Changes in the Concept of Autism - Francesca Happé CBE

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Our understanding of autism has changed over the last forty years.
Historically, autism was diagnosed based on narrow criteria. Today, while still defined by social and communication difficulties, rigid interests and repetitive behaviours, the autism spectrum is far wider, and the historical under-diagnosis of women and girls is being addressed.
‘Autisms’ are more often discussed as neurodivergence rather than a single ‘disorder’ to be treated.
This lecture explores how our understanding of autism has changed, and directions for future research.
This lecture was recorded by Francesca Happé CBE FBA on 28th February 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London
Francesca is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/n...
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[@Sport-ws6ef]

The "mistake" that people make by claiming "autism is on the rise" is that when a 70 year old person gets diagnosed, it actually means that 70 year ago, the person was already autistic without knowing... so they should actually correct for the age back in time, but they never do.

[@kxjx]

Indeed. Autism is heritable, actually when the child got diagnosed it incidently revealed many additional cases in the adults.

[@EcoHamletsUK]

Definitely. For 63 years the statistics were wrong, because I wasn't included!

[@SCDarkZide]

You and some of your elders, yes.

[@myworldautistic6839]

​@@EcoHamletsUK Yeah, same for me, 57 years!

[@Vgallo]

No because some of us who’ve actually studied the increase in Diagnosis have accounted for this variability and yet, we still see a significant increase. The problem in many arguments is one side doesn’t familiarise themselves with the other sides arguments, or worse only addresses the arguments they believe are easily undermined. This is what’s happening here Even the speaker admits here “ this is a likely explanation” and “ I can’t prove this”, in short she’s not addressing the data that shows a legitimate increase.

[@ExkupidsMom]

As a woman who finally figured out at 61 that I was autistic, this is huge. The impacts of living a life without the supports I desperately needed has gone beyond me and to the next generation with my children. This is so important for people to understand. I have to fight for the legitimacy of my self-diagnosis every time I talk about it to a medical professional, because most of them have such outdated information.

[@JelMain]

As a male, I was much the same. I'd encountered The Tavistock Clinic as a lad, during the extension of IQ testing to kids, and they'd banned me from ever testing again - it's in the maths. Eventually what I was capable of became undeniable, so they tested me anyway, and the truth came out: an IQ in the mid-160s at peak, doing the freakish, consistently. It did its thing during the testing, so they added hyperperception, and the Cabinet Office pitched in, looking for help in the weirdos and misfits. My immediate reply was revealing, I asked for academic studies and came up empty. This was 2015. So I started looking for myself, and found the same thing. DSM-5 was clearly wrong, and when I looked at the history of the diagnosis, came up with narcissism in the diagnosticians. You can't understand me? Communications is a two-way street. Academic specialists in the subject can. I'm obsessive? I'm researching something new and important. I have to be careful. I melt down? You would too if you were as traumatised as me. Dabrowsky's overexcitability thesis amounts to the same thing: the Tavistock Clinic reported I had the GK of a 14 year old, aged 8, by 11 I was dealing at par with a Russian Oligarch, and 14 I left my first perpetual mark on the world, placing my surname at the heart of almost all computer code - a poor joke made a lot of sense. So I'd come to my own conclusions, and teaching-as-indoctrination was futile. In 2020, one of my authorities in the study I was talking about moved to Head Yale's new Genius School, so he referred me to his thesis, The Hidden Habits of Genius, and I replied with a mantra study massively extending some of his own work. He agrees, I probably qualify. That created an alter-ego, and as I'm not schizoid, I had to go through my persona looking for the core truth. That left me in grief for what wasn't, added to your comments about lack of support. I'm actually working the other way, therefore, but one thing is clear: only one ASD patient has been listened to, Temple Gradin, and they've reverted to talking past us. For the last hundred years, all the work's gone into low functionality, and they've discovered something: you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. In the mean time, they've trashed their best.

[@lynncohen1297]

I can really identify with what you've written here, in all aspects. I'll focus on how medical professionals react to a self-diagnosis, as that's a primary issue in my life right now. My experience is, medical professionals generally want to be *the expert* and get threatened when a patient uses their intelligence and abilities to figure out that they have autism. There's a hefty dose of authoritarianism in that system. I will talk with the medprof in a sincere attempt to have a dialogue and to collaborate, but I also won't hesitate to fire a medprof who proves their priority is "being the authority" - who won't collaborate, and who doesn't listen. Best, Lynn

[@JelMain]

@@lynncohen1297 Absolutely. But it's worse than that, they present a different identity to your own so you have a grieving process to cope with as you assassinate the false alter ego. First do no harm.

[@ExkupidsMom]

@@lynncohen1297 I've had better luck generally with Nurse Practitioners than MDs, and generally better with women than men, but it can still be tough to dislodge the things people think they know.

[@toaojjc]

I'm waiting to be assesed at 41. One of my daughters recieved a diagnosis 3 days ago and the results for my other girl are about to come back.

[@j.b.4340]

Access to information, via KZbin, Tiktok, etc., is why so many of us are realizing that we were missed. Armed with this new knowledge, life suddenly makes sense.

[@memxfgtwjd]

Tik tok is not a reliable source of information about autism they did a study and found that 30% of tik tok information about autism is accurate.

[@natcat655]

"Armed with this new knowledge, life suddenly makes sense". Exactly. Really beautifully written ♥️

[@TheRawChuck]

Exactly.

[@nate2838]

Yup. I doubt that many of these studies are taking social media into account because a self diagnosis from discovering information that fits you to a T and explains so many things, isn't scientifically verified by an "expert". And, from a lot of what i've read, an unfortunate number of "experts" have no freaking clue what they are talking about or what to look for.

[@TheBurdenOfHope]

“We were missed” brought a tear to my eye. I can’t help but feel angry about my own neurodiversity, rationalised by myself in my late 30s. I feel overlooked, not missed 😢

[@LiLesah]

Almost 40, untreated/ undiagnosed- just discovering my neurodiversity 😭 it was never just anxiety/depression

[@user-fm5yg6de8n]

Yes. Now seeing more and more of us that were "missed" as children. I am now 49 and discovered I am asd about 3 years ago.

[@bellakrinkle9381]

Same here, but much older. I was in my mid 40s when I spontaneously took an online IQ test. I was shocked! No, I'm not genius level, but far from average. My parents shaped me to be a housewife and mother. 10 years after the IQ test, I wondered if I could be autistic, which could have influenced my parent's perception of me. I took another online test, this time for autism - there were 35 questions, as I recall. If the resulting score was over 5, it was likely that autism was present. My score was 22. More time passed; wanting confirmation, I looked into an Autism evaluation. The fee was $3,000. I dropped my interest and decided to accept my reality from the online test. I've had some very difficult years, especially the last 24 years. I've decided that Narcissists, especially, have radar that perceives my innate vulnerability, or gentleness, or softness. IDK, but I've certainly learned a lot over the years, defending myself and learning to be brave and aggressive enough to shut these types down. I want to warn all autistics and euro-divergents to avoid ultra friendly sorts who take an immediate shine to you. Always spend significant time getting to learn about those whom appear to have a romantic interest in you. Narcissists are more frequent these internet days than ever. Stay safe and always protect yourselves.💖

[@TwdlD]

@@user-fm5yg6de8n I think I have 2 questions for doctors. 1. Do children outgrow Autism? 2. If it is inherited, where did they get it from? (after answer, repeat question 1 and then wait)

[@joycebrewer4150]

​@@user-fm5yg6de8nI was 59 before I even considered I could be autistic. And got tested and confirmed.

