The Ridiculous Reality of The Parents Trying to Cure Autism

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Know the facts and stay informed on breaking news by subscribing through my link ground.news/nowwhat to get 40% off their unlimited access Vantage plan this month. Phew! Can’t believe I’m finally posting this. I honestly, feel a bit silly for putting so much time into this (about 100 hours now 😂😭) - it probably doesn’t deserve such an in-depth unpacking…but it also didn’t deserve a headline in the Telegraph, so here we are! The more I dug, the more ridiculous it seemed. Grab a snack and your crocheting for this one! If you missed my recent video about that TikTok professor… The Psychology Professor Challenging Autistic Influencers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hn-8qX1sjK5lo8k Thank you so much for being here and see you soon 💛 This will be one of the last videos with this background 😭

[@bungwohlio]

Do you have tinder?

[@sunshinesideofdarkside]

Oh no the stupid landlord won?? 😢 I'm so sorry!

[@ChangEAreYouWatching2]

Are your emotions controlled by colored plumbob earings?

[@LustStarrr]

The Ground News sponsorship fits in so well with this atrocious article.

[@kevinmckown3193]

Please hear me out you're hearing this from a fellow autistic Why don't my comments remove from your page I am trying to reach out I am trying to reach out and save my kind from the neurotypical menaces I've had negative Experience with neurotypicals and I'm just trying to unite all neurodivergents to be Experience with neurotypicals and I'm just trying to unite all neurodivergents to be ready to defend themselves from this these people being looked at as authorities Or charlatans you're only wanting to get rid of us Let me reach out I'm not the only artistic out there feeling militant about the way most of Let me reach out I'm not the only artistic out there feeling militant about the way most of us still get treated The only reason I have a job is cause I found a place The only reason I have a job is cause I found a place that wants to hire my account I found the place where among that was an HR human resources who does the hiring was also autistic I have to I couldn't get a job with a neurotic typical boss it's it's missed up Please let me reach out to my kind I know where the world is headed I can't be censored All the neural divergents like us need to know the truth Trying to save my kind I know sometimes They've been trying to keep hidden I've seen your video several other videos heard it discussing whether it's they hate to autistic traits or if they hate autistic Neurotypicals never accepted us The only friends I have Are Cause Neurotypicals would accept me at all I wouldn't have Just neural divergent friends even my girlfriend is neural divergent You have no You have no idea the standard society has put is exclusive You might censor me for saying this but apparently being on the spectrum makes the world treat us worse than being black the modern day I have seen this I've been a victim of victim of it Neurodivergent supremacy has to be achieved Are the neural typicals will Are the neural typicals will tear up And destroy I've noticed only neural virgins are building technology there's supposed to be a helpful to the planet by the neuralypicals are out I've noticed only neural virgins are building technology there's supposed to be a helpful to the planet by the neuralypicals are I've noticed only neural virgins are building technology there's supposed to be a helpful to the planet by the neural typicals are out having resources based force stilling oil and building more technology to destroy rather than preserve My biggest problem here is My experience Experience doesn't lie and from what I've experienced there's way more neurotypicals out there that are fools and arrogant rather than the ones that are few open-minded individuals You're hearing this from a fellow autistic

[@FaethorFerenzcy]

Autism can be reversed... just traumatize one of the twins into masking so hard that the scientist thinks the autism is gone.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

You described it perfectly 😩

[@FaethorFerenzcy]

@@imautisticnowwhat i already had the "honors" of reading that article... and the study behind... months ago. And i always think it is questionable if "scientists" don't use the scientific method and try to fit the question onto the answer they like to see. It is a shame for real scientists, cause so they have sometimes to debunk those brainfarts instead of researching.

[@MinomeEslinde]

It's reversed! The autistic meltdowns have disappeared! ( Ignores the shutdowns that have replaced the meltdowns ). Meanwhile, most accommodations are reasonable, low cost and also benefit many neurotypical people.

[@izzikat9252]

If I could use sarcasm through text, I'd say something about how marvelously aware of scientific process - time, diversity, comorbidity...MASKING... ....especially as a young AFAB person... .......it's excruciating to to realize the hoops these kids were asked to jump through - as I seem, based on what I can piece together, to have been high-masking as early as....a toddler. I walked and talked earlier than I should've and it...let's just say: snowballed at an alarming speed. Attempts at treating the neurodivergence as simply a "quirky" personality or at trying to CURE it both ignore the main factor: facilitating connection. The only reason we keep breathing is for other people or for experiences - and when you are in a dissociative state, with no confidence or warmth in your life - before you can ride a bike.... ...there are many levels of hell that parents don't realize they are putting their kids through.

[@keirapendragon5486]

💯

[@rhondawest6838]

I cured my autism with a strict diet, fresh air, and denial. Also, a hefty dose of sarcasm

[@misspat7555]

Funny, that’s how my father cured his hayfever, asthma, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, ADHD, autism, AND obesity! Truly, a model for us all to follow! 🙃🙃🙃

[@Hastaw]

This comment is underrated.

[@diakritika]

Ah yes, denial is not just a river in Egypt :)

[@jayrhodes3766]

@@diakritika😂

[@FourthStar]

Can't wait for a website to write an article based on this comment!

[@rinmathews9337]

"Breaking News: babies have high support needs. Miraculously, when they grew up, they needed less support. Is mold the cause?" (Sarcasm)

[@whitemountainwitchery7240]

That's exactly what I thought 😂

[@jimwilliams3816]

I tried to grow up very fast very young. Trying to cure myself of high support needs and terrible toddler behaviors worked SO well - at least if increased emotional dysregulation and depression were my goals. I wouldn’t be surprised if this approach has similar success.

[@kkimsey5866]

🤣🤣🤣

[@alveolate]

on that note... how often are 2 year olds diagnosed with lv3 needs? what are their traits even like?

[@tonichan89]

​@@alveolateI can only guess the infamous sorts of meltdowns that merits the child to wear a helmet? Maybe they're completely non-verbal? I'm no toddler expert, but those are just some things I've heard of high-needs autistic toddlers can struggle with :S I'm thinking of that poor Huxley kid that the (gross) Stauffer family adopted... and then returned like 2 years later. I think he was around 2 years old when they first adopted him and he already had difficulties with what was either autism or a combination of that with his trauma. It can be hard to tell some symptoms of autism and trauma apart sometimes, I think. They made him do so much ABA iirc. 😐 I hope he's doing better, wherever he is now.

[@HarryPotter-kb7we]

Interesting how researchers measure if behaviors changed, but never measure if mental health and general well being improved. No wonder there's so much suffering and suicide.

[@elainelouve]

True. The same goes for medical doctors. And if we're talking about eating disorders, I've even seen mental health organizations ignore the subject - even when an ED recovery organization tagged them on social media, after reports of using weight loss to promote healthy habits. (As mental health advocates they should be especially aware of EDs, and their clientele being vulnerable. It's 100% possible to talk about habits without mentioning weight loss.) Professionals can have an unhealthy obsession on achieving one goal and ignoring what else that might cause.

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

From a neurotypical perspective it's easy to conflate the differences that come with autism and the actual harmful outcomes of depression, anxiety, exclusion and decide that "correcting" the former means managing the latter. That, and the sort of people who are focused on "curing" autism are by nature focused on the outward appearance of autism rather than the wellbeing of autistic people (there are plenty of studies on actual indicators of wellbeing too, it's just that they're about supporting autistic people instead of getting rid of autism so they don't hit the news and they're less likely to be written by cranks)

[@tonichan89]

Well not these researchers anyway 🥴

[@beatyoubeachyt8303]

The telegraph said scientists claim that's the type of language that ancient aliens use it scoots around accountability

[@stefaniebraun3319]

General wellbeing and quality of life are a primary goal of most medical studies, but that was not a study.

[@Nyx_ofthenight]

As an autistic scientist, the design and execution of this study is appallingly bad and embarrassing. Every single aspect has so many flaws and confounding variables and weaknesses and biases that it's hard to believe it wasn't made up on purpose as an example to show research students what not to do. So sad that people will see news of this in passing and internalize it without knowing the full context.

[@elainelouve]

It reminds me of a "study" a master of psychology did about highly sensitive people in my country years ago. She was interviewed to a major newspaper, so I thought it was legit, and as she was looking for participants, I contacted her. The "results" came out later as a book that she was writing. I was first excited to read this book, as there was so little research about HSP at the time. Then I found out she never seemed to have done any research, but was just using study responses as anecdotes to prove her points. I recognized my own writing, and she had used my response on being a fan of horror fiction as an example of a person in denial of their sensitivity. I felt violated and abused. The book was self published, but if I remember correctly, through a company that the author owned. It had a very minimal list of sources, and most of them were self help books and other pop psychology. But like just 1 page of sources for the whole book. BTW I asked in one HSP peer support group if HSP could be a mild form of autism, but the experts said no, those two are completely different. They didn't provide any proof to their claims though. I wasn't challenging anyone, because I'm no expert, and my question was based on the similarities I had with an autistic friend in terms of sensory sensitivities. I've later realized I'm ADHD. It took long partly because of the misinformation the HSP advocates spread about neurodivergency. Now I've found quite a few others who've followed the same path from HSP to ADHD. BTW there's always been the concept of the extroverted, sensory seeking HSP. Elaine Aron even made a questionnaire on the sensory seeking qualities for highly sensitive people. I've read that horror fiction is linked to higher sensory seeking qualities than in the general population. It makes total sense: people who seek out safe, extreme experiences might enjoy watching a brutal horror movie.

