The Autism Spectrum: Explained

The concept of the autistic spectrum (or the autism spectrum) is largely used but seems poorly understood by people in general. In this video I explain how it came about and what it actually means.
This video was sponsored by Tiimo, the visual planning app: go.onelink.me/w6CP/tiimocalendar (available on Apple, Android and desktop)
"But we're all on the spectrum" - check out my older video on this topic here: • But we’re all on the s...
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🔀All my autism videos in one handy playlist 🔀: • Autism

[@maupinmaupin1472]

thank you Sam. One easily gets overwhelmed by the surrounding neurotypicals all insisting that everything you know is wrong.

[@autumn5852]

You can say that again, I said to my family the other day that they’ve been gas lighting me all my life 😭

[@anhaicapitomaking8102]

@@autumn5852 let me guess, but they say they care about you, don't they?

[@autumn5852]

@@anhaicapitomaking8102 oh yeah, they definitely do say that and I’m the selfish uncaring one 😳 I don’t fall for it anymore though ☺️

[@anhaicapitomaking8102]

@@autumn5852 good for you, be strong

[@KrysBowbrick]

@@autumn5852 people say the same to me

[@autumn5852]

As soon as someone says I must be ‘mildly’ autistic, I know they haven’t got a clue what they’re talking about - just because I’m a Oscar winning standard actress aka amazing at masking, it doesn’t mean that I’m ‘mildly’ autistic, it just means that I’ve been driven to the gates of hell because I couldn’t get by even a single day if I didn’t mask completely who I was and I have had to constantly move social groups etc to evade getting found out but now with a diagnosis of autism and adhd and now with medication and the proper support, I’m learning to unmask and I’m doing much better and now everyone thinks I’m severe and need to get help 😳 😩🤬

[@anhaicapitomaking8102]

they need help being decent human beings maybe

[@finchsparrowbird]

Ooohh, this is good. I so relate. But how do we unmask?

[@autumn5852]

@@finchsparrowbird it’s a process, that’s for sure and I realise it’s going to take longer than I thought, so with that in mind, it’s a matter of baby steps. For example, I started going to a local church (although it shouldn’t be called a church, it has nothing to do with God 😭) but I went there while I was still in severe burnout and was unable to mask and I found that one of the old ladies, who happens to live on my street and who knows my mum n dad, seemed to take to me and she was really thoughtful about everything I said and really listened to me and I think this really helped to show me that although just about every other person on the planet up to that point, had rarely listened to me the way she did, this was real communication/real friendship and so I began to build on this. She was/is also very honest with me in that if she doesn’t understand what I’m talking about she’ll do her best to draw it out of me and if she can’t understand fully, she’ll understand to the degree she accepts what I’m saying without having to fully understand. So I’m building in this and I’m now involved with another group of people who are all, as far as I’m aware, accepting of me also even though I’m clearly very different from all of them but this is giving me confidence and maybe I’ll always mask to some degree with some people in certain situations which I think is pretty normal for everybody, I am definitely learning to be myself more. Oh, I started stimmimg in public as well when I needed to (this was actually one of the first steps) for example in shops etc, which also have me confidence to be myself and I tell most people as soon as I meet them that I’m autistic which in my mind helps to take away some of the expectations that people have of people when they meet them so I don’t feel the need to mask. And also mindset. I don’t mind anymore if people don’t want to know me etc, I just think, oh well it’s their loss and I like to tell people I’m autistic to help lessen the stigma and the limited perceptions people have about autism, which also helps as I’m not just un-masking for me, I feel like I’m doing it also for all the children especially who are autistic so they don’t have to face the same discriminations etc as I did. So it’s a process for sure but once you start there’s no going back and it gets better and better 😍

[@autumn5852]

@@anhaicapitomaking8102 definitely 100%

[@philma7713]

I’m a dad of a beautiful 12 year old girl who up to the last 6 months has been in inverted commas totally normal normal normal. She dropped the bomb shell on us that she had been living a lie and is now acting out as a whole new person. I’m both devastated and happy. I guess I have to have confidence in her process but I’m also shocked at how she has masked her whole lifetime

[@SarahJigglypuff]

Was told by a female psychologist this year I might be autistic. I was 28 at the time. Her comments made SO much sense to me that I was willing to get myself officially diagnosed . . . until another psychologist (a man, btw; I'm female) told me that I couldn't possibly be autistic because I maintained eye contact during our online consult. This, paired with the fact that my parents were convinced I could not POSSIBLE be autistic because of the independence you briefly mentioned in your video, really made me doubt myself. Which psychologist was right? Now, nearly a year later, I still don't know entirely what's up.

[@markeldik7057]

@G I'm a guy, but when I was younger that eye contact thing was really hammered into me. It still makes me uncomfortable, but I do it on autopilot now. Like you look for a second and then look over their shoulder or somewhere else near their head. Guess that's one of the advantages of parents that insist you have to be behave 'normal'. Not that it helped much for my mental health, but at least people are often kinda oblivious to it until i blow up. If i were you I would listen to the first psychologist. Even if you then find out you're not on the spectrum at least you know. But if it's expensive where you live I can understand why you're hesitant. In the Netherlands it's covered by insurance if you got a referral from your GP.

[@kaylar83]

We all assume that in their formal schooling they all do a deep dive into the understanding of autism. But they don’t. They learn about autism, but there is no deep dive. This deep dive of knowledge on autism is gained later if they do their continuing education hours on autism. If a therapist tells you that you can not have autism b/c you give eye contact, they have not done the deep dive into the current research. Medical doctors are educated on all the basic foundational knowledge, but they can’t all do brain surgery. With counseling therapists, it is the same story. They are required to do so many continuing education hours every year, or every few years.

[@markeldik7057]

@@thetechnoking I'm a very honest type of person, so I wouldn't fake it out pretend it's worse than it really is. Just be honest and tell them how it is for you. Like I understand you don't want to be dismissed or anything, but they can help you best when you're completely open and honest. So if you right of the bat tell them eye contact on a computer isn't really a problem, but IRL it's very uncomfortable. They would be a very bad psychiatrist if they bring it up as a reason for you not having ASD. But I've never heard of that being a defining criteria. Like for me it was much more about how my mind worked than my expressions. Though they do affect each other a lot of course.

[@Touay.]

If I am not tired, I can just about do the eye contact thing. I am very good at masking and the first psychologist was fooled by my ability to mask. I am certain I am autistic and am in the process of finding people to assess me who actually understand how autism would present in someone like me. I suggest finding someone who specializes in autism.

[@wisdomtarot2379]

For some of us, eye contact is essential. I had to learn and teach myself from a really early age because my Da is hearing Impaired and in order to communicate properly this is one thing I distinctly remember reminding myself to do. There are plenty of others who are fine with eye contact, one trait does not make or deny a diagnosis.

[@RaptieFeathers]

When you said "that would be a gradient, not a spectrum" my entire perspective on a loooot of things just shifted. People do often conflate the two terms when talking about everything from politics to sexuality, but now I can see these things on terms of an actual spectrum, with more than just two directions. I hope that made sense

[@waluigi-time]

I know right, that blew my mind, I wasn't ready 😆

[@ShipperTrash]

Ikr, when I'd read or said "orientation is a spectrum", I imagined gradient, I just realized my mistake too 😭😭😂

[@mary-janereallynotsarah684]

I know she really opened it up.

[@ryo-kai8587]

It's the perfect way to describe it, and illustrate the extra dimension we may have been missing

[@sittingstill3578]

Everything is a multidimensional spectrum. Taking offense at an earlier period’s work to formalize a description of autism is a bit silly. The more any topic is understood, the more nuanced the understanding of it becomes. Even in the description of the attempts to medically describe autism, it is clear that it was already understood as a spectrum but the struggle was to initially define a cutoff point. Sam herself has been diagnosed with both ASD and AHDH which are known to be co-morbid. For the researcher, the question would arise, are these symptoms she experiences a unique condition or do they stem from separate causes? There are lots of other factors the researchers have to wrestle with too. It is wise to respect the work these individuals have contributed to helping the autism community understand what they experience and the causes behind it.