[@Dancestar1981]

True they were just underlying comorbidities that exist along with it and women were denied supports for so long

[@lorrainemaila5356]

I'm a 28-year-old black female. I went to the psychiatrist to get help with being assessed for Autism. He told me he didn't care that I might be autistic, then he proceeded & had me admitted into the psychiatric ward for having "self-harm" thoughts. No assessement was done. I was released on the 4th day, and I had to lie throughout the time that I no longer had any negative thoughts so that I could get released. After my release, I started having regular nightmares, a strong feeling of paranoia, etc. I've self-isolated for 3 months now after that traumatic experience at the psychiatric ward. This happened at a public healthcare facility in Hungary. I'm still recovering & I still panic whenever I think about trying to get a formal diagnosis, which I will do in my home country. I discovered that I might be on the spectrum in my 2nd year of studying in Hungary as an international student.

[@martinmckee5333]

As an autistic male with comorbid major depressive disorder, I have always found inpatient "treatment" extremely stressful, and never beneficial. I'm sorry to hear it was traumatic for you as well. I do hope you find better support. In my experience, it is far too difficult to do so, but it does exist. Best of luck.

[@debras3806]

Wow! I am so sorry. What a horrid experience

[@dortek882]

😢❤

[@nanimalgirlEssie]

I am so sorry you went through this! Another example of trauma to a very sensitive (autistic) person. I hope you feel safe again and will get the kinder more respectful help you deserve soon in the future. ❤

[@amw6846]

I'm so sorry you went through that -- such horrible behavior on the doctor's part! I hope that you are able to find someone in your home country who can diagnose you and that you are safe to do so.

[@pat8988]

“9 out of 10 autistic adults are undiagnosed “. Boy, how true that is! I am retired now, but I can think back to when I was working and think of at least a half dozen people who I knew who were most likely autistic. It’s been a mystery for so long and people just didn’t know anything about autism. I didn’t figure out I was autistic until I was 65. But I’m still “undiagnosed”. 😮

[@Letsthinkaboutit-mb7nn]

I think as Temple Grandin says, autism i a big spectrum and at one end it´s just personality variation but at the other it´s someone who can´t talk or interact with anybody.

[@JelMain]

@@Letsthinkaboutit-mb7nn Why is it, though, that they've not taken her basic point to ask us?

[@Letsthinkaboutit-mb7nn]

@@JelMain I agree, it´s a fair point. I guess in all fairness, it can be difficult for people to appreciate things.

[@Letsthinkaboutit-mb7nn]

I.e if you people don´t really notice you as being wildly different from other people, they won´t think that you´re autistic. I think as the lecturer says, very few people have all the traits, most people have a mix. I.e some autistic people have decent enough social skills but really struggle with organisation. Some autistic people have the opposite problem, no issues with organisation etc, but they do find social interaction very hard. I think lots of people understandably have the view that autistic people have all the traits, but that´s a pop psychology misunderstanding. @@JelMain

[@GreasergalOG]

She said 9 out of 10 over the age of 50…not as a whole. A big part of it is because of the changes to the DSM5. Until the DSM5 change, most late diagnosed would not have fit the criteria and therefore would not have been diagnosed when we were younger.

[@wendydee3007]

Even though I worked in mental health and psychology for years, it never 'clicked' that I have autism - I just fitted in well in an academic environment. I met my partner 18 years ago and it was obvious to me straight away, that he is autistic, although he wasn't formally diagnosed. When my mother moved in with us, she said that after she became familiar with my partner's autistic behaviour, she realised that I am exactly the same, and all the 'difficulties' I experienced as a child were due to autism. We have discussed it and she feels bad that I never had any support, and that I suffered so much at school, but it wasn't her fault back in the 60s and 70s. Now I am kinder to myself and allow myself to be introverted, rather than forcing myself to be sociable.

[@stephanieb2484]

It just wasn't a 'thing' in the 60s and 70s unless the individual was severely impaired. The internet has changed how we understand the world and our relationships

[@thecuriouseducator]

I got diagnosed at 30, and it's made my life much more prosperous, peaceful, and clear.

[@MsCeegee3]

I so appreciate the subtleties of this presentation. I find it difficult when people say “ isn’t everyone autistic?” Because it sounds like ablest BS. But she breaks it down in a way that I don’t feel like it’s as much a dismissive reaction. My husband and my child are most definitely ASD 1, (and I’m pretty sure both of my parents and sibling ) and I am peeling back all my coping mechanisms, one by one, and realizing that I might be very much on the edge of ASD one myself. My doctor asked me Why do you care? What do you wanna know if you are or not. And I feel like it would tell me if I have to keep working on myself or I need to accept myself and make lots of accommodations. But I think maybe I just need to do the latter, regardless. Because maybe that’s the best path to heal if healing is possible… If improvement is not possible, at least, I’ll be soothing my nervous system and be at my best level of function !

[@CESmith]

I'm that kid that walked the perimeter of the school playground and the few times I had a friend I would be ridiculously clingy. I don't know if I'm autistic as I'm lacking sensory issues, but I'm over 50 now and acceptance of myself and all my states of being is what I'm learning going down this autism rabbit hole.

[@tudormiller887]

That's such a NeuroTypical response to anyone who says they're Autistic, ADHD, Dyspraxic, Neurodivergent. Or they'll say "I've always been a little bit Autistic". 🙄

[@gnomie2.0]

LONG STORY SHORT: I love and strongly support your idea to focus on nervous system regulation, no matter what else may be helpful or true! ❤ --- I worked with an ADHD coach last year in hopes of improving my executive functioning, and while she did have some helpful logistical suggestions, she also tried to help me manage my expectations for behavior change and reduce my self-judgment about how my brain works naturally. And she *repeatedly* recommended self-acceptance and making accommodations for myself just as I am already. In fact, as I look back at the “big picture” of our work together, it seems that ALL of her suggestions for “improving” my executive function were really just ways of rearranging my life and habits to accommodate the way my brain works, rather than trying to improve my brain to accommodate the way the world works. Her approach made me realize how hard I’ve worked for decades to basically “act neurotypical”…and how much damage it’s done to my self-esteem to have that as my goal. Undoubtedly my “failure” to be someone I’m not helped create a deep sense that there is something fundamentally “wrong” with me that needs constant attempts to fix or at least improve. So please do be kind to yourself and prioritize the regulation of your nervous system through acceptance and accommodations, regardless of whatever else you learn or do as you move forward in life. ❤

[@wiegraf9009]

I'm not sure if what she says actually implies that, because it may be that there is a "peri-autistic" subset of the population who inherited one autistic trait and not others, but that most people do not fall into this subset.

[@Albinojackrussel]

Its so frustrating seeing "bullying" treated as an atypical trauma. If adults treated a child that way, we'd call it child abuse, and not be surprised at it inducing a trauma response. But when its other children doing the abuse suddenly its not abuse any more and its "just" bullying. Not annoyed at the speaker, but at this general trend to treat abuse as less harmful because of whos doing it.

[@TranscendingTrauma]

The rigid and repetitive behavior is BECAUSE OF the sensory overload.

[@Sad_bumper_sticker.]

