12 Signs of Mild Autism

[@7Aheadfamily]

Hey Friends, here's how we can support you, and how you can support us ❤ Get our Free Book - www.7-ahead.com/freebook Join our ASD Club - www.7-ahead.com/asdclub Apply for One-On-One Coaching - www.7-ahead.com/autismblueprintapplication

[@Enigma758]

@PEMDASbaby Why do you think that is relevant? Just asking...

[@supermansuperman9066]

There's alot of money in this autism world where videos actually show normal behaviour .

[@MedoluWezah]

Hello 7ahead... My 3years old sometimes running corner to corner I don't understand... Plzz let me know what Simon is behavior this days plzzz let me know plzzzz😂

[@MedoluWezah]

Hello 7ahead this days simon still recitative behaviour and running coner to corner?? Plzz share simon behaviour... My son 3years old boy he use running corner to corner and moving circle... 😢😢😂

[@catherinecaughey4839]

6

[@ST-xx9rt]

I can't help but wonder how my life would have been different, if adults had this knowledge in the 1960's. When I said I don't like people at the age of 7, I was punished by being forced to join cub scouts and Sunday school. I had panic attacks and would vomit, get headaches. Then be punished for being "dramatic". I somehow bother most people. It's upsetting. When I was tested at age 51 my IQ was in the 94th percentile. Yet I'm unable to fit in with most any group. At work or socially. I've built a log home and live in the woods. Woods and animals i can relate to. At 64 I live happily with my dog. Yet still have great anxiety to even go grocery shopping. Or to the doctor. I hope your sons have a better future. With your love and understanding, I believe they will. Thank for this platform

[@ragdollkid1338]

I would love your life. The world is just too much sensory input

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@eileengavinlarsen4509]

Thank you for sharing. I sincerely wish you peace in your life. My son is high functioning, extremely intelligent, yet happily employed as a dishwasher at a high-end restaurant. I celebrate his successes and am only a phone call away to lend an accepting, supportive ear. Blessings to you on your journey!

[@ST-xx9rt]

@@eileengavinlarsen4509 that's so kind. Thank you. I am happy to hear your son found an employer decent enough to give him a chance. Don't worry too much. I'm sure his niche in life will continue to develop for him

[@MsDamosmum]

You sound just like me except I haven’t built a log cabin in the woods but would if I could 😁 I was diagnosed at 50 and wish it had been discovered a lot sooner. Can’t help but wonder if I’d have just understood myself a bit better.

[@laurag7295]

My son, born in 1988 got NO help, I got NO help. Until a graduate student worked on cognitive behavior therapy with him at school at 16. His definitive diagnosis 'highly functioning' was obtained at 19 on his way to university. He spent 3 years there and could not bear to go back. He is now gainfully employed at a grocery store. He masks VERY well, and gets away on his own, on his bike, or walking. He seems content, and that is wonderful to see!😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@Holly-bm1sf]

I went through the same thing with my daughter until she was finally diagnosed at 12 with high functioning autism. There isn’t help at schools. There’s more pushback. I found her a therapist that gave her a voice and worked on cognitive behavioral therapy. She’s doing amazing.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I’m also employed happily at a grocery store 🏬 at age 40

[@MarionBurgess-s7e]

My 2 year grandson is autistic, his mum and I know as we have worked with autisic children and adults. Sorry to say we get no help either, unless we pay for it, which we have to do. Health visitor does nothing, there are no groups where we live to join other parents and autisic children to get help. It is disgraceful, hes also none verbal, if we want speech therapy for him it will be nearly 18 months on waiting list. So for any parents out there be prepared to teach your child yourself, maybe it depends on where you live what help is available, we live in the uk and it's dreadful.

[@TeriHargraveartist]

Robotic or repetitive phrases is another one. For example, our son picked up that it is a good thing to ask, how was your day? So, he asks quite regularly. When he first started asking it, he would ask me early in the morning, and I explained to him that I hadn't had a day yet, but so far so good! He gradually got to grips with asking later in the day, though he sometimes forgets in his eagerness to ask it. He is showing that he cares, which he likes to do.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@Java-D]

The thing I would like to add for parents who may be watching and wondering about their own child, is that many autistic children are actually extremely verbal at a very young age. This is still considered to be “abnormal speech development”. One of my autistic son’s was talking in full sentences with a very expansive vocabulary by age 1. By age 1 1/2, he knew over 20 nursery rhymes word for word and all of his letters, shapes, and sounds. This really threw a lot of people off and made them question his autism because he wasn’t at all speech delayed.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing this. This is great to know.

[@JonBrase]

Absence of speech delay was the factor that distinguished Aspergers from Classic Autism back when the two were separate diagnoses. So before 2013, it was technically correct that a child with no speech delay didn't have autism, per-se. But a big part of the reason the change was made was that the two disorders were understood to be closely related (the other part is that Hans Asperger took part in deciding if children should be euthanized under Nazi eugenics programs, so people started asking if he should have stuff named after him).

[@Java-D]

@@JonBrase yes, you’re correct. Back in the day myself and my youngest son would be considered Aspergers. My older son would have been diagnosed with autism if anyone had ever known what they were doing. But I’m very happy that autism has emerged into one spectrum with professions realizing that needs are very fluid. My youngest son definitely does not fit the stereotypical mold for Aspergers so it definitely would not have been an accurate label. He is extremely bright and verbal but really struggles in day to day life. His anxiety, sensory needs, and social difficulties are very debilitating. Especially now that he’s past the fun, hyperactive toddler and preschool years.

[@JonBrase]

@@Java-D Diagnostically, it's not the stereotypes that matter but the actual diagnostic criteria, and in those terms it is (or rather was) Aspergers if there is no speech delay.

[@joahniepr]

Boys have it easy in being diagnosed than girls. I spoke very early too and had a big vocabulary but the doctors and my parents thought (and still think strangely) that it was normal and 'because she is always with adults and not with children her age' I understood adults not children my age but now as an adult is backwards, I understand kids not adults. 😔

[@kate_taro]

Very useful video, thank you, very helpful. I've realised recently that I've got an autism myself and my daughter who's nearly 8 having exactly the same signs of autism. The difference is that I've never had any support and struggled enormously in my life, and now I understand my daughter so well and what's she's doing through and I'm supporting her as much as I can, she also has ADHD and me too, it's very tiring and exhausting, but I'm glad she gets support from me and in school now and hopefully her life is and will be so much more happier and easier ❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. It's inspiring to see how you're supporting your daughter and helping her navigate her challenges. Your understanding and love will make a huge difference in her life!

[@jamieshipley2984]

Thank you SO MUCH for this. I teach Sunday School to preschoolers. This year, I have 10 children weekly and 4 are on the Autism spectrum. Even though I only see them for 2 hours every week, I want it to be the best experience possible for everyone. Your video helps me be more aware of what their needs might be or how my actions/reactions may effect them.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing your story!🩵🩵🩵

[@berrykiss2086]

Medical dr's today label children who don't speak by 2 autistic. My grandson is 3 1/2 and labeled autistic without seeing a pediatrician. She relocated to another province. He was immediately assessed. Turns out, he's not autistic. He's just delayed in speech. Be an advocate for your child.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes, be an advocate!❤️❤️❤️

[@MuhammadShahzad-tc7gz]

0 ​@@imsk6729

[@Puda]

I am not sure in which province you were but my kid didn’t talk until he was 3.5 and was absolutely NEVER labelled as autistic. We finally found that he was at 8 yo. The doctor could barely believe it.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@st-ko5zo]

Absolutely right....my daughter was 3 when labeled now 5 ... She is still significantly delayed in speech but asd is not there.....they label v early then keep watching the catch up process ..it's absurd

[@SheikhMawini]

I was diagnosed last year at 34. I don’t know anything about autism and a lot of the stuff I don’t understand but these videos helped a lot. The examples especially. Thank you.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@surbhisehgal16]

Same

[@CramerRd]

What kind of Dr should an adult go to for testing?

[@thanksmuch8547]

​@@CramerRd Dr Jesus Christ is the doctor we should always go to, our life insurance.

[@SheikhMawini]

@@CramerRd The place I went to usually worked with kids but they also helped college students. So they were able to evaluate adults too. It was just a psychiatrist, I believe. They evaluated students for learning disabilities and things, and that included autism.

[@clairejones624]

I’m autistic and have ADHD. I basically had all these traits as a child but they were overlooked by my Asian parents. It was only when I was twelve years old when my school told my parents to get me diagnosed when I found out I was neurodivergent. Despite, having all these traits, going to speech therapy for six and a half years, trouble understanding social cues, etc. My parents never thought anything about it. They’re in complete denial till this day. I’ve been masking since I was around 6-7 years old. I’ve been bullied my whole childhood and it took me an awfully long time to realise. I’m now still severely masking my traits. Thank you for being such supportive parents to Ezra and Simon. I apologise for any typos if there are any.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for watching and sharing!❤️❤️❤️ Your story is amazing! ❤️❤️❤️

[@amazingAish6187]

Sounds like a typical African household behaviour too. My son’s father refuses to accept our 2 year old maybe autistic too. I’m super stressed because he’s showing signs of

[@deelee4933]

I'm really sorry about that. Just know that everyone is masking something, even the bullies. I don't care how articulated, successful, strong popular or good looking one is, I promise you they are lacking in something. How do I know; because WE are ALL in need of some type of help and improvement; ALL of us because NONE of us are perfect. It is not your fault that you have these traits. You are who you are. Be exceptional at it. Autistic people in my eyes have something every special about them. I believe they are some of the most artistic and talented people. Some have the best conversation. I understand autistic people can be hyper focused on things they enjoy and when they apply themselves, they can become some of the world's greatest artists, architects, instructors, innovators etc. you name it! You would be surprised at how many successful and innovative names we know today have some type of neurological "abnormality". I quoted this word because these neurological traits are not "the norm" yet they are incredibly exceptional. Do the things you are great at and make yourself greater, experiment with different things that challenge your mind even further and you will have hope and revelations about how wonderful you really are. Godspeed!

[@deelee4933]

@@amazingAish6187 Signs of what? Does he speak at all? Are his behaviors not like like your typical 2 year old?

[@blazz65]

I'm a nanny for a little boy and I know he has ASD but his parents are in denial. I hate this because I know it's important that he gets help asap.

[@smrk2452]

I’m not autistic but I wish I had a parent as engaged as you! Your kids will grow up well.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@higherground337]

It's beautiful how deeply in tune you are with your children. As an autistic woman, watching your videos is so comforting and validating. Thank you for educating others and helping to create a better world for the next generation.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much ❤️. You’re so kind.

