this video gives indeed, I shall hand this to my new manager.
Bro thanks for this. I’m an aspiring dev and I’m on the autism spectrum. This was very helpful.
Thank you for this. I've just discovered this channel & have been looking for just this kind of education.
Happy Birthday Dave!
Happy Birthday Mr Dave, enjoy your special day. Thank you for awesome videos
I may be at the edge of the spectrum according to a couple of online evaluations (yes I understand they are not diagnostic). I refused to go into management at the 5-year mark of my career because I didn't want to deal with a dysfunctional division director and I didn't want to perform personnel evaluations. Eventually I ended up as a skilled and very highly paid engineer/analyst that cost too much for the work that was available, which led to my layoff. Fortunately, I was near full retirement age.
That sounds like my story. My career peaked while I was in my 40's, then the layoffs started happening and the jobs were for shorter durations while my salary declined when adjusted for inflation. I decided to retire when I was laid off at age 59 because the ACA (aka "Obama Care") allowed me to purchase medical insurance after COBRA ran out. The premiums became my single biggest expense, but I managed to afford them until I turned 65 and started Medicare. Fortunately, my 401K and IRAs did very well, so it worked out and I've been very happy since!
Dave, happy birthday and thank you for taking the time to talk to us about life on the spectrum. I have a lot of traits and videos like this help me put my life into perspective. Thanks again
I'm 67 and was diagnosed with ASD a bit over a year ago. It is scary how my journey mirrored what was recounted in this video. I so wish I had been diagnosed long ago. It would save me a lot of grief and pain. I have high hopes these days everyone becomes more knowledgable on ASD and how to react to those with it, how to work with them, etc. Oh, if you are on the spectrum and your diagnosis is new to you, don't feel bad when you learn your ability to mask isn't a bad thing. I found in my life many got the wrong impression when they learned I have masked all my life. For me, masking was essential to surviving, not 'living a lie' like some neuro-typicals see this as.
Happy Birthday Sir.
Thank you for all you do, and all you have done.
VERY INSTRUCTIVE. Thank you! Highly recommended.
I love your videos. When I was 35 years old, I recorded a video for someone and forgot to turn the camera off - when I was going back to trim the video down I got to see for the first time what I look like when I'm alone and the mask comes off. When I saw myself in the comfort of my apartment when I KNEW that nobody could see me - it was an INSTANT realization. When I was in college I had a full neuro-psych eval done and they caught my combined-type ADHD and my dyslexia and a couple other minor things where I tested oddly; but they missed the piece of the puzzle that tied it all together. So, I love hearing from someone else that went decades before connecting the dots.
The one "super-power" I have that I relate to my autism is (and I say super-power only because you did; it tends to be at least as much a detriment as an asset) - I OBSESS over any anomaly or occurrence that I cannot explain. Any time something happens contrary to the result I was predicting, I MUST come up with SOME explanation (correct or incorrect) to settle in my brain - why the heck did that happen?
I've also wondered from time to time about what might have contributed to my autism. In my case, I see my autism manifest itself primarily as being "overly" analytical about EVERYTHING. I have to analyze, de-brief, and study EVERYTHING that happens and then I will dive down hours-long rabbit-holes (mostly on the internet) to try to answer ANY lingering questions I have. Both of my parents are hyper-analytical too, so I just chalk it up to - I must have gotten too much of analysis-gene. I was an emergency c-section because I stopped breathing for several minutes during that whole thing - so I've wondered if that had any impact
wow unlike other youtubers, your video barely has any cuts when your speaking
00:20 "Emotions, mind blindness, marriage, relationships, friendships, parenting, employment"
I live in the UK and I am 38. I have clear issues with each of those and anyone who knows me well has always said I was very 'off' on said topics, but when I went to the GP 2-3 years ago to discuss my issues (and the potential for it to be autism), he gave me a paper test and said my score said I was too low to be on the autism spectrum. I felt so lost. Autism felt like a perfect fit to me and to those who know/knew me (past and present) but this test showed something else is screwing with my brain. I have anxiety but that is not the main cause of my issues. I just don't know what is.
I feel I will die still lost. And, due to the issues, alone. (as I have had no friends in over 15 years etc, struggle with relationships etc).
ADHD? Many ASD facets resonate strongly with me (and I also have a variety of anxieties and phobias), but I was recently diagnosed with ADHD as a 54 year old. You can do broad screening questionnaires online if you’re interested.
And never say never on the question of relationships - after a failed marriage years ago and a long period where I thought “oh well”, I’ve now been in a fantastic relationship with a wonderful woman for the last three years. Neither of us were looking for lurrrve and yet somehow….