[@aquatius5]

I really appreciate this. I'm also an autism/ADHD combo, but I've been undiagnosed my whole life. I got REALLY good at masking and am hyperlexic, but this year I've started losing the ability to speak (I haven't spoken for 19 days), having motor issues and getting rly sensitive to sound and touch. So I've gone from no support needs to moderate. For people who don't understand autism as a spectrum, it must seem like I've literally completely changed.

[@autumn5852]

I’m the autism/adhd combo also and very occasionally go mute but wish at times I could go mute to order when I don’t want to speak but my adhd brain won’t let me shut up 😭 but I finally got the adhd diagnosis and medication 6 weeks ago and my life has changed completely, although nobody else can see that but I don’t care because I know what a tremendous help the medication is. Your speech will come back, your body is just helping you out, I’ve notice I shut down completely when things get too much, it’s happened all my life but being undiagnosed I never knew what was happening but now I know, when I shut down, I know it’s time for me to practice self care and really look after myself. Sending love X

[@resourceress7]

@@autumn5852 "your body helping you out" Awesome way to put it.

[@autumn5852]

@@resourceress7 ☺️ I’ve noticed the body will give us signs, we just have to learn how to read them and then it makes sense ~ when things get too much it makes sense the body would shut down so we have no choice but to rest but before I realised that, I would fight what was happening to me because I didn’t understand it and now I just think, ok, it’s time for rest, self love and indulging fully in my autistic nature aka not leaving the house, not getting washed or dressed, barely eating and binge watching you tube videos etc 😆

[@Hugo-dc9nd]

@@autumn5852 wow! I feel like you've been watching me for 2-3 years! Is that really indulging in autistic nature? How can you tell? I knew how to listen to my body since I remember but I've only recently found that I have adhd and after researching it and finding about autism I've found out that I can't tell the difference.

[@autumn5852]

@@Hugo-dc9nd same, I got diagnosed with adhd 6 weeks ago and realised that unlike autism, I couldn’t learn about adhd without medication but I’ll give a longer reply later. Hope you’re having a lovely day :)

[@pruedence110588]

"More disabled by society's inaccessibilty to the way their autism presents" is the most amazingly accurate and autism-acceptable way to phrase that and I love it! I mean, a physically disabled person does not become "more disabled" when faced with a public building that does not have a wheelchair accessible ramp, right?

[@shadylampable]

I'd say someone gets more disabled when there's no ramp, what you're able to do depends on your relationship to your task.

[@ryo-kai8587]

​@@shadylampable You're always the same amount of disabled unless something about you changes _directly._ Your disability just interacts differently with each obstacle. Someone in a wheelchair could play the most heart-wrenching violin solo like a true virtuoso, but they're still just as disabled. It just doesn't apply because there's currently no staircase in the way to remind them that they can't walk. If your RPG character is a tank but has crippling fire weakness, you're always super-weak to fire-it just doesn't matter until you're confronted with a fire attack. Usually you appear resilient and the weakness is not noticeable, but it's always there unless your stats or equipment change.

[@sleepingroses761]

Agreed! I love talking about neurodivergence through a lens of the "social model" of disability, where the factors that disable me are a lack of accessibility. The problems that need fixing have to do with my environment and my world can become more accessible to me. (This is an alternative to the "medical model," where the "problems" that need "fixing", aka treatment, stem from my personal traits and diagnosis.)

[@ars6187]

@@shadylampable I would agree. Particularly when said person has to drag themselves and their wheelchair up and down stairs everyday, is then berated for doing so, is told they’re not trying to walk “hard enough” on a daily/weekly/monthly basis by their caregivers and authority figures, and any physical pain and/or discomfort resulting from this daily required activity is told to be non-existent and/or minimal.

[@pruedence110588]

@Ignace Alli It could be that the herbs are balancing some of the levels in his body that cause excessive cortisol or other stress related issues and it's helping him. I promise you that his brain is still wired to work and process differently from the majority of society tho. If they support his health and mood tho, that's awesome!

[@deereed1627]

Research has shown psilocybin to have potential to treat a range of psychiatric and behavioral disorders.

[@nicolereed578]

magic mushrooms helped revived me from autism, shrooms are really great.

[@uncle-nice6556]

Taking shrooms was 100% one of the most important experiences in my life. Everything has changed since my trip - I perceive - things differently.

[@hannahpanchak6671]

Been looking to try shrooms how do you get yours ?

[@uncle-nice6556]

dr.garyshrooms

[@shokotatsuno-p5497]

The strains from dr.garyshrooms gave me an exhilarating and mind-blowing trip.

[@SarahCoxWrites]

This was great Sam. I'm late diagnosed (50s) ASD/ADHD and my testing showed I was ace at masking - probably from going to so many different schools and moving from country to country. I literally was the proverbial chameleon. When it was suggested that I might be ASD, I literally didn't identify at all despite my son being diagnosed 10 years previously. I didn't see the communication struggles, the stimming (which i tend to do privately), the rigidity (not always in routine, but always in my way. of thinking), etc. When I was diagnosed, and I started to see it, everything finally fell into place (and I was able to finally cut myself some slack after a lifetime of berating myself). Yet, so so many people said "I would never have said YOU were autistic". It's difficult to describe and justify your own diagnosis sometimes. My worst though is when people say "everyone is autistic to some degree", which is simply not true.

[@taoist32]

Did your diagnosis give you relief? At 47 I have never been diagnosed, but I have several signs to point in the direction that I am autistic. Watching several videos in the last few days gives me much relief and everything seems more clear to me.

[@Ann-snowshoeingonEnceladus]

Your comment is spot on! At a recent family gathering one of my sisters said, "everyone is on the [autism] spectrum", and it bothered me. I wanted to tell her it was like saying "everyone gets the blues, therefore everyone is clinically depressed." It diminishes the experience of those who are. Just because we're all quirky doesn't mean everyone is autistic to some degree. Thank you. 💙

[@diannepenny407]

Diagnosed last month, at age 57! Relate to much of what you say...

[@LadyAshendale]

I'm terrified of getting an assessment because it all makes sense to me but I'm almost paralyzed by my own imposter syndrome despite me being also what you said - a proverbial chameleon. As a matter of fact my boyfriend has called me "mimetic" since the day we met and at first I took it very personally and used to get upset because I thought it meant that I had no personality when it meant literally that my personality was there, I just did not feel comfortable being myself with the rest of the world and therefore I've learned mimicking as a second nature.

[@DhhskkHehdis]

There is a Dr that you can get in touch with Dr Oyalo on KZbin. Am excited to share about how his herbs works perfectly in reversing my son autism. now his speech has improved

[@Backforthefuture]

I try to explain Autism like Pregnancy.. you’re either pregnant or you’re not. Each person experiences it in their own way and at different stages. My 12 yr old ASD son came in and asked what I’m doing and I explained I’m trying to describe my Autism like pregnancy…. Now he’s talking about the mechanics of a boy giving birth! 😂 Loved the end edits 😘

[@DangerCampbell]

Being pregnant and having autism is hell.

[@starrykev]

this is a really interesting analogy! plus, some men do get pregnant, so your son isn't entirely wrong lol

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@DhhskkHehdis]

There is a Dr that you can get in touch with Dr Oyalo on KZbin. Am excited to share about how his herbs works perfectly in reversing my son autism. now his speech has improved

[@user-nx3il8di6m]

My son has been diagnosed of autism spectrum since child and has battled with it all his life. But recently taking Dr Omena herbs have helped him get rid of it completely

[@marianneerkelens5144]

Thank you so much for uploading this video. Year and half ago, I was diagnosed with A.S.D. It made all sense about my behavior. One day I am very hyperactive, the next day quiet. As a child I was labeled as "shy". Still, I am labeled as "shy". The most annoying thing in the beginning was, that people say: "I don't think you are autistic." Now these days, I grin and say: "Just watch and you will see." Or: "It's because you are shy." My reaction: "I am not shy, I feel very uncomfortable." I have a very creative mind and use my cameleon and imitation trade as humor. With these lovely A.S.D. trades, I just embraced it, accept that I am a lovely weirdo, nerdy woman. Keep up on going with these video's.