[@rockeller1390]

Thank you so much for your videos. My son is 4, he was kicked out of pre-k, he's been having several issues socially, and I am a single widowed parent and sometimes just don't know what to do. Your videos make me feel better in seeking a diagnoses because he does match several of these sympotoms in this video and others. I just want my baby to have the best life possible and need to find a way to get through to him better and be a better parent. So thank you for making me feel a bit less alone

[@7Aheadfamily]

You got this! I am so sorry for your loss I can’t imagine how difficult that would be. I hope our videos can help you feel less alone and bring a positive side to autism, if that is what your child actually has. Getting a diagnosis is sometimes a difficult step for parents, but it can also bring so many resources and help and answers to questions

[@byuftbl]

Some areas do have schools that are better suited to neurodivergent students as public school is kinda one size fits all and they don’t always understand children may learn differently. My friends kid with autism goes to one. Idk how affordable they are or if there’s any in your area but nay want to look into it.

[@superjaded1738]

Hang in there. My grandson was only allowed to return to school for an hour each day for a couple months. I think they increased it to 3 hrs. Recently. My daughter is a single parent & had to quit her job to take care of him, yeah. We’re in a position to help her a little or they’d be homeless. He’s been diagnosed as adhd & was having some issues. He’s in the first grade. You’ll have to advocate for the child

[@StAlphonsusHasAPosse]

Please seek a diagnosis. The earlier a child is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome. Don't wait. God bless 🙏

[@roseosterndorf1265]

I hope your public school district has an early intervention program for children like your son. Regardless, once he starts public school and if he has been diagnosed neurodivergent, then he is entitled by federal law to have an individual education plan (IEP) that spells out specific services to meet his needs. Your pediatrician should be able to recommend a professional to evaluate your son for autism and/or ADHD. I wish all the best for you both.

[@deborahsmith4557]

I can tell that you are a really great mom and you love all your children very much. You are very informed about your children and convey that information to us very well. Thank you for sharing and helping others who might have children with autism.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@thiafalcone2622]

My grandson was diagnosed at 3 and got all kinds of developmental support from our school district, plus education for us. If you didn't know his diagnosis, you wouldn't be able to tell -- you would just think he is a genius & a computer whiz & a musical prodigy. The best thing he learned was there is nothing "bad" or shameful about his differentness.

[@7Aheadfamily]

We appreciate you sharing your grandsons story!❤️❤️❤️

[@Samantha-vlly]

Why do I feel like genius people back then have this?

[@7Aheadfamily]

There is a lot of people that think that Einstein had autism. ❤️

[@7Aheadfamily]

We actually did a video about that here...

[@7Aheadfamily]

studio.kzbin.infoKAsw5EMLJgk/edit

[@angelwen0927]

My mild autistic son is also named Ezra and he has all the signs you talked about! I didn’t think about it but you summarized in a very good way!😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@TrvlGK224U]

This was my son, but he was only diagnosed ADHD for years! He’s 15 and was just diagnosed with ASD. It was masked all those years because of his other issues, and being “mild”. He missed all the support and intervention he could have gotten to help him. Doctors need to be better informed when it comes to more mild symptoms of ASD.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@strictnonconformist7369]

As an autistic adult with an autistic older sister, I get pissed at seeing all these know-it-all videos, media talking about "mild" and "severe" etc., autism. These tend to be made by those that are not autistic, so it's from their perceptions based on what they see and hear, not at all about their actual experience. Then there's the conflation of so many comorbid issues like learning disabilities and various types of mental illnesses as being part of autism and being used to classify how "severe" their autism is. This garbage needs to stop. Anxiety disorders are one example, OCD is another example, both I've observed people claiming are a part of autism, when they are not. There are others, too. More accurately, masking is more accurately the way you classify "severity" and masking is a matter of intentional or perhaps unintentional/subconscious effort to appear "normal" so as to not be a target of non-autistics. I assure you, autistics are targets of allistics (non-autistics) for mistreatment, and spreading this garbage about "mild" versus "severe" is part of it, a way of classifying people as something for the sake of othering them, and keeping them from being able to have full access to all of the resources for success, guarding them from school access, and so many other things. I know this from first-hand experience, I don't need to theorize. This is my lived experience, as one older than those that made this video. I'm very neurodivergent, with a combination of things including learning disabilities, ADHD. Despite all the garbage I've been subjected to, somehow I am void of any mental illness. That's perhaps the most amazing thing. But, part of what defines my limits also aided me in not thinking that why I've been subjected to bullying is my fault at all, not related to being autistic: I was attacked just for being in the vicinity, by complete strangers, as a recurring pattern. Dyspraxia and speech that results, by itself, and not being able to lose the presence of the same kids at school all through k-12 means that they'd always remember me with speech difficulties and being horribly uncoordinated, so there wasn't a huge thought to try to be like them: they were despicable, and using labels like "spazz" and "retard" much like using the term "severe" is used for this video, as a way to separate me from being a whole person to be treated as anything resembling equal, and instead, treating me as a lesser-than, and a toy for their amusement. So, because I've had to deal with all that self-righteous abuse by those that judged my capacity by their stupid and limited perceptions, while knowing I was absolutely not so limited as they thought, at least I didn't waste my sanity, energy, health, and personhood to mask. Because masking (which, when done, may be the real practical difference between being perceived as "mild" or "severe") has too damned high of a cost for the autistic individual. It leads to meltdowns, shutdowns, most immediately visible. But over the long-term, it can also lead to autistic burnout, and that leads to even more frequent meltdowns and shutdowns while in that state. It's not merely unpleasant, it's very destructive, often leads to losing skills, at times, permanently, and being more disabled afterwards. It's very disruptive, and can leave one unemployed and unemployable, especially when not attended to ASAP before it's too damaging, and it can last indefinitely. Also, in burnout, you'll find the normal autistic behaviors and instincts are amplified, making them appear "more autistic" or more "severe" when the truth is, when push comes to shove, autistic traits and instincts become more amplified in expression with the autistic individual experiencing stress of one or more forms. As such, how "severe" someone appears to be autistic depends largely on stress and how well it is handled, as a huge component, mixed with how blatantly obvious their traits are to outside observers. What outside observers are grossly incompetent at even considering, let alone understanding, are the invisible struggles: most never even think to ask. More useful is to categorize an autistic individual as to their support needs, which, from my checking, mostly revolve around how uncomfortable the autistic individual's behavior makes allistics feel. Even then, it's overly simplistic: support needs aren't static, because how an autistic individual is functioning is variable by nature.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Very good comment. Thank you for sharing and teaching us. I think we need to interview you on the channel. 😊 It sounds like you have a lot of great knowledge to share.

[@mariawhite1328]

I had the same diagnosis for my now grown up son too. I carry a lot of guilt about this now. But he’s turned out good despite me 😄

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@lucillerenaud8114]

I am an adult of 55. I found out two months ago that I have level 1 autism. Before being diagnosed my life was super hard to navigate. Family was so mean to me all the time. Now some of my family is being nicer and patient and trying to understand me. Thanks for posting this. When you said teaching your kids when they are little how to read social cues and facial expressions eitherwise when they are adults it will be much harder to teach themselves? You are very smart and right about that. I am relieved to know most of my problems are from not understanding how to decifer information rather than being bad or rude or as my family would say stupid or retarted. We can't say that word now because we will get in trouble. I'm happy about that because I knew I was not stupid or handicapped. Thanks for reading this and understanding. ❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thanks for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@allisonhancockpresley6247]

I'm 43 and just now realizing that I am probably level 1. I remember as a kid trying to work out how to have a conversation by re-purposing what people said in movies. Got me in trouble lots of time for saying snarky things that I didn't understand the sarcasm of. People always said I was a "snob", which I didn't really understand at the time either. I guess I was too quiet to be labelled as rude. LOL.

[@deborahjevans7829]

It's great how you interact with so many of those in the comments 😊👍👏! I shared 2 of your videos with my daughter. My grandson is being tested for autism next week. No matter what, even with the challenges, he's adorable to us and he's a miracle gift from the Lord GOD! We love him!❤❤ Thank you and your family for sharing. I sometimes watch The Gentle Life and the parents are sharing their children's and family's autism journey, especially for their daughter, Mikko. Again thank you and GOD bless you!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to look up that show. We love interacting with people who comment. ❤️

[@jaimecostello1767]

When you started trailing into The sound of music, I felt a kindred spirit. 😂 That was adorable

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@sharonleecowan4075]

What a wonderful mom you seem to be!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️❤️❤️

[@commenter5901]

Where I live, it's called "high functioning autism". My husband and I both have ADHD and high functioning autism and so does our son. I think the signs change quite a bit as children get older (and are very different for boys and girls). For example, my son used to hit his head against the wall and was very hyperactive so couldn't sit still for long enough to get a hug, even though he really likes pressure (and so do I). Going to the grocery store was a nightmare because he would run around everywhere and it was almost impossible to keep track of him and I would find it overwhelming and I would find that it was hard to focus on anything, almost like I'd get spots in my eyes or my vision would blur from the overwhelm of lights and sounds. It's completely different now. Now, though he still has a hard time sitting down most of the time, he really enjoys hugs and can sit calmly for long stretches of time if I'm hugging him. And, though he's bigger than me, when we go shopping, he tries to hug me the whole time while we're walking through the isles. It's really hard to walk when you have a teen that's towering over you draped over you, but it actually helps me a lot too. I'm sure we get stared at, but I honestly don't care. I grew up expected to mask and I personally believe that the ability to mask has a lot of benefits, but having to do it all the time is very draining. My husband was the first person in my life that I didn't feel the need to mask with. Being alone with him was the most relief I had ever felt and I couldn't wait to get married and move out of my parent's house so I could get away from the need to mask 24/7. But, if you want to be accepted at school or jobs, you need to learn how to mask to some extent and there are stims that aren't as obvious. A stim that I have is to bite my lower lip and run my tongue back and forth across my lip (which nobody can see my tongue because my teeth are covering it, but I've had kids in my daycare ask why I'm biting my lip, which I didn't think that toddlers would pick up on). One habit that I still have from childhood, because I used to jump and flap, is to hold perfectly still, barely breathing, because I would get in trouble for moving so much. When I get anxious, I sometimes get completely stuck, like a deer in headlights. I didn't really start researching into autism more till I was an adult, both because I wanted to help my son succeed and because there was a lack of info when I was younger, and lots of that info was honestly terrible... like how to train the autism out of your child. One conclusion that I have come to is that people with autism are just like everyone else, but we just very sensitive and have various problems with processing. Sometimes emotions will hit me so hard that I will break down crying over insignificant seeming things, or I will use a stim to help me release that energy in a different way. The thing is that my facial expressions don't match how I feel. I can be angry and give and angry face, but my actual face looks blank... but I could swear that my eyebrows are knit together and I have a fierce scowl on my face. Another thing that I'd like to say is that we have made idioms and puns a bit of a game in our house. Whenever I hear and idiom, I research the etymology and we discuss how that idiom came about. It's actually very interesting. And puns are great for jokes. My son has been a pro at making puns since he was a child because we taught him about how funny they can be. So, it can be hard for autistic kids to understand them at first, but it can also be a fun challenge. Since we all take things very literally and we say what we mean, we generally don't have a problem with that at home, but we work on reading between the lines. My son has hyperlexia and loves reading (he started reading at age 2) especially mystery novels like Sherlock Holmes. So we think of it as being a detective and looking for the meaning in what other people are saying. We have to learn to read body language and sleuth it out. Making social interactions a fun puzzle has made him more interested in engaging in conversation with others, though 2 way conversation can still be rough if it's not a topic that he enjoys.