Seconding the ADHD suggestion. There is SO VERY much overlap. Find the book Driven to Distraction and take the questionnaire at the back of the book. It’s pretty detailed. If you explore that route, definitely then discuss it with a doctor and definitely consider medication. Meds can change your life if you have ADHD. I was diagnosed at 38, shortly after my two youngest kids were diagnosed. Seriously can’t encourage you strongly enough. If Dave’s experience is resonating with you, first explore the ADHD possibility (on your own, doctors can be dismissive initially), and if you get dismissed again, then think about getting a different doctor.
@@karenm2669 😀 I'm reading D to D right now and yup, those 100 questions are scary accurate!
If no friends or relationships , get back to your family. Don't think you're alone. Don't be alone. Go out and watch people on the street as they go about their lives. It's so much fun. You'll learn that you're not alone too. Good luck 💐
Happy Birthday Dave🎉🎉🎉🎉 thanks for the fantastic videos. Just can't get enough, thanks again.
Being blunt and very direct is also a question of the culture. Germans and Danish are known to be among the most direct cultures in the world, and our directness is quite often seen as offensive.
But in our (German) logic is is not rude, 'cause it saves the time others spend by talking around the bush. And it saves misunderstandings by being clear instead of using a convoluted "not offending is the most important thing" wording.
That is not a excuse for finger pointing of course. Simply blame a person or group instead of focus on the problem if seen as very rude - and a waste of time.
Thank you for that video!
Thank you for sharing your experience with autism in such detail. Very enlightening. I myself took several informal online autism tests before having a formal, medically sanctioned evaluation. In each of the online quizzes that I took, my score was always within a few points of the maximum, e.g. 47 out of 50 was a typical result for me. As an older autistic adult, I have struggled with maintaining gainful employment, despite being highly skilled and having vast experience in my field (Excel VBA automation development).
Thanks again for a wonderful and informative presentation.
I took it to heart when you mentioned mean what you say and say what you mean, 😂 my kids know these words to be the most common words in my vocabulary if I need to be honest and direct. Thanks for sharing and stay true to.
Happy B-day Dave, all the best wishes!
Thanks, Dave. I got diagnosed last year at 36.
When I was head of the IT department, I had an engineer who was figured out to have autism. In his workfield he was brilliant. But when things didn't go to his planning, he went beserk. I aways valued his work, and now and then I had to have a personal conversation wiith him, to protect his collegues from him. Alas he got another job.
Thank you, Dave!
And happy birthday!🎉
I remember being absolutely shocked when I was diagnosed as an adult and then everybody I knew was like "It was pretty obvious" and I'm just like well why didn't you guys tell me until I was in my mid 20s. I was diagnosed as a kid even but my parents never even told me.
Keep up the great work.
I LOVE your channel so much and think you're awesome and honest. I may not be very smart but you definitely open my eyes to all kinds of things and make me think. Btw, happy birthday! 🎈🎂
Do you plan to release your eBooks outside of the Kindle ecosystem? I can’t find an ePub format to buy for Calibre.
Happy early birthday Dave!!!! Love the information and content you share.
Happy birthday Dave!
Cheers from Sweden
So many things you mentioned makes me feel like I'm way more than just ADHD, it's comforting in a way... To know that there's others out there who often feel just like I do...
Thanks for all your videos
Thanks for a thoughtful presentation. As a high school CompSci teacher I have many spectrum students in our classes. I've witnessed many of the behaviours you mentioned. Your discussion is very informative. Thank you.
I’m 52 and just found out I’m on the spectrum. I’m an ex network engineer and database designer & developer. Taught high school for 15 years, elementary the last 5. I have a wife and twin daughters, we’re doing okay. I think that’s hilarious.
As someone who is neuro-spicy (adhd and possible asd), I found this video very insightful and interesting. Thank you Dave. And happy birthday
Bappy hirthday Dave!
I do believe I need to get myself tested because so much of your video resonates with me and would explain quite a bit! Thank you for this video. It should be compulsory watching IMHO 💕
Thank you for the key words "Autism Spectrum Quotient." I found the online test and my result was 34. Some questions I was a bit on the fence about, so I will try another test at a later time. Again, thanks for the video!
I have never been diagnosed but I may have a few similarities like having my own IT hobbies now I am retired, working in IT Support for 40 years (including Microsoft UK), being good at IQ tests, quizzes, etc. My 2nd wife has a Psychology degree and is sure I don't have most of the signs. My 1st wife, older son, her father and grandmother all have autism and I have a lot more empathy than any of them, so there is a large genetic cause in her side of the family... happy birthday Dave!
Just finished reading “Secrets of the Autistic Millionaire” last night. Very informative and interesting read. Well done.
Fantastic video.
Diagnosed last year after a similar event and its shed some light on things work in IT as well.
Forwarded to my line manager and team too !