Source? That sounds scientifically dubious as repetitive and rigid behaviour continue even when sensory input is limited / reduced. And rigid repetitive behaviour as an autistic trait has complex etiologies which cannot be limited to misophonia or sensory sensitivity. On the other hand sensory overload i impacts emotions and cognitive processes, therefore anxiety can rise which can in turm trigger anxiety relieving behaviors such as rigid behaviours or needing rituals as a self-regulation self-soothing behavior.

[@batintheattic7293]

No. Two different things. Something being in the wrong place or disordered increases agitation. It varies greatly, individual to individual, but it's cumulative I think. Order and organised patterns make me feel, if I am to give it a name, safer. Isn't this the case for everybody, to some extent, though? It takes some practice to develop the awareness of what happens in the body (as what happens in the body is the easiest way to know what's happening in the brain) to the point where we can actually feel the tiniest lifts we get from fixing or lining something up. Rigidity does minimise the chance of disarray, though. Maybe it's flawed to think of rigidity and repetition as the same thing. What you're talking about in 'repetitive behavior', I think, is the unconscious stimming which I believe might automatically increase with agitation and sensory over-stimulation doesn't necessarily mean agitation. Maybe, theres a fundamental distinction that needs drawing between single sense/single source over stimulation and the chaos of unmodulated multi sense/multi source over stimulation. Stimming, however, is difficult to factor with because the moment one becomes aware of it it tends to stop (unless it's of a certain variety *). And a lot of time the casual observer wont even notice the stimming because it has been driven incognito. For instance - I've got a pre-molar that feels loose, when I push my tongue against it, but isn't loose and only intense scrutiny would notice that I am * harrying it most of the time. Or somebody may be constantly wiggling their toes inside their shoes. It's only the more florid repetitive behaviors that draw attention.

[@RGBEAT]

I think it can exacerbate it yeah

[@Amber4]

The effect of sensory overload can last for days. Excitement can trigger repetitive behaviour too.

[@naomieyles210]

Yes, but not quite. Rigid and repetitive behaviour, and all the various ways of stimming, are autistic ways of handling STRESS. Mutism is likely to be related to handling stress, too. Sensory overload is ONE kind of STRESS. There are many other kinds of stress that affect autistic people, including executive dysfunction, social stressors, medical comorbidities, employment or housing problems, and much more.

[@hiwall4883]

I wonder if the poor outcomes with health and aging has more to do with discrimination in the Drs office, Autistic people often have to fight to be believed, or their concerns dismissed. Also we are not encouraged to self care, or rest when our bodies tell us to, ie being called lazy or messy and disorganised. Autistics often have trouble advocating for themselves. That's been my experience anyway.

[@Catlily5]

If you can, bring a friend, family member or even a case manager. I take my boyfriend with me and the doctors often treat me better.

[@hiwall4883]

@Catlily5 I don't have a case Manager, or a boyfriend, but I agree, that would help.

[@turtleanton6539]

Mine to😮

[@misstalulah9063]

At one point (as I have ME, which is common amongst autistic women), I had been gaslit and traumatised so much by doctors that i had to take someone as going triggered my CPTSD (also common amongst autistic people).

[@natcat655]

Same...

[@ReubenRovak]

As an Autistic person in America, thank you so much for this lecture! I sent it to my therapist, and shared it online. It's important to get current and research-backed information out, and ESPECIALLY important to emphasize the social aspect of disability in the Autistic space.I may not be that disabled, but I still can't get a job because I don't "fit in" in corporate climes. It's so frustrating! The double-empathy problem is why Autism makes social navigation so difficult!

[@shapeofsoup]

This is so welcomingly comprehensive. Depressingly so, in a way, because this level of understanding of autism is so rare even in the neuroscience field that it apparently requires someone as *incomprehensibly* brilliant as Dr. Happé to comprehend it-not to mention be able to deliver such an eloquent and well-structured lecture on the condition.

[@debbielondon1809]

I(t always will be impossible to comprehend, because it's so complicated.

[@PatchworkDragon]

This lecture was fascinating. I was especially shocked by the part about the autisms and how diverse ASD is genetically. I wish Dr. Happe had mentioned how this impacts the difficulty of diagnosis and the resulting trend of self-identification in adults - but she can't fit everything into an hour talk. Thank you so much to the lecturer and whomever selected her to come and share her insights.

[@lisedenmark]

My take on self-identification: The difficulty in diagnosing often doesn't come from it being difficult to see who is autistic. It rather stems from the fact that many diagnosing professionals are not keeping their knowledge up to date so they are not fully aware of the broadened and more complex understanding of autism. Many diagnosed and non-diagnosed autistics spend more time watching videos like this than psychiatrists do, so of course self-identification is wide spread. 🙂

[@Catlily5]

Many self diagnosed people go on to get a professional assessment. Maybe if it were cheaper more people would not self diagnose.

[@shapeofsoup]

I thought the detail around genetic variability could’ve used a bit more context-or perhaps just the explicit clarification that while there are potentially very many people with relatively less significant genetically autistic attributes, that is not equivalent to the common misconception that “everyone is somewhere on the spectrum,” as the spread of that misinformed idea is incredibly invalidating for autistic people.

[@charlotteharper4202]

​@@shapeofsoupthat's a really helpful clarification, thank you.

[@gnomie2.0]

⁠​⁠@@shapeofsoupwould you mind saying more about the autism-related genetics info this presenter described and the context you wish it had been given? I’m having a hard time processing your sentence about that but I really really want to understand your point. I feel like this issue is somehow important to further understanding myself and my family in relationship to “the autisms,” but I’m not quite grasping it. Thanks in advance if you have time or energy to say more, and either way, you’ve inspired me to find more info on it elsewhere! I suspect I have autism, but I *know* that I have ADHD, and I also hate the notion that “we’re all a little ADHD sometimes, aren’t we?” NO. No we aren’t. 😖

[@the.masked.one.studio4899]

I don’t think it’s hard for me to “put myself in someone’s shoes”, but I think understanding where we may be the same and different is challenging. Perhaps this is “the double empathy problem”, because I find that when non autistic people try to predict MY desires, especially within social interaction, they equally fail miserably. I learned the majority of my social skills while studying Spanish. Most Spanish and Latin cultures have a tendency to be more socially motivated and I felt wonderfully guided through the pragmatics of daily interaction. I prefer to speak Spanish during everyday interactions and I have a deeper understanding of it. I would LOVE to see research about this and seeing treatment involving pairing autistic language exchange partners, especially with immigrants. I LOVE speaking with immigrants because we can commiserate regarding the challenges of the culture we are living in and they can enjoy sharing their experiences with things they like and dislike about their own culture. This social interaction can be SO SO valuable to someone who is lonely and feels unappreciated.

[@wiegraf9009]

I had a similar experience learning Japanese, where there was a lot of social interaction training that went with the language training.

[@AnnaCatherineB]

Eating disorders association with autism in feminine people is very important because it significantly changes how to treat and successfully mitigate eating disorders. This is a great informational vided thanks. I hope you speak about monotropism.

[@emd9123]

Is there more information on this topic somewhere please?

[@Starfish2145]

Feminine people? You mean females?

[@karapalin]

​@@emd9123ED or monotropism? Try Wikipedia, or just do a Google search.

[@wonniek.3536]

​@@emd9123There's some info about it in the book "Unmasking Autism" by Devon Price PhD. The author is autistic and fought ED for a long time.

[@memxfgtwjd]

Not just women...