[@LadyAshendale]

What you've described is literally how I feel most of the time, especially when I try to share my uncomfortableness and whoever I'm talking to answers with "me too", but then I see that what they're talking about is clearly not what I meant, so I just leave the topic and never bring it up again. This however makes me doubt sometim because it makes me think maybe it's tight, maybe everyone is feeling the exact same thing and I'm just too sensitive or too shy sometimes? But then again, I do not really feel comfortable around normal people unless they are incredibly open and tolerant to my quirks and even then sometimes it's just too much for me but that doesn't happen when I interact with my best friend or my boyfriend - both diagnosed autistic people. Even then my boyfriend manifests it in a different way so it makes me feel like maybe I'm something else or nothing at all, but then even him tells me things like that it's funny to watch me interact with other people because I just mimic their behaviour and thus this makes me extremely likable and makes me look like an extrovert when I'm honestly being drained every time I interact with other people... I just realized that this has turned into a wall of text, sorry about that! But thanks for sharing as I feel identified to this and might give me the strength I need to try and get my assessment.

[@DhhskkHehdis]

There is a Dr that you can get in touch with Dr Oyalo on KZbin. Am excited to share about how his herbs works perfectly in reversing my son autism. now his speech has improved

[@user-nx3il8di6m]

My son has been diagnosed of autism spectrum since child and has battled with it all his life. But recently taking Dr Omena herbs have helped him get rid of it completely

[@malthesse]

I think that Universal Basic Income would be the best thing ever for autistic people. If instead of having to try to fit into the demands of the labour market of neurotypical society and "make a living" we would all be able to fully focus on and develop our special interests and areas of expertise. That would both vastly improve our own well-being as well as be a great gain for society as a whole.

[@anhaicapitomaking8102]

they will never get that done. And if it gets done they will find a way to make it impossible to actually accomplish something and bring change to society with our talents anyway. It would be too disruptive. It's not even something that the ruling classes need to pursue actively, it will be naturally avoided by most. Nobody (1% yes, we are nobody) wants real change, utopia-like change, not even most of the "hippies/anarchist/ecc" NT nor ND. And I say this with no offensiveness whatsoever, it is just how things go. We are too disruptive.

[@Touay.]

UBI would destroy autistic people. We only need look at how welfare has destroyed inner city communities across the world to know that. We NEED to be useful to be psychologically ok. look up the mouse eutopia experiment. And lets not forget, UBI requires slavery to implement, so on its face, it is utterly immoral.

[@cognitionignition]

Agreed; the special-interest contributions that we are capable of making comes from genuine labor, but it isn't monetizable the way "job" labor is. So if an autistic person isn't independently wealthy or the beneficiary of a well-off patron, it's pretty hard to engage in a career-long endeavor the way "gentleman scientists" like Darwin, monastic scholars like Gregor Mendel, or artists and writers (etc.) born into wealthy families have been able to do -- without any concern whatsoever about "earning a living" or "capitalizing" on their (often intense and prolonged) labor. I think that multiplying the number of self-motivated minds that are able to fully engage in their passions would, on the whole, benefit society far more than Basic Income would cost. And this model already exists and benefits society to an impressive extent; "unearned income" of one sort or another supports the creative work of trust fund beneficiaries, non-teaching intellectuals (as at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton), and artists supported by government endowments. But currently there are more people who could thrive under such opportunities than there are actual opportunities. UBI or something along those lines would provide that opportunity for many, including autistics, who currently may not be thriving at all at a mundane job and who aren't able to fully devote themselves to the areas where they could make significant contributions to the world. I'm all for implementing it, for everyone's benefit.

[@KryssLaBryn]

@@Touay. I agree that the mouse utopia experiment ended poorly, to say the least; but there's also more than one way to feel useful and needed than to be working a typical job. Personally most of my fulfillment comes from creative efforts on the behalf of various groups I'm involved with (such as the SCA). Having a UBI actually increases the GDP by more than the financial cost of it, and has had a profound and positive effect on people in the areas they've tested it. I think a lot of the issues with inner city communities that are related to welfare stem from the part where in order to get onto welfare in the first place you must first prove that you have sold anything of financial value in your life (including any kind of reliable vehicle over a certain, extremely low value that would have in the long run cost you less on the upkeep than the beater they'll allow, and be reliable enough to allow you to get to a job), which of course only helps out in the extreme short term, and also can actually make your situation *worse* (as in the example above with the car; in my experience, most places outside downtown cores of cities here in Canada have poor to no public transit at all, so a reliable vehicle really is a necessity for employment, unless you're lucky enough to be within walking distance even at -20c). And then, it also effectively punishes you for doing anything that improves your situation. I can't tell you how many struggling people I knew post-college who had to turn down job opportunities, because while they would have led to full time eventually, which would have been more than they got from welfare, for the first several months they would only be part-time. So, not enough hours to live on, but enough of an income to disqualify them from welfare. So basically, you couldn't even access it unless you were in the direst need, and had already sacrificed anything and everything in your possession that could be sold for gain. Inherited something from your mum that had been passed down through the family from your great-grandparents? Can't work but don't qualify for disability because you can dress yourself? Well, your choice is to be able to get help, or to keep that family heirloom. Keep the reliable vehicle you've already paid for, that will get you around to appointments and interviews and jobs, or trade it down for a beater that will need replacing in a year and cost you what your current car cost to buy just in repairs meanwhile. Take a part-time position and work your way up into something better, or be able to pay your rent and eat during the next six months or more while you do that. :/ The problems caused by welfare are much less because "free money makes people lazy" and more "the current welfare system by only helping those in the direst poverty actively forces people into the direst poverty in order to be able to access it, and then works to keep them there under threat of removing that minimal support if they better themselves too slowly or in the wrong way." UBI resolves that conflict. Here's a couple helpful links: www.ubi.org www.ubiworks.ca

[@Touay.]

@@KryssLaBryn Any arguments for UBI fall flat when it requires slavery to implement. That we can argue 'well the money I take by the threat or use of force from the slaves can be put to good use' does not make it any less evil. There is a reason every time socialism has been tried, it falls to mass murder and genocide and is always tyrannical, be it communism, Marxism, fascism, Nazism, democratic socialism .... whatever flavor you choose, they are all founded on the ideal that the people exist to serve the state as slaves. not just no, but f%&k no. UBI is CERTAIN to end in tyranny and mass murder ... it will be just another step in the unboken line of 100% failure of socialism .... with the associated deaths and suffering. .... and the dead .... it will be YOUR FAULT.

[@tasdefeuilles]

I got diagnosed autistic recently and then talked to another doctor who was like : it sounds like you also have adhd. I couldn’t believe it at first because I believe the stereotype that all people with adhd always have a lot of energy, I’m the opposite of that 😂 but after doing a lot of research I definitely have adhd too

[@LaurArt_UK]

Saaame! I figured I couldn't possibly cause I'm always exhausted, but thats why I'm convinced I have both. Hopefully I can get my diagnosis soon. There's a long-ass wait time in the UK

[@tasdefeuilles]

@@LaurArt_UK I hope you can get it soon! The whole process is so annoying but really validating. And yeah I feel you, I never have a drop of energy and any kind of stimulant makes my anxiety worse…

[@toni5543]

​@@LaurArt_UKhey, I feel ya! I'm in Scotland been waiting 2 years so far

[@_BO.]

