I have autism and I can say the high functioning form of it is really really just downright challenging. I mean the good side is we have the ability to learn different things gain skills etc but sometimes things can feel downright debilitating. I thank God I have come a long way but I just still have the hard days. And it is just that I think what is really hard is like yes we that are high functioning can do things that many others can do but the idea of it seems just like a turn off. I know that the term highly functioning is used for the school system so they know where to place students with autism but I think beyond high school the term high functioning autism does not need to necessarily be applied. I was told tonight about learning some things I need to learn to live and I am not going to lie. It just didn’t make me happy because from my personal experience I can say that even some people who have autism in the high functioning form their brains can have very inflexible patterns. But I can say I have a very very excellent memory.😊

It is very much worth remembering here that the USA 🇺🇸 and the UK 🇬🇧 see Autism in very different lights. Ive seen that difference both as a special needs educator in the UK and having an Autistic Nephew (although it seems that its more pallatable for high functioning to be termed as "gifted") in the USA. My Nephew goes to a school for the gifted His IQ is not far from mine, which is 132. But hear in the UK, high functioning is perfectly acceptable and seen in the same way that the USA sees those termed as Gifted. But- As I said to the families of the kids I worked with, as well as my own friends as family "High Functioning doesnt mean that the Autism doesnt effect me very much. It means that it doesnt effect you very much!" And we achieve this with the use of soul breaking Masking to try and appear "normal". Its the leading cause of suicidal attempts and successes being up to 10 times higher in the Autistic population. That figure may suprise you but there are some studies that hold it at a higher rate than that. All because of ignorance and unwillingness to accept people as they are.

Im have a late diagnosis of Autism (38 years before I was tested). I never fitted in because I was the weird kid who could hear the where the electricity ran in the walls, when equipment is about to break because of the slight change in pitch it makes when its running. I was properly 😮 Tetrachromat explaining why an environment seemed so full of colour but dull for others. But it is also part of the reason im light sensitive. I excell at finding patterns in random data but I am terrible at basic maths. I think in what, to me, looks like moving 4d video images. Usefull for planning the creation of something, building a mock up first in your head to see if that works. If not, then you can edit the mind image and then check it again before actually trying to make and potentially waste materials. I have perfect pitch and trained as an opera singer when younger. I've always had the knack of picking up almost any instrument and teaching myself how to play it efficiently. All of these things may be traits of autism. But then theres the loneliness, the fear of social situations because its like everyone else has a script they are reading from that I dont have, and like there is a set of rules ive not been shown. Then theres the many chronic illnesses I have often found with those who have autism. I still wouldn't change who I am. We Autistic folk have a very unique view of the world that values truth, justice, and honesty. There is little of that left in that Neuro-typical world. The neuro typicals are always looking for a way to fix us or explain us. My suggestion would simply be to accept us... but...quite honestly.... we'd rather you fixed yourselves & your "catered to neuro typical" world first before you try to tinker with ours.

Why are we listening to psychologists who identify as "normal" themselves? Aren't these the same guys who said Autistic people were incapable of empathy, when, in fact, persons with autism often have the problem of identifying too much with another and that causes overwhelm? Aren't they also the ones who said girls didn't "get autism," and mostly diagnosed women and girls as bi-polar or borderline personality (which they considered pretty much untreatable)? Aren't these the same guys who diagnosed autistic individuals as "retarded"? I think we have plenty of high functioning individuals with autism capable of determining whether or not autism is a "disorder" or "disability" and we don't need these arrogantly ignorant psychologists projecting their own fears and lack of empathy on us.

Im 40mins in n i expected a talk about how creative ppl often get bipolar or unipolar depression. He takes sooo long to explain things, whole bunches of words.

There is a prblem. Autism can only be diagnosed it people who have a DISORDER. Autism is a disorder by definition. A person who is suffering a disorder is called an egotist, narcissist, a bore, selfish, not autistic. Aitism is diagmosed only when those features cross the boundary of normality.

Thank you for your doing

I'm waiting for your new videos but please: more about skin. I have considered this channel more helpful and didactic than your interviews, although I like both. Tks

I have been watching all videos about Autism, I have been reading Leon's book as well: espetacular work!

Autistics are not a monolith. There are highly talented autustics. Who fit on quite well on society. And people with autism who are severely handicapped. So experiences can vary widely. So thats why the opinions differ. People with autism or autists. A property or identity. To me its like the pronun iation of POtatoe, potAtoe. I dont care.

I've read the comments and I believe people are missing the core of the author's idea. In Psychoanalytic theory, these ways of being are all considered "flawed", in all of them there is a mode of defense operating, they are considered flawed in the sense that Neurotic people also suffer from their condition and their mode of defense, in a way, everyone has a disability but the main difference is that autism is not understood as a way of being like neurosis or psychosis, and what the author is trying to say is that autism is a 4th category inside of the psychoanalytic theory, along side of Neurosis, Psychosis and Perversion, the new idea here is understanding autism as another way of being, and that includes all of it's difficulties, just as a neurotic or psychotic person faces difficulties behind their way of being, in psychoanalytic theory there aren't "normal people", all human beings have a way of dealing with the world and no one is considered perfect and healthy, they just have different ways of coping with reality

This theory might be applicable to some high-functioning autistics, but to those with more severe and lower functioning autism, it is definitely a disability/disorder

To make it more tangible, there are more than one way to configure the same computer hardware components and their operative systems. Applications will run more or less sufficient in various terms of memory and processing, in a spectrum from working with no apparent differences, to not be compatible at all.

