If you could push a button and suddenly become a normie..... would you??

I am terrible about eating with people in their homes. That adds a whole 'nother layer to things. Then I feel an obligation to at least pretend that the food is palatable. I have a friend who always complains about how "picky" I am when I come to her house. I don't even enjoy eating at my parents' house anymore - and my mom knows how to make things I like. Social aspect + who knows what is in the food and the texture (and the smells) = disaster. I'm beyond sick just with the anxiety before I even show up.

Duck u i am tired if the cheating and lies

It is extremely difficult to think clearly when people are in the house or when I am in someone s house or out to dinner even. When I am alone I have energy and can think clearly. Love your thoughts and comments.

Side bar: where did you get your blouse or dress? I agree with many things in this video.

Great video, thank you 💜💜💜 being real and authentic is lovely x

Connecting to animals: I really love when I can connect to humans the same way, on the same "channel". Wordless communication. I'm not sure those humans actually are aware of that connection, but I'm pretty certain they react to it. Just like they react to their cats and dogs, without really knowing how much is going on. This helps me massively in social situations. (I've always thought that this connection might be what christians mean with "love your neighbour")

Being autistic makes me great with children. I haven't forgotten the childlike wonder, curiosity, unconditional love, or ability to soak up knowledge like a sponge that kids are born with. Where NTs tend to become easily frustrated with children and have to beg, bribe, or capitulare when children aren't behaving in the way they want, I speak "Child" fluently and can have them eating out of my hand in no time.

Yes me too!!!!!! Yes yes yes

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One of you that are strong problem solvers should help me solve the problem of how to make friends 😅

Your channel is always so good 👍 👍 I presented at hospital A&E department because i was convinced i had appendicitis. They didnt believe me because i wasnt curled up in a ball screaming but i did have acute pain where the appendix is, but was still walking around. They did a Scan and sure enough I had acute appendicitis and was rushed into surgery. All the nurses and doctors were puzzled why i wasnt screaming!! 😅 even i was puzzled as I really was in agony but still calm and sensible!! I have the same difficulties with escalators btw! My communication is very literal and functional! As for extraneous noise and lighting I feel the same. At home in the evening I prefer soft lighting, side lights, even in my kitchen. I can't cope with really busy shopping centres, malls and as for disco's and busy nightclubs .. forget it!! I'm always super tuned in when caring and responsible for children too!! I'm 65 and not diagnosed but was shocked when I started learning about autism in adult women, as it was like reading about me. I live alone and love it! I'm not sure I should bother getting assessed at this late stage in life? Idiotic idioms drive me crazy! It's raining cats and dogs! 🤯 i grew up the youngest of 8 kids so it was a chaotic household. I would take myself off and find a quiet spot somewhere in the house to essentially hide with books or making dolls clothes, drawing and anything creative. Id spend hours happily entertaining myself so my 5 sisters thought I was stand offish! They still do in fact! I was never part of the gang and didnt want to be!! 😂😂😂

Thank you ❤ I took with me: this is not an eternal state, and there is a time for grieving, but it wont last and define my life. Also the food planning (i live by my self and can make for several days, healthy meals. I will plan it more thoroughly, so i am more secure in that when burned out. Will also stay hydrated👍 i noticed that too! Also what you mention about supportsystem and rebuilding life. And will check out the videos you mentioned! I so appreciated this, so thank you very much again❤❤❤

Yeah, that last one...

I can easily sniff out fake people too. They usually know too.

A lot of them resonate, but mostly the first one. My Husband cannot understand why I require alone time. Telling him it's how I've always been and that it's nothing to do with him does not help; he just gets all sulky and wounded whenever the subject is broached. He currently works the opposite shift than I, and insists being here while he's asleep should be the same as alone, but it's just not. When I'm not alone I can't fully relax with my own thoughts or do whatever I want because there is the possibility of being randomly interrupted, plus the weight of empathy knowing there's someone there and being vigilant about what might be wanted or needed from me at any given moment. "Part of my brain I can't access" is the best way I've ever heard it said! Thank you!

the escalator thing is real. I have used the stairs or elevator when available since I was 5 and fell. I am 46 now and still have to stare at the moving stairs for a while before I get on.

Huh, I had a broken toe as a teen, it took 3 days for my parents to take me to the doctor, not because they were careless but because I didn't express my pain very strongly. Same thing with cracked/broken ribs as an adult, had to insist on an X-ray. Suddenly they were very helpful! I doesn't reduce my pain when I moan and tighten my body so I always try to relax. I really don't know how to use pain scales. I figure if I can still breathe, see and hear then it's not maximum.

I have a solution to the tasks taking to long, Progress till perfection.

Spot on! Loved my dogs and cats and always had a special relationship where I felt they understood me and my autism

Sympathy/ empathy for fictional "villains." Even the ones that feel pretty black/white in terms of good/evil. I remember as a 5-year-old kid, I loved Jafar and Scar. I remember specifically watching Aladdin and thinking it was odd that Aladdin's lies were acceptable and he was still able to be the movie's hero while Jafar's lies made him bad (while still understanding why Jafar's actions were unacceptable). I also liked black and red and so his outfit looked cooler to me (an aside). I remember drawing a picture of Jafar with hearts around it, LOL. Then with Scar, I didn't so much feel sorry for him with his awful actions but the energy he brought which seemed like he was picked on, bitter, tired, and no one understood him or really cared to understand him. This is particularly true for Syndrome from The Incredibles who just seems like an autistic person who didn't have good role models or healthy reflection of his impact on others.