@@toni5543 That's a long time to wait. Good luck to you! I recently got mine (I do not live in Schotland): both ASS & AD(H)D 😊

[@toni5543]

@@_BO. congratulations on your diagnosises thats awesome!

[@DahniSewrattan]

I got diagnosed a couple days ago and am still really upset and confused. Thank you for clearing up a lot of questions I have about my (our) condition, since I've been diagnosed I've been on a binge of research (and got obessed by it which is somewhat ironic), but most reports and video's are really unclear and only leave me with more questions about my life. Your video's are insanely relatable to me, it's really comforting and you explain really clearly what I'm experiencing, so again, thank you

[@tinamarzullo8868]

What tests are given ? Are they expensive? I need to help a dear friend of mine that is struggling . What can ypu do if parents are in denial?

[@DahniSewrattan]

@@tinamarzullo8868 sorry to hear your friend is struggling. I don't know which tests were given to me. I went to my family doctor for a possible ADD diagnosis. They send me to a psychologist that did questionnaire after questionnaire with me, relating to depression, motivation issues, social capabilities, fears and phobias, sensory issues and eventually they asked my parents what I was like in early childhood. From that I got diagnosed with anxiety disorder and depression, got send to a psychiatrist for definitive diagnoses and there I got diagnosed with autism, which was completely unexpected. Evaluating your parents' view on your early childhood is an important part of ASD diagnosis, which seems to be quite an issue in your friend's situation. I don't know where you live so I don't know what the medical situation is like there, but if it's free there's always the possibility of going to a doctor on your own initiative outside of your parents. I'm aware this might cause some turmoil in the family, so another possibility might be to tell their parents they're going to a psychologist for another reason, and then 'surprisingly' get an official ASD diagnosis. And if their parents are completely in denial that anything could be wrong and you can't go to a doctor, then it might just be smart to stay self diagnosed until your old enough to go to the doctor yourself. I feel I also should mention that for me it has been absolutely impossible to get any treatment or therapy so far, so getting a diagnosis might not be an instant fix. I hope this is of some help, best of luck to your friend and the most important thing is for you to support them like crazy!

[@DhhskkHehdis]

There is a Dr that you can get in touch with Dr Oyalo on KZbin. Am excited to share about how his herbs works perfectly in reversing my son autism. now his speech has improved

[@user-nx3il8di6m]

My son has been diagnosed of autism spectrum since child and has battled with it all his life. But recently taking Dr Omena herbs have helped him get rid of it completely

[@amandachapman4708]

Loving the unicorn's uterus colours 😄 I worked out I am autistic with inattentive ADHD - and the autistic me is constantly trying to come up with new systems so the ADHD me doesn't run off the rails too often. Autistic me loves systems while ADHD me often has trouble following them. I left work last year, so I lost the workday structure, and it's taking a while to build a new structure that actually works long-term...

[@williebarker5986]

Any hints or helpful apps you’ve run into you can share with me? Reading your comment I realize I’m in very similar situation, wish I had a solution that I could actually maintain longer than a day or two. Thanks in advance🧡

[@amandachapman4708]

@@williebarker5986 Hi Willie! I'm not really an apps user as I don't have enough memory for them on my phone. However, I have found a couple of things that work for me. Mostly. 1. Lists. Everything works by lists. Example, what we had for xmas dinner, to reduce the chance I forget something important. If it's a to-do list, I have a "today" list and maybe a "this week" list. I've learnt how many things are realistic to put on the lists, so I don't get despondent when I still have too many things not done at the end. 2. Using a timer so that I'm reminded to stop what I'm doing, and scheduling in tidying-up time, so that I don't come back later to a mess that discourages me from continuing. 3. Periodically having a big sort-out. This could be one day a month. It helps keep the chaos in check and to find things I've misplaced. 4. To be nice to myself and not dwell on my shortcomings, but to concentrate on my good points.

[@AnimeRayanne]

I also love and hate systems! 😅 I always want things to go according to schedule, I even try to plan out what I do for entertainment each day. Then do I actually follow it? No, I was going for a specific video that had nothing to do with autism but here I am. (I'm undiagnosed so I can't say anything for sure but I probably have ADHD.)

[@amandachapman4708]

@@AnimeRayanne it can be good to have a plan so you don't end up wasting the day, but if you allow yourself to change the plan, that's fine! I often do that. Or I have an outline plan that allows me to choose the details as I'm going along.

[@AnimeRayanne]

@@amandachapman4708 True, I can change the plan sometimes and it's fine (like specific times or what I do for entertainment) but I just hate when I have something specific in mind and I end up doing things I don't actually want to do. 😅 Then feeling like I wasted so much time. Although it's not like I regret watching this video though even I didn't exactly want to watch it in the first place.

[@Purplegoldfish]

I'm glad I found your videos. Autism testing in Australia for adults is almost non-existent. If you can find someone who CAN diagnose adults, it is prohibitively expensive as it is only available through the private system. Despite both my psychologist (for depression & anxiety) and my GP both saying they would diagnose me based on preliminary screening if they could... I didn't feel validated until I found these videos (especially restrictive diet!). My goal for next year is to save enough for an assessment ($1500 AUD). I just want to have something solid and validating to hold onto, that also makes my other mental health conditions make sense.

[@autumn5852]

I hear you ~ I was the same, I knew I was autistic once I got the realisation but after a lifetime of being told I was wrong about just about everything I needed that validation but fortunately in the UK I was able to get a diagnosis free on the nhs even though I had to wait a while but that didn’t bother me because at least I was getting somewhere. Good luck with getting the money, if I had it I’d send it to you because I know what a difference the diagnosis made to me but I know you’ll get there and once it happens things really do start to fall into place and although my life goals etc have changed - I’m no longer striving for anything - I’m taking my time with life now and I’m creating my life to fit around my needs and nobody is ever going to get in the way of that again because nobody has lived my life, and you’ll know what I’m talking about, so I’ll never let anybody tell me again how to live my life. I don’t care anymore that my life looks different to other peoples, I’m doing things my way and I’m still learning and discovering what that way is but I’m getting there. One thing that has really helped me is Vipassana meditation and they have them in Australia. It’s free to go on their courses and it’s definitely not for everyone but it really helps me, I’m able to react less to the different emotions etc that I experience but don’t really understand, so I’m not suggesting you go only that if it is something you might be interested in it has helped me. I’ll put the link here but again, I’m not expecting that it’s something you would want to do it’s just something that helps me and I’m just passing that on. Best wishes with it all X

[@Purplegoldfish]

@@autumn5852 thankyou for the encouragement! I've finally found someone that could test me, and I'm fairly confident I can save the money in the next 12 months. I hope having an official diagnosis will make it easier for me to advocate for the adjustments I need in terms of employment; both by having a piece of paper and increasing my confidence through validation.

[@Purplegoldfish]

@@autumn5852 also, I think that in Australia autism testing for children under 12 is free, and 13-18 is subsidised under the public system. I'm 27 so I missed that cut off by a lot 😂

[@leather_bath]

I am booked in for an adult assessment next year for $1800 aud 😬

[@autumn5852]

@@Purplegoldfish that’s great news and I can say from experience that having that diagnosis and piece of paper has helped me tremendously in so many ways, it helps me to not back down on things that are important to me regardless of what the consequences of that are because as you will know, living behind a mask is no life at all so yes, I’m 100% sure it will help you. I still have people saying (even family members) it’s only label and I shouldn’t identify with a label 🤦🏽‍♀️ but I don’t get upset by their stupid comments anymore because clearly they haven’t got a clue what they’re talking about and if they’re not prepared to listen then I’m not prepared to mask and hide the truth for them ☺️ - I could never have been this strong before diagnosis

[@LaraBee]

I was officially diagnosed in Jan 2020 at 32. I’m 34 now. Your channel was one that really helped me figure things out.