[@noreenquinn3844]

I've noticed that Autistic people seem not to be able to visualise themselves into future situations. Into an occupation, new job, new task etc.. This may contribute to anxiety. Shadowing people, practice runs, a buddy system, role playing, etc. could help with this. Empathy, loyalty, truth certainly seem to be traits. Breeches of these certainly throws Autistic people into circular thoughts, trying to resolve the whys.. Finally, processing speed may be very much slower. This can certainly be accommodated for by writing instructions, slowing down instruction giving, ensurung breaks are worked into work, etc. / given time to settle down before starting work, school, etc.. a nice cup of tea etc.. Autistic people seem to see things in steps. They must go through each step. They can't easily see through to the end / big picture.. Anticipating issues / scenarios with them can help to reduce trauma. Also, educating the public, schools, students, colleagues, employers.

[@eScential]

Have you a clear understanding of aphantasia?

[@noreenquinn3844]

Yes, but not that. Often great memory etc..

[@niamh8967]

This is known in psychology as Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) and there are studies that show that autistic people tend to find EFT more challenging.

[@Violetta683]

Yes, yes, yes!

[@woceht]

As a scientist I think this is the most informative talk on autism I've seen out there. There is just so much misinformation around in the information age that it staggers me sometimes, even among purported "professionals".

[@CarolineBundy-mo1uv]

It would be helpful to include PDA in talking of social problems

[@RGBEAT]

Yeah, it's such a strong but in some ways contradictory profile

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes🎉

[@Albinojackrussel]

PDA is still a very new concept, and not widely accepted. In my experience these talks are about a first year university level talk. She might be avoiding bringing it up because it's a complex topic, that hasn't had much research and thus needs a lot of caveats when talking about it. I can respect being wary of putting something out on the internet for laymen that you can't be very sure of.

[@nate2838]

@@Albinojackrussel autistamatic has a great video about it. When no doesn't mean no autism and PDA. Look it up.

[@wiegraf9009]

PDA isn't included in conventional diagnostic systems so it wouldn't be something that has "changed" but something that is still "changing." Because there is little consensus about it among experts it would be hard to provide a clear picture in an overview....I think I have PDA and hope it is further studied and understood.

[@jguitar23]

I attended a rural public school of moderate size in the 70's & 80's that accepted kids of all ability levels. The numbers that we see of Autism today was no surprize to me. If you looked at the behaviors of the quirkier kids as a whole, some who graduated & many didn't, you could see many common traits. I was curious about this subject from a young age because my brother had a sufficient number of symptoms including big tantrums at home until age 12. He graduated and has done well but home life was tough, he was sometimes bullied at school. Our mother was also very probably on the spectrum. Support for parents/families of Autistic kids seems necessary from my pov.

[@eimanm4676]

Improving the lives of autistic people? Hmm, maybe their lives are improved by not forcing the Neurotypicality on them. Thank you!

[@Vgallo]

This is overly simplistic and quaint

[@eimanm4676]

As intended :)

[@hiwall4883]

Yes exactly 💯

[@Kokose]

​@@Vgallo yes, it's literally that simple.

[@ioannafardella3717]

Yes but it isn t the random NT who takes the big decisions. He votes but it s an illusion since ppl who rule are disordered ppl who need control. So the NT if unaware (most) he lives superficial, even if he has a sense of self/core identity & capacity of introspection he just exists adopting family s/society s ideas. That s why they deal w depression etc. They can t use the emotional identity-empathy/conscience or else they d care about wars, group of ppl & would find humanistic solutions in 2024.

[@j.b.4340]

We have plenty of information on autism. We need research on AuDHD (autism with ADHD), because that’s why so many of us were overlooked.

[@EliasTaborda]

Yes!

[@JelMain]

Here's a suggestion. Are these different facets of the same thing? Attention-deficiency and hyperactivity seem to me to be expressions of Dabrowsky's over-excitability thesis, which turned out to be nothing more than under-performance by teachers,

[@distortingjack]

@@JelMainIt's hard to say for sure due to how heterogenous the symptoms of both ASD and ADHD are, but there is pretty clear evidence of the autistic brain having a different kind of neural hyperconnectivity than ADHD, and not having the specific dopamine cycles that ADHD has. It really looks like they are separate conditions, just with a high comorbidity.

[@JelMain]

@@distortingjack However, how does that connect to the diagnostic basis? The comorbidity's the sociological consequence of how we're treated as a result.

[@distortingjack]

@@JelMain​ They are both neurodevelopmental disorders, but they are distinct in pretty much every aspect. To clarify: - ASD has different symptoms to ADHD. Many overlap, but many clearly emphatically do not, and if anything are opposites of each other. - There are clear differences between someone who is only ADHD or only ASD. There doesn't seem to be a smooth gradient in that regard any more that there would be a gradient between non-ADHD and ADHD individuals. - The symptoms in AuDHD are internally perceived as being in conflict with each other. - ASD has a different neurology to ADHD, which has been observed in post-mortem brain examinations. They look different and develop differently in childhood. - ADHD has chemical imbalances that can be managed through medication that are not present in ASD. There is medication that helps ADHD, there is no medication that helps ASD. I think this is critical to point out. In any case, using any diagnostic phenomenology to inform diagnosis is circular reasoning. There is a lot of social complexity in how gender, class, age, childhood trauma, and other things impact diagnosis, but that doesn't mean that ADHD is only a social component of ASD or vice versa. They are as distinct as ASD and intellectual disability are distinct, even if there is a high co-morbidity. Nobody is saying 'autism is actually a facet of intellectual disability, but it's how people are socialised that affects diagnosis'.

[@DJ-Daz]

I'm 53 and I will FINALLY have an assessment later this year. My health and fitness is incredibly poor, as is my mental heath. I can only say that for me, it's down to poor choices in life that lead me to being so unhealthy. Poor choices down to poor mental health.

[@turtleanton6539]

Rice and beans. Drink water. Potato3s eggs. Fruits. Naturell youghurt. Fish like salmon. Chicken. Take walks

[@aprilcalhoun8984]

The fact that many cultures still have a bias towards males for allocation of resources in healthcare could be a contributing factor.

[@wiegraf9009]

Yes and also that many women self-select out of the medical system because of past trauma they experienced in it. I've seen it happen so many times. This would be expected among female autistics given the high incidence of PTSD shown in the video (women receive neglectful or directly abusive treatment, autistic women would be more likely to experience and sustain PTSD from this kind of experience, therefore autistic women would be more avoidant of the medical system).

[@Carnables]

This is incredibly validating. I love how many of the co-morbidities of autism are explained and interwoven with the experience of them. Excellent resource, thank you so much for making this free on youtube.

[@GoodGolly.MissLolly]

I am 52 and was diagnosed with bipolar in my mid-twenties. My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and autism at 30, and the more I find out about autism, the more I’m starting to suspect that I was misdiagnosed

[@catherinejames2734]

I am on older autistic woman, diagnosed late . It was picked up through a professional as I was also talking of how I struggled with my son whom I was quite sure is Aspergers. Turned out I was correct about my son, no surprise there, but it was a relief to understand myself finally. I was hyperlexic as a small child and did incredibly well when I started school so no one thought I had any difficulty. I didn’t mix with other kids, and was often seen as being difficult because I only wanted to do my own thing, so I was a bad child. I had lots of eating problems and was also fiercely monotropic. Being monotropic got me into the most trouble as I was often not present thinking of the things that interested me. This is where I think it is important to be diagnosed as a child it will be helpful to develop into adulthood with less trauma.

