You’re very welcome! I’m glad my story and other’s have been very helpful for you😊

Jordan thank you for the comment. I’m assuming you were in the military, if so thank you for your service. Either way, if you were or not, with PTSD, I hope you have a community and/or someone to open up to and talk with.

James Wierenga That’s why I’m here. To hear you. It really helps hearing from autistic children of God. I’m not military, but my autism has effected me so much that it’s given me PTSD. I have flashbacks of meltdowns and traumatizing moments in life because of being so much more sensitive to life. I’m high functioning but when I meltdown, I get too stressed out and hurt myself. It keeps me from church and making and keeping friends. The Holy Spirit is so good in healing me and reminding me of His work...and encouraging me Your video and comment encourage me to keep reaching out man

Sandra York glad you enjoyed the computer example.

Haydonspeaks: the Interesting Socks Broadcast thanks for the support bro. And yeah can you go into more detail with how high functioning is vague/inaccurate. Like to hear your thoughts on it.

I'm actually a sis, not a bro, but, yeah, totally. The terms "high functioning" and "low functioning" have been applied to autistic people where it would be more accurate to say "verbal" and "nonverbal". Those are more specific terms. "Functioning" is vague, because there's too much nuance in people who are described as "high" and too much similarity between them and people described as "low". There also is not enough consistency in these groups to define what they actually mean. It's scientifically inaccurate to say anyone is "more autistic", "less autistic", "more affected by autism", or "less affected by autism", because autism can't be measured by degrees. Autism is a neurological state in which the brain is literally formed differently, yet contains as much variation in personality as neurotypical brains. People aren't more or less neurotypical. They either are or they aren't. Many people are described as "high functioning" merely because they vocalize and do not have intellectual disability. However, this does not warrant a functioning label, because such people require many different accommodations that are often not considered because "they're too high functioning". This is harmful, because it leaves people without the help they need to actually function in society. Such people then face issues they don't know how to deal with, but don't realize they need help because they've been told they don't need it. Then they begin to believe they're somehow bad because they can't be perceived as polite enough due to communication differences and sensory overload. People labeled as "low functioning" are often assumed incorrectly to have intellectual disability merely because they do not verbalize and/or because their response to sensory overload is seen as more obviously unconventional or divergent. Yes, some autistic people are intellectually disabled, but so are some neurotypical people. This doesn't make them more or less autistic and is not easily measured in the first place, due to the cultural and neurological bias of IQ tests. People labeled as "low functioning" are also harmed by this label in that their accommodations are often just used to keep them quiet and out of people's way rather than to help them communicate with others as equals and help them succeed at their goals. Between people labeled "low functioning" and people labeled "high functioning", there is too much unacknowledged overlap and nuance to clearly define these supposed differences as anything more than personality in response to external stimuli. Autistic is something you are or you aren't, a neurological ethnicity, if you will. It isn't something you are more or less of. It does apply to people differently, because people are different. Being neurotypical applies to people differently, because people are different. "What does it mean for you to be neurotypical? How does that apply to your life?" different answer for each person, with some common similarities that group them together. Not measured by degree, though. Same with autism. That's why "Aspergers" as a diagnosis was taken out of the DSM. It attempted to set apart a hard-to-define group of people who were really part of a larger group. Unless you want to call all autistic people Aspergians as well (as Hans Aspergers basically did), it's now a moot term. I hope that helps!

Haha, INFO DUMP!!!!!!

Autistic Christian Egalitarian function different for me. Did not talk until 7. Still use AAC but verbal. Still in diapers. I am 40. In some things I am adult in some things in am probably still more like a kid. I read and type as you can see. I live with roommates but Dr. Want a me to go assisted living soon. I have seizures. Some Dr. Say I am mid function other Dr. Say severe. I do not think I am that bad.

Sorry for the the loss of your cousin

Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

Lynn Rosete thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed the video. God bless you too!!