Have you considered the humanism on your path on psychology? What about others? Cognitive for example. I would like to know your opinions about other concepts in psychology rather that psychoanalysis. Take care

I'm disappointed on how this is based on Lacan. I was hoping on Jungian psychology, like how autism effects individuation.

You can not tell me autism especially on level 2 & 3 support needs isn't by some definition a disability. Why are people so afraid of calling it what it is? It doesn't make you lesser of a person, unless you believe a person with a lost limb is worth less than you for having a physical disability. Sorry but this video is pure copium.

I have it and say it’s a disability

Part of the problem is that many autistic people only seem to get diagnosed when they have a lot of debilitating traits. Therefore, a lot of the studies and comments you see from psychologists are based on people who are low-functioning and need assistance. These are often the ones the general public thinks of as autistic and that's likely why they think autism is a disability. Psychiatrists often dismiss or misdiagnose high-functioning autistics, especially older people and females. Therefore, they go mostly unnoticed. There are many undiagnosed autistic people who don't need much assistance or have learned to adapt. But, the general public does not see them as autistic, so they don't see that you can have autism and be a functioning member of society.

Going 40 years without knowing was hard. I am so happy my nephew got diagnosed at 6

ehh, I wouldn't get rid of my ASD either. Although, I could do without the PDA and I would like to be able to modulate my ADHD so I could actually get (more) things accomplished in life.

I'm so glad there's os many autistic people in these comments who disagree, and likewise so many who agree. As an autistic person myself I'm open to seeing it as "who I am" but also as a disability, whether neurological or societal. I know who and what I am (I think) and don't like being told, but at the same time you have to be prepared that we as a species keep learning new things. One thing that bothers me is toxic positivity and it's interesting that there's a lot of people who find the viewpoints expressed in the vid to be just that. I think there is definitely a degree of privilege involved in being able to dismiss the "it's a disability" arguments. For a lot of us, it's very disabling. I'm able to pass as non-autistic ("normal" lol) in many situations, but in other situations, no chance, and it absolutely limits my options in life. I still push the "society needs to change to accommodate us" narrative a lot though, because I think it's justified and my own experiences tell me that. But I probably wouldn't turn my nose up at a "cure" not that there will ever be one. It's so important that we accept all the diversity of experience and opinion we have, and stay open to learning.

You need to talk faster. Everytime I watch your video I have to increase the playback speed to 2x

I've given this video a lot of thought, and I've come to realize that the main point of discussion, 'Autism is Not a Developmental Disorder,' is misleading. This is not actually how we define developmental disorders, not medically, not psychologically, and not even socially. A developmental condition is one that exists in childhood and presents significant (Keyword; significant) barriers to standard (Or, typical) development. These barriers can be overcome with the right support, and made more significant with the wrong support. I've worked with Autistic young adults who have extremely limited speech, but have learnt to speak when provided with correctly oriented support over a 3 week period. In a 19 year lifespan, it only took 3 weeks to begin to develop more complex speech, such as requesting help, access to a laptop, etc. On the topic of laptops, some of these high level autistic people I have worked with were completely unfettered when accessing technology. While the limitations of their skills varied wildly between individuals, being able to intuitively utilize technology was a relatively shared trait. Some individuals with Autism cannot speak until they are teenagers, but by the time they reach adulthood, they have learnt to speak fluently. This doesn't change the fact that autism inhibited their development, and there would certainly be aspects of living that they're quite behind on if it took them ~16 years to learn how to speak. This is why Autism can be misleading, as we're all in different developmental stages, and a person with Autism tends to be more empirically affected by those different developmental stages. We know from research that an Autistic person can very quickly develop skills that standard development assumes will take much longer to learn, but be severely inhibited in others. These elements are not uncommon, and an individual with Autism who doesn't in some regard have some sort of trait expression that can be linked to this phenomena, would be in the minority. This again points to Autism being a developmental condition. This is why this is a complex topic. But it's still not complex enough that you can get away with refuting Autism as a developmental condition and broadly hope that you're partially right, because you've convened with enough Autistic people who have overcome those barriers. Autism is, by all accounts, a condition that will inhibit the standard developmental path laid out for an individual at this time, no matter how low on the spectrum you fit. While the circumstances of an individual's life will determine just how disordered you may become due to Autism, and thus it is a viable point of discussion to point out that the word 'disorder' may not always apply to an Autistic individual, it is not at all fair or justifiable to discount the developmental aspects of the condition entirely. As a compromise, Autism is a developmental //Condition//, that can cause minor or significant disorder to an individual's life. While an ideal world would be able to reduce Autism to governing traits that influence a personality, or a 'way of being,' we are not in an ideal world. Despite this, I do think a lot of the points brought up are worth hearing and discussing, even if I think the title is a significant blunder at best and a haphazard attempt at click-baiting at worst.