[@MissBlueEyeliner]

It’s crazy cos I’m sitting here as a lay person and can see the glaring flaws! What are these idiots thinking?

[@anisa2273]

exaclty! i'm just a psych college student and my god I could do a better job

[@darkstarr984]

@@elainelouveSee, my parents like to say I’m actually a highly sensitive person and therefore cannot possibly be autistic, but I tic 100% of the criteria for autism, 80% for ADHD, and only 50% of the criteria for HSP. I don’t think horror is something a sensitive person would ever be against or unable to love, as it’s actually something that I’ve used, as someone with limited emotional intelligence, to learn a whole lot more about people and emotions, like how I learn from detective fiction. That just tells me the author didn’t know anything about the horror genre and that slasher flicks are barely scratching the surface of it.

[@misspat7555]

@@elainelouveI’ve seen the whole “I’m a HSP, no I’m NOT ASD or ADHD!!! This is my experience, you’re bullying me by invalidating meeee!!!” thing online, and it seems to me it is likely a deep resistance to accepting one’s state as disabled in our current society (neurodivergent people likely did very well as subsistence farmers/hunters/gatherers). The whole “You can’t say can’t, just do it!” thing. 🫠

[@lelegus7732]

People rather go through insane levels of mental gymnastics rather than give us proper accommodations. What a sad world, honestly.

[@coryvan5645]

This was my thought. Going through these thirty interventions is somehow better than giving a child the accommodations they need.

[@NickNightfall1711]

Seriously. What a waste of time and money hurting their kids by putting them through pointless unproven treatments when they could just as easily accommodate their children's autism. They don't even have the excuse of not having a diagnosis or the funds for accommodations, they just refuse to do the right things and want to "cure" their kids instead. Sick.

[@onceuponamelody]

Seriously! And how hard is it to accommodate, really?

[@Yipper64]

Well think about it like a physical condition. Someone has broken legs you'd first think to try to get them walking again before you think about wheel chair ramps. But obviously since you cant make legs grow back some people need wheel chairs, and thus we need wheel chair ramps. I dont think there's necessarily a *problem* with asking "how come people are autistic, is this something we can help with in terms of environmental factors?" before askings "ok now what do we need to do?" Of course, I think its long been answered, a good support system, and allowing people with autism to be how they are, is mainly what they need. Some good parenting and teaching kids how to cope with things, and things get into a pretty decent condition. What im saying is I dont think the wrong turn is trying to help lessen autistic symptoms, the problem is in trying to find a full *cure.* Since, that's of course, not an option, we should do what we can to help the condition suck less. Oh and just to specify im not saying that autism is a horrible disease I hate every moment of my life having... But I am saying it is, as described, a condition, that does cause my life problems, and that isnt purely the fault of society, its just how my brain is. Autism can have some benefits, a different way of thinking will always be something that helps with certain situations. But that doesnt make autism *not* a disorder.

[@The_Garden_of_Fragile_Egos]

It's about forced conformity. A mono culture society is easier to control from the top down, and to extract value from people's productivity. The last thing they want is a society where people take care of each other. We might figure out that 'leaders' are unnecessary.

[@haroldhill9288]

I was a kid in the fifties and sixties. Back then there was no support for autism. I was constantly being told to "look at me when I'm talking to you". And believe me, when my dad told you to look at him you damn well better do it. The family doctor gave my mother an exercise to make me walk "normal". I had to run up and down the hall twice then walk up and down the hall twice. I had to do six iterations of this and any variation of the norm and I'd have to start all over again. Meltdowns were addressed by being tied to the bed and gagged. That and not allowing me to go to stores or attend family gathers. My grade school made me repeat grade 1 because they didn't feel I was socially mature enough to advance because I didn't interact with the other kids. Following that logic I should still be in grade 1. I had to take speech therapy from grade 2 to 4. I can't for the life of me remember why they thought that was necessary but I did have selective mutism through up to grade 3 (there are times even today that people can leave me speechless 🤣). In grade 5 they wanted to put me in special Ed. My mother shut that down right quick because...well, what would the neighbors think. Anyway, by high school I could fake be normal better than anyone. I spent the first 14 years of my life having it beaten into me. Granted the next 50 years of my life were hell. University, college and working all the while pretending to be someone I wasn't. Those people can take my word for it, IT CAN'T BE REVERSED!!!!!

[@FirstnameLastname-jd4uq]

It’s simply comical and unfortunate how bad autistic people used to be (and still are sometimes) treated

[@GraceBrooks-zy3ms]

I'm sorry you went through all that and hope you are happy now being yourself❤

[@mette1245]

Thank you for telling your life story. I am so sorry you had to go through all that ❤

[@russianbot8576]

i can relate to a lot of this even tho i was raised in the 90s and 2000s love and respect. hope things are better now that you know too

[@thebabythesavage]

My heart was breaking for you reading this. Absolutely horrifying. I hope you’re able to be your autistic self in peace now ❤️

[@peridotofthewoodzyt]

NOT THE FRIGGING ANGRY SIM EARRINGS 😭

[@Ohbyelmfaooo]

YES THE FUCKING SIMS EARRINGS

[@alexv3372]

You know you fumbled when you see your sims angry

[@samtinkle9076]

@@OhbyelmfaoooABSOLUTELY THE BLOODY ANGRY SIMS EARRINGS SHE DESERVES TO BE ANGRY

[@chameleonfoot]

The plumbob is red HER NEEDS ARE NOT BEONG MET!!!

[@ronanmchugh2253]

These earrings are an ill omen of ableism to come

[@kingrix]

I've had an autistic manifestation in my house for years. The ghost appears at random, then it infodumps about sharks and Batman. It is the ghost of 4 year old me.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

How strange. I have ghost cat's.

[@lovebirdwillingten]

I also have a ghost. It screams about its love for Kirishima from a weird anime I totally know nothing about. Totally not my special interest or anything. That’s a strange ghost.

[@jessicavigil9144]

Mine infodumps about Minecraft, Fortnite, and tells witty jokes involving math and wordplay. Totally not my teenager 😂

[@disneyprincessintraining2725]

That sounds adorable!

[@alanatallman3835]

Sorry to internet-shout for a second... Genuine question: is there ANY 20 month old baby ANYWHERE that does not have HIGH SUPPORT NEEDS?! Are allistic babies cooking their own meals and filing their own taxes just a few weeks after they learn to walk? Smh we put too much pressure on kids these days...

[@NiMissNi]

I mean, it's relative to other 20 month Olds, so if you're far off the milestones that normal 20 month Olds are going to hit.

[@thebabythesavage]

I was an early childhood educator, mostly for this age group- 12-24 mo.- and like… I genuinely do not think that the majority of people have any real understanding of early childhood development or human development at all really.

[@thebabythesavage]

I had grown adults expecting toddlers to be able to think ahead and fellow teachers claiming that infants were manipulative. It is Insane. :|

[@PunishedFelix]

​@@thebabythesavage sounds like something my mom would say

[@AlexQuinn-f2r]

My father never figured out that kids shouldn't know how to be financially stable and run Excel spreadsheets and tax literacy at the age he coerced me into being "responsible" (early to mid highschool) I reminded him again recently that people my age were more concerned with Minecraft and ASDF movie videos than knowing how to invest in the stock market

[@Fey.of.the.portal-uc2cp]

"Curing" autism with a diet sounds absolutely absurd

[@SillyWolfGuy]

I always thought it was bullshit but I see it all the time

[@mustafakara7739]

I think they wanted to emphasise that the research was done under ideal conditions.

[@koalafication1018]

I have a diet. It's called not eating

[@homesteadgamer1257]

And a diet that sounds an awful lot like nothing but vegetables. I'm not against a vegan diet, but a typical vegan diet is way more diverse than just vegetables.

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

When I'm hydrated and well nourished I'm still autistic, just less hangry and no headache which is an improvement

[@STaR_Ri]

I’m not suffering because of autism, I’m suffering from how people are treating me for being autistic. I don’t want a cure, and I don’t want autistic children to be forced to change who they are when they likely don’t understand what autism does and how it works. I’m perfectly fine with my special interests, and there’s ways to manage meltdowns that don’t involve getting rid of my neurotype.

