Autism Criteria Checklist and Further Guidance (More Examples!)

I thought I'd sit down and go over this document with you all, which is further guidance for professionals regarding diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in accordance with the DSM-V. I think this will be helpful for a stricter adherence to the actual criteria for diagnosis while giving more examples and explanations. This was published on the University of Washington's server, so it is not officially a piece from the DSM-V, but I am comfortable with this as a reputable assistance for professionals in how to interpret the DSM-V criteria for patients. I think this will also be helpful for those looking into possible diagnosis to see if they should proceed in pursuit of diagnosis or perhaps aid in compiling their traits with life examples to bring to practitioners as to why they feel they fit the criteria for being on the autism spectrum.
This is a screening tool.
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Guidelines: depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/S...
Videos I mentioned I would link:
DSM-5 Criteria: • Criteria for Autism Di...
Flat Affect: • Flat Affect in Autism
Eye Contact: • Autism & Eye Contact
Theory of Mind: • Theory of Mind
Echolalia: • What is Echolalia?
Stimming: • What is Stimming? || A...
Autism Levels on IndieAndy's channel: • What Are The Levels Of...
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[@DanaM18129]

For the "reduced sharing of emotions/affect" criteria: I always overshare. I can tell people everything. Which often leaves me feeling burned out. But when I am at my workplace I don't get the jokes people are making. I can't talk and if, it is exhausting. I try to smile back and to make small talk but it does not come naturally. Sometimes the small talk I try to make is more weird and "random", than helpful to bond with my coworkers. Sometimes I am stressed because I don't know if I actually smiled correctly. Sometimes when my boyfriend is speaking with me I take over the conversation and talk and talk and talk. It is not that I don't want to listen to him I just have so many words in my head that have to get out. Honestly getting a diagnosis is really strange. Thank you for making these videos. Finding out about this is literally saving me ♡

[@bixzterthetrickster5586]

Hey haven't watched yet. A while ago I told you I was going to get screened for autism. Well. This week I got my diagnosis! I am autistic!! Feels surreal tbh. Thank you for making videos, they really help me.

[@jvance6]

Congrats on your diagnosis :)

[@StephanieBethany]

Congratulations! Glad to hear you finally know for sure 💛

[@bixzterthetrickster5586]

Thank you all!!

[@zeldaqueen99]

Yay! Congrats! ❤️❤️❤️

[@thevirtualjim]

one of us! one of us!

[@ameena6485]

In my assessment, when I pointed at something I didn't make eye contact. They later wrote that in my report. I believe that's what that lack of co-ordinated non-verbal communication means.

[@justloadalready8839]

Does not provide background information: "...Yeaaaaah" hahaha felt that in my core Also the not understanding how an interaction impacts people emotionally. God this is hard. I mean what I say in a literal sense with no malice, but sometimes it comes off as me being mean to others. Example: When I was eating out with my spouse and there was a new waitress training, I was like "You're doing great!" She kinda just rolled her eyes, shuffled and said thanks and left. I didn't really understand and thought she's may be tired. My husband had to step me aside and tell me how "I think you're doing a good job," or "You're doing great," sounds demeaning to others.. but I just genuinely thought she was doing a good job... How the heck do I say it so people know I am not meaning it bad? So the question naturally is "Well.. how do I tell someone I think they're doing a good job? I've never been told at work, and it makes me anxious like I'm doing a bad job, so I think it's important for people to hear it. Isn't it good? I don't want it to sound mean. How can I say it in a good way?" He didn't know how to say it either without that seeming demeaning, so idk. We're still at a loss, but now I kinda worry telling people good job will make them sad or annoyed instead, when I think they're great, so I feel like I can't. People are hard, this is why I stay home haha

[@marknugent9851]

When a PhD misspells angles as angels and you can't stop focusing on it and have to rewind the video because you stopped listening and missed the rest of the page while you went thru a whole "What... what? I'm I... Did they...?" internal conversation within yourself.

[@wetboy72]

Love this video. I pretty much, laughed at how many of these describe my experience. Loved your reactions as well.