[@wendybothma3548]

You and your husband and son sound like wonderful and very unique people. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@RunninUpThatHillh]

My (hf/ aspie) daughter loves puns and colorful expressions and speech. She laughs and laughs...I noticed when she kinda has an emotional spiral (she's a hormonal teenage girl).. or even feels overstimulated or stressed...the funny sayings completely unravel her anxiety and she's giggly again. Her disposition is happiness and laughing..she is giggling straight away when she wakes up every day. She's an unschooler. I'm not sure what it'd have been like if she went to school.

[@HollieSmithHappyHobbies]

I love this! ❤️ I have said multiple times, Say what you mean and mean what you say. I am finding a lot of similarities between what I think of as ADHD and High Functioning Autism. I believe that they are linked or a way of dealing with the quirks of Autism. I know that my family is all over the spectrum of both, but never diagnosed with anything formally.

[@recoveringsoul755]

​@@HollieSmithHappyHobbies I think that's one of the reasons why I always found it easier to talk to men than women, because it seemed like men were more likely to say what they mean and mean what they say. When I first started looking into autism I began to recognize different family members in the examples. My mother used to twirl her hair all the time. She'd do it more often when we were around other people who weren't members of our family. Like when we on vacation and around people we didn't know. As I continued to research, I recognized other family members. I began trying to ask my sister about my nephew and told her I was wondering if he was autistic. She was surprisingly unwilling to talk about it. It was frustrating. I kept trying to bring up the subject with her looking for answers, trying to figure out if I am autistic. Finally she blurted out at me (these are all long distance phone calls) "Why would you even WANT to be that?, as if it was a bad thing. It really surprised me. It's not like I want to be that. I either am or I'm not. But if I knew for sure, it would be a relief and it would explain SO MUCH!!! My whole life would make more sense. I noticed traits in my mother with the hair twirling and she also stimmed, but I didn't know what it was called. I didn't know why my mom had these movements she'd do with her body that other kid's moms didn't do. I take things literally. I noticed traits in both of my sisters. FINALLY my sister tells me that yes, our mother was autistic, and that our other sister is autistic, her son I suspected is also, basically all the people I suspected, actually were. But, she didn't think that I was. Well she hasn't lived with me since I was 16. I'm not sure why she didn't want to discuss it or have a real conversation about the traits I noticed in myself. I wish both my sisters were willing to build better relationships with me because since the 4 of us have the same condition, it seems like that gives us an opportunity to compare notes and coping strategies and get closer to each other. Knowing this about myself would be a relief and it explains SO MUCH!!! How is that a bad or shameful thing?

[@k.l.woesthoff6670]

My son doesn’t like physical contact if he doesn’t initiate it. So we are only allowed to hug him, if he hugs us. He hates kisses, it started when he was 2. He is 8 now and still doesn’t want to be kissed ever. Another thing about my mild autistic son, is that he treats children and adults in the same way. He talks to them in the same way, and expects them to react in the same way.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@melissasw64]

This is so helpful. I'm a teacher and I have a few students who I suspect are probably level one. Unfortunately, I have parents who refuse to acknowledge this, get testing, or support of any kind. Regardless, as a regular classroom teacher, it is helpful to know what to look for.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@ornag5046]

There are no levels. One is either autistic or allistic. The leveling is ableist nonsense.

[@angelikalaser7778]

As someone who tried to get support, I don't blame the parents. My son went to play therapy and the therapist took points away when he did not make eye contact. He had melt downs after each session and in the end refused to go. I called then to ask for advice how I can make him go without using physicall force, they did not know and made me pay out of pocket for the missed session. This was last time we had anything to do with them. Half a year after stopping therapy the teachers told me how great therapy must be working because they start to see improvements 😂 This was in europe btw.

[@melissasw64]

@@angelikalaser7778 Now I'm feeling terrible. I'm a teacher. Yesterday my autistic kid whose parents won't acknowledge is autistic kid did something and I was kind of harsh with him. Not terrible but I keep forgetting--this kid is most likely autistic. He can't handle things the way the other kids do. He is so frustrating sometimes. I'm trying to run a regular classroom and keeps kids on task and on schedule and this particular kid either can't or won't comply. It's tough.

[@carla8478]

@melissasw64 Let me correct you there, he is not frustrating. What is frustrating is an educational system that doesn't allow for difference or individuality. A system that puts you under pressure and expects you to make him act like neurotypical others, which is an impossible expectation. Especially when the student is in an environment that is sensorially harsh for them. We are not all alike, we do not all learn the same way and do well in the same environments. I do not know how old this child is, but I know one thing, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole is not going to work. Trying the same methods over and over, or with more emphasis, or intensity won't work. This situation calls for thinking outside of the box. It calls for taking what minutes you can spare (yes, I know there aren't many) to really see him, to really observe. If there is not time in class, ask the parents if he can stay after school for a bit one day to try to find some solutions. Are there patterns? Are there things in the classroom that are overstimulating him, which in turn distracts him & makes it difficult to focus. See if you can figure out what he needs that might be reasonably provided in the classroom. Try to work with the autism instead of against it. For example, one teacher ran into difficulty because a child she taught stimmed by tapping their pencil. The sound was driving her and the other students crazy. It would be easy to be strict, to discipline, to fuss at the child to stop. But an autistic child often needs to stim to self regulate. The teacher took a step back, gave the child the courtesy of seeing their needs as important too and asked herself how can we meet this child's need and theirs, both are important. What they ended up doing was asking the child if they could wrap the end of his pencil in a soft foam. Then the child could tap to their hearts content and the sound was muted. Win/win. Also consider their needs might be things that would surprise you or things you or a neurotypical child would never imagine wanting for yourselves. Don't worry about convention, as long as it's allowed by the school & isn't dangerous, just do what works. For example, my son had issues in elementary school because elementary kids haven't developed boundaries yet and get all in your space and bump you. Most autistics hate being touched unexpectedly by those they don't know really well. He was frequently melting down or striking out. He was sitting at group tables. I suggested to the teacher to put him at a desk separately by himself. Most neurotypicals would not think to do this because to them it might feel like social isolation or being ostracized. To my son, it was a relief to be left alone, he was happier, calmer, and better able to work. So get to know him, if he can communicate well, ask in calm quiet tones what bothers him most, wait patiently for him to process the request and put together a response. You might be surprised at what you learn. Some ideas if the child can't communicate their needs themselves: Silent or soft fidgets. If fidgeting with the hands distracts them, something to fidget with for the feet that is quiet, some type of band, or roller/rocker, etc. Weighted items, could be a vest, a lap blanket, a plush, etc. If age appropriate, allow them to wear one earplug to reduce sound exposure. Ideally Loop earbuds are best because you can wear both, they only dampen sound, not block it, but cost a bit. Special permission to wear light sunglasses to reduce the brightness. A cotton ball at their desk with an essential oil or other scent that they like that soothes them if they aren't overly scent sensitive. Chew necklaces are also a thing if they need to orally stim. Kind of like a teether on the end of a cord. Allowing the child to sit in different positions, on the floor possibly, maybe they need a cushion, they feel the hardness of the chair more so than others. I heard of one child that did their best work while semi upside down. If they need to walk/pace occasionally let them sit in the back so their movement isn't seen and won't distract others. Autistics can be temperature sensitive, are they sitting right where the heat or a/c blow? Do they need to be sitting right where they blow? Many autistic children are also hypermobile. Is gripping the pencil to write hurting his hands? He might need an adaptive grip. I empathize with the situation both you & he are in. I hope any of these suggestions help reduce classroom stress.

[@ezekiel-bethanygoff4288]

I feel like you handled this really well. I was scared when I saw the phrase mild autism. I have level 2 autism. I communicate through a combination of verbal communication and AAC. But I feel like those who view my autism as more mild use the "mildness" of my autism as an adult to deny me support I need, while those who view my autism as more severe as an adult use the "severity" of my autism to deny me agency/autonomy.

[@7Aheadfamily]

True. That is the danger for using mild autism. It’s difficult as a KZbinr sometimes. Because we want to use the correct terminology, but at the same time, most people won’t search the correct words so they won’t find our videos if we don’t title them things like “severe” and “mild” which are incorrect, but which are the words that people are typing in their computers to search for information. So as a KZbinr, we want our content to be found, sometimes we will use the incorrect words, so that our contact can be found but then we will explain the correct words in our video to help educate people. ❤️

[@Livingthefreelife]

My son has all of these signs but because he talks really well, makes eye contact and is actually quite social, they won’t even send him for an assessment :( we’re in the UK. He turns 4 in May. He does the same thing every day (he doesn’t play with any toys really, he spends the entire day lining up/piling his cars) all day every day. He has multiple sensory issues. All I have wanted is some validation really, I’ve spent 24/7 with him since the day he is born yet I’m made to feel like I don’t know what I’m talking about 😩 honestly I’ve given up on “professionals” and I’ve started doing my own research on how I can help him with things he sometimes struggles with. I’m grateful for your videos and think you’re both awesome parents!! ❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. Dealing with professionals can be very difficult sometimes. ❤️😊❤️

[@Livingthefreelife]

@@7Aheadfamily very difficult indeed.

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️❤️❤️

[@jenniferbutler1545]

I'm 56 and your son sounds like me. I still find sorting and organizing things to be very comforting. I could buy bags of individual beads for my crafts but I prefer to buy bags of mixed beads or buttons or used postage stamps primarily for the way I feel when I organize them.

[@Livingthefreelife]

@@jenniferbutler1545 i think that’s amazing you have the patience and find the comfort in organising things like that. Thank you for sharing with me 🥰

[@duygumordogan]

This is one of the best videos I've watched on KZbin, so informative so down to earth and so empathetic❤❤❤

[@GenRN]

An encouragement for newly diagnosed or newly discovered….My son is 21 with ASD 1. He just started college and is gainfully employed…just keep learning and loving your kids! It was hard to realize my son perceived the world very differently than I do but I love his uniqueness.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing this. This is a wonderful story.