[@alisonmercer5946]

❤

[@real.rusoka]

exactly

[@Viral9]

You're not level 3

[@amandamandamands]

@@Viral9 Most autistic people have comorbidities, and yet everything is put down to the person being autistic. If someone is non vocal there is a high probability that they also have an intellectual disability, apraxia and a couple of other things. There are also the level 3s that the only reason they don't talk is because of apraxia and no one figures that out and assumes that they have all the rest. There are also level 3s that start talking in their later teen years. So you are very over generalising saying that because someone is level 3 they would want a cure. I don't know if the person that you are making that comment at is level 3 or not, you do know that there are advocates that are level 3 so you are making some pretty big assumptions there.

[@miglek9613]

​@@Viral9neither are the parents who decide to put their children through a process seeking to completely break down every single part of their personal instincts and thoughts in order to build them back into a neurotypical (the only way for one to be human according to the ideology) image that is also called ABA

[@stephenie44]

I’m crying at the thought of 20 hours of ABA/week at 2 years old. ARE THEY EVEN NAPPING ENOUGH? And also, how will they ever even remember all of the things they were corrected on and discouraged from doing so they can mask less someday… It’s so confusing to be told your joy (stimming) is wrong/useless. You have no frame of reference as a toddler.

[@WilliamMoses355]

So they became the perfect toddler. I'm sarcastically positive that knowledge will transfer perfectly in a few years when they start school and need to adapt to a whole new world.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

They won't remember. Long term memory doesn't form until children start to learn language.

[@stephenie44]

@@gothboschincarnate3931 I have pre-verbal memories.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

@@stephenie44 how many. What what was your earliest memory?

[@stephenie44]

@@gothboschincarnate3931 I remember crawling around my house trying to learn the layout, and getting confused when I was sure the living room was around the next corner, but there I was, crawling into the laundry room. I remember bouncing in one of those chair things with little toys around it. I remember being sang to when I couldn’t fall asleep, but the words meant nothing to me other than my parent is giving me attention. I remember shaking my rattle slowly trying to figure out how sound was being made. Looking up at my parents with my arms raised so they’d pick me up. Laying on the diaper changing table. Sitting on my grandpa’s lap.

[@SuperHappyNotMerry]

I wish people would stop trying to cure autism and instead look for actual medical ways to treat sensory issues, implement programs to make socializing easier BEFORE children begin to mask, etc. there's so many ways autistics could be helped through science but instead, resources are being misspent on "curing" us.

[@RowanRiverstone]

Agreed. The focus is always on suppressing behaviors that make allistic people uncomfortable instead of giving the child tools to help with anxiety or emotional regulation for their own peace of mind.

[@B.E.N_]

Autism treatment should be about making autistic people less miserable, not less autistic

[@olympiaelda1121]

Everybody is rhaught to suppress themselves. Autistic peoplr just struggle more with it cause its harder for them to suppress themselves.

[@Dormirai]

Maybe alltistic children should have programs that teach them to stop being biased against us. 🫠

[@eve3363]

You're not autistic and you don't speak for the autism community.

[@paulinemoira8442]

The jump from "a healthy diet is healthy" to "a healthy diet will magically cure all ailments and disorders" is crazy. Like sure if sugar gives you headaches, you'll have less headaches the less sugar you eat (just as an example). But that's not gonna change the fundamental structure of your brain.

[@swampqueen9161]

They never do eugenics the cool way, like giving people more arms. I wouldn't mind more arms.

[@no-be3zv]

I nose exhaled

[@stephaniet1389]

An extra pair of arms would be so nice. I've done many projects where it would have been much easier to finish with four hands. 😔

[@Charliesreptiles]

I want wings.

[@Unnecessary_Potato]

I just wanna not be nearsighted 😭

[@TheTheninjagummybear]

I want bat/dragon wings, that way I could use them for both flying and grabbing stuff

[@beemixsy]

this is deathly frightening. can we PLEASE leave the eugenics in the 20th century? ffs

[@NickNightfall1711]

For real.

[@paulinemoira8442]

@@sw3783 Autism is not an illness! Thus there is no cure! People who want to "cure" autism just want autistic people to not exist. That's eugenics!

[@randomtinypotatocried]

@@sw3783There was a lot of cases in history of eugenists wanting to "cure" autism so yeah it does fall under the umbrella of eugenics

[@juiy222]

​@@sw3783I think you might want to look it up. that is only the extreme definition eugenics was huge pre-1940 and included any form of population control or modification (e.g eradicating disabilities)

[@PunishedFelix]

@@sw3783 Historically, attempts to recode disabled behavior are directly related to attempts to remove them from the population through trying to prevent the birth of disabled individuals. This is very clear in the history of deafness in the United States, where there was a whole movement called "Oralism" that was designed to train them to speak. Sound familiar? ABA and Oralism are based on the same principle that you can still "mold" a disabled person to be "correct" instead of accepting that divergence from the norm is normal. Oh, and the biggest proponents of Oralism were eu-----sts who believed deaf people shouldn't procreate. In deaf culture this is a big deal because sign languages are unique languages that construct their own cultures and sense of identity. I don't know why KZbin keeps eating my reply but it's pretty important.

[@frustraceann]

hearing that woman describe her daughter's play, the EXACT SAME play i did as a kid (lining up animal toys obsessively, in a certain order, all the time) and implying it was "wrong" or "messed up" makes me feel so weird. i got really lucky that my parents saw my autistic behaviors as a natural part of me rather than an issue, even when they became problematic for me.

[@tomjones2157]

@frustraceann I still line stuff up! All the good people do!

[@coolchameleon21]

yeah i’m glad my parents never told me i was weird for the way i played (probably bc they’re both autistic too)

[@MaxOconnor76453]

I would do the same thing lining up my animal toys in size order. My mum was worried it was obsessive and would develop into obsessive compulsive disorder so she would discourage it, knock them down and stuff. By the time I was a teenager I was thankful for that because I figured it helped me avoid becoming overly obsessed and meticulous about little details, but now I wonder if that was the wrong approach. Because regardless I still became a perfectionist and it has been debilitating.

[@kkimsey5866]

Awww, seriously, like let kids play. Why do we have to crush them to make them fit in?

[@skylark3232]

I'm really lucky to have parents that never reprimanded me for my weird play habits as a kid, my heart goes out to the kids who are treated as strange for not playing "properly"

[@hifish8033]

From my experience exposure to heavy metal has probably helped many of us late diagnosed people get through our teenage years. Great music and many friendly, non judgemental people.

[@questioneverything1682]

I see what you did there! 😄🤘🏼🎶

[@AmarisFrede]

🤘😎

[@ohreeta]

😆🤟

[@MelissaGarrett1980]

💯

[@Unnecessary_Potato]

🖤🖤🖤

[@musevlogss]

I feel SO bad for these twins. Being taught that your autism is SO bad that having it requires this amount of solutions and work to “fix it”. Absolutely insane. All of these “interventions” border on abuse to me.

[@nikacomedawn]

My abuser tried more or less the diet mentioned at 5: 25, along with other things on me as a kid. Guess what? It worked! I didn't like being abused so I started masking harder and internalizing all my meltdowns in increasingly self destructive ways! Go her! (Sarcastic)

[@misspat7555]

I’m sure everyone thinks you are “fine” and “normal” now, which is all that matters! Allegedly! 🙃🙃🙃

[@nikacomedawn]

@@misspat7555 Nope. NTs can still tell. But she was convinced it had cured me. However, I'm more or less unmasked now, I moved in with my grandparents when I was 17 and I just went to college, so I'm almost totally safe (save her memory critcizing me).

[@kiwipomegranate]

@@nikacomedawn I’m so glad you’re out of that situation now

[@miglek9613]

​@@misspat7555they never think autistic people are fine and normal, they just make us hide our traits enough they can call us lazy, disorganized, mean and/or stupid instead of acknowledging our disability

[@nameno3696]

Sounds like it made you act more like a healthy normal person, so it helped you even if in an indirect way

[@ScentedTrashBag]

Not even halfway through the video but I already feel so bad for the girls involved in this “scientific study”, the ENCYCLOPEDIA of crap they went through is horrible. When you started listing the treatments, I was thinking “okay they feed them non ultra processed/organic food, that has nothing to do with autism but thats okay” but than all the different types of pseudo science and behavioral therapies came up and I was furious; these girls were/are being treated like lab rats, not actual people, just because they are autistic. It genuinely makes me terrified of the future because I have a neurodivergent friend and I myself heavily suspect that I have autism or ADHD and I dont want either of us to end up being treated like we’re aliens who desperately need to be “cured”. TL:DR: The study is horrible and rooted in ableism and I’m concerned that neurotypical people are going to start taking it/studies like it as pure unwavering fact

[@ladyhagaming]

unfortunately there's a lot who already do,the nerotypicals. I have had same discussion with those people who thinks it can be "cured " or should be cured. I myself have Adhd and I am sure that I have austisme aswell, which is fine. i don't wanna trade my brain for anything.

[@HarryPotter-kb7we]

A clear example of what Bottema-Beutel presents in this article: We must improve the low standards underlying “evidence-based practice”

[@PunishedFelix]

There's a lot more where that came from, we are basically test subjects for proving other people's narratives

[@russianbot8576]

these studies are sadly the standard for autistic children and have been since the beginning. it's another in a long, long sea of garbage studies that dehumanise their pathologised patients.

