How Film & TV Misrepresented Neurodiversity

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Film and TV have long failed to depict neurodiverse characters with accuracy - often framing them as the "odd one out" or as autistic savants, like in Rain Man (1988). But lately, as our society learns more about neurodiversity, we have begun to see a change. Nuanced portrayals of neurodiverse characters aim to put us in their shoes and give us a window into how they experience the world differently. Audiences have rallied behind characters such as Abed (Danny Pudi) in Community, and Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Sherlock, reclaiming and celebrating them for providing authenticity to neurodiverse stories.
Here’s our take on our evolving understanding of the neurodivergent character, and why film and TV have a responsibility to show us that thinking and behaving differently are not problems that need to be fixed.
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[@trinaq]

While we can all acknowledge that Sia's "Music" was a complete disaster, my sympathy goes out to Maddie Ziegler. She was just 14 during filming, yet she broke down on set because she was worried that the autistic community would think that she was making fun of them. Sia should never have forced Maddie into an uncomfortable position, and really should have known better.

[@AxxLAfriku]

I don't have any friends because they are ashamed of the videos I upload. Are they really that bad, dear sia

[@PhoenixRising87]

I really feel for Maddie, especially since a lot of Sia's and her relationship has some...pretty troubling undertones of grooming (not sexual grooming necessarily, but manipulative nonetheless).

[@KealohaHarrison]

As a musician on the spectrum, I was absolutely appalled when I saw the film, if blame should be assigned to anyone for that flying dumpster fire of a film it should be on Sia, not Maddie Ziegler.

[@bethieandbooks]

He had all the right instincts and I’m so pissed that Sia gaslit her into doing the film

[@Alina-xu7nn]

I know I watched the trailer for it, and I don't personally have autism. But the movie was super stigmatizing and really cruel. I wonder why Sia thought her movie spread a good message 😬😬🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@gabriellaberman]

I’m dying to see mainstream media about women/girls with ADHD. To say we’re under represented would be an understatement. I swear so many girls with ADHD, including myself, didn’t get diagnosed until adulthood because we didn’t know how it presented in girls!

[@alejandraolvera5029]

I was diagnosed until last year (I was 24) after living in hell not knowing why I was that way my whole life and without treatment because there's not enough information about ADHD on women/girls and it usually gets represented as being the naughty kid who is loud and runs around the classroom the whole time.

[@brynmcclennan973]

I just found out I have adhd (20) even though I've always presented so many symptoms, and was even wrongly tested as a kid because most media only shows boys who are hyperactive with adhd. It's really harmful :(

[@McSnezzly]

Yepp. Plus all the media is about the horrors of medicine. Adderall is a god send for me. It literally helped me fix my sleep that I didn’t know my adhd was disturbing. I spent so many years in school suffering because I’m “lazy” and “weird” but all I needed was therapy and medicine

[@renatacanales5474]

I got diagnosed a month ago. When I was in school I did really good, but when I got into college I couldn’t keep up and started doubting how smart I was. Everyone around me told me I was capable because I have always been pretty responsable but I just felt like everything I did wasn’t enough. When I went to the psychiatrist to get tested for depression and anxiety,he told me that I didn’t have them but adhd and people haven’t noticed because I have always been quite.

[@balkncoker2727]

I think that Lorelai from Gilmore Girls is the perfect example for undiagnosed adult Adhd in women.

[@timothyboykin9318]

As an Black Autistic actor, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE! TURN IT UP

[@trinaq]

Ditto, I'm so looking forward to seeing them delve into Hollywood's portrayals of Autism.

[@PhoenixRising87]

[fist bump] Autistic while Black solidarity.

[@Random-Draw-Time]

Post some videos then! I'd love to see your work and support you. 😝 Abed is like the only Autistic Guy in Pop culture who isn't White.

[@timothyboykin9318]

@@Random-Draw-Time oh I'm on tiktok @blackautisticking !

[@monkey.dchomsy9464]

@@timothyboykin9318 I shall check you out brother. I have ADHD

[@catsrule1343]

One thing I hate is how OCD in media is often portrayed as quirky or silly, when it can actually be very a very distressing disorder to have. One of the running gags in Friends is that Monica always needs to keep stuff clean, but the show never bothers to go beyond a surface level joke about a potentially serious disorder. One of the reasons I love the show Girls is because it shows through Hannah's character how OCD can be difficult to deal with and is much more than just a silly joke.

[@NJGuy1973]

@@diegoalexiscastanedalara1852 On the other hand, the character of Sugar Motta was a wasted opportunity to show neurodiversity.

[@McSnezzly]

Yeah like, OCD can manifest as skin picking and hair pulling, leaving a lot of us with deep scars. It’s seeing someone break down crying because it’s 3am and they just can’t stop organizing and reorganizing and reorganizing. It’s difficulty maintaining relationships. Having horrible, torturous thoughts that won’t leave

[@nexusSix_237]

I like the OCD in matchstick men. Shows how exhausting it can be

[@taiyabazaheer9492]

Ummm... I love the fact that they never went beyond the surface of any character's problem in FRIENDS and kept it strictly a comedy. The show's dealing of problems with light-heartedness and humour gave me a new perspective on my problems and helped me come out of depression finally without external help which my parents refused. I love FRIENDS and wouldn't change a thing about it.

[@magdalenamasheva701]

@@taiyabazaheer9492 as

[@drtaverner]

I really related to Abed. He seemed like the most Aspie character ever. Every Aspie I know (including myself) hates to discover we have hurt someone because of our neurodivergence. There's a kindness even while we don't understand what happened. Sheldon on TBBT tends to blame others for his social errors and is outright cruel to characters like Amy. I found Abed far more genuine, especially when he found a way to communicate through film the feelings he couldn't communicate via words, or lines like "I think everyone is angry, or hungry, I'm not sure which."

