Autism is a Way of Being and Not a Developmental Disorder: Learn Why

Learn about the way autistic people talk about autism and about how difference it is from the way scientists talk about autism.
In our "What is autism" series we focus on innovative psychoanalytic approached to autism. In the series, Dr. Leon Brenner talks about his unique approach to autism that describes it as a way of being rather than a developmental disorder.
Dr. Brenner is a lecturer at the International Psychoanalytic University (IPU) Berlin and an autism researcher. Check out his new book on autism on this link:
www.palgrave.c...
Find more of Unconscious Berlin on our Instagram:
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Credits:
Video editing - Adam Luczak
Sound - Roland Bolz
Quote reading - Tessa Hug
Music - Daniel Birch (freemusicarchive.com)

[@desertdarlene]

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

[@EliW95]

most people on the spectrum are likely undiagnosed for that reason, especially women

[@MishaSkripach]

This is because autism is a debilitating disorder. Just selfishness and aloofness, if not debilitating, cannot be valled autism. Read the definition.

[@_MYSTIC_]

Also we are not being aloof but using a skill honed to preserve our mental health. MASKING!

[@Ottophil]

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

[@Torby4096]

58 years here. It has been so helpful to know.

[@arcadechimera]

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

[@stevegreenwood7837]

Thats right you are correct ! it is not an illness or disorder , this system was not created or designed for the Autistic way thinking or working things out, it did not concern those that created this system the one size fits all is always a problem because it is so not true...which l think they knew .but there is only so much that can be done . thats why its a disability .

[@humboldtbilly]

Thank you , I've used this analogy for A few years now to explain What it is like to be autistic

[@_MYSTIC_]

Yep. I say it's like trying to run windows 7 on the latest Apple Mac.

[@tomchamberlain4329]

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

[@relentlessrhythm2774]

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

[@MishaSkripach]

You are wrong. Autism by definition is a disorder. You cannot have your cake and eat it. Either you are disordere, or not autistic.

[@JAD-cc2gl]

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

[@UnconsciousBerlin]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Leon firmly views autism as a distinct way of being. His perspective, rooted in Freud's drive theory, can be explored further in his book and various publications on autism. Essentially, he believes every human condition stems from a deviation in developmental processes. We genuinely appreciate the time you took to watch the video and pen down your insights. Warm regards from Berlin!

[@_MYSTIC_]

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

[@giancarloromano5458]

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

[@plantstho6599]

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

[@beyond_you_net]

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

[@UnconsciousBerlin]

You can find much more if you look up Leon Brenner's publications on autism, including his book.

[@gregoryburne5251]

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

[@hello-sz7hp]

People alarm lightbtaru

[@mablebee1343]

This is exactly right! The back ground moving picture was very distracting for me though 😂

[@sarcodonblue2876]

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

[@juststudy8639]

I agree with you. They want to tell me my ADHD is a “neurodivergency” and just an alternative way of being. But it causes me so much pain & I am so dysfunctional. Then they try to tell me it’s because society isn’t built for people with neurodivergent brains but if me and the friends I’ve found with similar adhd symptoms were to start our own society on some secluded island somewhere we would all live in filth, none of us would take care of ourselves, nothing would get done, and we would all sleep all day. You cannot tell me that this is just an alternative way of being not marked by dysfunction. How can they continue to disregard so many of us that want treatment, medication, and a cure?? Because it’s considered a “way of being” now, research looking for meds and cures are not being funded. I saw a talk on how adhd is a developmental disorder and nearly all the comments were trying to “cancel” the professor. They wanted blood. But nothing made more sense to me in my entire life that that talk. People need to stop with this nonsense. These are brain disorders, not an alternative phenotype. EDIT: I just watched this video. Just because I don’t know who I would be without my adhd doesn’t mean the adhd is me- it just means the disorder affects so much of my brain function that the lines of separation between the two become VERY blurry. For instance, I knew of someone with FAS with severe intellectual impairment from it. You cannot separate him from his FAS because it affects every single aspect of who he is, how he thinks, how he perceives, and how he functions. Yet we understand FAS to be a disorder and understand that his brain developed abnormally, not just “differently”. We understand that his experience is the experience of cognitive dysfunction rather than one of cognitive variation. Although I’m not autistic, I feel for the cause because I also have a family friend whose daughter is on the part of the spectrum where she experiences so much impairment that she will never ever, be able to take care of herself. Is this a “normal variation”? How dare people think they can speak for her and all the other “lower functioning” autistic people by telling them how they should feel about their autism and stop research to find a cure or treatment that could potentially alleviate the pain and suffering those people experience?? It’s not fair that in the pursuit of some people on the spectrum trying to make themselves feel good by making autism a matter of identity that other, lesser vocal people with autism are then forced to perpetually feel bad & suffer with no hope for cure.