Doctor Mike made a video reviewing john olivers video on inaccurate care in one part he specifically talks about how woman won’t show pain or emotions the same way as men leading to bad diagnosing.

Awesome! Thanks!❤

Hope I got the right video. You said something about "Separating personal from work." I had never had an issue with that, but then I realized from listening to your video that I have made a huge effort to keep that separate. Personal from Work. I don't like bringing romantic partners or family to work events.

Girl, this is me... totally! It's like, WTF?! My whole life!

To leave almost any group conversation: ok, well it was great talking to you guys! Smile, little wave, walk away. That is my recipe.

Some of us live a more peaceful life living alone.

20:00 YES!!!!! One of my therapist's common questions was "would you rather be right or rather have a job/friends/etc.?" I struggled SO HARD to communicate that it wasn't about being RIGHT. It was about being CORRECT. I DON'T CARE if someone proves I'm wrong!! I REALLY REALLY don't! I just want my facts to be correct! (And, uh, yeah, everyone else's . . . .)

Tell me the escalator thing is common among us autistic individuals because that would be too funny. It is something I have mentioned to people ALL my life and no one has ever understood. It feels like I'm good at almost everything and then things that seem so obvious and simple, I struggle with. The more simple the task, the more complex I have to make it I guess. Definitely makes life more fun, but can lead to lots of frustrations as well.

I checked off every item on your list.And thank you so much for giving the etymology of the word "autistic." This is probably the main reason I have been mistaken for a narcissist so much.

I LOVE this video (and your channel!) and as a late-diagnosed autistic woman (last year, age 53) I agree with all of these strengths and benefits. For me, a big plus is that I get so much pleasure from connection in general, not just with animals but with the natural world and even the built environment. I see patterns and feel a deep connection there too. This is a spiritual experience for me. I believe some of us have a natural ability to connect in this way, and it’s an amazing benefit of being autistic. Thank you Taylor for creating such wonderful and affirming videos!

I think I'm high functioning autism too but never been diagnosed. I'm ADHD but I was listening and the pain you are talking about that you think is a hernia-this happened to me it was so painful I was just dying and it was my bladder. I took bladder medication the kind for pain, bladder spasms and urinary frequency and it immediately got 75 percent better. I still have it a little bit but it's MUCH better. go to a urologist. I also read a book about it. My other thing was it said stop riding your bike and I did and it got better as well. Let me know if you need the name of the book it has tons of recommendations. If this comment is completely embarrassing feel free to delete it. I never wash my sweatshirts either haha and I'm a mom of five and appear to be a completely responsible person

I just got diagnosed yesterday. Your channel and other channels like yours have helped me. My best friend suggested I was autistic a couple of years ago. I deep dived into it, got tested, and was officially diagnosed yesterday at 29.

I LOVE my Manta sleep masks. Makes a huge difference in getting decent sleep. Been a gamechanger for me

Undiagnosed, testing scheduled for next week. Sometimes I think I am, sometimes I think I am not, but I identify with almost every point you brought up here. Thank you for doing what you do!

This resonated so much except for routines… I wish I had that ability. I’m abysmal at creating or sticking to any and it causes a lot of suffering. I’m autistic in all the ways but didn’t know it for a while because challenges with routines and ADHD is intense and that diagnosis came first

Awesome for you not only to meet but hang out and work with her. I read most of her books and always related to her especially her take on animals. That is what caught my attention that I may be on the spectrum too. Because working full time (and apparently masking/burnout) was taking so much out of me that it took me awhile to delve into assessing myself. Between online quizzes, watching you and others on KZbin, and books, I've self diagnosed myself. I'm retired now and don't feel the need for a formal diagnosis - maybe 45-50 years ago would have benefited me immensely.

Meeting living beings without regarding color, form, age, origin...

This whole list is so on point! I'm self-diagnosed autistic and professionally diagnosed ADHD (before DSM-5) and watching you perfectly articulate these experiences is like watching myself in a mirror. Thank you so much for putting it into words!

Identifying dangerous people, situations, even areas before something bad happens. You could call it intuition but I think it is sensory input, awareness, pattern recognition. Saved me from a human predator in the woods as a teen.

Another strength: not being as susceptible to advertisements, fake news, manipulation.

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Literally described me !!! I love your videos I find them extremely helpful. Thank you . 52 & recently received my diagnosis. I ALWAYS knew I was different and videos like yours & some other Autistic youtubers helped me find the words to SAY what I was thinking & feeling. I then went & had my diagnosis appointments and I now feel complete. I'm finally part of a community where I fit in. Where others think & feel the same way I do. I love your videos & wanted you to know just how much you have helped me & continue to help me. Thank you ❤