[@joycebrewer4150]

Amen, I too, except it was my brother's grandchildren diagnosed first in our family.

[@rowejon]

I was 58 when diagnosed with what was later described as Asperger. Care in the Netherlands is excellent. I've taken part in a twelve week training course which helped to explain my younger social difficulties & taught me me how & why to interact with the rest of society. I'm now 70 & have continuing weekly support.

[@malapropia]

I so appreciate the term “pure autism”. Maybe it isn’t a term that will take off, but it really really is needed. This is the best talk on autism by a non-autistic person I’ve seen.

[@pegahhaghshomar8009]

I am a woman who asked my doctor for an assessment When going through the test I told the practitioner that I also have an eating disorder and there's a strong correlation between ASD and ED in women. She said but we cannot look at it that way and dismissed me and told me you do not look autistic but after the assessment I got diagnosed

[@ruthhorowitz7625]

Diagnosed at 57, we are catching up, but still have a way to go getting everyone the diagnosis they need to understand themselves.

[@Clamjacob]

I love that she is talking about her special interest!!! That’s the dream wow!!!!

[@julieblackstock8650]

my 56 year old partner has aspergers, he has never been formally diagnosed,, but he 100% is.

[@nxthinelse7111]

Things don't work this way: 1. "Asperger" is no longer valid (since 2013, it is now just called Autism grade 1 (there are 3 grades depending on the amount of support the person needs) 2. Someone doesn't "have" autism, they ARE autistic! 3. The "Self-Diagnose" is not valid at all, if you might think your partner is autistic, go get some visits and a proper diagnose!

[@distortingjack]

​@@nxthinelse7111While you are technically correct on the first two points, don't need to be self-righteous about people being on a path to more knowledge and understanding. On the third point, autism self-diagnosis is actually very much valid, for many reasons including the fact that autistic self-diagnosis is actually highly accurate. The issue here is diagnosing another person, which is more problematic. However, in some people it's so abundantly clear, the advantages of being aware of an undiagnosed person's probable autism greatly outweigh the ignorance of it.

[@birgittnlilli9726]

Sorry but I think it would be best to get a real diagnosis, a self diagnosis of any kind would never be valid for me, because you never know for real.

[@Catlily5]

​@@birgittnlilli9726 I needed a professional diagnosis myself because I would doubt myself but I think that self diagnosis is valid if someone does a lot of research. Not everyone has the money to get an assessment. If I didn't get stimulus checks during Covid I might not be diagnosed. I am lucky that I was able to afford the assessment.

[@bellakrinkle9381]

True, if you have an extra $3,000 laying around! Otherwise, free online tests used to be available. The test I took had 35 questions. A score of 6 might be questionable, but not a score of 22. Moreover, my father rarely spoke and did nothing except golf or play chess with male friends. I think these issues resulted in my estranged brother, too.@@birgittnlilli9726

[@hannah51238]

Diagnosed at 37 with ADHD and autism. My childhood now makes sense and I can start to feel comfortable in my own skin

[@dani1366631]

This was amazing and so interesting ❤ I’m 40 and recently realized I’m autistic, thank you for this lecture ❤❤❤

[@scottfw7169]

🛩✈There at 20:55 that photo of child holding airplane model/toy was so very me at that age! 😊And here at 60 years old still holds true. My bedroom has 2 entire shelves of airplane and space rocket books and there is a stack of airplane books on my bed beside pillow 📚 & there are 3 airplane models under construction on the dining room table. 🚂⛵ Boats and trains are also interests. 😁

[@Sad_bumper_sticker.]

A comment for the algorythmn from an interested autistic person. 19:00 I’m grateful for information on the profoundly important study confirming that masking and camouflaging has been scientically proven to have a detrimental effect on our mental health as autistic people.

[@phillipmitchell2254]

Queen. I'm autistic myself and I absolutely loved how you handled a lot of the issues regarding ABA and ableism directed towards autistic people.

[@melomateus_m.r]

The more the definition changes the wider and vaguer it gets and thus more people 'have' it.

[@KateVeeoh]

I wonder how many girls and women are out there that have been diagnosed as bipolar and put on medication, while they're autistic and require different support (I'm an autistic female with ADHD myself who had the diagnosis of depression, EDNOS, bipolar...suggested to me when I was younger. Never felt like me.)

[@eScential]

Borderline personality was reworked from not fully meeting criteria for psychosis into an intractable bin for autistic females when deciding to make autism all for males in the 1980s. Bipolar and other labels didn't cover the ones of us meeting 11 out of 5 characteristics for autism for decades whilst failing to fit elsewhere.

[@wiegraf9009]

MANY seems to be the most likely answer

[@apm77]

Erratum: Asperger's syndrome was not introduced in the mid nineties. It was introduced in the late eighties. It's true that it wasn't introduced to the major diagnostic manuals until later, but people sometimes forget that it wasn't until the mid nineties that those manuals acquired their modern dominance. I should know, I was diagnosed with aspergers in Australia in 1989. (And yeah, I could share some stories about the shortcomings of the diagnostic process and of clinical understanding at the time.)

[@silicon212]

I started hearing the term Asperger's used to describe the type of autistic brain wiring I have, back in around 1982 when I was in middle school.

[@eScential]

I am still told my 1958 autism diagnosis is impossible because there were no autistics in existence before the 1980s. The point is that nothing ever existed before a bunch of ancient males spoke it into ink.

[@tracirex]

The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is an institution in Massachusetts. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), mental health disabilities, and learning disabilities live there. Both kids and adults live at the JRC. Many autistic people live there. Some people at the JRC are forced to wear an electric shock device. This device is used to punish the person wearing it. The device punishes people by giving them electric shocks. These electric shocks are very painful. The JRC shocks people for small things like refusing to take off their jackets or stimming. from ASAN - Autistic Self Advocacy Network 3-26-24

[@Catlily5]

Yes, I read a book by someone who was kept there for years. It is a horrible place.

[@turquoismama33]

If this is true, then keep talking about it. I have not heard of this facility, but I will do some research about it. Thanks for posting your comment.

[@tracirex]

@@turquoismama33 you are welcome. The ASAN website and KZbin channel has info on how to protest. there is a letter that we can send electronically by may 28th, 2024 which may help ban use of electric shock.

[@PepitaPulgarcita123]

this was a jewel of a talk

[@lisedenmark]

What a wonderful, clever and autism respectful presentation! Such a lot of important points explained in a short summary on where we are on understanding autism right now. (Diagnosed at 54 in 2019)

[@newtuber4freedom43]

I wish my employer, family, coworkers, job helpers, and my one friend would listen to this entire podcast. Brilliant. ☮️💟

[@jlppjo]

THANK YOU! 💛I wished for so long there was a lecture I could share with family and friends highlighting the perspective shifts and recent research revealing misconceptions and incomplete data around autism. I hope this lecture will be shared widely and appreciated. Stay curious

[@joelledurben3799]

Thank you so much! I would love to see more cross-cultural studies on autism. Some examples: - How culture affects recognising and living with autism, and especially among immigrant populations in countries with high autism awareness. In some cultures, eye-contact is not respectful, or being precisely on time matters, or food is approached differently. Does high social conformity make it easier (the rules can be stated) or harder (less flexibility)? - How might autism affect experiences of culture shock and cross-cultural adjustment? An autistic person has a life-time experience of not quite fitting in and of learning non-intuitive culturally appropriate behaviour by observation. How does this affect support for autistic and non-autistic people in cross-cultural situations.