[@kimberlycook7829]

Good luck getting into OTA school! I'm not officially diagnosed yet, but as a pediatric COTA as well I find that it gives me a better understanding to help my therapy babies. Love your channel too! I finally told a good friend I highly suspect that I'm an aspie who also has an aspie brother, because I needed to vent after having a bad week. I was told I'm wrong, and I just have bad anxiety. Also that my massive in public shut down was just a near nervous break down. 🤦‍♀️

[@vazzaroth]

Purpose to interpersonal interaction and only as a last resort... it's confused me my entire life that everyone else isn't doing this lol. I used to have a serious (unhealthy) superiority complex in high school and college, which was when google was readily accessible in pockets circa 2007. I would think that people that asked questions were just selfish idiots for not googling it themselves when it's "so easy" to get information without having to "bother" someone else. I later learned that not everyone considers questions by others to be annoying, lol. I'm not like that nearly as much now, but I still will personally exhaust every other option twice over before FINALLY just asking a real warm-bodied human for help or advice with anything. I used to have the same complex about people that "needed me to look at where the item they are asking about is". Ie, I would point w/o looking, or point one way while looking somewhere else and I would notice people would get confused, which confused me. I pointed! Why would you assume my gaze has anything to do with anything! I still have this problem, but I taught myself how to interface with the folks that expect this. Makes sense, logically, but I don't always inherently have this instinct that looking = attention. In a lot of ways, forcing my own gaze is the fastest way to ensure that I am NOT paying attention, since all my attention is going into making sure I'm moving my neck muscles the right way, which also means I'm aware of who is looking at my facial muscles, so I have to make sure my face looks right, and whoops... I'm not paying attention to the person talking any more.

[@vazzaroth]

"Unusual facial grimacing" **Unclenches jaw, closes lips, unfurrows eyebrows** Whoops...

[@justloadalready8839]

My life summed up: Pointing and not looking, because spacially I know where it is and can point, and confusing everyone around me. And the classic: Getting annoyed at trying to remember rights and lefts and pointing... but saying the wrong direction, because specially it's RIGHT THERE, what the heck do you mean it's not left???? I pointed the way it is.. Oh god they corrected me, that's called right. Oh no I didn't even look where I was pointing and we took a wrong turn... Oh heck now no one knows where I am talking about... and everyone is looking at me again with that weird "e.e???" face, I gotta get out of here.

[@MiroslavHundak]

This was very interesting and informative. I am not officially diagnosed. Currently waiting for my assessment date, which is postponed indefinitely due to pandemic. Past month or so I've been preparing a similar document, but simpler, which also lists all of my personal traits that I could remember and I tried to sort them by DSM-5 criteria. I'm definitely putting this video in my research playlist for future reference. Thank you.

[@inastesie]

thank you for this video. very helpful!

[@misunderstoodpersons7975]

Awesome video! It’s getting awkward to comment on these because each newer one seems to out-do the last, and oh well. I’ll just be awkward then haha Seriously, So Good! : ) I love that hoodie! Got mine yesterday. It was like Christmas in June

[@SweetiePieTweety]

It hurts my brain... is that a criteria 🙅

[@kajillionaire]

Hi! Could you include in a video what some "non verbal cues" are that autistic people commonly miss? Maybe ones that you have learned what they mean from experience? It's difficult to analyze if I am missing non verbal cues or not if I don't know what they are if that makes sense....like I know that gestures, facial expressions, body language, etc are nonverbal cues, but what are some lesser know facial expressions, gestures, etc that an autistic person would not pick up on? Lesser known as in in beyond smiling means happy, crossed arms sometimes mean closed off...

[@VeraDragon]

This strikes me that you might be missing cues Tbh I’ve always felt like it wasn’t that I missed cues, like I saw them, I just didn’t recognize nor ever understood why those cues mean what they do Nor did I feel like I should have to use those cues which just seem to cause confusion Like it took active effort to learn what cue arbitrarily meant I was expected to then react in a certain way And now I can recognize non-verbal cues but it’s because I have the lexicon to understand them instead of just swimming in confusion while all the nuerotypicals around me mastered these unspoken rules without much thought

[@lindseywong9667]

I have the social impairments pretty much throughout. But for the restrictive, repetative interests, I have some of those traits but they dont really interfere with my daily life. They are under controlled. I pretty much been masking the presence of an obsessive interest my entire life. This is a good video to really go in depth into understanding each specific criteria.