The reason many adults do not receive recognition, assessment and diagnosis of ASD is because "mental health services" is not focused on the "abilities, talents, gifts," of the autistic mind, rather they prefer to remain co-dependently un sympathetic while adhering to "what is wrong" with a client by reference of and to iatric DSM pathologies, their bread and butter. It really amounts to a form of human trafficking as it works very well for the system, and allows the practitioner to live comfortably but not at all for the client with Autism, no matter where that client may fall upon the spectrum. For adults who have fallen through the cracks this is especially true.

Those who can actually express themselves will probably tell you that, but you forget the 90% or so of those on the spectrum who can hardly communicate and who need to be fed and dressed by their caretakers. Not everyone on the spectrum is lucky enough to ‘just’ have what used to be called asperger’s syndrome.

Handicap,disorder,state of being. I think it’s a little of both.

I do have a friend who has Autism, and yes it is a way of being. However, she is burden to her family since she can not support herself. Parents are alive only for so long. It is very costly for any parent to have to deal with an adult child that can not support herself. Thus, it can be a problem for some families.

Low and High functioning are little bit obsolete terms of IQ 60 below / above and when you take into account how Hans Asperger treated kids deemed to be low functioning...🤮

2:00 what about 1925 Grunya Sakhareva ?

Individuals whom this disability effects the most are always left out. They are often silenced when they say they need treatment. People who can manage the challenges with few medications and have successful independent life are the privileged group. Not everyone falls in that category.

Everything is a way of being... Drug addiction... Homelessness, a.d.h.d, etc... They are also part of mental health disorders, often due to trauma.

I use the analogy of operating systems on computers. I just run on a different operating system than most other people.

I'm autistic. It's a disorder. That's my experience of it and that's what the science tells us.

You can’t “cure” autism. You may be able to help autistic people deal with the neurotypical world in a more comfortable way, alleviate some of their struggles to accept themselves (rather than trying to get others to accept them) and give them some comfort by helping them realize they are simply different, not less than. Reassure them that ,in fact, that some autistic traits are magnificent expressions of a very diverse human condition. We are part of a very beautiful world.

More progress has been made within the autistic community, as it is easier to understand a situation you actually experience.

Thank God for the 2x playback speed button

Do you not think that if everyone was autistic, you’d not have these troubles? Bc the NT structure of society wouldn’t be there.

People who call themselves "neurodivese" probably got great marks in maths and were good at reading and writing and many others subjects at school and were not the dunce with multiple learning disabilities. You cant sell being unable to read well as a gift and having issues with working memory and visual spacial awareness and if you do then you are delusional. There is not other explanation.

Thank you for sharing this very valuable point of view! You gave me a different perspective on autism - not seeing it as disorder, but rather as a way of being - which can probably be helpful for building a strength based model. Do you have further ideas talking about a strength based model regarding autism?

What about people who want to change themselves, reinvent themselves, to become a different person, to have a fresh start, almost like a new Dr Who. Their thinking that plastic surgery is the answer. How can I found out more about this?

Lack is like an empty space on the library book shelf, it has a signature assigned to it, we expect to find what we're looking for there, sth should occupy this place but to our disappointment we see there is a gap there awaiting a book to get returned

love your work

This is what I try so hard to explain to my family!

The elusive genius by Elizabeth Gilbert Ted talk. She explains that it's the relationship with creativity that modern society that have simply in the old days they said you have a genius simply an entity came from outside but today we say people are a geniuses which is a too heavy burden to carry (Jordan Peterson- psychology of creativity he states artist or creatives live on the edge of chaos which is foolish and yet the very thing that rejuvenates the cities.

I have autism and it is definitely a disorder and not a way of being. It causes me lots of stress , anxiety and problems. I would take a cure in a heart beat . I am sick of the autistic community trying to make out like it is a good thing. I get that people want to feel good about themselves but this denies the realities facing autistic people which includes suicide, sexaul assault , poverty, lack of stable housing and loneliness.

Within a psychoanalytic view of autism how do you/others account for ADHD? After reading your book and getting more exposure to lacan I've wondered if autism/ADHD could possibly be two sides of the same coin in the same way that obsessional/hysteric are the masculine and feminine sides of neurotic individuals.

Excellent stuff. I would love to collaborate with you guys sometime! The video editor already does some great visual work, but I can always create some 3D renders for the videos if that ever interested you.

How apropos. My copy of Anzieu's the skin ego is sitting right next to me. I'm a bit surprised you didn't mention him.

The mourning metaphoure really helped me bring to light so many things that have happened to me and that i have seen in others. Thanks a lot, loved it!

VERY interesting, thanks for sharing your research and yes please would be great more insights on this topic