[@Letsthinkaboutit-mb7nn]

You´re totally right, one problem is that most psychological research is done on "WEIRD" cultures, i.e Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich and Democratic. And these cultures are a minority of the cultures that have existed on the Earth.

[@joelledurben3799]

Yes, and cultural issues skew research methods and processing results. But we can do research with WEIRD expats, and within the immigrant communities in WEIRD nations (very relevant to educational and medical applications of Autism research), or among international students in universities (who are at least E and R, and have a basic understanding of research processes comparable to the usual subjects, which cuts the number of variables to deal with).

[@the.masked.one.studio4899]

Culture shock has been pretty rough for me! 🤣 I would also love to see these studies!

[@jangriffith7693]

Fascinating questions!

[@jangriffith7693]

Are there any available reports on such studies?

[@malectric]

I was not only picked on by my classroom peers, but even several teachers had a go at me and one deliberately forced me into a situation which I simply couldn't cope with. I just wanted to evaporate to escape from that one. I was forced to participate as an "actor" in a play put on in front of the entire school by a travelling troupe. I deliberately avoided going up and was then called out from the audience to "play my part" and after suffering the indignity of being on display going up to the stage, was later rubbished for my "performance". I absolutely hated those people for what they did. I was beginning to learn that being on my own to enjoy my passions alone was the only way I could exist with any degree of security in an alien world. And that was just one of a number of indignities I suffered along the way. To this day I have never attended a reunion of any sort. Running away and staying away was my only defence. I never wanted or want to see those people again.

[@pengruiqio]

The internet is accessibility for me

[@katarzynadominikabratkowsk264]

I was lost but now I'm found. I love you. I really do

[@zanakil]

approved by an autistic person after a lot of research (still ongoing). I'll share this vid with family and friends for their education.

[@janeann3331]

So validating! It’s been difficult to be around those who claim to be promoting autism awareness this month while ignoring those of us who are unseen because we don’t fit the of gender or cultural expectations.

[@dragonqueen7328]

As an autistic person, this was a fantastic watch! Extremely insightful and I felt the truth and wisdom in it. Edit: I think something that should be the most emphasised in education about autism is about autonomy and against infantilisation of autistic people. In my opinion, everyone has a reason for doing something. An autistic person that is damaging property may be doing it to seek catharsis in violence, not because they don't know what they're doing or that they are just causing destruction for the sake of it.

[@theobolt250]

As someone who has been diagnosed with Asperger's on his 58th,this is interesting. Born in 1958 this declares (in part anyway) why my Asperger's stayed under the radar for so long. Too bad that populair conceptions of autism stay behind. Although there is a trend to more accurately depicting autism, but in my view this trend is still to un-influential.

[@Trygvar13]

Same here. I was diagnosed with Asperger's a few years ago (in my early 50's) a few years after my son was diagnosed with autism, anxiety and rigidity. It did not really come as a surprise as I could see some of the things in my son but it was almost a relief.

[@DuurtyDavie]

Halfway through and one of the most informative and concise videos I have come a cross and I could have used it much earlier.

[@LucarioBoricua]

I do wonder what's the validity of creating distinct diagnostic labels to distinguish cases of Autism based on the presence or absence of language impairments and intellectual disability. This seems to be really big point of contention between parents of high support needs children versus the autism advocacy movement (and even within the movement, depending on where in the support needs variability the specific people have). I really like the clarification that autistic individuals can and do shift in their presentation and support needs throughout their lives, based on a multitude of factors, and how people who have the high support needs presentations can grow up to adolescents and adults who would clearly fit the profile of what used to be called Asperger's. In my own reading by comparing the DSM-IV TR with the DSM-5's respective sections on Pervasive Developmental Disorders versus Autism Spectrum Disorder, there's some stuff that becomes clear to me: - While Asperger's was correctly described as a presentation of autism in which language impairment and intellectual disability doesn't occur, the diagnostic criteria for the classical presentation of autism did not specify a requirement for the language and/or intellectual disability elements. This means the Asperger's diagnosis was inconsistently applied, because many cases in which the language impairment and intellectual disability occurred were being diagnosed as Autism rather than Asperger's. - Asperger's definition of the language development milestones was really strict, meaning that cases in which slight delays in language (ex. starting to speak in ages 3-5, as opposed to speaking in ages 1-3 as in typical development) ended up as Autism rather than Asperger's, even though the cases looked indistinguishable from Asperger's once reaching the school age. - The DSM-IV and its predecessors erroneously specified that, while symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were often present in Autism, and especially Asperger's, the clinician should not diagnose ADHD if signs of any pervasive developmental disorder were present, and vice-versa. Today we know this is a really blatant error in characterizing both ADHD and Autism. The DSM-IV also mentioned how it was also known that cases of Asperger's were very often 'misdiagnosed' as ADHD at first--the ADHD-ASD co-morbidity was in plain sight all this time! - Given that many, but not all, of the support needs of autism are related to the language and intellectual disability impairments, I think a more accurate characterization of what used to be called Asperger's syndrome would be Level 1-2 support needs Autism with no language nor intellectual impairments, more interest in social interactions (despite the social communication difficulties) and co-morbid with ADHD. This is a very close match to what the neurodiversity advocacy movement nowadays terms the AuDHD presentation. - The other really problematic diagnosis is what's called the Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). This was a dumpster for the cases in which the other PDD diagnoses couldn't be fully justified, often due to an apparent shift from the early signs of Autism into a seemingly normal development. The real tragedy is this diagnosis often lacked proper support options. - Meanwhile, while the DSM-5 did correct these issues with the mess of Pervasive Developmental Disorder diagnoses, it still has some glaring problems. The lack of of emotional dysregulation symptoms and extreme reactions at certain types of distress (ex. meltdowns, shutdowns, emotional lability, low frustration tolerance) as diagnostic criteria to check for, means that Autism continues being misdiagnosed as other disorders characterized by the emotional dysregulation and mood extremes. Stuff like Borderline Personality Disorder and, strangely enough, Bipolar Disorder, end up being erroneous diagnoses that end up interfering with actually acknowledging and addressing these presentations of Autism. This aspect is especially problematic for female presentations of Autism, as the emotional problems and social camouflaging / masking behaviors are far more significant. - An emerging area of interest is how Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) can cause neurological dysregulation. The sum of repeated exposure to adverse life experiences and stressors can cause and exacerbate various symptoms that are characteristic of both ASD and ADHD: sensory problems, attention, focus, task motivation / initiation / sustained effort, emotional dysregulation, social communication, difficulty with transitions and unexpected changes, situational (or even general) anxiety, impaired interoception, alexithymia, and so on. This causes difficulties for differential diagnosis, with the added complication of C-PTSD often showing up along with neurodevelopmental disorders. - While I know there's people who mention that autism diagnosis are of little value once out of formal education, it's also true that ASD also comes with a multitude of atypical physiological reactions, to stuff like food, temperature and medications. Just knowing the presence of ASD in the person should be helpful in both finding ways to mitigate environmental stressors and prepare clinicians to properly approach pharmacological and dietary treatments with the awareness to prepare for negative responses and nonresponsiveness to the medications. The other area of interest is the use of more experimental drugs to treat issues characteristic of autism, with promise shown by ketamine, psychedelic compounds, and medical cannabis.

[@eScential]

Have you content, such as a video or blog, where you share your clearly expressed reasoning?