[@VeraDragon]

That’s funny, for me it was the opposite I learned to mask my social impairments and act like a normal person pretty quick once I was taught some of the rules But restrictive repetitive interest and resistance to change was like sooooo blatant and never really hidden from others until later

[@garyfrancis5015]

12:25 aspergers growth channel would say 80% 20% eye contact to look away for people with autism.

[@thevirtualjim]

another autist recently told me one way she could tell right away I am autistic is that my eye contact is "sometimes too much, sometimes not enough, just...wrong" lol

[@garyfrancis5015]

Jim P That does makes sense. Sub Conscience though you are either over thinking make eye contact. Or just talking and not thinking make eye contact. So that is the though process. I could put up a link of aspergers growth eye contact video.

[@phoenixbeard2564]

For me I might appear to be looking at somebody, but really I'm looking off to one side, over their heads, or anywhere but their face.... my wife notices this more than most others do.

[@Catlily5]

@@phoenixbeard2564 I look at people's eyebrows. It usually fools them.

[@theedgeofoblivious]

Stereo type

[@turtleanton6539]

Great video 😊😊😊

[@danyelPitmon]

Out of all of this I would love to have a further breakdown between just adult diagnosis of autism as opposed to the whole criteria outlined kids and adults to make better sense of all of this otherwise there’s quite a bit of stuff even from my childhood and as an adult that I hit with hit on and this and it’s confusing and it annoys me the fact that I’ve gone 56 years without knowing that I could have autism because I am self diagnosing with autism and will be professionally tested this July and I am finding was suffering through almost everything on the list that I have too many high grains too many headaches too many problems and can’t stand being around crowds can’t stand her one on one conversations because I never know when does speak I never know what to say and I have never been very good with people for unless it’s online like this because I cannot stand small talk and every time I heard small talk I clinch my hands and I get very real way to describe it is like a chalk running across the chalkboard I think you meant he could figure that one out from school that’s what it’s like to me Smalltalk feels like and I just wish I could make more sense of life itself and everything I have significant learning disabilities I also have other mental health disorders as well like borderline personality disorder bipolar to PTSD generalized anxiety disorder dissociative identity disorder and major depressive disorder and there is the possibility according to my therapist she thinks I might have sensory processing disorder because certain lights like fluorescent lights sound touch and other things that are century really hurt me and hurt my head a lot and I have zero pain tolerance and I also do a lot of stemming like bouncing my leg playing with fidget toys tapping my fingers and when I really start getting stressed and everything I even start walking in circles I don’t know if that doesn’t sound like having autism I don’t know what is those ones anymore I was going to go I remember now my birth mother also had in the first trimester rubella so I’m sure I’ve had more significant problems because I also have hydrocephalus the right front lobe of my brain and I’m sure that is done even more damage to me as well because I was told it eventually One of my birth defects will kill me they don’t know what birthday facts because they can’t tell because I have so much going on with me because I’m also legally blind and low vision with cataracts in my eyes which were removed at birth damaging the redness and have my lenses removed I also have problems with my hearing can’t hear out of my left ear partial hearing in my right but damn I can hear everything going on including the sound of electronics the refrigerator and all kinds of things and I hate having so many problems and it’s frustrating to the point where I just wanted to just completely give up on living good I’ve had multiple suicide attempts and a lot of self harm including hitting my head into walls and hitting myself just thought I would share all the information because I thought it would be necessary and I usually leave long comments like this anyways even in person I’ll tell people a lot of stuff like that and people look at me like are you done so I think they just walk away and I am horrible when it comes down to socializing because I had a friend drag me over to meet somebody and after I met the person I’m still standing they’re wondering who is going to talk next and the longer I stood there more nervous and uncomfortable I got tore I finally just turned around and walked away so thank you for reading this long message I do greatly appreciate it very much hoping to hear some comments from others thank you

[@zeldaqueen99]

Are those new glasses!?! They’re gorgeous! Sorry if it’s off topic, but it was literally the first thing I noticed :) they are purple right? Just beautiful!

[@garyfrancis5015]

Elizabeth Findlay No?

[@zeldaqueen99]

Gary Francis huh? My question wasn’t directed at you. It was for Stephanie.

[@garyfrancis5015]

Sorry, I just see to many of her video with those glasses.