Your life and mine have many parallels. I am one of the UPS tracking and routing creators. Like you I quit high school and went back. I also went to college starting at 30 years old. I am 5 years older than you. I started programming on a 8080a in 1975. I unfortunately have Aspbergers and can't perceive body language or subtle facial expressions. I am a skilled expert in electronics, embedded controllers, machine interfaces, databases, PLC programming and every every aspect of human machine interfaces. I think you and I could share a lot of war stories and could possibly be good friends. We share so much in common. Needless to, say since I am also AADD I know how to do everything that requires manual dexterity. Also I only think in full motion 3D visualization with color and sound. I have asked around and found this is extremely rare.
It wasn't until I married my second wife, a child Psychologist, that I began to understand that my leet nerd skills that had served me so well were also part of being on the spectrum. And yes - been a director twice and both times gladly stepped away. It's just too much work playing the role and towing the line.
Thankyou. A very useful insight. I manage a team on an occasional basis and this has been very useful
Good advice & perspective on things. Listening to you, I honestly think I've grown in awareness & understanding. Thank You. :)
I also scored 42 and I have my assessment on Saturday!
Red Swingline Stapler! I just love that movie! Happy birthday Dave! ❤🎉 PS. Don’t forget those TPS-reports! ;) DS.
Hello Peter, what's happening?
Um... I'm going to need you to go ahead and come in tomorrow.
So if you could be here around... 9, that would be great, mkay?
Oh oh and I almost forgot: um, I'm also going to need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday, too, okay?
We um, lost some people this week and uh we need to sort of play catchup. Thanks!
.
-Bill Lumbergh
😜
Wow, this was enlightening. SO much of what you're saying is resonating with me. I've worked over 30 years in IT, more than half of that at a big blue business machine company. Our employers may have been rivals of sorts but there are striking similarities in their culture. "I may not be on the spectrum but I can see it from here." I guess a fish doesn't know what water is... It's probably time I investigate this topic further for my own well-being as well as those around me.
We have much in common. I began a few years before you when 8k came on a truck and required a lot of power. I was auto didactic beginning with CPM. My career was Windowless for the most part. UNIX/AIX/SUN, serial terminals. I did put several services into production using NT PRO in the late '90s. They went into tightly controlled government installations where they were indoctrinated Microsoft fanatics. Never did so many reboots in my life. Retired now and a happy Linux guru. I'm very likely Autistic. I was always in charge though, so may be an alpha Autistic if that is a thing. I did significant work that changed the world and can only be whispered in your ear. Not sure if you'll see this, but my work with slot machines in the '90s may interest you. Thanks for sharing a lot of your time and work.
"Flipping the bit" as a term for a different perspective (polarized? off-the-wall? definitely wrong if you assume the other is right?) is hilarious and versatile; thank you for that
Hi there! Another autistic developer here! Diagnosed as adult, was diferent all my life! I still make jokes, under stress, can avoid it!
Hi Dave. Hey, I like your tech videos a lot. But this was extra nice. My son is mid-career, having left Apple recently for a, well a hiatus let's say. He discovered after decades of wondering what's wrong with me" that he was significantly into the Autism spectrum. He's happy he found out, and adjusting his life for in in general. But he will face lots of work life challenges, when he decides to re-engage. I'm forwarding this to him.
"Great Filter", i like how you incorporated that idea from Intelligence in Cosmology is a great reference! Thanks Dave you're one of my favorite youtubers.
Awesome, thank you!
Dave, thank you so much. It looks like we are the same age. I am scheduling a test with my doc.
Wow. So much of this describes me. I started following you for your tech and geek videos. I find your autism videos enlightening. I’m starting to think I may be on the spectrum
Hey Dave, watched the movie "Land of Bad" yesterday and Russell Crowe's character in the movie was definitely "on the spectrum". I know I'm pretty OCD and have known several fellow programmers that were definitely "different". Keep making your great videos! (My first computer was a PDP-8, with toggle switches, at 14.)
Thanks, Dave. I work as a human interface between technical workers, general public and management. I am technically minded but luckily enjoy social interaction, but not too much!
What you have said has reinforced my understanding of the complexity of the personal and personnel interaction I have to deal with on a daily basis.
Obviously there are many variations in how people on the spectrum are but I find it a bit interesting that you speak in terms that you was oblivious that you were different until you got your diagnosis. Personally I've felt different and out of place my entire life but I just couldn't understand why. I often ended up in situations were it was obvious that others also thought that I was different and weird.
Pieces started to fall in place only when my son got diagnosed 5 or 6 years ago. Since then I've learnt a lot about the spectrum and perhaps most important of all, about myself. It was such relive to finally understand why (most likely) I am like I am. Since I have not gotten an official diagnosis (yet) I don't know if my struggles are big enough that it would qualify as a disorder, but I have strong traits that Indicates that it would. Anyway, after realizing this I understand much more about my needs and I'm much more easy on myself for not going to social events (or whatever), when I feel I don't have the energy for it.
Happy birthday Dave!
Sir, you are an articulate treasure!! Happy birthday, BTW 😊
Excellent video and material Dave!! It was four times.
Happy birthday, Dave 🎂