[@shellieraymondlusk59]

My son was born in 1991. Finally at the age of 12 he was diagnosed with Aspergers. I wish more knew about mild autism back then. He still struggles today. There was no support for us. I’m so glad more is known today.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@gp7577]

I have this really difficult scenario where I have a child with only two of those signs. Never any milestone delay, no intellectual delay, no speech delay, but sensitive to sensory input and strong capacity for focus. The sensory can make him a more challenging child, because he is more reactive to "ordinary" things. But he is so close to neurotypical that we tend to get told he is just anxious or gifted. It is a really tough spot to be in when you kid has just their small toe in the Level 1 arena.

[@ragdollkid1338]

It's not levels of severity it's levels of support needed. Mild is an awful term, its not mild for the child and problems really arise post age 7 when the social communication deficit becomes really apparent. Sensory processing difficulties are really distressing

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@FreeSpokenOne]

I love how you truly get this condition. Autistic people are the most misunderstood and you are helping open doors to knowledge for those who cannot imagine living in the world as we do. If you are Autistic it’s harder to describe what we go through because we are all different and have our own specific traits yet we are similar at the same time which must be confusing to neurotypical people. My own mother never liked me because she had no idea that I was Autistic and the things she hated most were my Autistic traits. Because of this she was cruel verbally and physically and told mean spirited stories about me to anyone who would listen to them. She did this at my father's funeral and I finally snapped, could take no more of it which of course validated the mean spirited claims about her horrid daughter. The evil grin on her face at the time said it all, she at long last had won her war against me. Thank you for not being that type of parent, it's heartwarming to see how patiently you raise your children and I only wish I'd had a mother like you. Now I'm 68 and just now figuring out what was causing my world to be confusing and the relief of this is immeasurable. After 30 years of my precious protective life partner never knowing my condition, I told him something was wrong and I wanted a brain scan to find out what it was. I explained how hard it was to get an education and that what college I attended by my own volition took 3X as much effort as other students in reading over and over until words stuck along with the information they contained. I was learning computer programming and how to build computer clones because this was among my narrow focuses next to art, music, and animals. Despite A grades received I could never make a decent living or support myself and needed help. First I worked in a health food store serving food, then attended beauty college but never licensed because my mother wouldn't drive me into LA for the test. I later worked for an attorney typing documents to pay college tuition but prior to this had sold fine jewelry for a major department store. Sales and layaways were a challenge but I got very good at this, customers loved me, and yet they never promoted, never allowed me to change departments or get benefits - so I left. The pay was bi-weekly and dismal. Finally I worked in T&M billing for my guy's mechanical contracting business and was doing great until the great betrayal and firing by his partners. No reason given but frankly I felt relieved to never see them again yet I later returned ironically to fix their fowled computer so they could continue billing, after all it was my guy's business, but this was all I could take after trying hard to fit in and pull my own weight. We need to be able to support ourselves! Now my tonic clonic seizures appear to have stopped and I'm more comfortable in living without fear of them but I'm too old to do much and worry about what the future will hold given increasing medical issues developed such as Fibromyalgia, IBS, muscle spasms, and occipital neuralgia. Faith holds me together most days but only after one seizure pulled me to the other side for a life review and returned me to live out my life despite pleas to remain in the astral where for the first time I felt loved, safe, and happy. This is what keeps me going, knowing what awaits me on my last day among you. I deeply admire Bill Gates and Elon Musk for what they have accomplished as Autistic people, they are inspiration, and Susan Boyle is like a sister from another mother, we both can sing which I've noticed many Autistics excell at. We do have value in this world, every one of us living and breathing, but it's up to this world to start treating those of us who don't fit in with respect and give us a chance to enjoy our lives too.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Wow! This comment brought tears to my eyes. You have been through so much and I'm honored that you would share your story with us. Thank you for doing so. I am sure you can bless others simply by this comment. I too know of the peace and love that God offers. It is real and simply immeasurable and not of this world. Thank you. ❤️ - Holly

[@hopemaker5982]

I’m so sorry you had a cruel mother! I did too. Other family members were mean to me. I married a cruel man as well thinking I didn’t rate anything better. Now I am free of those people. My suffering drove me to seek Jesus and I found him! I have been healing over the years. I’m glad you have a kind life partner. I am praying for one. “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32

[@tomasvoldrich]

To the play point. There is also a possibility of vertical lining - making towers. Or making scenes and then play imaginatively in head but not moving the toys

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@keithwhite2986]

My mild autism was self discovered in my early 50's after watching a TV documentary pointing to a self test one could do online. Eventually I was formally diagnosed at 66 - a great relief as it explained many of the oddities and difficulties I have had and do have in my life, some as described in the video.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@dreamthedream8929]

How did it explain it? Weren't those the things that you already knew anyway?

[@7Aheadfamily]

I've heard time and time again how a late diagnosis can bring understanding to people's lives.

[@dreamthedream8929]

@@7Aheadfamily don't they already understand their lives? How they feel? Obviously it's just gonna be some name that the doctor will give to it but the symptoms will stay the same unless you get some good medicine from your diagnosis

[@keithwhite2986]

@@dreamthedream8929 Autism is not an illness but a normal variation in brain structure. Apologies that I did not already know these things or understand my life or understand how I felt then or now, but I will be trying to follow and even participate in scientific research of some of the university research institutes specialising in autism to help explain these things.

[@Luke_Stoltenberg]

I respect that you teach your kids what is expected in the social world and let them decide what they will do for themselves. We have to learn to deal with the reality put before us as opposed to the one we would ideally prefer to live in. I see a lot of young autistic people online who seem to hold the unrealistic expectation that if they wish it hard enough the 'allistic'' world will learn to bend over backwards to accommodate them. Life is tough - not impossible. I was lucky enough to be raised in a world where people knew very little about this stuff and expectations were the same for everyone. I made all the necessary mistakes for me and would struggle to do ok in today's world where all the corners have soft foam to bump into. I'd probably walk around in circles because there are no lessons to be learned

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@Rick-lo3on]

My 18 month old granddaughter is on the “spectrum” she has really good eye contact and will sit and watch her fav movies (Trolls, Frozen and many episodes of Miss Rachel) but she only has maybe 4 or 5 words, doesn’t acknowledge her name (Kinsey) but she runs across the house, spins and most of the time just verbalizes with “mmmmmmm”. She laughs and sort of interacts with family members. She sleeps 8 to 10 hours a night and wakes up smiling with eye contact. My daughter had her assessed and she was “diagnosed with stage 1 or 2….we have her in speech therapy but doesn’t seem to be working but it’s only been 2 weeks

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yeah, it takes time, we’re going to be doing a video about that soon, so stay tuned, we’ve also done some ABA videos already in the past you could check out

[@ragdollkid1338]

It can take years of speech therapy to become verbal, sometimes it's just not something the child will ever get. There is a UK professor who was nearly 13 before he could speak, struggled every step of the way but with determination got his professorship.

[@danika9411]

Please be careful with ABA therapy. Many autistic people speak up against it. Please listen to what they have to say about it.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@eilissmith8591]

I was born in the late 1950’s and now realise that I had Autism, but at the time learned how to fit in with others. The most difficult aspect was emotional and sensory processing, these have lasted all my life.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. 😊❤️😊

[@jasmineduquette5051]

Very literal like when you say Hold your horses and they answer "mom i don't have any!" LOL I love your videos, and your sweet family

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thanks! Yes, exactly!

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I personally have level 1 autism and live with my elderly parents at age 40 but I’m really trying to find my own place due to my parents constantly fighting and arguing all the time.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@Katy-sh3ru]

I hope you find somewhere

[@ericaamato5010]

My daughter matches pretty much all these to some degree. She is only 3 so i figured alot of it is normal. She can definitely read emotions though, probably better than me. Always been very stim seeking, needs extreme hugs and pressure, always spinning and chewing her hair. Has never hand flapped though. very outgoing, very talkative and she play with toys appropriately, more so than most kids her age. Her preschool teacher says she isnt concerned at all but now im thinking i need to get her checked out. She recently makes me remove tags from her clothes and wont wear jeans or anything with a button. She does often ask friends to go with her to the library so they can can read together instead of participating in group activities

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@patricialyons383]

Wonderful a very special and enlightening education on what autism is and you are very fluid and proficient given your day to day experience with the two boys. I loved it. Thank you. Patricia

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@EdelweisSusie]

One I’ve heard recently is that people with Autism don’t like and have to remove labels in clothes (something I’ve been doing for 50+ years!).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yeah. That is often true. Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@Rick-lo3on]

I’m so glad I found your channel…..much love to you and your family 😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much!

[@jasminrose4412]

No they wanna say that 🤦🏽‍♀️👌🏼

[@csg21_yt]

As an autistic person, I only fit the first category out of all of them just because I get asked a bunch of difficult school related questions which puzzle me to an extent. I thought I had autism (i actually do because i was diagnosed), but people don't seem to notice and I wonder if I'm "Level 0.5" if that is a thing. But I ain't no doctor so i wouldn't know.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@csg21_yt]

You are welcome. @@7Aheadfamily 👍

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️❤️❤️

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I might actually be a level 1.5 between 1 And a 2

[@ragdollkid1338]

Very few countries categorise because the 'spectrum' isn't linear its more a range of strengths and weaknesses in many areas. I can do socialising but the effort exhausts. I'm very verbal and have far too much empathy so I help others until I burn out I'm great at logical things, STEM but hopeless at understanding art and poetry. I'm really hypersensitive to all sensory input, a massage to me is torture.

[@angelamccrackin5243]

I thought I was the only person in the world that picked and peeled their lips. I do it when I am in deep thought or worried about something. Thank you for sharing that personal information. My aunt noticed it one day and playful got up to try and hold my hand to stop me and I knew what she was going to do and like a child I ran from her just to be able to finish the process. I am fifty eight years old.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thanks for sharing. ❤️❤️❤️

[@LS-ei7xk]

I do that too. And what about picking one's nose? Honestly, I think a lot of these things are stuff ppl do all the time.

[@queenvickyv]

I pick and perk my lips, it's just so habit for me. That's the issue, so many of these things can be Neuro typical - playing with hair etc. Even masking - lots of people mask its normal. Masking our true selves to fit into society can absolutely be neurotypical. I guess it must be a combination of factors that point towards ASD.

[@ragdollkid1338]

My son and I do lips and skin on our thumbs. I used to suck my hair and chew pens at school too

[@VikramS-l4g]

That was a really nice video! Talking about difficulty in understanding of social boundaries I had an embarrassing moment in one of the playdates. A little girl offered a candy to my daughter, and she doesn't like the taste of it, so she took it out and put it back into the girl's mouth. It happened so fast we couldn't do anything. We laughed about the whole incident, but this is something I am currently working on with my girl. She likes to touch the nose of the other kids and then laugh about it.