[@StephanieBethany]

They might have reflected a bit so looked more purple instead of blue! They're not new to me but thank you!

[@zeldaqueen99]

Stephanie Bethany I thought they were purple at first, but then half way through the video I thought they were blue. So cool 😎

[@purpleblue6471]

I have a suggestion for a video. The other day I watched a video called "I'm reacting to anti gay ads because I'm gay" Maybe you cold do that with a u t i s m. Maybe reviewing books or movies about a u t i s m would be interessting. Also I'm sorry for not commenting so much. I have a lot of going on in my life right now but I still watch your videos.

[@garyfrancis5015]

You should be on 20k subs. This is brilliant maybe you have improved your editing. But your subscribers is growing faster now.

[@StephanieBethany]

Haha thanks. I've been trying to work on my editing!

[@chadhanna]

Stereo-type-d pronunciation confusing. A problem I had when reading words like hyperbole, syncope and Penelope. Excellent once I got past that.

[@cabin_quilt]

3:12 O_o is "toe walking" what I think it is? because I remember as a kid CONSTANTLY walking on my tip-toes whenever I was barefoot. I had no idea that was a thing. 25:00 was another realization like that, I touched and/or rubbed my open eyeball a LOT as a kid, and I've been told by doctors that I have a high pain tolerance. I never would have thought of those through an autistic lens before. The more I've been watching these autism diagnosis vids, the more weirdly specific things get pointed out that I do/did, that I had no idea were associated with autism. Maybe I really should look to get diagnosed after all....

[@rebeccamay6420]

Sorry, dear Stephanie. I had too much trouble understanding "sterry-otta-peed," until I looked for the written word you were reading: Stereotyped. I recently learned about two of those Aspergers Things my mind will do: (A) seek out word origins, and (B) get stuck when something isn't "correct," and get an uncontrollable urge to offer the correction. You've probably heard from others already, as the video is a couple years old by now: Stereo-Type. Interestingly, it is of Greek origin meaning "solid impression." You may be familiar with prejudging a person based on appearance, manner of speech, behaviors, posture, etc., due to stereotyping, also known as "profiling" in some fields of study. I hope you understood this comment as informative, and not condescending or rude. ("I'm not Arrogant, I'm Autistic," as stated in the title of someone else's video.)

[@Dragonlove3]

Awesome

[@UnapologeticFranchfries]

Hi Stephanie! I’m trying to catch up on all your new videos, I got so busy with work and life the last couple of months! 😅 I was wondering what programs do you use for your VHS effects, do you do them yourself or do you use apps like Motion Array? I was experimenting with them but my patience and time is short and I was having trouble with some of their effects n couldn’t really find the simple effects that I was looking for I canceled it, don’t wanna spend money if it’s not what I’m los for... I just didn’t think it was worth spending so much time on effects especially for my 1st videos, plus the most important thing is the content at the end of the day. I was already spending too much time editing. But it would be nice to have some cool effects and I have always loved the vhs effects. What do you use or recommendation? 🙂

[@StephanieBethany]

Hey! I've collected a few through promos, like where you surrender your email for them to let you download their effect packs lol, and now I pay for a subscription to envato elements or whatever its called, but its pricey, especially if you don't have like a student discount. I use premiere pro to edit now, so the effects are plugins available through there. I think it depends on what program you use to edit to be able to find effects to apply. It would take me FOREVER to try to do special effects without plugins! The only effects I do myself are like zooms and the slide in for the socials part haha

[@UnapologeticFranchfries]

Stephanie Bethany Hi! 🤗 thanks for the recommendation I am going to try out Envato, because motion array had great customer service but it was definitely a pain in the ass to use their affects most of the time, and I do use adobe Premiere Pro, i’ve been paying the subscription since forever and I feel terrible because I hardly ever use it bc my business has absorbed me! I’m so mad at myself so now I need to really take advantage of it! 😓 what do you mean by you use the plug ins from PP? Did you find plug-ins in premiere Pro or did you get the plug-ins from EnVato onto PP?