[@LucarioBoricua]

@eScential On mental health sublects like this? Not really. I am, however, am avid reader and researcher on the sibject for personal reasons. I suspect both ADHD and autism in myself, between personal difficulties over the years, reaching a critical point of distress. I'm currently awaiting formal evaluations for both of those conditions.

[@wiegraf9009]

My partner comes from a family with a history of autism but is not herself autistic. She does however have C-PTSD and that means we share some behaviours. It may also be the case according to this video that she only has a limited sub set of autistic traits inherited and then C-PTSD on top of that.

[@TheNerdyAro]

I don't lie because it feels bad to get caught and I have a poor working memory.... so I construct every truth from my knowledge and emotions, which takes a long time to translate into language. Therefore some people think I'm eloquent while others think I'm nonsensical. I've been told no one can read minds. And it's only when in a social situation without cultural accommodation that it's particularly difficult - FOR ANYONE. Not being able to relate, I submit is not an Autistic trait, I expect instead it is a symptom of being culturally different. Testable hypothesis: get a bunch of neurodivergent people with shared special interests together and much of the atypical social deficit will go away.

[@TheMagicalMary]

Thank you. As a mother of an autistic man who just turned 34, it has been a challenging journey.

[@didyouthinkaboutthis]

Thank you!

[@OrafuDa]

It is amazing to hear this overview from Francesca Happé herself. Thank you so much!

[@kimcalder388]

Awesome. Hard to watch. First time through i missed the hardest parts, tuned out. Thought I'd heard it but really I hadnt. My mind filtered it, only allowing a bland vanilla version. Reading some comments showed me id missed some vital bits, thankyou commenters. Second time watching a bit until it whacks me. Stop the video, take notes, and maybe go on. It really is awful to hear. Thankyou Francesca, we need to hear this straight talking truth, and the stats are formidable. Just brilliant. It absolutely IS the periphery stuff that's most damaging. Spot on. I'll keep trying to watch. Many thanks.

[@nadalisnow6220]

Thank you very much for a hard work in a autism spectrum research, study and acknowledgement. I believe in a great future without bullying people on a spectrum and with a deep understanding of ASD population 💜

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes🎉😮

[@catladycabaret]

thank you for putting this all together!

[@allie54774]

As someone who has discovered over the past decade (I'm 35) that I'm autistic, adhd inattentive type, cptsd, bpd, osdd, ocd & also have ME & aps....this explains so soooooo much

[@Albinojackrussel]

Ooof that's an unfortunate set of comorbidities

[@allie54774]

@Albinojackrussel it is isn't it 😩 thank you for understanding. It doesn't feel like a single person does sometimes even tho I have a therapist and a long term partner who I have 2 children with

[@captainzork6109]

That honestly seems like a bewildering list to me. Do you feel like you're capable of understanding yourself?

[@allie54774]

@captainzork6109 I suppose it is? I'm not sure what you mean though about me understanding myself. I'd guess probably not 😅

[@captainzork6109]

@@allie54774 O, maybe I asked a weird question. I'm just wondering how it must be, because I already have trouble figuring out how things work for me with just inattentive ADHD and autism

[@sbach3193]

Thank you so much for all the research we so desperately need to feel more seen and understood. 🙏

[@cynthiabrown5456]

Such an excellent lecture! Thank you!

[@JWGB1956]

Thank you!

[@amymathilde]

Thank you for a very detailed, coherent and clear lecture on the subject. It's been very helpful on my way to map my specific problems.

[@praaht18]

Phenomenal lecture. Many thanks.

[@adrenaline328]

Wonderful lecture, so respectful and evidence based. Thank you!

[@sarahgibbons9737]

Thank you for this lecture. I am currently waiting to see if i have a chromosome syndrome to explain my autism. I am glad to hear you refer to autisms plural. My particular type of autism seems to bare little resemblance to others these days and i feel isolated by that. I am so glad you would likr to investigate autism and Motor development problems. Indeed for myself its a very physical issue. All the best to you.

[@johngrundowski3632]

Great over all view / comprehensive update- I will consult my siblings on these new findings( maybe save lives & happiness)‼️‼️THANKS⚕️

[@toaojjc]

Thank you for sharing this lecture.

[@OtakuDYT]

Beautiful work, thank you!

[@GNARGNARHEAD]

amazing talk, thanks

[@annaandre9131]

That was very interesting! Thank you!

[@connied8507]

Phenomenal lecture. I had to check the list of available lectures and it impressed me enough to subscribe. Kudos.

[@estherbravo4926]

It's is very frustrating having a 'highly autistic' child today. My child attends a specialist autistic school, there is no way he could attend a normal secondary or even an hybrid. Yet, due to the widening of the term and increased number of people on the 'spectrum', people assume he is 'just a little different', or 'probably very smart', when in reality, of course, is different. He is, and will always be, reliant on his parents. I can see people are happy with the widening of the term, but it can also have negative consequences for those who aren't high performing. The 1/500, not 1/50

[@wiegraf9009]

What are the actual negative consequences? What happens when you explain he has high support needs? Why is assuming the best instead of assuming the worst a bad thing?

[@estherbravo4926]

​@@wiegraf9009 well, firstly, autism nowadays means very little to many people. When you have fully functioning adults who are either mildly autistic (diagnosed), or claim to be autistic (undiagnosed) you really dilute the meaning for the general public to the point 'autism' is now considered in the same way as something like ADHD is. They're more likely to roll their eyes than to consider it a serious condition. I have this friend who some people consider to be inappropriate at times. I never really noticed that. Besides, many people are inappropriate. But last week we were out and friends of ours were discussing it and talking about how he's 'probably autistic'. How does someone who makes innappropriate comments have anything to do with my son who will never understand what love is? Its an absurdity. People aren't assuming the best. They're making assumptions on what they know and see. That is, autism isn't a serious condition, it is some minor personality difference.

[@wiegraf9009]

@@estherbravo4926 You deeply misunderstand what "fully functioning" autism means and really aren't helping your cause by dismissing everything we go through. I wouldn't dismiss your difficulties, why would you do the same to me?

[@tealkerberus748]

I find it helpful to compare autism to pregnancy. They're both normal parts of the human condition, and both not properly-speaking disabilities because some people do experience them without being disabled - although even a person who experiences them as not being disabling, still needs particular support and accommodation from the people around them. For some people, though, either of these conditions can bring complications that are fully disabling or even life threatening. As a community, we need to be aware that these complications exist, and provide appropriate care and support to the people who have complications, above and beyond the regular support and accommodation due to anyone with the same primary condition. For two of my pregnancies, I spent several month of each unable to walk without crutches, and even then only draggingly slowly and in severe pain. That doesn't mean everybody in the world is that impaired during pregnancy - but I was very definitely disabled for the duration! Some autistic people have a similar level of disabling complications associated with their autism, and they have a human right to receive the appropriate support for their needs. Your child and his needs are valid, and so is your need for appropriate support as his carer.

[@estherbravo4926]

@@tealkerberus748 I'm not sure if this was a reply to me or not, but it does seem like an absurd comparison. Pregnancy, and having children is the purpose behind life. The selfish genes requirement to reproduce. Pregnancy can have complications, but autism is not a 'complication'. It is a development problem. I don't know why people want to try and 'normalise' autism. Autism is a disability and should be treated as such. Pregnancy is not.

[@lmack6596]

This was a wonderful talk. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and for having such great respect and sensitivity. 🤓💕

[@ToEnlightInLove]

A beautiful mind indeed ❤ Now to share this with the mental health professionals in the States who seem to still be WAY behind on info and dismantling biases.....