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@sueannevangalen5186]

Thanks, Sam. I didn't know I'm autistic until this past summer (after my 16-year-old niece was diagnosed. She reminds me SO MUCH of myself, especially how she conducts herself socially, unlike my nonverbal autistic son, who is eight, diagnosed at two) and your videos have been instrumental in some of my biggest "aha" moments. I have an appointment to be assessed for autism in the spring. Anyway, I love the way you explained the spectrum. I have come to understand my son much better just realizing that I'm autistic too but this video gave me a good picture -- a very clear mental image -- of how we both belong on the same spectrum together. And my niece too of course. I especially liked the part where you talked about the blue almost blending in with the gray. Thanks again. Your videos are great 😊

[@DhhskkHehdis]

So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely

[@user-nx3il8di6m]

My son has been diagnosed of autism spectrum since child and has battled with it all his life. But recently taking Dr Omena herbs have helped him get rid of it completely

[@dianebradford9240]

Merry Christmas! Although I'm sure many NT have contributed to autism research etc-it is truly my belief we need to move autism research, explanation and clarification & all things AUTISM to being owned & operated by those WITH the condition--autistics themselves. This is wishful thinking--but it's how I feel. Love the video.

[@philma7713]

Yes my daughter is twelve and I’ve paid a fortune to experts who have zero answers

[@robokill387]

I definitely agree, autism research should be led and informed by autistics, it shouldn't be something largely done ON or TO us by others like it has in the past.

[@DhhskkHehdis]

So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely

[@user-nx3il8di6m]

I used Dr Omena herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on speech delay and ASD. I met Dr Omena on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it

[@elr05]

I’m discovering my diagnoses (plural) at the age of 47 and I’ve been watching your back catalogue, it’s really helpful. Lots to take in. Thank you!

[@taoist32]

I’m 47 and have never been diagnosed. I took the standard assessment she had a link to in another video and I scored very high (37/50), but I go back and forth on whether I am autistic or not. This current video is great in explaining how it’s more like color gradients than a spectrum. I definitely tend to mask a lot. So much that it almost doesn’t feel like masking, but when I am by myself I can tell right away. I also have a second cousin who I believe is definitely autistic. He is much more severe and cannot mask like I do.

[@user-nx3il8di6m]

I used Dr Omena herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on speech delay and ASD. I met Dr Omena on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it

[@angeldude101]

Something about the electromagnetic spectrum is that light that looks like the same color can be divided using a spectrometer into distinct parts showing exactly what frequencies make up the light in question and what intensity they are. (Basically like a physical Fourier transform.) In a similar way, all autistic people are "on the spectrum," but that spectrum is composed of many distinct traits that each can manifest with different intensities. So you could say that every autistic person has their own "spectrum" of traits with a unique set of spectral lines unique to each person.

[@pierrejoubert2731]

I like this line of explanation. This gives one some validation when you don't strongly tick all the boxes, but experience some of life's difficulties so intensely that you end up taking yourself out of the social grouping

[@chantellethompson5237]

Beautifull discription

[@angeldude101]

@Ignace Alli Please make sure your kid isn't just faking it to please you. If they are, it can cause even worse problems down the road like burnout.

[@DhhskkHehdis]

So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely

[@user-nx3il8di6m]

I used Dr Omena herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on speech delay and ASD. I met Dr Omena on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it

[@Renbu8]

Wild idea, that people who actually experience something have more expertise than those who have only read about it.

[@annalenabanks6173]

I would really like to bring up the possibility of this to my doctor but I've had multiple people say that it's not autism including my therapist, it makes me feel like I don't belong and no one is gonna believe if I say hey, I really think this is what's wrong

[@LizzyClayden]

I was diagnosed Id say fairly recently with ASD/ Aspergers, and love your videos as I am trying to learn more as I love teaching others about it! :)

[@Aeon135]

I thought the thumbnail said “The Autism Speedrun” and I got excited that GDQ had finally started running autism itself.

[@pandabytes4991]

I recently was diagnosed, and since then I have been trying to understand this diagnosis better. I've learned that some of the things that I do (and often feel shameful for) often accompany this diagnosis. While I am still fighting these feelings of shame, I have at least been able to lessen the intensity of those negative feelings. One of my "quirks" that I struggle with the most (as far as fighting those feelings of shame) is my tendency to fall into a nonverbal state when my stress or anxiety levels get to be too much. Thank you for this video. Watching it has helped increase my understanding of this diagnosis.

[@charityrochford2175]

Thank you! Being a mom of two kids that people don’t believe have autism, this is so helpful to be able to relate to and to help explain!

[@Ps3JessicaBr]

Congrats for the 100k! This video was so helpful, I’ve found out that I have autism recently and this helped me a lot to understand more ♥️

[@resourceress7]

Love all your videos. It was really nice too see you show your personality (or a silly mood, or ADHD, or a variety pack) in this one. Love the color and grayscale metaphors, and will definitely be sharing this video.

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@nadinelubs]

Just found you this evening & î’m glad i did. I have a 3yr old non verbal and since his diagnostics dec 2020, it’s been hard. But watching you gives me hope that he will grow to become an adult one day with a life. Guidance is scarce out here. I am glad i watched your down to earth video..🙌🙌🙌

[@KatarinaP81]

I love your videos. I'm so frickin "blue" that even my therapist claims I'm "grey", to use your colour wheel metaphor. People just assume I'm boring for knowing stuff nobody cares about or weird for the way I react in certain situations.

[@shadowfox933]

Lol I feel called out by this I can explain to you in detail how our modern languages evolved and influenced each other over time with specific references to the events that allowed it to occur, but God help me if I try to cook anything. Then there's my problem with noises. They're terrible, but I hear everything (music is usually ok though)

[@KatarinaP81]

@@shadowfox933 I don't mind noises, I just have trouble separating what someone is saying from the background noise. And to top it all off, I'm also an empath which makes things even worse, so I've been on antidepressants for the past 7 years.

[@Fyr35555]

I haven't been diagnosed yet but finally got a referral after years of confusion and struggling. My mum is one of those people that says we are all on the spectrum, but I think she is concerned because through this she has started to find traits in her / my dad which mean they too might have ASD. I have always masked really well so people just thought I was weird, isn't it odd that if you are perceived as normal but act differently your called a weirdo but if you are diagnosed with some condition then suddenly everyone is like 'oh we understand now it's ok'

[@TheRogueDM]

This has been really helpful and easy to understand. Thank you. On another note, I think I have ADHD, but it's taken me a long time to understand and come to terms with it, away from the stereotypical boy running around a classroom screaming sort of thing. I don't know if I'll get a diagnosis any time soon, but I've been looking at aids to help me tackle tasks I downright suck at. Fingers crossed they help.

[@gamewrit0058]

"How to ADHD" is a good resource here on KZbin, and I love the ADHD video Thought Slime made after their diagnosis - it includes a whole section of other creators sharing a sentence or two about their experiences or myth busting. I made several ADHD friends online before I figured out I'm ADHD, too, and was fortunate enough to have access to an assessment and get an official diagnosis, which is required for accessing certain medications and support services.

[@DhhskkHehdis]

So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely

[@emeidocathail7808]

100k subs Sam .. huge congrats .. fantastic achievement and well deserved.

[@CraigyDizzle]

Because so many people just casually said I was "on the spectrum" I didn't take them seriously and didn't get diagnosed until I was 35... Now I'm playing catch-up on burnout 🤦‍♂️

[@loturzelrestaurant]

Mobbing = Bad? If so, just ask me where to find someone you can literally coment towards "A friendly F-ck you from the autism-community" or even tell youtube that a certain youtuber produces triggers on purpose. Solidarity, i think, is the Word?