[@StephanieBethany]

Oh yikes - definitely wish it didn't force us to pay monthly sometimes! And I meant the plugins on envato and then like installing them for use in Premiere

[@UnapologeticFranchfries]

@@StephanieBethany Nice I will def check it out. Thank you! You are so kind! :) I honestly can't help but wonder, how many days/hrs per week do you take to prep and do your videos. how do you work out a system. Cuz its not like all videos take the same amount of time some take longer then others and you also go to school so how do you know how many hrs and days you need to put aside each week to upload one video every week at the same time. I know that some ppl don't really script or research for their videos but you do put a lot of time and effort on each video, which applies more to my style so I have to ask, how do you do it?

[@justloadalready8839]

"Holding things at unusual angles" .. I can't write unless I turn the paper counter clockwise at a 90 degree angle to write. I got in so much trouble all through school for this, they thought I was doing it to cause a scene, and not my inability to write or read with the paper straight. Literally still can't write otherwise lmao

[@RatsPicklesandMusic]

My mom used to have to hold me down as I screamed just to cut my finger nails. And this video made me remember that horror.... Lol.

[@federicomanuelolveira7658]

I don't understand something about the imaginative solitaire play. I don't know how to express this, my English is not my first language. What I don't know exactly what it is? > The fact that the child sometimes plays alone at something imaginative. > The fact that the child has difficulties in sharing imaginative play and therefore plays mostly alone at something imaginative. What is not considered? I hope I have communicated well. If anyone knows please solve this doubt I have.

[@ashleyball5770]

❤️

[@jellyfish_adventures9877]

Well...this video made it obvious why my counselor asked if I would consider having a professional assessment for autism 😂

[@PhoenixtheII]

So many criteria, ... or symptoms? uhm... many of them making it seem to be so negative :/ Can we do the same, but then the other way around? There's so many expectations people place, is that even healthy at all? O_O Like I can feel the judgmentalism stabbing right through me of most people :(

[@StephanieBethany]

Yeah unfortunately when it comes to official criteria they tend to focus on "what's wrong"

[@danyelPitmon]

I have to agree with you on that I am self diagnosing going to be tested July in the meantime I’m suffering like you wouldn’t believe or a lot of times I just want to scream

[@gamerchristina1079]

👍👍❤️❤️‼️

[@garyfrancis5015]

Stephanie I'm very good at knowing your theory of mind by watching all the videos. But I could expection, I hear though autism individual it's called deep compensation. So even autistic adult might always have problems with theory of mind. Baron Cohen (oh no not him) he study about females have better theory of mind result than males autistic or not. But this video is not a theory of mind debate. It is just a study.

[@SoupyGal]

This video called me out lmao

[@garyfrancis5015]

Oh no 4 stipable ads in this video.

[@garyfrancis5015]

Sorry, I think that with a lot of other you tuber Channel videos. Those yellow makes mean skippable ads. Do I give in and pay you tube primion. The problem is everyone went a month free no skippable ads. They would want to buy you tube.

[@crowlowin4330]

@@garyfrancis5015 I think if you skip to the end and then restart the video you don't get midroll ads

[@MiroslavHundak]

@@garyfrancis5015 I finally caved in and bought Premium subscription. I watch KZbin a lot more now then before and the interruptions by ads have really started to annoy me.

[@josephmartin1540]

Wait. I was almost 100% aligned with everything here until focus on "non-relevant or non-functional parts of objects." I can't even conceive that non-relevant or non-functional parts of objects - or especially ideas - exist! How could you over focus on something that doesn't exist? [I'm not making fun. That really threw me off track]

[@Catlily5]

What catches my interest isn't necessarily what the teachers thought was important.

[@strictnonconformist7369]

What? Who isn't a fan of lawnmowers???

[@thevirtualjim]

I skipped around, sorry. i got kinda bored with this one.

[@StephanieBethany]

haha, it's okay. It is a bit long and wordy. I think it will be more of a resource for those newer to everything, so perhaps not all that appealing to many right now

[@garyfrancis5015]

Stephanie Bethany But very important to have the test book from the DSM5. Some you tuber think they have autism they can re write the DSM5 no only they can do that. You have to thankful for this textbook because it did diagnosed you in the first place. Dave F right with all his comments. To have autism you need to listen to clinicians to which you do. So this video is showing the professional side. Because your channel your own personal experiment others colabs or opionon and clinicians information on autism. Which is right and perfect.