[@7Aheadfamily]

😂That sounds familiar. 😊 thank you for sharing ❤️

[@zkoibito709]

We have a son that was told can't be diagnosed until 5 years of age. When he was born, no eye contact without getting upset. Around one, he would sing the lyrics of songs he heard, but couldn't communicate with us. He was like an amazing human tape recorder. He was always attracted to music and drum beats. He could remember symbols very fast. He had to go to physical therapy for not moving at and was told that he may never crawl or walk... but fast forward to just past 4 years of age. He can walk, run, and climb. He is great at electronics and can use a controller to turn channels to see what he wants to watch ... at will. Within the last year, he just repeated what we said and this boy really didn't show much of or any emotions. But now, he laughs and giggles and wants to be chased and within the last few months and even weeks, he is started to narrate what he sees on children's videos and is started to talk with intent to us. What I didn't mention was up until now it has been up to us to teach him ourselves. He isn't yet potty trained, but we think this will be the year it happens. And he can read 5 writing systems now. And we have long range goals for him. Around the time he was born, we noticed some of his differences from his siblings. We suspected autism and talk to others that we knew with children that were diagnosed with autism. And it did seem that he was indeed on the ASD spectrum. So, we got to work on learning as much as we could about it. We were lucky to stumble upon some up to date research with some clinical trial that we could follow. The trials sounded positive. So, we learned that in this clinical trial they gave those on the asd daily doses of sulforaphane based on their weight. So, we started doing that for our son a few months just before he turned one years old. By day 3 he could make eye contact for the fist time and smiled at me. He didn't smile all the time, but now he does. We have watched him go from a child that we compared with Pinocchio and said he was gradually turning into a real boy that was becoming playful and happy. Also, at the beginning he hated to be hugged or held and there was always a big fussy fight. But we gave him hugs and kisses anyways.. and now he says... I want a hug. We are so delighted with his progress. And every time I see a video like this one.... I wonder why the autistic community still doesn't talk about sulforaphane so much. Anyways...I hope that those parents that have children with ASD can have great results. Oh.. and don't be scared to play fight or wrestle with your child. This builds great confidence. We did give our son some boxing gloves and we used speed pads with him. And once he realized he is kind of tough....with our praise of his skills of course.. his natural feeling of pride has increased along with confidence to try even more. Alright.... I don't want to ramble.. but this has been our experience thus far.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@ekemezieuche23]

Could you please share the dosage by weight for sulforaphane?

[@dariusmannino6235]

Love seeing all the line ups! I remember those days with our kiddo!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️❤️❤️

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I remember that too in the late ⏰ 80s and early 90s

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@raequintana434]

Your videos are such a gift. ❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@Meggyp0p]

I’m amazed at how much adhd and autism overlap! There are so many things that I do as an unmedicated adhd-er that are on your list! My ability to hyper-focus got me through college working full-time and having two little kids! And I caught myself stimming (flicking my toes) as I lay here and watch this.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing your experience! It’s so interesting how ADHD and autism can overlap in certain ways, like hyperfocus and stimming. It sounds like you’ve accomplished so much, balancing college, work, and raising two kids-that’s incredible! Flicking your toes while relaxing sounds like such a natural way to self-regulate. It’s amazing how we all find unique ways to manage and thrive. 💛

[@thomasschoeck9080]

On the subject of stimming there was a Huckleberry Hound pencil sharpener that I used to enjoy playing with when I was in preschool on my first day. My mother bought it for me at a local pharmacy and it looked like a small TV. My favorite thing about it was the sound it would make when I ran my fingernails over the “screen” area. After about three or four times of the preschool teacher telling me to stop doing that one of my classmates took it from me and the teacher allowed her to keep it (and I did not get it back). I was five-and-a-half years old at the time at it looks like people didn’t understand about stimming back then (in the early 1980s).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@EdelweisSusie]

I’ve always wondered whether I was a little autistic because I’ve never been a ‘joiner’ of clubs or groups, even when I was a child. I would much rather be alone, although I long to have a little group of pals to socialise with. I also have social anxiety even though i have a pleasant personality: I’m usually called ‘intriguing’ or ‘quirky’ and never somehow fit in. Very interesting.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊❤️

[@Shuna2011]

Can relate. 🌺

[@Vintaget26]

Does anyone have an autistic child that won’t try new foods? Eats the same foods over and over again? How can I change this behavior??

[@7Aheadfamily]

It’s common for autistic children to have a limited diet or strong food preferences due to sensory sensitivities or routine comfort. Introducing new foods can take time and patience. You might try offering small amounts of new foods alongside familiar ones, involving your child in meal preparation, or presenting the food in a fun or visually appealing way. Consulting a pediatrician or an occupational therapist who specializes in feeding can also provide tailored strategies to help with this challenge. Love to chat more about it picky eating it would be of interest to you... 7-ahead.com/coaching or www.7-ahead.com/asdclub ❤️

[@JMMavulule]

I'm autistic adult girl and I eat tacos everyday

[@JonBrase]

On point 4, masking goes far beyond just hiding stims. It can also involve spending a lot of energy on consciously processing the social rules that apply to a situation, pre-scripting conversations, girls often report practicing facial expressions in the mirror, etc. Girls in particular tend to do well enough to avoid diagnosis, but poorly enough to have significant problems in peer relationships. Things often get worse around puberty when the social landscape gets considerably more complex, and girls are often diagnosed in their late teens or in adulthood in association with a psychological crisis brought on by the energy drain associated with masking and by the social results of failing to mask perfectly. Marie is stimmy enough that I'd really suggest triple-checking to make sure she's not on the spectrum, given the difficulties it can cause for girls, the fact that girls are underdiagnosed, and the fact that getting a diagnosis and finding help are easier if you're diagnosed in childhood (finding a referral for a diagnosis that feels confident diagnosing adults has been a bit of a chore for me). On point 5, I feel hunger but can tune it out really well (unless I'm on a certain medication, in which case I can still tune out the sensation, but my anxiety goes through the roof if I'm even slightly hungry). Other sensations can also be tuned out: I've heard people report having to plan trips to the bathroom because they have no sensation of needing to go. Really, it kind of all folds into the topic of sensory hyper-/hypo-sensitivities. On point 6/7, it's fun seeing the various ways this can play out. I'm fairly good with understanding idioms and non-literal speech, but I have a deadpan, literalistic sense of humor: take the literal interpretation, and if it's funny, roll with it. But even autistics with a good grasp on non-literal speech can unexpectedly fail to grasp an idiom or an analogy at the worst possible time, with results from the hilarious to the tragic. On point 8, there are often consistent mispredicts: an autistic person will anticipate someone's feelings and try to accommodate those feelings, except they've anticipated the wrong feelings. When I was little, I had a phobia of buying any product I had seen advertised, because so many ads are transparently manipulative that I was afraid my peers would see me with the product and think I was gullible enough to fall for the ad. My actual peers, of course, were falling for the ads. Point 9 is me to this day: playing with random objects in weird ways. A lot of it is a stimming thing, but it can also be a special interest thing: there are interesting mathematical concepts that can be illustrated with a simple ball.

[@7Aheadfamily]

This is so amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your insights in all of these areas ❤️

[@Mummyk01]

I am watching through your vlogs and you are so informative.one thing with our son is that he doesnt very often feel full,to the point he can eat way more than an adult.but mainly beige food

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️❤️

[@thomasschoeck9080]

I think I was probably level two/moderate when I was younger. I was not really able to mask at all (even from age nine or ten into my adolescent years) and most of my relatives thought I was acting the way I did in order to get attention and deliberately embarrass my family. As it turned out I was not trying to get attention or embarrass anyone. Now as an adult my symptoms seem to be level one and I live in an apartment, pay my own bills, balance my checkbook, do my own taxes and I can usually mask unless I am unusually tired, in a lot of pain, or experiencing an unusual amount of stress.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing this. Levels of Autism will change as people grow, so that makes sense. Too many times kids’ behavior can be misunderstood.

[@amnazaid7952]

Prayers for you ..at which age you started speaking

[@ragdollkid1338]

Masking is so bad for your mental health and leads to burnout, don't do it

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@madhurisree2832]

Thanks for the information. Its really helpful to understand my own daughter. Internet is bombarded with information about high autistic kids which made me feel terrible. But your video helped me feel more clear and less stressful. Thank you!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing! We glad to help. :)

[@sarahs.9678]

Her talking about stimming at 4:00 as I’m literally twirling my hair and rubbing it on my face as I often do…lol. I’m pretty sure I’m not autistic but I am hypersensitive and I’m getting evaluated for ADHD soon because I’m like 99% sure I have it.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@amayasasaki2848]

Yep, everyone stims. Us in the neurodivergent tribes just tend to do it more. I got diagnosed with ADHD when I was 21. As I've been listening more and more to stuff about autism, I've been starting to wonder if that got missed for me as well or if it's just the overlap between ADHD and autism that I'm seeing.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@sarahwieland3243]

I haven’t had a diagnosis yet for my 5 yr old, but I know deep down he is in the mild autism spectrum. He is one of the sweetest little guys I have ever know and yet sometimes he can do terrible things for no reason. I have discovered that it is not because he is mean or wants to do mean things, but rather it’s an impulse control problem. We all have these intrusive thoughts and impulses to do things every day. A lot of times for someone with autism they lack that split second to pause and process thru an impulse to decide if it is a good idea or not. It has been by teaching him more self control and coping skills that he is slowly gaining control over this.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️❤️❤️

[@FreckledThing]

Again, thank you for these videos! It's eerie how 1:1 Simon and my son are. Luckily, we followed out instincts and he's already getting speech therapy and social play therapy. I wouldn't be surprised if we got an autism diagnosis down the road instead of just "developmental delay" but now I know what to prepare for and that really settled my mind!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing ❤️💜❤️

[@notadumbblond3]

I will say I never knew my daughter was mildly autistic until just a few years ago or so and she is an adult now. And it broke my heart when I had to teach her what sarcasm was when she was young and when she finally understood what it was. Because before that people's sarcasm never hurt her because she didn't understand it and that was kind of her almost natural gift of getting people to diffuse in a situation.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. That is very common with people who are autistic.

[@lindabitwayiki2474]

Thanks for sharing these tips i found them helpful. 😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

You’re welcome. ☺️

[@Tinatina0744]

My son was just diagnosed with adhd and autism. He’s 8 and loves people to the point it can make them uncomfortable. He’s will walk into a neighbors garage if it’s open. He doesn’t understand boundaries yet. He spins and smells EVERYTHING. When he’s feeling what I perceive to be overstimulated he crawls up on my lap and will either play with my hair or tuck his face almost in the nape of my neck and just smell my hair. To me I understand it but to others it’s a little odd. He’s also two years mentally behind his actual age. This helped me a lot understand more.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing and glad this could help. Would love to chat more about it if it would be of interest to you... 7-ahead.com/coaching or www.7-ahead.com/asdclub ❤️❤️❤️

[@dorshekadaughtrey3572]

Love your video straight to the point!!! Thanks

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you!