[@benja_mint]

Actually there is some small evidence that certain foods could make certain symptoms slightly better or worse. It doesn't cure anything, but diet does seem to at least be connected in some way. I don't want a cure, but if somebody told me I could eat certain foods every day instead of eating a ritalin pill every day... I'd at least want to hear more

[@annarichter484]

in my opinion the only thing ABA does is teaching how to mask. It doesn't remove the cause but it teaches you what is expected from you.

[@NickNightfall1711]

I totally agree with you.

[@yoyoyoyo-lq4jb]

Absolutely. There is a reason PTSD is linked to ABA. Its dog training for human children.

[@Molly-iw1rc]

I think it depends on the ABA, there are plenty of people who specifically do not say they are curing autism or ADHD, they are specifically just trained to change behavior (usually self harm behavior), and they don't only work with autism it can be applied to anyone. But I do agree that there are probably plenty who also do think they are curing autism and who do think all autistic behavior is bad. My professor does ABA on the highest level you can do it, he heavily advocates for self determination specifically for autistic children, and doesn't believe in curing autism with ABA. He mostly works with kids who injure themselves or others, and doesn't think stuff like stimming or even meltdowns needs to be changed unless it's serious, and even then he won't advocate to get rid of the behavior, rather just maybe lessen the intensity of it. and he doesn't listen to parents who want him to do so, he doesn't want to cure autism because he understands there isn't anything wrong with autism. But I do think there needs to be more research on ABA and masking specifically because I think that's a great point, is ABA forcing autistic kids to mask or is it an alternative or what is it doing? Because ABA obviously has a horrendous history, but many people who work with ABA (that I know) work with serious behavior not just making autistic children look less autistic (if that makes sense). But I'm 100 percent sure that many people have had bad experiences with ABA for sure, because it's literally manipulating behavior which can easily just be abusive at a certain point, especially if the person doing it thinks the other person is inherently flawed. So, that's my rant because I understand the concerns but I also think it could be useful for kids who hurt themselves as a form of stimming or during meltdowns (me included) if the right person is doing the ABA. And I think it is useful for everyone so they understand their behavior better and maybe make better decisions in general (with parenting or even just taking care of themselves, it can be used in many ways with many people, and it is used by many people who don't work with autistic individuals).

[@Viral9]

@@yoyoyoyo-lq4jb No. You're peddling misinformation. "Based upon the analysis, Kupferstein’s results should be viewed with extreme caution due to several methodological and conceptual flaws including, but not limited to, leading questions used within a non-validated survey, failure to confirm diagnosis, and incomplete description of interventions." The only study to make this link was done by a lone author and is severely flawed. Even simple concepts eluded this author, such as anyone who has taken ABA is likely to have more extreme symptoms (eg. self harm), symptoms which would lead to higher incidences of PTSD. Meanwhile, reputable studies have proven that ABA is proven in the _treatment_ of PTSD. Stop spreading misinformation.

[@amandamandamands]

@@Molly-iw1rc Cool so he is doing ABA lite. Something to be aware of is that ABA doesn't have any gold standard research to back it up. I wish I was kidding, the only research it has are small sample sizes (a big study has 20 participants) and they are all studies that say at X time they could do A and at Y time they can now do B. There are no studies that are evaluated against a control group or a different therapy method. It became the 'gold standard treatment' because it was the first 'successful' treatment method. Mind you this is also the same person who created gay conversion therapy using the same methodology. Any ethical therapist doesn't use conversion therapy because it doesn't work, causes people to mask and gives PTSD. They acknowledge that it does the same for autistic people but because it is 'successful' they just have to work out how to make it less harmful. What they see as success is that people have been taught to mask and they are happy with that because the person can blend in easier and appear 'normal'.

[@poisonhemlocke]

can you imagine your parents being rich enough to afford all the stuff listed in the video and then using it to try to "cure" your autism instead of providing accommodations and accessibility, which they can pretty clearly afford

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

I can now🤦.... Make it go away!

[@NB-hd2pc]

Because curing you is better than all of that providing special things.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

@@NB-hd2pc their is no cure...

[@Marnee4191]

To me, one of the most important points you made, at least in the sense that it is so rarely made, is that nothing in this article and in this "case study" discussed quality of life. That's the piece that is so often missing from the discussion when it comes to autism.

[@NickNightfall1711]

I agree. That was such an important and eye opening point.

[@SwordmaidenGwen]

Right? I got chills at that part.

[@vulcanfeline]

well, quality of life in the sense that it eases discomfort in allistic people having to see non-masking neurodivergents /s but not really

[@bangtannieLuvv]

I love the angry red earrings and the fiery shirt - its like a tone tag but you're wearing it

[@minni_sung9437]

Even if any of this stuff "reversed" autism, it would be so much harder and expensive to do all that for a kid everyday than to accommodate a kid. Like that food requirement, be so serious. It would literally just make autistic people more compliant workers without benifiting the autistic person or their parents.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

Poor people couldn't do all these things. Not without a million dollar govt grant. Disability is limited to 1400$. Poverty level wages. The bastard us govt would never approve all these treatments.

[@peterwallis4288]

Well, yeah, it would be Hardee and more expensive. But good parents want to give their kids the best chance in life. They don't stay kids forever. Soon, they will be out in the world, and living with autism can be incredibly difficult.

[@minni_sung9437]

@@peterwallis4288 yeah I'm autistic and an adult. The symptoms they try to fix to "reverse autism" doesn't help with adult stuff, just makes people more compliant workers. Like restricting diet is the last thing you want to teach autistics, needing hours of classes everyday on top of school doesn't help with managing time or dealing with boredom, changing the way you appear socially does not attract long term relationships because the people you meet will not know you. And when you stop behaving correctly because social rules are not default to you, the people you meet will leave. Sensory stuff sounds great in concept but the ways allistics come at sensory issues is just telling people to shut up about it and stop seeming effected, not actually changing people's brains to experience their environment differently. Being poor without free time to deal with transitions gracefully on top of still being autistic is so much worse than being autistic and coping.

[@peterwallis4288]

@minni_sung9437 well, for some reason, people seem to have made up their mind that nothing can work, and nothing will work in future, so how dare you suggest that I should try to change. That seems to be the attitude of the world these days, though. What you said about social skills. They're young kids. What's to say they can't learn to cope better in social situations and then, being so young, that might become more natural to them?

[@peterwallis4288]

@@minni_sung9437 ... and yes, it probably is too late for us to change, but I would want the best chance for kids to fit into society better.

[@ColoradoMntn1222]

"Indistinguishable." Wow, they have finally figured out that masking hardcore makes it so people can't tell someone is autistic. Congratulations. That means autism is reversible, right? Just because people can't tell? Okay, I have another hour of this video to watch you rage against this unhinged bull, and I have a feeling I'm in for quite the ride. Let's go!

[@logancontracier7125]

I feel like a lot of autistic children are emotionally neglected because the parents see them as broken so it’s not their child.

[@MonaLyssa33]

Let's see a longitudinal study and meet up with those girls as an adult when they are likely overly-anxious, depressed or something worse because they were forced to behave and handle the world in ways that don't work for them.

[@kaetlynphillips]

I’m an autistic masters student and I’m actually studying the effect of the gut microbiome on neurodevelopment in preemies! Briefly, *some* microbiome communities can lead to *some* preterm babies heads growing slower, and those babies with smaller heads are *more likely* (but not guaranteed) to be diagnosed with any neurodevelopmental condition, including ASD, ADHD, cerebral palsy, vision problems etc. But this is all in the context of what happens when you’re developing, NOTHING about reversing it after it’s already happened, as of the current literature that’s nonsense

[@wessltov]

Good to hear a take from someone with this autistic-specialisation, and with some fascinating (and perhaps promising) information no less! Please keep up the good work! It would be a shame to throw the baby out with the bathwater with regards to how physical development might be connected to neurodivergence

[@HarryPotter-kb7we]

Perhaps autism is natural part of human variation, while human variation is created through an interdynamic developmental process, and things which increase variation increase the chances of traits that eventually lead to a endophenotype profile that fits autism's diagnostic criteria?

[@PunishedFelix]

I'm convinced my microbiome still effects me but more because of my mental illness than autistic like traits. Whenever I have diarrhea or have to take antibiotics I have really bad hallucinations and stuff and the only thing that seems to be connected to it is my diet and how well I'm digesting stuff. I need to see a gastroenterologist but I don't have health insurance right now.

[@hunterv9259]

the microbiome can affect your mental health though, so i can see how improving it could alleviate some...secondary issues, i guess? like anxiety and depression. that is if you already have some kind of gut issue

[@mgmchenry]

I urge you to look up "Metabolic network analysis of pre-ASD newborns and 5-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder" recently published in Nature. Metabolomics research coming out of UCSD is changing how we can understand what is actually going on in our bodies.