[@Avgvstvs41]

@@juststudy8639 1) the fact that some autistic people have impairments dosen't mean autism is a disorder, you can have the exactly impairment and not be autistic. 2) if an autistic person dosen't feel good with his/her brain dosen't mean autism is a disorder. There are a lot of people which struggle with a part of their identity a this not make them have a disorder

[@sarcodonblue2876]

@Woodchipper Worshipper it is definitely a disorder although yes society is very messed up in many ways.

[@FaiaHalo]

​@@sarcodonblue2876would you agree that in another society that didn't INHERENTLY marginalized us for existing (like CAPITALISM does), these worries would disappear?

[@sarcodonblue2876]

@@FaiaHalo no. Other non capitalistic societies have even worse human rights than the West. I clearly have deficits that would still exist even in a caring society .

[@joeypleasants4014]

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

[@hanyan2012]

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

[@gracelewis6071]

High support needs autistic people tend to have low IQ which is disabling in and of itself, autistic or allistic, or some kind of brain injury or learning disability. Ie; it's not the autistic traits themselves that are inherently disabling. (Although I find the way society is with those traits to be disabling.)

[@specialuset8022]

The fact that you’re using functioning labels, tells me you’re not that educated on autism.

[@zadekeys2194]

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

[@raphaelnej8387]

Autism and adhd are not due to trauma though. Like left handedness and homosexuality, neurodivergence is naturally selected.

[@GreenMindxD]

You have totally missed the point. Drug addiction and homelessness can be amended and changed, autism cannot. No one is fundamentally homeless or a drug addict , they are just circumstances a human can find themselves in

[@zadekeys2194]

@@GreenMindxD I disagree in part. Addiction is a mental illness, like autism. An addicts brain responds differently to drugs/drink, Vs a non addict. Same with a.d.d / autism, the brain is wired differently.

[@zadekeys2194]

@@GreenMindxD drug addiction can not be amended.... People learn new coping skills, much like you would teach coping skills to someone with a.d.d. / autism, to improve their quality of life.

[@zadekeys2194]

@@raphaelnej8387 natural selection is involved I agree but atleast with a.d.d, trauma is usually involved. If I recall correctly a.d.d forms as a way of blocking out the negative environmental issues eg parents fighting etc

[@_MYSTIC_]

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

[@ArjanKop]

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

[@JAD-cc2gl]

Hi I'm a careworker from australia who specifically looks after people with autism, and it might help you to know that individuals with ASD who lack fundamental skills like speech are actually the minority. There's no point giving a statistic because all documented statistics we have for this are of a very wide range, and vary greatly based on country. You're talking about individuals with level 3 communication deficiencies, who are - at least in my country - given specific supports that lower spectrum people may not receive. There are some really good and deeply scientifically and medically backed reasons why aspergers and adjacent conditions were merged into the ASD umbrella; I promise you it has not had such a negative big picture effect as you may be implying.

[@ArjanKop]

@@JAD-cc2gl thanks for sorting that out. I was merely making the point that autism seems to be romanticized nowadays, while it is a real disability for some, and even gor the likes of me it’s not just ‘being different’. I sometimes wish the psychiatrist who connected the dots and had me tested had seen me much earlier in my life, because I turned out to be a pretty lousy father, just to name something. You can learn to avoid having meltdowns, but that also means simply not being there when people need you.