[@rosemarymcbride3419]

Given the heterogeneous quality of autism it often strikes me as odd that there isn't more consideration given to the possibility that the sensory landscape of the autistic individual (let alone any individual) manifests the more visible aspects of the disorder. I think of the archetypical example of a child that doesn't respond immediately or at all. Say we take sound as the sense in question. If your soundscape is so chaotic that its hard to focus in on a specific you mightn't react to it. Equality if you are so hyposensitive to sound the potential remoteness of the voice of another wouldn't be enough to get a reaction from you. To the observer however the behavior is identical. Since there seems to be myriad genes which code for traits associated with autism perhaps it is then something that is being continually selected for. The autistic population becomes in part the vanguard of potential human empiricism in this world, the very boundary that we have used to become the most adaptable and dominant species on this planet.

[@Autism101]

I got diagnosed at age 57, but I've known I was different my entire life, I just didn't know the why. I felt like an alien that had been left here, and it comes as no surprise that Spock from Star Trek was my favorite tv character growing up. He was like me, in that he didn't understand his own emotions or those of others. He had difficulty in social situations and preferred to be alone. And he loves computers, chess, music, and cats! 🖖

[@lawrencetendler7747]

A very interesting and beautifully delivered talk ,thank you Francesca .

[@user-pz5pe9fp4o]

2 things, 1 - shutdown/catatonia (what we call 'zoning out') seems to be a legitimate thing and perhaps is the result of a higher processing load of stimuli during a shutdown and is something i absolutely experience (though i try to avoid it). 2 - please study 'clumsiness' in autism, I'm forever injuring myself during very simple tasks around the house and if someone could tell me why, or better yet, how to stop it, i'd be very much appreciative!

[@wiegraf9009]

Clumsiness is what she was talking about when she mentioned dyspraxia.

[@adampartridge1903]

The phrase "nothing about us without us" is so important. Of course plenty of non-autistic people do understand autism very well, but whenever it's grossly misunderstood, it's nearly always coming from non-autistic people (or maybe autistic people who have no idea they're autistic themselves). Someone who is autistic and who knows it will automatically understand it so much better and you'll never get these grossly ableist attitudes from them.

[@DeliYomgam]

I don't understand autism but I've had a feeling that books are hard to remember and time feels to go faster also hard with planning.😊

[@turtleanton6539]

Well I got autism and I am an fantastic reader😊

[@vidark.6301]

great galt - especially interesting the part about ptsd and autism. Btw I think diet does have a lot to say - not only for autists but for everybody, in how well we manage our lives.

[@Bubby-yn9lv]

This is fantastic! Thankyou for sharing the lecture:) i found the Information on the dimensional approach to autism as well as on the many „autisms“ really interesting. I am a 25 year old female and I am in the process of getting an adhd diagnosis (the diagnosis is basically confirmed) and i have also been struggeling with different types of ocd from a young age. The last years i’ve been researching autism and many traits / experiences relating to autism click but I am pretty certain that i don‘t fit the diagnosis fully/ categorically (on tests i always score just about on the cut-off) So i often find myself in this uncomfortable gray area of having elevated Autistic traits and relating to autistic people (often more so than to neurotypical ways of thinking and processing) but also not fitting the full diagnostic picture, it makes it more difficult for me to understand my identity and validate my struggles. I really struggle to accept this gray area for myself but your lecture helped me feel more valid! Great and up-to-date Information! Haven‘t found many Talks Like this before:) i just wish that half the medical professionals would have this knowledge!

[@wiegraf9009]

I have ADHD and am also autistic, and my mom is autistic but doesn't have ADHD (I inherited the ADHD from my father). There are so many struggles I have with ADHD she absolutely cannot comprehend and it has always made our relationship difficult. I feel your pain.

[@Bubby-yn9lv]

Thank you so much for your reply and please accept a big internet hug🫶🏼 also little update: i am finally medicated for my adhd and interestingly ever since taking the medication i can see autistic traits shine through more strongly. The adhd and autism combo (in my case: the potential, self-suspected combo) is a funny one. There should be so much more research on AuDHD

[@jenna2431]

Very much appreciated the last bit about "disorder" to " difference". It seems to me that vast swaths of the "different" have been overlooked, meaning that "normal" becomes less and less numerically significant as better identification as well as awareness increases. I personally chafe at neurotypicality, if you will, and wonder whether a neurological spectrum shouldn't include the entire spectrum or bell curve of how humans show up. I don't see an imperative to "cure" how some people show up for the convenience of the others.

[@racheladkins6060]

I was diagnosed with ASD at the age 49, I wish I had known earlier but in the 70s,80s and 90s I had no idea and nobody knew.

[@noreenquinn3844]

circular thoughts, psychosis, demand avoidance, and processing speed might also be interesting areas for research. The aim being to facilitate obtaining employment and relationships.

[@turtleanton6539]

These I also suffer from ! Yes

[@marlenebrown2569]

My traumatic events weren't physically threatening, some times. But it FELT life threatening to me at the moment.

[@wiegraf9009]

Yeah for example experiencing the threat of eviction and homelessness caused PTSD for me

[@jazzigreycat]

I love "the 30-odd decades that I've been working in the area." 1:25

[@karapalin]

300 yrs!

[@makego]

It's not a sign of idiocy to misspeak. She meant 30 years or three decades. You've never had a word slip in your life?

[@lightawake]

Great lecture. I wish they would reinstate sub-labels of autism like aspergers, for social purposes. It's so hard to have to describe every time when people and myself only have a general understanding. Being able to say 'aspergers' is helpful for everyone by being able to categorise a little more specifically - people immediately understand you sit on the high-functioning scale, but are neurodivergent. It makes clear what needs spectrum you sit in. Not a criticism of her, but I think the reasons she highlighted show a blind spot by the general research community of how their terminology affects people trying to walk in the world.

[@wiegraf9009]

It's not diagnostically valid but I understand what you are saying.

[@lightawake]

@@wiegraf9009 surely they could make it work diagnostically too though. Labelling has not been a strength of the medical community historically - I think they need a PR person on their board lol

[@bikeracerdude]

Interesting new stuff.

[@michellehinds7353]

Autistic and diagnosed in my forties Half of medical personnel say I am not Others say I am Meanwhile like one neurologist once said to me and I found it offensive at the time but now i'm thinking it over I fell between the cracks and still in there . Left to identify myself as who I am and what I am

[@tudormiller887]

I'm 50 years old, I was recently diagnosed with ADHD Combined, but I always thought that I was autistic growing up in the UK. I can't receive an assessment & a diagnosis for Autism without going private. Theres a huge waiting list via my local GP. Can The Autism Society help ? 🤔 Happy Autism Awareness Month!

[@newtuber4freedom43]

21:00 saved ☮️💟

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

And some of us in seeing so many details ... see the big detail that neurotypicals don't. Like, if politics is a special interest, the irrationality of the electorate jumps out of you and you can also see where the patterns are leading and what will likely happen in the future generally.

[@Catlily5]

I hope my predictions are wrong.

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

​@@Catlily5 Totally understand, I've been hoping they were wrong for 4 decades.

[@wiegraf9009]

You can develop new hypotheses that NT people might not but they may or may not be more likely to be correct. There is value in these unusual perspectives because any reasonable hypothesis could conceivably be correct and is worth considering.