[@thomasschoeck9080]

At the time of both my sister’s diagnosis and mine doctors have informally used the terms “mild”, “moderate”, and “severe” even as far back as the mid-to-late 1970s (when I was diagnosed for the first time) and early-to-mid 1980s (when my sister was diagnosed) when it comes to autism and other conditions.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Interesting. Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@stevo-dx5rr]

My 4-year old is definitely not neurotypical, though he has no diagnosis. I see so many of the symptoms you describe, but at the same time he has other very different traits. He had ~6 months of speech delay and motor delay. He is still quite uncoordinated and has difficulty putting on clothes and shoes. When words came, his speech pattern was very robotic. This has lessened over time. His speech has improved dramatically, but he has a tendency to repeat/stammer. At three he started reading; first it was pre-k readers, then grade one, but he quickly advanced to about 4th grade level by now. It was not all self taught, I encouraged and fostered it when he showed interest. I’ve researched hyperlexia, but I didn’t feel confident in my own assessment. There are times when he reads and definitely does not derive meaning, but when I quiz him on his understanding, he usually either knows, or he quickly re-reads and finds the answer in the text. He loves smells, but is sensitive to them. Sometimes a smell will put him off. He has very good smell memory. Right now he loves Trucks, Space , solar system, Legos, and reading. He has incredible memory for details snd facts, but very low interest in narrative, and he doesn’t really pick up on narrative story elements very well in books he reads by himself, or even when I read with him. He does seem to be able to associate faces with emotions, but he is better at matching happy/sad/angry than others. He was sensitive to running water as a baby/toddler, but it seems to have waned. He also twists his neck/head back and forth at times (particularly when he is sitting in his chair for meals), in a seemingly unconscious manner, maybe once a week, which I’ve long thought was a form of stimming. He is almost never “hungry”, except when he is delaying bedtime by asking for a snack. He is quite small and thin, and it’s hard to get him to eat, even when he is excited about the food. He tends to play adjacent to other kids rather than with them. Often when he talks to me he will refer to “in-speech”, I.e., by referring to a specific thing that only I would know from a past activity that he and I did together, such as “Daddy, what is ‘Cmmbbb’?” which is him pronouncing the acronym “CMB” (cosmic microwave background) which he read in one of his space books. He will talk to his mom this way too, but she won’t have the context to understand (similar to your example: “can I have BUG”). I suspect he does this at school too. In his first two years, I thought an autism diagnosis was likely; even his pediatrician mentioned it. At four, I’m not really sure any more, and watching this video added to my confusion. Thoughts?

[@7Aheadfamily]

I know it can be really confusing, it might just be good to have an assessment to know for sure whether or not your child is autistic. If you’re having concerns, it’s nice to know for sure. If your child does have autism, it sounds like it’s more mild on the spectrum, which means your child, is more high functioning. But a diagnosis brings more understanding and can really help with knowing how to support your child. Honestly, if I were you, I would get your child on the waiting list you can always take them off the waiting list if you’re no longer having concerns. And a lot of times waiting lists are very long. Good luck with everything.

[@stevo-dx5rr]

@@7AheadfamilyI’ve been worried about getting a wrong diagnosis, given he recently turned four. The suggestion to get in line is good though. Thanks!

[@7Aheadfamily]

If you get a clinical psychologist who is board certified they should know what to look for. Do you live in the US?

[@gigih.2169]

My son had every one of these, except maybe the smell issue. He was just recently diagnosed at age 15. I suspected when he was much younger though. He himself asked to go through testing this year.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing!❤️🩷💜

[@saturnprincess88]

This was a good list, BUT I feel like there are many more speech related signs of ASD you didn't mention that are pretty big in ASD. For example, 1) speech delay, 2) pronoun reversal (such a big one for my son), 3) gestalt language processing (learning speech in chunks or sentences), 4) scripting (such as from a show), 5) not knowing how to answer "Wh" questions (who, what, when, where), 6) struggling to answer open ended questions (as opposed to yes or no, or multiple choice questions), 7) having back and forth dialogue (due to many issues including focus, processing, motivation).

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is a really good list, maybe we should do another video called, How Autism can effect speech, and do those. Thanks for the ideas. And I am sure lots of people will be more educated just by reading your comment. When I scripted out this video I actually had a list of 34 things, but I felt I needed to keep it at 12, since I didn't think people wanted to watch such a long video.

[@bibbedyboo3532]

Echolalia.

[@saturnprincess88]

@@bibbedyboo3532 yes!!! Sorry forgot that one

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes! Thank you for that. ❤️❤️❤️

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️❤️❤️

[@jasminejasmine8485]

What specialist can give the diagnosis? Who to go to? Primary doctor isn’t helping with my son.

[@7Aheadfamily]

A board certified clinical psychologist. ❤️

[@jasminejasmine8485]

❤ thank you ❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Of course❤️❤️❤️

[@vanzandtVids]

I have a 3 yr old with ONH-SOD which means she kinda on the autistic spectrum. Ty for breaking it down to the signs. My daughter picks her lip, smells her hands and mentions smells in stores I never noticed, obsesses over the solar system. She knows all the planets, it’s a trip. Pan frying sounds freak her out and she self scratches herself when she is in large groups. I love the video clips u throw in lol epic!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting ❤️. Many blessings for you and your little girl ❤️

[@mikewells202]

Looking back at my childhood, it seems so obvious, but there was less information back then and being "high functioning" and high masking, i didn't get my diagnosis until I was 41. I'm glad parents today have more information and that autism is becoming less stigmatized.

[@7Aheadfamily]

We also are happy about the more information!🩷🩵🩷

[@thomasschoeck9080]

I remember I only really understood the crossed arms gesture in the mid-to-late 2000s when I saw an Arthur episode where DW crossed her arms and said “I’m not speaking to you Arthur Read!”. I’m now in my late 40s and I still remember this clearly even though it was close to twenty years ago. On the other hand I don’t remember which episode it is from or what else happened in the episode (at least at the moment).

[@7Aheadfamily]

That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing ❤️. It is really cool to hear about other peoples experiences and how they learned. TV can be a good one for learning things like that. Impressive that you were able to pick up on it on your own.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. I remember talking to a kid a while back who said to me “I figured out that some people talked just to talk!” It was a revealing moment in his life, and he hadn’t considered that to even be a thing.

[@thomasschoeck9080]

@@7Aheadfamily I actually looked at some books about body language that were recommended to me before that but I didn’t really understand them all that well at first.

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is actually a great idea! What books were they?

[@MsTachke]

I was diagnosted at the age of 28 with adhd, nld and asd. I took me 20 years to accept I have a very mild form of autism. A video of a young cheerful, joyful and fun-loving young autistic woman and an other very loving and nice young woman helped me to accept it. I didn't get any proper help. In Belgium people with a development disorder, especially autists are seen as weirdos and they are all the time patronized. I think my brothers might also have a very slight form of autism. This comes from my father. Now I'm living in Germany, I have here family I'm happy here. I don't want to go to Belgium. Germany is more structured and better for autistic people.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@Tracy-gj3ig]

I have just watched a couple of your videos and saw so many signs that fit my now 19 yo son. When he was young he suffered lots of anxiety and depression and saw a psychiatrist and we asked if he could possibly be on the spectrum and were told that here in Australia it at that time was extremely difficult to get a diagnosis so we never went forward with testing on her advice. As young as two he was doing the hand clenching as pointed out to us by PT he was seeing as he was a toe walker. He had phobias and very limited interests. Toy Story was has favourite and would talk only about that and it lasted for very prolonged periods of time. He was and still does take things very literally. We finally had testing done at the last year of primary school after he had been finding it very difficult and was diagnosed with learning difficulties especially processing speed issues. He is now considering getting tested as an adult to know one way or another. I found your videos extremely helpful 🩷

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️ we wish you guys the very best. ❤️

[@TrvlGK224U]

Same with my son!!! He’s 16 and was just only diagnosed because of major issues at school. He was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5, but the ASD was overlooked as many symptoms overlapped. Sad 😢

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@MarionBurgess-s7e]

I just heard a story today which did upset me. A mother took her 5 year old autistic daughter to the hospital as she had a very bad chest she could hardly breath, the nurse came in with a mask to give her ventalin, she just went over and without even explaining or having any gentle approach she put the mask on the child, as she is autisic and panicked she pushed the nurse away, her mother told the nurse about the child being autistic when they first arrived, the nurse replied, " you either want my help or you dont", and walked away! I find this is a big problem, lots of people are not trained in how to approach autisic children or adults there is no understanding of their needs or their ways. My grandson is autisic I can assure you if anyone doesn't understand him I wouldn't be too long in giving them a view into his way of life.

[@7Aheadfamily]

He is blessed to have you to advocate for him. That type of thing does happen a lot, and it is very sad. Especially when it comes to professionals and the police force. They need to be trained on how to respond to people who are autistic.

[@MarionBurgess-s7e]

@@7Aheadfamily my autisic grandson is 2 and half, hes my lovely boy. My daughter and her husband have to work full time, so I mind him Mon- Fri all day, I'm retired so im glad to be able to help out. Hes non verbal, he understands me and I understand him. My worry is my daughter is talking about him going to a nursery for a day or two a week, there are no groups where we live in the uk for autisic children, and I'm concerned he might be unhappy in a nursery, as not all staff understand autism. I take him out everyday, and he enjoys all the places we go he has a great routine, but iv never left him anywhere on his own, when we go to mum and tots he plays quite happily, but he does look out now and again for me. Maybe Im just being over protective.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing you and your grandsons story!❤️❤️❤️

[@federicovazquez9011]

I’m not a parent but watching this video is really educational. I recently found out I may have mild autism ever since I’ve been meeting with a psychiatrist. At first I suspected it was ADHD, but after talking about my issues with my psychiatrist, most of what you said in the video relates to my life. It feels nice to educate myself over these.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thanks for watching! So glad to have you joining us on the channel.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Do you think you will get an evaluation?

[@federicovazquez9011]

@@7Aheadfamily yeah, it’s still on my mind as of late.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing.

[@amayasasaki2848]

ADHD and autism have some overlapping symptoms, so it can be tricky to tease apart, plus there's a fairly high rate of comorbidity between ASD and ADHD.