[@KrysBowbrick]

I'm 17( my birthday was 4 days ago) and, my dad keeps bugging to get a job, I applied for one, they never got back to me, HE wants me to work in a loud, smelly shop,every time I even go to the shop for something" fun" it's not fun, it's stressful because of my sensory issues, he just doesn't understand

[@Hugo-dc9nd]

Do you have any other issues and have you ever talked to your father about it? I have 17 years old son and I know how hard it is to communicate with 17 year old. Being the type of the mother that could be told everything (and I've been reminding him of that all the time for years) I can't get it why he hardly ever talks to me about anything. I am here mostly thanks to him though but he actually only told me how he thought that adhd could be his issue. He didn't tell me that he found something somewhere, he didn't tell me why he tought so and even when I tried to talk to him and ask some questions about his traits he wasn't interested in a talk at all.

[@KrysBowbrick]

@@Hugo-dc9nd no other issues, I am constantly talking to my Dad about it, he listens, but, I just don't think he understands

[@neulasia]

dads often like to fix things, so maybe if you ask him to help with figuring out what type of workplace would suit your needs (quiet, no smells etc) he might come around. it would show maturity on your part and he could learn to know you better.

[@Hugo-dc9nd]

@@KrysBowbrick Maybe you should find some video on sensory issues specifically and ask him to listen. He might be thinking that you've just been avoiding it alltogheter, unaware of the fact that some people have those issues. If you make him to listen to someone else it can change his mind. I'de highly recommend this channel! Try to find it here and I wish you all the best!

[@AlexLouiseWest]

Thank you for using the concept of a spectrum as rainbow, rather than as a straight line. I do this too, but you extend the idea far better than I can.

[@hannasophia18]

This is a really great explanation of the spectrum! Your videos have helped me get a diagnosis and it's one of the best things that ever happened to me! I just started therapy :) I think I also have ADHD and I talked briefly about it with my therapist. I'm waiting to get past the ''getting to know each other'' sessions so I can bring up getting a diagnosis/medication.

[@yellowhalo444]

This is the first time I’ve heard anyone talk about the autism/adhd combo and I’m so intrigued. I think this may be me but I don’t feel “autistic” enough or relate to a lot of peoples experiences and never knew why. I’ve known I’m an adhder for a few years now. Thanks for sharing Sam! And yes I thought you were one of us adhders too hahaha

[@snippets981]

Each video I watch of yours brings me greater peace of mind and clarity -so hugging you from a distance...

[@mileschristophermorales]

I’m ADHD/ASC too and I don’t hear too many people talking about it online so it was nice when you were touching on it! I definitely feel my ADHD separates me a lot from other ASC people because ADHD contradicts so many of the ASC traits. Depending on my stress levels I experience the ADHD trait or the ASC counter trait and I call those my “ADHD day” or “autism day” lol

[@Hugo-dc9nd]

Oh, wow! I'm not able to see the difference between the two, at least when it comes to so-called "higly functioning" autism. That's the reason I'm struggliing with self-diagnosing autism 😂😂 while I'm sure about adhd. Don't get me wrong! I'm not here for fun, I really want to know but neither one has been diagnosed in my country (except so-called "severe autism" in boys) and only thing I can do is figure it out on my own just for the peace of mind. Would you please tell me about differences you see?

[@niftyflex]

if you use facebook there's just ONE group I'm in and it's wonderful, it's called "autistic adults with adhd" and I feel so understood lol. Can't imagine feeling at home in a group that is just ASC or just ADHD

[@Hugo-dc9nd]

@@niftyflex Thanks a lot!

[@DhhskkHehdis]

So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely

[@aliciasizov5467]

Love it. Great explanation, thanks for pushing through to get this made! As a fellow autistic/ADHD combo, I can totally get behind the archetypes idea. It would be so much more beneficial than functioning labels or levels.

[@irismoralis]

That visual with the color wheels was really helpful! Thanks for another great video :)

[@leather_bath]

I’ve decided to be brave and ask for adjustments at work (since my workplace makes a big deal about being supportive of disabled employees adjustments). I would be curious to hear your thoughts on this process. Although I’m appreciative that I have a workplace that even has this conversation, I have felt a bit belittled in the process. Almost every request I’ve made, has needed me to get a letter from my Doctor specifically asking for that adjustment. And it’s not that I’m asking for anything outrageous either. For example, I’ve requested my shifts be reduced, and had a letter from my Doctor requesting I work 3 days a week instead of 5. I work in a very large workplace, so it’s not that big a deal. I let management know that I would prefer to work 3 consecutive days, as it allows for a bigger consecutive break for me to recover. I was told I would not be able to get 3 consecutive shifts unless specifically requested by my Doctor- IF my Doctor felt it was necessary. Fortunately I know my Doctor will oblige, because he’s a good Doctor and understands my disabilities. But I felt like I wasn’t validated in my own ability to advocate for my own needs.

[@UOweMe]

This sucks. It should be the right of any employee to negotiate their preferred work schedule. Good luck

[@leather_bath]

@@UOweMe Thank you.

[@catherinedesrochers]

Six minutes into the video, pausing to do an instant like and comment before resuming it. I love how structured are your videos…

[@isabellev.7227]

Thank you, Sam, your videos one: make me laugh, two: sound so familiar, you sound like you are in my head, three: help me articulate what I need to communicate to my family (in French, I have lived in London for 28 years). And finally, congrats on your new arrival. Stay safe, Eve

[@Naricie]

BY FAR the best description of autism I have EVER heard. You are amazing. thank you!

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@amandaerickson849]

I love how you compared it to the color spectrum. I watched this awhile ago but that idea has really stuck with me. I've known for awhile that the spectrum is not what I once thought (which would be a gradient) but have really struggled to understand what a spectrum is, and this analogy worked for me! I've been thinking about it since I watched this.

[@springhillfitness6837]

Recently I fell on my arm and went to the hospital to see if it was broken, dislocated, etc. They told me I was on the arm injury spectrum - very helpful.

[@jcace13]

I’ve recently been diagnosed with autism and still trying to figure this whole thing out, this video is a big help and I’m going to check out the rest of the channel.

[@Kexeessen]

Wow, I am flashed... This spectrum thing being more like colors and not like 0-100 is eye opening for me! I have not been diagnosed - yet. But since watching your videos, I suspect it more and more. Just googled for a specialist in my area and want to contact her the next days. Am in need of a therapist anyway, so :D Thank you so much for your channel!

[@saiwestfield]

Thank you so much for this video! This really helped me understand better. I know a person who works at a place for people with autism who need help with daily life, and taking care of themselves. I have always been determined to understand people with all sorts of different types of autism. I think the way you explained it was extremely helpful! Thank you, and have a wonderful day! :D

[@johnbillings5260]

I'm constantly feeling the push and pull between wanting structure and my mind constantly wandering to more exciting things.

[@pommedapie8450]

So glad you are back ! Thanks for the great content :) Merry Christmas 🌲

[@frustraceann]

this was really validating for me! i think i may be audhd too. i'm thinking my hypothetical adhd may cover up some of autistic traits, which would definitely explain some things, but i'm not sure. also, when you mentioned how sometimes autistic traits become more "obvious", i felt so seen, becsuse that's been exactly me lately. i know my friends have noticed and i've been kind of self conscious. your videos are so informative and cool!

[@shinyxcrab6342]

Both my son and I are also ASC/ADHD. Thank you for making these videos!

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@leongecko]

I have just come out of my ados test an hour ago and I have a final appointment in two weeks. Im finding this whole process quite stressful and confusing but your videos are very helpful and I wanted to let you know that.

[@paavohirn3728]

I seem to have missed a couple of your videos on the recent months. Yay! More to watch. Good to see you again :) And happy news to hear there's another breadtube recruit :D Solidarity!