[@artheenbyrogue804]

My family thinks that they need to cure autism. And i just found out recently that they knew I was autistic (or "unique" because they don't like the word autistic) but they didn't tell me because they thought I'd grow out of it. Newsflash, it feels like I'm drowning every single day, and I'm traumatized. I feel so bad for these twins, they deserve so much better. Autism isn't a bad or good thing, it's just different from the norm hence it falling under neurodivergence. But we need to support autistic people so we don't fall through the cracks of society.

[@gmlpc7132]

There are sections in our society who have a two-pronged attempt to both minimise and discredit the reality of autism. On the one hand they argue that where autism is "real" it is akin to a disease, a dreadful affliction but something that can be successfully treated or even "cured". On the other they assert that autism is massively over-diagnosed and in most cases not real, just simply an "excuse" for bad parenting or teaching or used by people who "choose to be different" and want to shirk their responsibilities. Ultimately these people are hostile to any form of difference, unsympathetic to any form of need and unwilling to accept that autism has always been around and only now is massive under-diagnosis being addressed. So much of our media lap up these kinds of views.

[@ladyhagaming]

true very true

[@Marnee4191]

Very well said. And an important point.

[@yoyoyoyo-lq4jb]

Perfectly put.

[@SwordmaidenGwen]

Couldn't have put it better myself!

[@amirarose96]

THIS RIGHT HERE!!! couldn't have said it better myself. Unfortunately from my experience, I have developed religious trauma where I have seen the church trying to "pray the autism away". Truly is insidious. ❤

[@RatsPicklesandMusic]

8:08 The problem with those "did there autism get better?" "studies" is that every autistic is SO different and develops SO differently!! My mom is autistic. She didn't speak until she was 4. She probably would have been labeled as a level 3 and if she'd been given interventions she'd be touted as a "success story" for the intervention. But here's the thing. She NEVER GOT ANY INTERVENTION. She naturally began to become more and more verbal on her own without any therapies or interventions. So HOW can we POSSIBLY KNOW if an intervention even WAS the catalyst for so-called "progress"??? The answer is we can't.... Maybe autistics who have gone through ABA for example may have ended up at the "functioning levels" they ended up at regardless of any interventions or not. Geez Louise....

[@carau7237]

100% agree 👍

[@alleycat1396]

I am a teacher who works specifically with our kiddos who have exceptionalities. Unfortunately many parents of kids with autism seem unwilling or unable to accept their diagnosis. I get asked questions all the time about whether their child will speak, go to university, socialize with friends, etc. My explanation each time is that your child is their own person with autism. No one has a looking glass mirror that can say where they are going to go. Let’s love and support where they are right now. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten, I just get the same questioning at our next meeting. This line of work and the education I have to do it has had a profound impact on parenting my own kids who are both on the spectrum. We embrace who they are, love on the things that are so unique, and help them through all the tough things in life. We’re not perfect, no parent is, but everyday I come home, I cry a little because I know my kids feel they are loved unconditionally and I just want every child to feel that too. ❤

[@draalttom844]

Tells me a lot that they ask if the kid will talk and go to university and not if they'll WANT to talk or go to university

[@lambybunny7173]

this is why i'm undiagnosed still despite meltdowns that involve head hitting my whole life. my mom refused to get me tested. i'm struggling so hard now.

[@merlin9863]

I'm 25. I am still recovering from a BRIEF phase my mum went through thinking food additives caused my symptoms and started restricting my diet. This is abuse. These people should be jailed. Those girls deserve so much better.

[@lillypilly6440]

food additives are not good for health and it is beneficial for anyone to remove them form their diets.

[@Giganfan2k1]

I wonder the link to restrictive diets and eating disorders later in life. Has that been peer reviewed?

[@kathycollins3260]

​@@Giganfan2k1 I'm not sure but if so it 100% makes sense tbh

[@lillypilly6440]

what is wrong with eating a whole foods diet? It is better for your health and the environment.

[@anonymous-rq2lh]

not with a condition that often causes sensitivities to certain textures and can lead to you to only having a limited list of foods that you can comfortably eat (i mean food you *can* eat, to be clear- autism-related food sensitivities aren’t the same as “picky eating”). plus organic health foods aren’t always accessible to people (ie. people from low-income households or food deserts)

[@urlocalbrunet]

If this is the video that took you over 19 hours, i just wanted to say thank you for the effort you put in to making these vidoes being thoughtfully researched and edited. These vidoes help the autistic community so much (including me) and ill forever be greatful!!!

[@WrottJackson]

I didn’t even notice how long the video was until I checked at exactly 10 minutes. Gonna need some popcorn for this one!

[@urlocalbrunet]

​@@WrottJacksonreal! But it's worth it

[@jonathon5075]

I'm an identical twin. I have an autism diagnosis and my twin does not. Based on our behavior, it is unlikely that he is autistic as well. I am a data point 😎

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Ooh, thank you for sharing!

[@Treezp1]

You are so much more than a data point! ❤T

[@jonathon5075]

@@Treezp1 Aw thank you

[@emilphant]

It's those cheeky little epigenetic factors 💁‍♀️

[@shapeofsoup]

You are a human point. Er. Person. Human person. Lol

[@valeriephd]

As a published scientist, I cannot even IMAGINE citing a magazine in my papers. And truly this must be a sham, paper mill journal for this paper to pass through peer review in this state

[@gooseberries608]

The amount of dietary restrictions the parents put their daughters through is truly appalling. They may have “cured their autism” but they may have given the girls a future ed ☠️

[@NickNightfall1711]

Seriously.

[@fighttheevilrobots3417]

Yup. It's body shaming and fatphobia.

[@hbtried7818]

I was diagnosed with celiac as an adult early on this year. Even with a legitimate medical need for me to place a restriction on my diet, giving up a number of foods that had always been safe and comforting was really hard on me. I felt angry with my body for taking so many normal foods away from me, and take it from me-if you have any unprocessed issues with food or body image while dealing with a significant dietary change, those issues are very likely to surface at a time like that. If it’s psychologically difficult for some of us adults to restrict our diets out of necessity, I too am very concerned about the potential effects of such wildly extreme dietary restrictions on children. I worry that attempted dietary interventions are becoming popular with parents of autistic kids mostly because they are within parental control, they can be done at home, and because supposed improvements are often measured by vibes rather than anything objective. Ugh.

[@jaykilkenny5727]

Ah, yes, I'd love to reverse my autism. It's not like I'm comfortable with it and am happy how I am.

[@Viral9]

You're low needs. The research looking to "cure" autism isn't directed at you, it's directed at people who have severe behavioral and communication challenges. If you're commenting on a KZbin video then you're not the target and it's silly to get offended.

[@ShayQrchestrals]

Good to hear! Happy for you. Some of us aren't though (yes even without the ableism)

[@jaykilkenny5727]

@@ShayQrchestrals I'm so sorry to hear that. Everyone deserves to love themselves for who they are. I hope you find happiness within yourself someday!

[@ShayQrchestrals]

@@jaykilkenny5727 Hehe, really no need to be sorry! But thank you. I am :) and I'm pretty content already... The likelihood however I'd be even more happy if I wasn't autistic :D

[@jaykilkenny5727]

@ShayQrchestrals I get that sometimes. Autism is a varied thing. Some people are comfortable with it, others aren't. I think of it as a fun little thing that makes me hyper fixate on stuff (probs guess by my profile pic Sonic, but also Jurassic Park, Pokemon, and Poirot) but also can make me stressed over little things. However yours works, know that yeah, there's no way of getting rid of it, but try to make the best of it. Indulge in little things you like, and try to get a better understanding of how it makes you unique. Sorry if this sounds preachy (I'm not really the type to be). I hope you have a good night!

[@georgemurphy5926]

One lurking variable that's very hard to eliminate is that patents who are trying outlandish ideas to "cure" their children's autism are most likely the sort of parents who will force their kids to mask. Since researchers so often measure "how autistic" a kid is by how obvious their "symptoms" are, basically anything the parents try will look like it's working.

[@Csigrandadmrial78]

26:52 I have been stuck in that position for 19 years…. My dad doesn’t care to understand, he just wants to “help.” Yet he hates when I shut or meltdown, calling me childish. He also says “stop being the center of attention” when I just come to say “hi” and he also is to both me and my counselor “verbal abusive.”

[@Csigrandadmrial78]

Anyways time, to go and hate myself… probably going thru burnout…. But I’m not sure

[@marocat4749]

Damn, i hope you get some healthy distance soon. . urg. He sounds pretty abusive, most people arent. :(

[@ladyhagaming]

I am sorry.

[@questioneverything1682]

@@Csigrandadmrial78 Sorry to hear that your father does not/cannot make a real effort to understand. As a retired counselor to autistic children and teens, I met many parents who fit this description. Autism IS complicated and difficult for the majority to understand in that the traits, sensitivities and motivations for "autistic behaviors" are "invisible" and parents can't be expected to be professionally trained experts. But acceptance and gradual growth in knowledge can help a lot. There is NO REASON to hate yourself and no one, including you, should demand that you meet expectations to "just act normal." You are not broken; you are autistic and worthy of love and support. Wishing you all the best and hoping that your counselor is a strong advocate for you.