[@mirandaoverton7834]

my daughter is 2 years old when she was 9 months old she would talk a little she would say i did it i git it i love you then 10 months old she quit talking all of a sudden she goes to speech therapy she also had a problem with food texture and she would gag on it she didn’t starting eating really good in october of 2023

[@mirandaoverton7834]

my daughter is being evaluated for autism we wont know if she has it for a few weeks

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@dessipenor]

Thank you for sharing! I am just discovering your channel. My 2.5 year old twins have gestalt speech and just got diagnosed with autism, one being milder than the other. I like to look at this as learning things in a whole new way.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@tomasvoldrich]

To the hunger: It is due to bad/no interoception. It means brain does not get body signals for hunger, thirst and need for toilet.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Within the past month (I don’t remember exactly when (I’m not good at remembering dates like my sister)) I tried to explain the concept of masking to my parents and I guess I didn’t explain it well enough because I received the expected response of “Doesn’t everybody do that?” (Or “at least everyone who chooses to function in society”). As a result of not understanding this my parents (and for that matter some friends of mine) don’t understand why I am often tired after all but the shortest social interactions. Because virtually everyone I know doesn’t understand autism (my sister and I both deal with this) and they also don’t understand the effects of a damaged and/or underdeveloped right hemisphere (I have this) people tend to assume that I am exaggerating or making up my sensory sensitivities and other difficulties associated with my conditions. My sister is also frequently accused of being overly dramatic (even on the many occasions when she is not). Part of the reason for this is that back in the 1970s and 1980s people including doctors didn’t know much about either autism or right hemisphere conditions (let alone how to explain the effects of them in a way that the layman can understand). As a result practically everyone I know believes in the following misconceptions about autism (and some others as well). Misconception 1 Autism equals shyness (I have actually had one or two people compare me to Fluttershy on My Little Pony Friendship is Magic) Misconception 2 Autism equals stupidity,slowness,or a low IQ (especially in Elementary School other students often called me “The R-word”). More recently some people who have seen My Little Pony Friendship is Magic would cross their eyes when they see me and say “I just don’t know what went wrong!” (Like the gray Pegasus pony with the bubble cutie mark on that show who is technically named Muffins but has at least three well-known fan names). Also, some years ago I was in an ice cream shop and I was talking to my parents on my cell phone and right after I hung up a kid who I had never met before who looked to be around kindergarten age walked up to my table and said “Dude! You sound like Zuma on Paw Patrol.” I asked him what he meant and he repeated it back but this time he changed all of the Rs and Ls to Ws. At this point instead of telling him not to be mean or rude she instead laughed and said “He sure does, sweetie!” I could hardly believe what I was hearing! I haven’t met his father but I would guess that the son takes after his mother. Misconception 3 Autism equals schizophrenia (This misconception often leads to the fear (especially with many neurotypical/nonautistic people) of being around people who are autistic) A few very unfortunate examples in the media over the years have contributed to this misconception. Misconception 4 Autism equals narcissism (I have had people compare me to Lightning Dust on My Little Pony Friendship is Magic) Misconception 5 Autism equals sociopathy or psychopathy (I once talked to someone who told me that I am like Cozy Glow on My Little Pony Friendship is Magic (Maybe it’s how I pronounce my “Rs” (People often confuse this type of speech impediment with “baby talk” and falsely assume that it is caused by low intelligence or an attempt to appear unintelligent. Michael Faraday (who is credited with inventing the electric motor (among other things) had the same speech impediment that I have)). Misconception 6 Autism equals an obsession with card counting,square roots,counting toothpicks,and memorizing phone books. Misconception 7 The idea that everyone is “a little bit autistic”. There are several other misconceptions but these are the main ones that come to my mind.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Wow! Thank you for this. We could make an entire video on this.

[@tomasvoldrich]

3. Stimming is also useful to show emotion dysregulation, and a coping mechanism for overcoming sensory hypersensitivity. Also not stimming means feeling not comfortable to be yourself in situation - masking.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. ❤️

[@mysterionz]

On last one at 15:10 I once saw a Reddit post on r/technicallythetruth where an aquarium was referred to as a liquid zoo. In another instance a museum was referred to as an air and space museum as the picture showed an empty museum room

[@7Aheadfamily]

Nice! Very creative

[@Calypso-22]

Is there anything I can do or say to my 25 yr old who surely has mild ASD? To help him either some social skills? He is mild enough that he does NOT want a label… but I worry about him having relationships in his life, super hard for him.

[@7Aheadfamily]

There are lots of people like that, that don’t want the label. So it’s understandable. That’s a difficult position to be in, but he has to come to the realization on his own terms in his own time. You can try to support him in other ways like trying to help him put tools in his tool belt (metaphorically) and teach him Social skills if he is willing. But that can be difficult because sometimes it has to be his idea. Most likely the time will come when he won’t mind the label and wants the help. But the journey of discovering that you’re autistic is different for everyone. Good luck and try to be patient. ❤️❤️❤️

[@gravitymike]

A diagnosis IS NOT A BAD THING! Parents should know that. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 55 years old! I'm a reasonably successful person, but have often struggled, would die in an open office, misdiagnosed as bipolar due to my poor emotional regulation. Now, I'm able to apply myself better, and know what to step back and recharge before I have a meltdown. Before, I just had meltdowns. In meetings. Where-ever. Learning your triggers and challenges and strengths as an autistic person MOST IMPORTANTLY improves happiness and satisfaction, and probably also success (however you measure it).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Your right!🩷🩷 A diagnosis is helpful in many ways!🩵🩵

[@thelovelybrain7066]

I am autistic myself, and I suspected my 3 year old was on the spectrum, and so we got him an assessment with a pediatrician (I’m in Canada we had to get a referral for an assessment in order to see a paediatrician) and the paediatrician pretty much laughed in my face and dismissed me the entire time. My 3 year old isn’t just a picky eater, he has safe foods very specific ones, and he will only eat those specific things will not try anything new if the texture, smell, shape, or even just appearance of it looks off he will go into like a panic attack episode meltdown. The pediatrician looked at me and thought I was full of it, and because my son can make eye contact when called on- paediatrician literally called his name and my son looked up, he came to the conclusion right in that moment that he wasn’t autistic, he was just defiant. My son doesn’t always make eye contact, there are moments when he won’t make eye contact, like if you are trying to have a one on one conversation he won’t look at you at all and will instead squint his eyes and look away or blink excessively. He makes repetitive sounds like a fire truck siren, it’s 24/7 all the time, a lot of the time when he’s really happy which is…all the time. His current obsession is emergency vehicles, and he can tell you random facts about the mechanics, like how it runs, if you opened the hood of your car he could straight up tell you what each part in the engine is called and what it does. And I’m not just saying that as a random thing, he has done this before with my husband and my dad both present. Both are mechanics but my husband works on heavy duty (semi trucks, tractors, etc) and my dad works on aircraft. My son is very intelligent. But it’s also his interest. My son also cannot handle physical touch unless it’s on his terms (I would never push him on it regardless because bodily consent is important). There is an entire list more than I’ve typed of yellow flags (I say yellow because as someone on the spectrum myself, I feel like 🚩 paints a negative viewpoint of autism, which is not a negative thing)

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤❤❤ That's a good point.

[@victoryamartin9773]

I could relate to most of those signs as an adult. Some were ah-hah moments even. You also reminded me of how curious it was to me when my very young son started head banging and pounding against walls, door jams, and doors for months after an earthquake. As upsetting as it was to listen to, I took it as his nonverbal way of processing his reaction to the unusual phenomenon.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@Samantha-vlly]

The last one I think I kind of experience sometimes as an 18-year-old. I think I have some of these I have carried until now, I’m just not aware of it(I've carried many difficulties in life rn).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing!🩵🩵🩵

[@elijahheyes9061]

Great video. Very informative. This has shed a lot of light on my Grandson's behaviour. I've suspected mild autism for a while. He's 4 and when he's at my house, he will go through every room and alter everything so everything lines up and is symmetrical on the sideboards, mantlepiece, worktops, tables etc. I give him sight reading cards to learn new words { He's obsessed with them } and he lays them down on the floor and they have to align perfectly. If he goes out of the room, I will move 1 card out of 50 by 1mm and when he comes back in, he notices it straight away and realigns it. Give him a 500 piece jigsaw and he will complete it in 30 minutes; He just looks at the picture on the box and he just knows where every piece goes... He climbs on the back of the sofa and rolls onto the seats and says falling down, rescue me. I pull him onto my knee, he gives me a very strong hug and he repeats this over and over. He would repeat it for hours if I didn't distract him and break the cycle. He makes good eye contact and is very loving, but he will go up to anyone wanting to hug and kiss them...He's very strong and with both palms facing out, he will push kids down { Even twice his age } It's not done in an aggressive way though. When they fall, he says fallen down, now I rescue you. Then he hugs them... He repeats things over and over too...My son knows he's hard work, but he hasn't caught on to what's going on yet. I don't know how to approach the subject with him, as iv'e seen another video saying you shouldn't tell a parent " I think the child is on the spectrum " Not even your own family.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@n.negron8069]

😊

[@n.negron8069]

😊

[@n.negron8069]

Q😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️

[@reignman30]

This is probably related to idioms, but the thing I noticed about my autistic nephew is he didn't understand sarcasm. Something that would clearly be sarcastic to most people, he would take literally. You could make the same sarcastic comment over and over and he wouldn't get it, even if you explained it to him.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing your experience! It’s fascinating how different people interpret language and humor in unique ways.

[@user-eg8ht4im6x]

Great video and so well explained, I still do the last one, sometimes I simply cannot think what something is called, so I use a word that ‘I think’ describes it. I get a complete block as to finding the word I want so I then resort to using a descriptive word, that to me makes sense, this usually results in my family being utterly confused and then when they realise what I am actually meaning to say falling about laughing, in a nice not mocking way, then I’m laughing to, because it is usually very funny!

[@7Aheadfamily]

I love this! I love that you and your family can laugh together.