[@taylorhaynes740]

Bless you and everything you touch✨

[@LLSZXYY316]

Your videos make me so happy!!!! Yay love when you upload new material 😀

[@kingseyes3545]

Thank you for your helpful videos. I'm in my 60's, female, and have just figured out in the past couple years that I am autistic. I don't have an official diagnosis, but sometime... Re-examing things I've done and said in the past, some of which people thought weird, when I didn't see what was wrong with my actions or words, lead me to examine myself more closely. I've always felt different. Also, have a 2 yr old grandson with autism and believing there is a genetic component to it also lead me to examine myself. 60 years ago, it seems it was mostly the males, and those with more extreme characteristics that were diagnosed. When I mentioned my suspicions of my autism to my 2 adult daughters, they both agreed that it made sense and would explain things I did or said in the past. It's like instead of just being described as weird or difficult, they see me with more grace and understanding. I used to joke that I was allergic to noise, can't stand being in a place where the TV is on continually in the background, realized I often look at how others react to a situation to see how I should react. Anyway, thank you again for your helpful videos and enjoy your kids! Let's celebrate diversity!

[@Anna_2801]

Thanks for this great video! I'm still trying to understand what makes these traits "autistic", as when I describe my experience people always find something to relate to, so I just can't understand how to know it's NT/Autism traits. I've been told it's the big picture that matters, but then as others relate to traits then I feel I don't understand what's the full picture exactly. I'm not diagnosed and trying to figure myself out!

[@gbc.bxnny3299]

I have autism

[@Starchaser63]

I'm in my 50's and finally got Diagnosed just last month. All my life both myself and others around me knew there was something different going on and my life has been hell so its kind of a relief I have been recognised and Diagnosed and so I've been looking at videos on KZbin to see how others are coping with being Autistic too. The world has always been both strange and stressful but i now know there are others like me ..😊

[@wheezy.does.it.]

I have been told I had ADHD and literally every possible anxiety disorder. And no one thought to ever check if i was autistic for 20 years

[@biohackshq4072]

understanding and supporting individuals on the spectrum is a step towards creating a more inclusive and empathetic world. Keep up the great work!

[@curlymelanie]

I received my autism diagnosis today thanks to your channel. I never would have self-identified as autistic without seeing your videos last year. We have so much in common, and previously my mental model of autism was all based on white male stereotypes (of course stereotypes are problematic). I found an excellent therapist in my area with a specialty in adult female diagnosis, and yes I realize how fantastically rare such practitioners are. On the surface I don't really match the DSM criteria, but when viewed through the lens of how women often adapt/mask and internalize, I'm very clearly autistic. So thank you for bringing so much light, clarity, and meaningful dialogue to our neurodiversity!

[@davidheseltine85]

Hi Sam, your videos have been a great help to me. Your own diagnosis and description of your presentation of autism/adhd seems to mirror my own almost eerily (particularly in regard to new things/unplanned changes exciting me/stressing me out all at the same time), which is why I'm really glad you put out that video regarding the problems with gendering types of autism. The only difference being I'm diagnosed ADHD but not autism, so the opposite to you. I started taking medication for my ADHD in April. I was officially diagnosed aged 33, nearly 3 years ago. Within 2 months of being on the medication I realised that there has got to be something else wrong with me, because my executive functioning was still utterly crap even on these pills. In fact the ADHD medication seemed to open up more questions than it did answer them (although the medication has undoubtedly been a fairly significant net positive). Anyway, to cut a long story short, I stumbled upon information regarding the link between ADHD and ASD and did a proper test. It was really high, well into aspergers and it was a revelation. It was totally unexpected and I refused to believe it at 1st. But so much of my life struggles make sense now and I'm finally content with the person I am now that I know why I am the way I am. This was only in late June and I'm still coming to terms with it, but also seeking a diagnosis, although that could be years down the line based on current estimates. Anyway, keep up the great work.

[@nadiazhyvolovych6989]

I am very sensitive to rythm of speech and intonations. When I hear sarcastic intonations, my brain skips the content that was said sarcastically. Because sarcasm reads to me as "I'm not being serious about what I'm saying. I'm just making fun of what I despise". So my mind doesn't take that part seriously either. Maybe that's the reason why I didn't get a clear understanding from this video of what the spectrum actually is. My mind just kept jumping over the sarcastic parts and there were a lot of them. However, I'm very grateful to you for all your efforts at raising autism awareness of people. Thank you!

[@anhaicapitomaking8102]

Sarcasm is vital for me, it lets out all the rage of living among mean folks

[@jennifergauthier3282]

That was wonderfully informative and fun. It was so validating, because gives me worse imposter syndrome than my ADHD traits. Three cheers for AUDHD!

[@breannapiscitelli3941]

Thank you for talking about pregnancy. Oh my gosh I literally felt like I was the only person that’s ever been through this. I’ve always suspected that I might be on the spectrum somewhere. But after I got pregnant and even still now 15 months postpartum every aspect of overstimulation has gotten 10 times worse. I thought there was some thing more wrong because it was unbearable. Especially smells and lights. Temperature changes. I went from smells, not bothering me to literally being convinced I was part blood hound. I thought the smelling part would at least go away, but I’m still a bloodhound lol. But for real sometimes this puts me into a state that I can’t even explain. Especially if I go someplace with a lot of smells that are really negative to me. I can’t even be around people who smoke cigarettes anymore. I’ll get physically ill. But thank you for talking about this because it definitely validates a lot of Things for me as well. I also had a lot of issues in my pregnancy to, and now that we are coming back to the diagnosis part. It definitely seems like it could’ve been related to health issues related to being on the spectrum. I had pre-clamp Sia and my daughter was born at 37 weeks. Sidenote, she’s absolutely amazing and a little fireball. She’s my best friend and I absolutely love being a mom. But that’s another part that they don’t talk about. It is so stressful. I take out a lot of my overstimulation privately. I’ve been trying to learn healthy ways to deal with it so I can show my daughter healthy ways to deal with it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with stemming. I think society has more of a problem with it. The number one thing I’ve learned with my daughter is when she has a meltdown I validate her, and then I distract her with some thing that she enjoys. I’ve actually been applying the same thing to myself and it’s worked wonders. I never learned this as a child. I actually learned it from parenting videos, but I just thought it was something that was pretty cool because it worked for her and me!

[@jaydoespunk9097]

11:32 Lol, Sam, I love you so much! Yeeeessss, this has always been me! I love change and need it often, so I've had trouble holdin down jobs for longer than 4 months except a real good college job I paid my way through school with for 3 and a half years, and my current job of a year. But when I moved states 2 years ago, I've had serious mental health issues until recently when I got on lexapro for my anxiety and depression, cause my autism is like "nope, too much new shit, time to be in constant cycle between meltdown and shutdown for an entire year and a half, lol" so yeah, that has been fun. But now I'm doin better and now the adhd side is like "yay, let's get a second job, let's start this goal you've had for years right now, let's do all the things" and it's quite trippy how my brain can be normal and spontaneous sometimes, and completely cycling between emotional extremes by the hour another time. Yay neurodivergent brain!

[@ronspi]

Recently, I see posts of people (mainly teens and people in their 20's) who are "self-diagnosed" themselves as autistic. Amazing to me that autism became a sport. Self-diagnosis is not a diagnosis. I'm not saying those people are not autistic - I don't know that for a fact. But many don't understand the difference between using the word diagnosis and "self-diagnosis". I wonder how those individuals (will) deal with a legal challenge (at work, court, government service, etc.)

[@robokill387]

To be fair, it's very, very hard to get an Autism diagnosis if you're over a certain age, especially in the US where even getting an assessment costs thousands of dollars. Plus, if you're transgender, BTW many autistic people are, your diagnosis can be held against you to deny transition.

[@ronspi]

@@robokill387 Thank you for the comment. I don't know where those dollar numbers are coming from. I was diagnosed in my 50s, and the health insurance covered most sessions' costs. I probably paid less than $200 (five sessions of two hours each). I wonder if some places, in some US states, don't accept health insurance and charge the heck out of people just because they can. I'm in the USA.

[@leetunmore3408]

This is by a metric mile the best video I have watched on this subject... Thank you!

[@yvonnemullan]

Your videos are very helpful… my 11 year old daughter is just going through autism diagnosis. She was diagnosed at 6 with adhd combined and likely has autism too. I suspected it, and she was the one who told me after I got some aspie books and she started reading it! We both feel relieved to know and accept. I found out I have adhd as an adult and her Dad likely has Asperger’s too. Is your husband neurodiverse too? And your kid(s)?