[@JAD-cc2gl]

@@ArjanKop Sorry for the late response, earnestly. This is a really fantastic point you've made and I empathize deeply. Particularly in my own life, I've realized the very same thing - to avoid meltdowns, exhaustion and even just to perpetuate a happy life for myself, I have had to come to terms with the fact that some people will simply not understand, or accept me, and will in turn, be let down. It's made me appear as the black sheep of my family, despite my regular explanations; they are simply not accepted. I'm making my peace with that, so I think I understand, at least in part. I understand why this must've been very hard for you, and thus extremely frustrating when it appears that the new-wave of Autistics don't always seem to have been affected as much by their condition as you, or even me, as I have often felt the same way. I tend to remind myself that things are not so easily understood. I try to stop looking at these people as anything more than they are, and focus on becoming the best version of myself. I figure if I can learn to be at peace with those who get to use the Autistic label as synonymous with quirky, then I'll have a much longer life. In fact, it might even help to pass myself off as quirky sometimes, it seems to help people interpret my traits as less rude or offputting. These are complex things to tackle. I also try to remember that a person's situation plays a huge part in how these things affect them. Some Autistics are lucky, and get the support they need to flourish early on in life. Some never learn to speak. Some are homeless. Some are billionaires. I can't even fathom the innumerable factors at play here, but I can learn to understand the factors at play in my own life. That's much more achievable, and certainly more beneficial. I know for you, you're much later on in life. I wouldn't even try and guess how you might be feeling, or just how much harder this might be for you, but I do sincerely wish you well.

[@dropyourself]

Have you tried communicating with these people? Also 90% of autistic people aren't non-verbal.

[@sarithapandey6515]

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

[@Riddickisawesome101]

The treatments they need are for medical issues, not autism itself. Things like seizures and GI issues don’t come from autism, as they are present across other neurotypes and populations. There’s nothing wrong with treating those things, and I wish doctors and scientists put a greater effort into treating those things

[@dropyourself]

What? "Autistic treatment" has been a hugely net negative for autistic people, especially non-verbal autistic people because they are much easier to ignore. Also what makes independence a prerequisite for success? Maybe reconsider your notions before imposing your beliefs on people you have never communicated with.

[@sarithapandey6515]

@@dropyourself Yes I have communicated with non speaking autistic individuals. People who haven’t should not try to speak on their behalf. First learn they like to be called non speaking not nonverbal. Research should be encouraged to find medications that help them. Doctors dispense risperadone to autistic community so easily without even thinking about side effects and people like you don’t have anything to say about that. No individual in the whole world would like to be dependent on others for their self care. There are hardly schools which accept they are intelligent because of their motor planning issues and are deemed as cognitively impaired and they don’t teach them like NT kids.

[@Songsthesecond]

I have it and say it’s a disability

[@ewthmatth]

Thank God for the 2x playback speed button

[@UnconsciousBerlin]

We truly apologize for that!

[@gracelewis6071]

The natural pacing of this video was perfect for me!

[@michaelfreydberg4619]

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

[@targoltran]

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

[@rahbeeuh]

That's not on her. The fault lies with society and many allistic (non-Autistic) people's attitudes towards Autism.

[@leilameow9582]

terrible to call someone a burden when they are literally disabled, i'm glad my family never viewed me that way and helped me become independant.

[@kingfisher9553]

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

[@UnconsciousBerlin]

ojs.ub.rub.de/index.php/HARM/article/view/11071

[@thijsjong]

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

[@ToyotaTom04]

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

[@exi9999]

(im not saying this aggressively) back in 1911 psychiatrists thought it was a symptom of schizophrenia so i wouldn’t rely much on “science” as a fact-only source, especially psychiatry, because its an always evolving practice. and i personally feel autism is both an advantage and disadvantage in the actual world, not a disorder; a reaction.

[@ArjanKop]

@@exi9999I’d love to hear you tell that to my friend, who has an 18 year old daughter who hasn’t produced a full sentence all her life, has the often comorbid epilepsy and needs to have her diapers changed.

[@exi9999]

@@ArjanKop so not all of her problems have to do with autism, thats her comorbidity. im tired of autism apparently being always the reason for all other visible disabilities that a human can have, thats a misconception. but as i said: this is just my opinion

[@ArjanKop]

@@exi9999 epilepsy and autism occur together more often then expected by chance alone. All I’m pointing out that there is more to autism than just the socially awkward nerd, which is the part of the spectrum I belong to myself. I’m doing pretty well, but I’m also quite aware that not everyone is lucky enough to belong to that particular category which is so often romanticized by others.

[@exi9999]

@@ArjanKop oh yeah it could be, thank you for explaining that

[@thelondoners-lifeisart]

A highly selective mode of being #evolve #wego