[@coffeecat086]

I was not diagnosed until a visit to a mental hospital:( until then, even my aunt, who was a child psychologist, thought the symptoms were solely a result of being legally blind. I had issues with college, starting with the change in the schedule and not knowing certain classes were longer on certain days. Undiagnosed seizures that would cause disorientation and anxiety from being lost were the second issue. I am unable to work because of the seizures being, so far uncontrollable by anti seizure medications, though I tried to go to college anyway at first. When I was diagnosed, it was honestly a relief. Lots of questions were answered, one of mine being why my excitement about Irish and Scottish language being not as exciting to others as it was to me😂. My son is also level 1, which I recognized before anyone else. I had to fight my mom on it, but the assistant principal’s at the school has a child who is also autistic and recognized the symptoms in my son Rory. My experience sucked but I was able to pick up on it so he doesn’t have to spend his childhood wondering why he so different and confused when kids, as they sometimes do, pick up on it and use it to be unkind. He knows what his diagnosis is and we dwell on the positives like his love of chemistry and weather and other such things. (He is 8) but he also understands that, while it does change the way we do some things with him, it is no excuse for behavior he knows is unacceptable, and does not remove responsibility from him to do what is expected and what he is capable of doing. I’m just glad he will know and understand it and know he’s non defective in any way. It’s not a nice place to be and never ever want him to feel like that. 😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@LikeSomeDude]

Ok this is the most helpful video I have found bc my friends son has Aspergers and he and I have actually had problems with him being too literal. I have an extremely dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and when I would joke with him, he would laugh (masking really bc he knew he was SUPPOSED to laugh) but later he would take what I had said literally and then go tell his mother that I told him “all kids should be bullied”. That actually happened when I told him about how I got bullied growing up but that it made me realize that bullies have no power. I laughed and said something like “everybody should be bullied a little bit” so that they can see how powerless bullies are but Alex didn’t get it. It was this particular situation that made me realize that I had to be different with Alex. Before I had been of the opinion “You don’t have autism, Alex. You’re just like me when I was little. You obsess about stuff, what’s the big deal?” And I would treat him frankly, like any adult I knew. Alex definitely appreciated my willingness to be on his level but I made the mistake of thinking that that was what Alex REALLY needed. I was the one who needed education. As always THANK YOU so much for sharing your “unique normal” with the world! Aside from autism education, it has broadened my perspective on how Gods love works in our lives. I have no doubt that life would be so much more of a struggle if your family didn’t share your deep faith. That is another of the inspiring things I take away from this channel. I feel like every minute spent watching this channel is doing gods work a little bit. I am learning how to accept my friends Son for who is truly is and my search for education has been totally lead by love! All my love to the 7-Aheaders, God is ALWAYS with you ❤️❤️❤️🙏✨

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing! ❤️

[@davidingram1016]

Some of the “ signs “ you mentioned such as twirling your hair many non- autistic children have done, the habit of biting your lips, scratching, etc. Do people who pull out their hair obsessively, crack their knuckles obsessively or chew gum habits or mental, emotional problems ??

[@7Aheadfamily]

Not necessarily. Many people, neurodivergent and neurotypical stim. ❤️

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Regarding sensory seeking and tickling: I also really liked being tickled (it was a pretty good stress reliever at the end of a long day) when I was around Simon’s age and quite a bit older. The only real downside of this was that it would always cause my bladder to empty involuntarily as a result of the laughter and the strong positive emotions caused by this. I wasn’t bothered by this when I was young because my ability to feel embarrassed did not kick in until I was around nine years old (in third grade). Therefore after I turned nine I no longer enjoyed being ticked. If Simon is already capable of experiencing embarrassment this type of thing could bother him. If not it’s probably no big deal aside from some additional laundry that might not matter in the scheme of things. Even if he is not bothered by this you may want to limit how often you tickle him especially after he turns four during the daylight hours because too many daytime accidents might potentially set back his daytime toilet training. From my own personal experience accidents in the evening or at night didn’t really seem to have any noticeable effect on my daytime control and daytime toilet training routine. Before he turns four you can probably keep doing what you are doing (including what time of day he is tickled) as long as he doesn’t mind the results of it and his daytime toilet training doesn’t regress too much. After all he’s still three, accidents are still pretty common (perhaps even normal) at his age and even many neurotypical children might not begin to experience embarrassment (under any circumstances) until sometime after their fourth birthday. After he turns four it might be best to make tickling primarily a late evening or bedtime thing so his daytime control is not effected. After all he will probably be starting kindergarten at age five or six and you’ll want to make sure that his daytime training is pretty much wrapped up by then. For now that’s all I can remember (and think of) about this that is relevant.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing and I see your point.

[@thomasschoeck9080]

@@7Aheadfamily Regarding my point I just remembered something else from my childhood regarding tickling that may have some practical value for parents whose children are about to have an annual physical or other medical exam. Due to a number of details about how my nervous system works I was well into grade school (at least third grade (about as old as most fourth graders)) before I was able to voluntarily provide a urine sample for physical exams to check for diabetes, UTIs, etc. In order to collect the sample my mother needed to resort to one of two methods to work around this. The first method (which was useful if the doctor’s appointment was in the morning) was to give me a snack and as much soda as I wanted to drink before bed. In this fashion the sample could be collected in a plastic baggie while I slept. This method was mostly used up to about age four or five and perhaps early sixes (as I recall). On some rare occasions this method was still used when I was a bit older for the very occasional morning doctor’s visit. The second method my mother used was to have a bath towel and a cup or other receptacle handy about an hour or so after I had lunch. This would give my bladder some time to fill. She would have me sit on her lap (or sometimes lie down) on the living room couch and then tickle me until I laughed and the folded bath towel would be there to catch some of the steam. Then she would use the cup or other receptacle to catch the rest of it. This allowed for the collection of a clean sample which would allow the tests for UTIs to actually be meaningful. I left out some details but you probably get the main idea. Neither method bothered me at all because my ability to feel embarrassed only started working when I was around nine years old by which time these methods were no longer necessary for me. These methods could be a good way for you to do a clean catch (if performed correctly) in the event that either Simon or Ezra needs to provide a urine sample before having enough control to provide a sample voluntarily. You may already be familiar with these methods (or ones like them) but I figured I would mention them just in case. If nothing else other people reading the comments might find this to be useful (if other techniques prove to be unworkable for any reason).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for mentioning different methods. I’m sure this can help others as well.

[@tinachristensen1760]

I want to compliment you on this video. Well done! You are very in tune with your boys and their needs. I've worked with autistic children for nearly 20 years. Your list is so accurate and precise. I applaud you. I enjoyed how you showed real life examples of each behavior too. Thank you for sharing.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️

[@YvonneCorbett]

Just watching these videos as my granddaughter has autism she is non-verbal. I have her every other weekend and it is so sad when she comes to me because where she’s non-verbal. She gets very frustrated. If I don’t really understand what she’s trying to show me she’s got to the stage now where she’s getting frustrated, and tries to bite herself and punches herself, she’s just started a new school which she loves but she’s due to go to another school now. We’ve been to look at some school and a lot of them are refusing to take her because they said they can’t meet her needs which is heartbreaking because she’s non-verbal, they cannot meet her needs.

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is heartbreaking. Where do you live? If you live in the US, then the public school is required to meet her needs by law. And if they can’t meet her needs, then they are required by law to make the accommodations available to you and pay for transportation to take her to a school that can meet her needs. I’ve seen it done time and time again. They have funding for this even if they don’t admit it. if you’re outside the United States, then I have no idea how the system works because it depends on each country. I hope you can find a school that is good for her and can help her progress. Some nonverbal autistic people thrive with pictures for example having pictures around the house that she can point to when she wants things. My son can point to little icons on his iPad. He doesn’t do it all the time but he can when he’s highly motivated. We also have a safety bed for him so that when he is having a hard time and he is trying to hurt himself, we put him in the safety bed. It is big and he can jump around in it and everything is padded inside. It’s 6 feet tall so there is room for him to get his frustration out in a safe way. That has helped us a lot. Also we’ve given him safe alter is to bite on, like chewy necklaces. Our insurance helped pay for that safety bed. I hope you can get the support you need. Each state has support for Autism at the state level. They are required to. There are also a lot of grants out there. I would start looking locally. there could be grants to help you go to a better school that’s a good fit for her. I just applied for a grant last week that helps pay for Ezra‘s private school. (there is no way we could be able to afford it on our own.)

[@jarodjamesomalley8637]

At the end of the day, everyone in this world has something equally intelligent, we just keep wanting divisions between good and bad instead of happy mediums.

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️❤️

[@marrykurie48]

I've got a younger brother who is in his 40s now. But I remember when he was a small child he used to answer questions with the pretended word goax. And up until today he uses to clap his fingers to his palms at the same hand when he is amused. Could he be autistic as well?

[@7Aheadfamily]

Possibly. You could mention it to him if you feel like it would help him. ❤️

[@bridgetterodgers6496]

Most of what you said it's just certain personality aspects. People are so set on getting their kids some diagnosis, most of this is just being a normal kid

[@7Aheadfamily]

I definitely see how you could feel that way. We have three Neurotypical children and two on the spectrum. With Simon, we went back-and-forth ourselves, but as you can see from these videos, it definitely made sense when he was diagnosed…

[@7Aheadfamily]

Simmons story… Diagnosis of Mild Autism in 2-year-old kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3jPZJWCnql7gMk

[@7Aheadfamily]

What is Autism? | Home Video | Doctor Explains kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHvLpGmMi76NY6s

[@silvie4139]

I wish I had known all this 40 years ago - my daughter is probably mild autistic, and no one was able to help us at that time, no one ever even suggested it could be autism, no doctor, no therapist.. I was desperate, my child suffered 😪... it's only now that I begin to understand all the troubles and pain we went through. We are from Germany, by the way.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing! I think many people will resonate with your story. We are grateful that we have come so far in the medical field but there is still much more to uncover.

[@sharonhoward884]

Our practitioners don't use the term "autistic" any more. They haven't for years, not since the DSM-5 reclassified it. It's an arbitrary word and gives a child a label and is one of the reasons why ASD is a more appropriate term. Having ASD doesn't define a person but calling a person "autistic" gives that connotation. Also we would never say to strangers in the park "sorry about that he's autistic" to explain rough housing or getting too close etc. There isnt a need to define a child in that moment so we can perhaps say "sorry about that, my son has some challenges when it comes to.."

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️❤️

[@ElevatorWasher5000]

🤔

[@twn1701b]

I can understand and appreciate the point you make regarding “autistic” versus “has ASD/ASC” for children, but bear in mind that a lot of adults on the spectrum find comfort or identity in referring to ourselves as “autistic”. It doesn’t define me as a person but it defines how I do a lot of things and a lot of the things that I do. Likewise, I’m British (I’m from the UK), I’m blond (I have yellow hair), I’m a musician (I play several instruments); none of those things define me and not all people that match those descriptors do things the same way based on the descriptor, but I use them. I don’t think that it’s “arbitrary” as that implies it’s assigned randomly to people or based on whim (perhaps “ambiguous” was what you meant). I agree that explaining the _specific_ difficulty or difference is a good idea though.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for sharing.

[@Time.for.tea.]

I sure wish my 9 yo grandson’s headache doctor was as sensitive as you about labels. He is on the spectrum but has no idea and most people, like his teachers, always question the diagnosis bc his symptoms are not visible. He has anxiety, trouble sleeping, and can have melt downs at home. Yesterday he saw a new doctor because he’s been getting a lot of headaches and she read his medical history out loud. She said, ok, so he’s autistic, has anxiety and headaches. He was so alarmed and said, what? I’m not autistic. It was a mess. If she had to say anything, I wish she would have said ASD. Btw, he is a very friendly person and is kind and helpful to all of the children in his class. Two of them have visible ASD symptoms and he makes sure they have someone to eat and play with during lunch and recess. I love him so much.

[@lindahouston5635]

Thank you for explaining that. I definitely learned some things I needed to know.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing. 😊❤️😊