[@robokill387]

I just want to point something out: "neurodiverse" refers to groups with mixed neurotypes, it's not a synonym for "autistic". An individual is "neurodivergent" or "neurotypical", not "neurodiverse".

[@benburke3015]

Do people seriously say "I'm on the mild end of the spectrum because I can dress myself"? Because I'm autistic and I can dress myself, and there is nothing mild about me lol /hj.

[@Hugo-dc9nd]

Autistic people can also be uninformed about autism as well as people with other conditions. Many people out there have some conditions, disorders, illnesses, are diagnosed and have therapy and they still have no clue about what's going on with them.

[@benburke3015]

@@Hugo-dc9nd I believe that. I mean it took years for me to even figure what being autistic actually meant, at least for me. There's so little in the way of actual helpful information/resources, not to mention the plethora of misinformation that spreads on an almost daily basis, that I'd imagine a lot of other autistic people struggle with this.

[@Hugo-dc9nd]

@@benburke3015 There's a lot of information on social networks but you have to find right people by comparing them. That's the only reason I've turned back after a while (I'm not a fan of social networks actually and I left it all a while ago) since I realized decades ago that I can't find any valid information in newspapers or tv. Now I'm at the point where I can tell exactly if someone is ND but I can't figure out my own diagnosis. 😂 I've been struggling to find the difference between Asperger's and adhd (which is my definite issue), so I can be autistic too but I can't really tell.

[@Yellow.Blossom23]

And can you ve more specific on what is "nothing mild about you"? Thanks

[@benburke3015]

@@Yellow.Blossom23 You do realise that I was partly joking, right?

[@NaomiCathel]

Thank you for your videos Sam! I wanted to buy merch but your merch website has some bugs (on my phone/android). For example, it redirects to the mug when I click on the black hoodie. Will try on my laptop later.

[@Mindset-StarASMR]

Omg I think I just saw myself in you! I’ve just got a adhd diagnosis and dyslexia but have a suspicion I’m autistic too. Your fab so glad I’ve found your channel! 🤩🤩🤩

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@anka8754]

Thank you for such an in depth video 💙

[@bubnbrat100]

I've recently realized that not only my grandchild but myself are autistic. Your videos have been very helpful. Thank you.

[@vbickford]

That part, where you chant "I want the dopamine! Something new! Something new!" resonated so very, very much. I have a long (very long) history of changing, and eventually realized it was because I craved something new. This was 45 years ago, when I didn't know anything about ADHD, autism, or dopamine. Hooray!

[@BipolarCourage]

Here's something confusing: psychiatrist said I am "definitely on the autism spectrum" with "clinically significant autism spectrum features" yet said don't meet criteria for ASD, even though well above cutoff for ASD testing. So apparently can be "on the autism spectrum" yet subthreshold for diagnosis

[@Dan-B]

I’ve recently had it indicated to me that I may be autistic, as I have Dyspraxia and many other issues (Extreme social anxiety and agoraphobia, being able to make friendships or handle a work environment, easily overwhelmed, struggles with social interactions in general) This is something which has persisted for my whole life (34 years) and it was devastating to me to learn that I’d have to wait at least 2 years to even see anyone to be assessed on the NHS.

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

Your life will change Marisa Peer- videos on KZbin

[@MireiaOnTheMoon]

'and if you're blue, people might think...hmm, you're just a funny shade of grey, why do you feel the need to label yourself as colourful?' . so accurate i literally stopped dead in my tracks when you said this

[@anhaicapitomaking8102]

Thanks for this ( I have not even finished it yet). Can I suggest a topic for a video (in case you have stuff to say about the topic)? Friendships among autistic people, as in how it would work, what are the chances it might be better than with a NT, ecc. I sometimes feel not at ease with other ND and I think it might be like internalized homophobia.....Anyway, just an idea. Thanks for considering.

[@SusKa22]

I have the same AUDHD. Sometimes really hard. And it’s such an annoying thing that some people are trying to deny that this is the truth and it’s not a joke at all. So thank you for sharing

[@Angel.-dust3620]

As an autistic girl, I do not know it as a disability, I know it as a newer ability Some of the reasons why:I’m always able to tell when someone needs me I can always figure something out even if I don’t know it in my brain or haven’t learned it I am so determined to get every thing I put my mind to I am much more energetic even when sick It’s no disability when u figure out how do use it as an ability itself❤

[@cowsonzambonis6]

Excellent video- this will be one I’ll share with friends and family as I share my self-diagnosis.

[@rwithers3]

I enjoy your videos... very encouraging...you are a calm and steady voice...

[@Jamesgregorykulp1985]

Hello Sam and thank you so very much for making this video. I am 36 years old. And I am on the Autism spectrum I have PDD-NOS.

[@My_Secret_ArtSketchbook]

I am NOT a doc. But there is a SECRET. Please look into camel milk- life changing Squeeze ice cube for anxiety. No such thing as adhd- sorry they lied. U will find out the truth. Breathing exercises. Food is linked to many things. Feng Shui interesting because where you place your bed is important in your room WHY - your head and feet facing certain direction. north east South West important. EARTHING::: - lean against a tree, walk bare feet on real grass, rub your feet souls on bark of tree.

[@malcolmkinnon8436]

Yes very helpful Can identify with the last minute changes stress points etc

[@lugaruna]

O gosh that example you gave of the battle between your autistic side and your (possible) adhd side sounded so familiarXD. Sometimes it's hard to find the differance if a feeling is stress or excitement because those two are released in the same brain section:). I learned that last bit in a fun audible mini series about taming your inner crittic and it was realy fun:).

[@astrologylover1184]

Great video. Well done! Perfect combination of education and humor. 🥰

[@praescia]

Beyond diagnosis criteria, I never quite manage to find out what the different aspects of the spectrum are. Of course a comprehensive list might be impossible, but even something about the broad points might be useful to get a better image of it. Can somebody answer this for me or point me in the right direction?

[@ryana8246]

It manifests differently in different people. It includes a list of potential things that a doctor would have to figure out.

[@Weenie314]

Hi I’m 27 I’m just realizing that I have adhd and autism and haven’t got tested yet but after I started taking anxiety meds my anxiety calmed down but i noticed there were other things off lol. Your part about the chase for dopamine has been my last 7 years of life 😂

[@FranksEvilInc]

I got told I didn't have autism because I can feed and clothe myself but I wear the same outfit every day (I have about 2 weeks worth of the same clothes) and I binge on junk food and call it a meal because cooking is just way too stressful.

[@robokill387]

That's nonsense, I was diagnosed as a small child in the 90s and can feed and clothe myself, and am quite good at it actually.

[@suneblommie4549]

It's been a week and two days since my diagnosis! 😊

[@thirtycats]

Congratulations!!!

[@brigitagrine5204]

The editing was fantastic! The autism epidemic moment killed me :D so funny

[@cassiesevigny]

"You're just a quirky gray, why do you need to label yourself as colorful?" That resonated super hard w me

[@hermitfox2289]

Any chance of a future video on the autism/ADHD combo? I suspect both in myself and am really interested in how they may interact with each other. Thanks

[@tati172]

I'll be singing"change it, change it, we want the dopamine" for a while, I'm sure 😂

[@MattSaysHello]

Hi Sam. I have ADHD and my wife is autistic. The Tiimo app sounds ideal. Thanks for the tip!

[@chukabucka]

Thanks for this video and all your videos. They're a great resource for me. my step daughter is autistic ... she's a young fun loving creative tween ... could you do a video on how you may have liked to be informed about having a period / hormones ... hygiene etc? I'm planning to have these conversations with her but would like to do so in the best way for her. We're slowly discovering her sensory preferences and it's going well ... Keep safe and healthy and ... do know, I wish you well.