[@Koozomec]

Your Dad is in denial.

[@ktgrnhig]

Honestly, any time there’s a story like this, I think we need to actually have a sit down with the parents and ask them some important questions. Just them, and a panel of autistic people. I’m sure the conversation will be illuminating for the parents…

[@jamesrichardanthonywoodwri6797]

8:05 - which of the 29 as ABA didnt do it - I'm an ABA Survivor, who forgot he had ABA then had a breakdown last year (2023) and now am reverting back to my authentic self. I was orginally given ABA for (and these were the things that I know about), to stop rocking, eye contact (to give eye contact to start conversations), to say yes to the question "Are you alright?" and i suspect sensory things as well. I had it when i was 5 and now am 32. I think ABA should be banned and should never be used. Additional Edit - The primary school I was at put me into ABA and didn't tell my parents about it - I knew I was different at five so they were better off giving me a diagnosis at that age would had helped more than ABA. I got diagnosed when I was 26

[@jamesrichardanthonywoodwri6797]

But i get your point.

[@rudyproffitt4549]

god, thats horrible. theres no good reason to condition a five-year-old (or anyone at any age, for that matter, but the fact that you were so young is especially angering) into believing that "yes" is the 'correct' answer to "are you alright?" or into believing anything else so potentially detrimental to their emotional and physical health. it's such a dangerous and unkind thing to do. that sounds like an experience that must have been painful to remember and to recognize how it affected you. i hope recovering your authentic self is having a positive impact

[@cmpvariety1764]

Wait a minute. So basically they told you to lie right? Saying yes when someone asks you if you are all right even when you're not, that would be lying. So your therapy taught you to lie. That's not cool.

[@homesteadgamer1257]

Omg this infuriates me! There was a story in that book The Secret that I read when I was like 29-ish (I'm 41 now), and it was literally a mom who so desperately did NOT want her 13 year old daughter to have autism that the mom "manifested" traits she WANTED in her daughter by writing them down and putting them on a dream board where her daughter could see it. And then the mom believed she had "cured" her daughter of autism. I can only imagine the pain and suffering and the intense masking that poor girl had to endure just to make her mother think she had been "cured" of autism. What an effing betrayal. I suspect that girl doesn't talk to her mom anymore. There is literally nothing wrong with us! I fully believe autism is how humans are evolving in reaction to how technology and societal expectations (the go-go-go, dress like this, meetings after meetings, sit still, don't make noise, and so on) is guiding us. We hear and see stuff neurotypical people don't - in the past, these sorts of traits were only given to fictional character is superhero comics.

[@alicia234]

If you want to manifest traits in another person, I certainly wouldn’t put it in a place where they can see it. Although in terms of it being about the type of relationship they’d have, acting as if it’s already in that state, for example, closeness or romance, would be normal. There’s also remote suggestion where someone wrote a guide on Reddit and I tried it. I realized it may have actually worked, looking back, and I regret doing that. It’s putting certain thoughts or feelings, generally romantic or sexual towards you but probably has other uses, into someone else’s mind.

[@34656enjhuuo]

​@@alicia234 Yeah, that would be horrifically unethical, lucky that it is not real at all.

[@PunishedFelix]

These people see their children as property. They say their children don't have souls because they can't make them what they want them to be

[@homesteadgamer1257]

@@PunishedFelix My own mother still sees me as her property, and I'm 41. I really really really there were parents like that in the world. I'm starting to think people need to go through serious screening to see if they qualified to be parents. Anyone can make a kid, but it truly takes good people to raise a kid no matter the circumstance.

[@turbochargedfilms]

​@@PunishedFelix bars

[@rakastellar8955]

Something this ableist can be published these days? Thanks for taking it apart

[@endogladry]

The awful truth is that ableism, racism, sexism, classism is still all over the place. Think about where we were as a species like 10 years ago, 20 years ago, etc. The 1960s was 60 years ago, that's noooothing at all, less than a lifetime.

[@marshmallowweekly8575]

The beginning of this article drives me nuts. Why the hell do you put these kids through so much. These girls basically have no life at all. I feel bad for them so much

[@alisonmercer5946]

Right this is horrible my god why are they saying this cured autism ?

[@ginaribeiro2726]

Those parents are going to be disappointed when they discover that their daughters will never be allistic the hard way. Especially if either of them decide to go no contact later because of how they were treated growing up.... the truth is a hard pill to swallow for some. I feel sorry for these poor girls. They don't deserve to be treated like there's something wrong with them, or that they need to be "fixed".

[@BeeWhistler]

My first red flag was the age of diagnosis. As a mom, I couldn’t believe they diagnosed 1 1/2-year-old babies. Our perdiatrician tried to medicate my son when he was about 3 for ADHD, without a professional diagnosis (besides his opinion as a MEDICAL doctor). I refused… not because I thought my son didn’t have it or couldn’t have it, because it’s all very much in my family. I refused because in what world are 3-year-old boys supposed to be focused and attentive? Let him go to school and see how that works out. Sadly, because of a combination of his aggressive approach and my own uncertainty and ignorance, and some very bad experiences with medical care, I am only just getting myself and my kids the help we’ve all needed for years. He did struggle in school, like his sisters. But attempts to get help from that same pediatrician to get a referral for a proper diagnosis (after he tried to offer medication again without assessment) led to delays as we were sent to a psychologist for help with parenting instead of someone who could do the testing. The problem here is too many people trying to tell you the right things to do and not enough people recognizing that it’s a challenge, not a death sentence, to be neurodivergent. They either want to do too much or not enough. It’s either all your fault or it’s something we need to medicate away. We have professionals that can help but not enough information on who they are. Tbh I had the same issue with weight loss. Everyone talks big about how to do it but no doctor seems to want to send you to the professional who actually knows how to address it.

[@mic_r3756]

I was just diagnosed a little over a week ago and was not given a level. She said our support needs can change throughout our lives, so sometimes we may need significantly more or less support.

[@Molly-iw1rc]

That's a nice way to think about it actually because it's technically true

[@tomthespaceknerd5396]

Yeah, I wasn't given a level either when I was diagnosed, but I was told there is no support for adults anyway, so good luck.

[@ni9274]

@@tomthespaceknerd5396really ? In the Us ? In Europe you have like 10 different organizations that can provide support for free

[@ThatPaintingLass]

This makes me so sick. I can’t even imagine how difficult these kids lives are going to be with parents who want to “fix” them. Your kids are beautiful and wonderful. We need love, acceptance and guidance on how to navigate a neurotypical world. Not to be fixed.

[@depleteduraniumcowboy3516]

50+ yo. Not diagnosed. I leaned to mask very well for a long time and in my rigor to do so I masked when I was alone. It has been incredibly damaging to my mental health. I also have Celiac disease, so no gluten for most the time I have been alive. I've changed my diet to avoid processed foods and take supplements. I have cranial alignment done. None of this was an attempt to "cure" Autism it was to address other health issues. None of that stopped my 2 year shutdown in my 50s.

[@infinitemausoleum721]

These types of people got their nails into my mom hard. She blames herself for how I was born, saying how sorry she is, how she could have eaten better and if she weren't such a "pig" I'd not have to suffer overstimulation. She's otherwise one of the nicest people I know, and they have her convinced she's been abusing me since conception. I don't know how to constructively describe the anger I feel whenever someone mentions nutrition or supplements and ASD in the same breath. Please, everyone, never stop announcing your contempt for these 'studies'.

[@melissacooper8724]

I wish that she would realize that she is not to blame for how you are.

[@Mariya-ex9lu]

“We forbid 2 autistic children to show autistic traits and after very intense conditioning they stopped! Autism is no more” - these scientists. They are such a joke

[@metalsocke]

The fact that they are telling children that *the way they play* is wrong is absolutely astounding to me. It's play. It's supposed to be fun. Is the child having fun? Yes? Then it is "correct" play. And the way to find out if a child is having fun is to ask them. How dare they call our style of play "unimaginative". It's all about imagination! The toys are being lined up and then play commences *inside my head*. That's about as imaginative as it gets!

[@thesaltybeard1793]

Literally the fucking fun police lmao

[@kkimsey5866]

Awww, this is so helpful to hear as a preschool teacher. Of course, I would never interrupt a kid's play or tell them they're doing it wrong. But, I had no idea they might be lining up the toys and playing with them in their heads. That's so cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@pinkpinkpink7717]

You are probably the same kind of person who also thinks teens and young adults still jumping inside a bounce house sometimes is okay too ..

[@lucyla9947]

​@@pinkpinkpink7717 Yeah... What's wrong with it? They aren't hurting themselves are they? Why shouldn't Teens and Young Adults have fun in a Bouncy House. The only concern is if it isn't rated for Adults, but they can just get one that is.

[@PaulaRoederer]

I am so worried about those baby girls. 😕

[@michaelmoses8745]

Same. 30 interventions in 2 years or less is draining for a normie, especially for toddlers. It's legitimately a concern that the kids haven't gotten enough time to sleep or develop a personality.

[@rhettinski]

As a former college student familiar with statistics and research methodology, I am ecstatic that you touched on the 'correlation being misconstrued for causality' issue. That fallacy has been used to trot out vaccines, certain types of cookware and even parenting styles as causes and, like you so clearly stated, these studies used limited sample sizes for the purpose of making statements with far-reaching implications. I also would love to know how often (if at all) competent researchers in the fields of neurology/developmental psychology have successfully replicated the data cited in that Telegraph article. Dare I say that so-called 'journalism piece' was unequivocal ableism, craftily couched within some dense scholarly word-salad ;)

[@jenna739]

I can't imagine support needs diagnoses as a baby would be super accurate. A baby automatically needs substantial support. I just hope the kids are doing okay. That's what matters most

[@emilybixler3166]

Ok but like. God. I've got a history of an ED and it's terrifying to me that researchers could be experimenting with dieting as a cure to autism/neurodivergence. Because on a surface level, they might actually see "results" depending on how restrictive the diet. I'm auDHD, combined type including hyperactivity. I stopped eating breakfast pretty young and stopped eating lunch in middle school. And on the surface, I was not a disruption to the class, I was not bouncing off the walls, and I was not heavily stimming. Of course, the restriction also made me incredibly depressed and unmotivated. When I started eating more, I became so much happier, but I think my neurodivergence became more obvious because I now have an abundance of energy I *need* to expel through stimming.

[@homesteadgamer1257]

They fed those little girls nothing but vegetables????? TODDLERS??? Omg 😭😭😭😭😭 those poor kids.

[@DustyHoney]

I was raised vegetarian and I don’t think eating healthy reduces symptoms of autism. In fact naturally restricted eating is a symptom of autism.

[@maeowve]

Well this is great! I’m making an RPG where you play as an autistic character, and I was a little worried that the way I’m planning to portray systemic ableism would end up being intense to an unrealistic degree. But it seems like my game’s portrayal of ableism will actually be spot-on! *Great* to know /sarcasm

[@Dressup_Doll]

I like trying to write autistic characters and how/if ableism would be present in their lives, so this is also pretty helpful.

[@isacami25]

i get so confused with the "high support" label when applied to toddlers. all toddlers are high support needs. you cannot leave them alone or unsuppervised. what?

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

You mean toddlers can't drive cars? Come back here with my car! 🏃

[@HigoIndico]

I hope that kid survives to be an adult with no serious eating disorder. Making your child to constantly eat something that they dislike, sounds like a start to some mental issues regarding food later on.

[@pathevermore3683]

life long eating disorders and a violent reaction to the smell of artificial peach flavor.

[@korance2808]

This is why people need to be aware of the "argument from authority" fallacy.

[@FuzzyDrain]

Not even 2 mins in and this article seems ridiculous (and love the sims refrence)

[@EricAllenGriff]

Their report should be used as evidence of a case of Child Abuse!!!

[@B.Pandicorne]

Hi! I recently discovered your channel and really appreciate your work. I've watched many of your videos (and just realized I hadn't followed you until now), which have helped me learn more about autism. This led me, in part (along with other factors, of course), to seek an autism diagnosis. And last Friday, at 24 years old, I was officially diagnosed as autistic, with a bonus package of OCD, anxiety disorder, and a history of depressive disorder thrown in for free. (My apologies if any of the wording is off - I'm translating my diagnosis from my native language to English, and combining that with what I know in English about this field.) Financially, I was lucky that it only cost me 500€ (though it should have been free if people had actually listened to me earlier), but it did cost me 16 years of my life crying out for help. It made both my life and my mother's life miserable, as we were ignored by the "professionals" we sought help from because, apparently, "there was nothing wrong" with me. They thought I was just a dramatic kid acting out for attention. Now that I've been freshly diagnosed, I'm facing the reality of the ignorance surrounding autism, which is quite frightening. It makes me wonder, "What am I going to face now?" But watching you speak on this topic in such a well-articulated, clear, and distinct way is really reassuring. I know I’ll still face challenges, even though I now have some answers, but I feel less alone thanks to content like yours. I relate a lot to who you are - or at least, what you share with us in your videos (though I don’t want to assume I know you beyond what you publicly share). I just wanted to thank you for all the work you do! Sorry for the long comment that’s only slightly related to the topic, but I felt the need to share and this seemed like the right place.

[@stephenie44]

2008 was the recession. Lots of lost jobs, houses, and marriages ending in divorce. Maybe autism rhetoric was so bad around that time people parents needed a scapegoat for their woes. 😢

[@404maxnotfound]

What horrible parents how the h3ll can you treat your children like literal lab rats just because they are different the some other kids.

[@keirapendragon5486]

Knowing what I know now about autism, I _strongly_ contend that Autism does NOT NEED to be 'cured'. If anything, society could use more of us. D:

[@mallshoggoth]

the gluten free diet thing messes with me because celiac disease is frequently comorbid with autism, so eating gluten free probably helps some people by accident, and that'll get misinterpreted... on the other hand if you don't have celiac disease you're potentially cutting out some safe foods, making it harder to meet nutritional needs and throwing money out the window. maybe that's where that $15 trillion is going? it definitely feels like I'm spending at least a trillion a year on gluten free bagels T_T

[@alisonmercer5946]

I have celiac disease and going gluten free is annoying enough i cant imagine being forced to do this much restrictive eating and all of the other nonsense to have my autism fakely cured.

[@amandamandamands]

I don't have coeliac, but have a low grade allergy that affects me like intolerance. I eat a low FODMAP diet and was told to eat like that before FODMAP was a thing. Interestingly all of the things that I shouldn't eat due to that diet actually showed up as low grade allergies (the specialist that did the allergy testing (different person to the one that said to eat low FODMAP) said that they are all so low grade that you should just be able to eat normally and not have it affect you life). I don't have to worry about anaphylaxis but they sure do affect me.

[@elainelouve]

​@@amandamandamands do you mean IBS? Allergy is a reaction to a protein in a specific food, and often manifests differently. IBS on the other hand is treated with the FODMAP diet, but the diet doesn't necessarily need to be lifelong. Everything depends on individual situations. I was able to eat normal food for the whole summer, and only needed to start restrictions when my work started again. Stress levels impact my IBS hugely, it's the major factor. I also know a person who needs to follow some of the FODMAP restrictions, but not all. And even she can eat wheat at times, though is mostly gluten free.

[@amandamandamands]

@@elainelouve It would give me IBA symptoms yes. I know that the usual thing for FODMAP is that it isn't life long, I have been on and off it at various times in my life (was told to eat like that when I was 16) and each time which one of the things I will strongly react to changes but eat enough of any of them and I will react. I understand the difference between an intolerance and an allergy. All I know is that for me all of the things showed up on an allergy prick test but the way that they affect me is digestive issues, headaches feeling fluey etc. So when I am eating out I will say that they are intolerances because it won't kill me. Also by staying away from the foods that I shouldn't eat it has healed my gut system and for the first time in my life since I was 16 I am not anaemic (when I was young I gave blood and had to stop after the 2nd or 3rd time because my iron count was too low, I spent most of my life on and off iron tablets to keep the levels up, it has now been 5 years of it not being an issue).

[@mallshoggoth]

@@alisonmercer5946 right, same, it sounds absolutely miserable

[@dawnlinnell]

My dad didn't talk until he was 5, and when he learned more about my daughter, he said..."I think I havce that!" He did and I did. I do feel very betrayed that girls in Gen X were ignored and mostly shamed for being adhd and (unknown) autistic. grrrr.

[@angrycat1232]

Reminds me of one paper which investigated the value judgments made by autistic people, concluding that we were "too moral".

[@saika_s.]

Wait, for real? Isn’t a good thing?

[@elizabethgonzalez1852]

This is like that gut documentary on Netflix that says u can prevent autism or something

[@ladyhagaming]

yes it is and it's horrible

[@WrottJackson]

I think you can name and shame when the results produced are this heinous.

[@kmjc1213]

(Possibly autistic) occupational therapist here- thank you for specifying that this is not what occupational therapists do! We work with autistic people throughout their lives but NEVER do we try to 'cure' or 'reverse' autism. Our job is to help people live as independent and fulfilling lives as possible regardless of what diagnoses they may have. From what I remember the reflex integration being discussed here has some science behind it (in terms of sensorimotor function) but primitive reflexes do not CAUSE someone to have autism, and undergoing this therapy would not impact whether or not someone is autistic.

[@kittensteaparty]

I was first diagnosed around the time all these nonsense reference studies are dated to. My mother kept on making me change diet and crystals and weird lights and massages & alternative shit & telling me how I was broken but would be fixed and at some point just put all my energy into pretending to be normal so she would cease all the nonsense torture. She thought there was some sort of miraculous cure and I went on to develop PTSD from masking and completely burnt out. More happened but eventually had to go no contact with both parents and am now a lot better for it.

[@TT-ue6xx]

In the US, to get the interventions these parents did, they have to be very well off. A lot of people with money tend to think they are superior to others. To me this reads "It can't be MY superior genes! There MUST be another cause!". I am heartbroken for these girls.

[@soyevquirsefron990]

lol there’s something in the water causing ableism. That’s a fun new conspiracy theory. I didn’t catch ableism though, because I am too intelligent to drink unfiltered water. Since I don’t have the disability of ableism, I propose that I should have legal power to make decisions for the ableists.

[@elsamarie222]

this is perfect timing bc I watched a boxing match last night and one of the fighter’s teams(Edgar Berlanga) had t-shirts with a puzzle piece logo on the back and the phrase “fighting autism one piece at a time” and I was like THATS NOT HOW IT WORKS WTF and i made sure to like point out how awful that is bc one of my family members present has said some… Interesting things about autism Edit- spelling error

[@catbatrat1760]

5:46 Wh... why does it say "mushroosm"? Is this seriously the scientific paper? Am I misunderstanding this? A scientific paper that can't even be bothered to spellcheck?

[@JasonStorey]

This is just a personal anecdote but I went full keto with intermittent fasting for 3 months. It 100% improved so many aspects of my life. energy, mood, halved visceral fat levels, dropped 35% of my weight, improved overall attention etc... but when I sat down at my computer and despite everything still failed to string together basic tasks and was unable to wrangle my executive disfunction I don't think I ever felt more depressed in my life. I spiralled for a little bit after that. TL;DR grain of salt, personal experience and all that but I say for me at least having the fun cocktail of adhd, autistism and diabetes as much as I recommend keto and fasting... It doesn't 'cure' the way your brain works.

[@JasonStorey]

Oh and as an aside on the curing the uncureable. One side effect of the above is I "cured" diabetes in so far as I moved out of the diagnostic range of a1c glucose to a "prediabetic" range and stayed there for a while until I had some bad habits again and of course the insulin resistance was still there. In short you 100% can remove the "effects" of (type 2) diabetes with heavy changes to diet and behavior but it doesn't effect the biological realities. I suspect there is a similar reality here. Though I am in my mid 30s so who knows how different things might be at a younger age. Too many variables in all these problems.

[@misspat7555]

I’m so concerned for the wellbeing of these poor girls… I hope they survive and can somewhat recover from their rejection for who they are by their (likely self-hating autistic themselves) parents! 😕

[@izzikat9252]

....look, I know no families are perfect. There are neglected and overemphasized factors, always. Yet the...extreme nature...of the...divergence...in how a parent attempts to care for their children is - inexplicably painful. I cannot find the right words as I try to parse this so I'll leave it at that.

[@vsingerenthusiast]

how could a diet 'reverse' your autism 😦sigh this is perfect to listen to while cooking since its an hour! i love your videos and your voice is really calming haha

[@balamdavinci]

NOT THE ANGRY EARRINGS!

[@angelp2092]

I think the horrible misinformation about autism in 2008-2011 directly influence me not being diagnosed until age 20 early this year. My first memories of showing autism traits and being forced to mask were in those years when I was 3-7y years old (2008-2011). Ironically, I remember family members who supported Autism Speaks at that time being the most ableist towards me, and this year still in denial and judgmental of my diagnosis. The irony is astounding of how much damage to this supposed charity has done to our community.

[@MsSmash1989]

I love how the noted loss of language was right in the middle of covid lockdowns but they ignored that part and pointed out it was after a vaccination 😂😂

[@jessicavigil9144]

Right??? I have a friend whose son was diagnosed and I really don't know if she's in denial or he really doesn't have autism because she's getting a second opinion. They moved out of the country so I haven't seen him since he was two and he was diagnosed before 3 :00 due to lack of language progression..... But there are three languages spoken in the home and a fourth unspoken in preschool..... And it's their biggest basis for his diagnosis.

[@MsSmash1989]

@jessicavigil9144 that's crazy, language is not the most important indicator of an autism diagnosis and 4 languages jeez no wonder the kid is a bit behind with language 😳

[@jessicavigil9144]

@@MsSmash1989 yeah, I rarely speak English at home, but when their relatives, and they switch to their family's native languages (Spanish and Bosnian). And they're currently living in a country where neither of those is spoken, though English and the country's language are both spoken in the preschool. Their next country is going to be one where English is much more prevalent, so hopefully that'll help.

[@DegrassiStKids]

In my mind autism research should be about finding the best way to help people with autism live their life comfortably. And also how to best teach others how to accommodate those with autism because we’re not living in a world that was made for people with autism we’re living in a world that was made for the neurotypical

[@HarryPotter-kb7we]

58% of research goes to genetics and biology, 18% to intervention, and only 5% to services

[@ShayQrchestrals]

I disagree. Autism research should be about that AND a genuine effort towards a 'cure' / reversing it, whenever changing your entire nervous system will be possible. Teaching others how to accomodate autistics in everyday life doesn't remove the inherent struggles that comes with having autism for some (I imagine most) autistics.

[@HarryPotter-kb7we]

@@ShayQrchestrals That depends on what you understand by the concept of autism. It's not necessary to remove autism to potentially ameliorate or cure disabling conditions like sensory, motor and cognitive issues. It's a problem with the reification of autism as if it were a natural kind.

[@ShayQrchestrals]

@@HarryPotter-kb7we I understand autism by the problems it causes me - partly the issues you listed, although I dont have lot of sensory/motor issues, but it's undeniable autism is more so than not a disabling condition. At least for me anyway. I don't really see how it can be otherwise understood. Yes it's a difference, but a difference doesn't always equate to a positive or even a neutral change - unlike what the ND positivity movement keeps preaching. Why wouldn't I want to 'remove autism' in its entirety, if I don't see any benefit from it? (i know it's more nuanced than that but for the sake of argument)

[@jessicavigil9144]

​@@ShayQrchestralsI can only imagine....my kiddo has ADHD and autism. The ADHD definitely comes from both parents. He's at the age where having and keeping friends is really important, and it's his biggest struggle. Despite tons of practice and conversational turn taking and voice regulation, it just doesn't come naturally to him and it can be really off-putting to others. I get it and I know nobody owes him friendship, but it's heartbreaking to see.

[@blisswons]

thank u so much for all ur videos, u taught me so much about being autistic and what that means and to truly understand myself, im so grateful i watched every single one of ur videos so thank u so much for making them every week even tho ur going through stuff with ur landlord and etc, i rly appreciate ur effort and i hope one day i can afford ur patreon🫶🏻🫶🏻

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Thank you soo much for being here! 💛 Patreon keeps telling me it's going to let me gift memberships soon, but I'm still on a 'waiting list' 😩

[@blisswons]

@@imautisticnowwhat AAAAAHHH THANK U FOR REPLYING!! and i ended up being able to get ur patreon im so excited aaaaa

[@manuproulx2764]

I didn't cure my autism! I masked it so hard that I became invisible to most neurotypicals!

[@charlottestormie2739]

Not officially diagnosed yet (Just diagnosed ADHD), but my mom tried to make me more normal when I was 14 by putting the entire family on a low carb diet. I developed an eating disorder later on. It got severe, I could have died. This sort of treatment can have life threatening consequences. It also lets us feel like our parents don't really love us, which is in itself traumatic. My mother lied to me about already having been assessed for autism as we interrupted the diagnostic process because of victim blaming for peer abuse from the school. She kept asking me to be more normal over the years, at some point it came out I was never assessed for autism, and having told medical professionals I was already assessed is a big reason I'm not diagnosed a the age of 30. The wounds ableism among parents can leave on us aren't small and I'm celebrating Christmas alone this year, as I need time to process everything and I'm getting my assessment soon.

[@obcorc]

I am almost without words. This is sad on so many levels, Ya know that particular kind of of distress that gives the feeling "I really want a hug but simultaneously don't want to be touched whatsoever?" Yeah that's how this this vidio is is hitting right now.

[@pilli10]

I have had an autistic manifestation, an autistic apparition! He shows up whenever I look at a reflective surface such as a mirror and has watched this video, I am pretty use he is caused by the EMF from his PC and has listened to some heavy metal.

[@ladyhagaming]

😂 oh dear so that is why I enjoy metal music 🎶

[@RobynRowan]

56:53 "I guess the moral of the story is" "NOBODY LIKES BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO EXCEPT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS HEY EAT A REECES"

[@koalafication1018]

This is like going up to someone missing a leg and say "We can grow your leg back!" (This comment is not implying that we were neurotypical before "becoming" autistic. I just wanted to compare it to something that more people recognize as uncurable)

[@elena_1776]

The section about play was so heartbreaking. Of all things, playing is supposed to be for the child's enjoyment! They're not even allowing these kids to be free and at ease in their free time.