[@childfreechurch4854]

Not trying to attack. I just have to mention that the autism community finds the terms aspie and asperger's highly offensive. Not only do they sound like insults, the term was officially removed from the DSM5, and the name comes from nazi war criminal hans Asperger who genocided children with autism.

[@childfreechurch4854]

Also totally agree about Abed. Never have i more identified with a character.

[@maddyb7899]

As an autistic person I'm so sick of us being portrayed as 'special' or 'gifted' in a way to make us seem valuable like in sherlock like he's extremely smart and that's why people put up with him. It's so frustrating or how we're infantilised by people and deemed 'cute' all the time and how people don't understand that not everyone with autism is the same. We're different. Cause we're different people. Also the lacking of neuro-divergent women is stifling. Thank you for this video!

[@mewesquirrel6720]

Yeah people usually say you're a Rain Man or that typical "white kid who's smart in math or something"

[@jewishautisticnerd3874]

They don't make stories about people nt or nd that aren't special or gifted in some way

[@Intrinseque52]

Maybe you should question your tastes in movie. There are ton of movie that depicts "real" people very fairly. Just not your average "watch and forget" american tv show or blockbuster. Don't be a mindless consommer, watch something else...

[@mydogeatspuke]

Plenty of autistic people are "special" or "gifted" though. So should we only portray autism as neurotic, easily offended, and "not like other girls" instead? Just swing in the completely opposite direction so that so much bandwidth isn't wasted on social media complaining?

[@JulianaLimeMoon]

@@mydogeatspuke Don't act dumb, they were clearly complaining about there being only two kind of autistic people portrayed on TV.

[@Angi3_6]

In The Secret Life of an American Teenager, there is a character who has down syndrome, being played by someone with down syndrome. They showed that he was interested in sex like the other characters were. There is a stereotype that many nuerodivergent people are sexless, so I thought that was great.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

This Video definetly did not give some facts enough time to breath and show the scale of just how intense they are: -Sia's 'Music' was utter nonsense and not just bad for a single Detail. -Sherlock Holmes in 'Sherlock' is absolutely a Magical Being. A Thing. Hbomberguy; the Legend he is; has made a big Essay-Video about this. Its extremly recommendable.

[@natgonzza]

Have you seen Never Have I ever? There's a character/actress with DS. She's so cool! She sees potential in her traditional jock brother and pushes him, she loves fashion, she's actually a designer and she has a job! It's amazing.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@Fern the Green Fairy I dislike the term 's-ual being'. Always sounded weird.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@Fern the Green Fairy Words are Hard

[@niyaakbar1098]

The same thing was done in Glee. It was the one time they actually used a plot to teach something which was the misinformation about people with autism (Becky) and sex/relationships

[@MadameTamma]

I hate when Neurodivergent characters are presented as uncaring of others feelings because they can't read the room very well. I was diagnosed with aspergers a little later in life and whenever I upset someone because I wasn't able to pick up immediately on how they were feeling, I would always feel so bad about it afterwards, like coming home from high school after being called out for saying something insensitive and bawling my eyes out in my room because I never wanted to hurt anyone and wondering if I was just a mean, or stupid person.

[@calliope6623]

Exactly. People throw around the word "empathy" without defining it, and I think it really needs to be separated in to three different things: 1. Being able to read other people's feelings. 2. being emotionally and viscerally affected by the body language or tension of those around you. and 3. Having compassion for other people. It is possible to be very good at reading people and use that knowledge to help them, or, to use it for manipulative, self centered purposes. It is possible to be viscerally affected by the emotions of other people and choose to distance yourself from them because it's overwhelming, or, to develop a keen awareness of your body, and learn to appreciate the sharing of human experiences. It is also possible to be really bad at all of this, and still care about people. Especially if you remain curious and open to listening.

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

I am sorry you had that experience when you were younger. And for what it's worth, I am happy you are more educated on it now. You are not mean, and you are not a stupid person. This irks me when people automatically assume that persons on the Autistic Spectrum struggle with empathy, or feeling for others. Nope... a person on the antisocial personality scale hard enough to be considered narcissist, sociopath or psychopath, struggles with empathy or feeling for others. And antisocial does not mean unsociable or introverted. It means severely underdeveloped in terms of empathy.

[@skellymom]

Sending hugs ❤️

[@halfdemonprince]

This why why Sheldon Cooper is such a strange character. It’s painfully obvious that he has Aspergers, or is at least somewhere on the spectrum. Yet the writers never explain it, or do anything nuance with him. It also doesn’t help that he’s the rudest and most sexist out of all the characters, and never grows out of it. Which would’ve been explained if the writers just admitted that he’s on the spectrum and therefor can’t grow out of his behavior.

[@SofiaCalotti]

@@calliope6623 Exactly this. I was basically looking for a comment about this, both autism and empathy are more complex than is usually shown.

[@DavidArmBarr]

Much-needed credit to Dan Harmon - fellow Aspie and creator of Community + Abed. '6 seasons and a movie.'

[@teenkitsune]

Wow, had no idea he was on the spectrum too.

[@NobodyC13]

@@teenkitsune Apparently when he was looking into the ASD to research Abed's character, that he began to notice similarities with himself and went to get a diagnosis.

[@isabelaneves7253]

Still waiting for the movie

[@bally7675]

i'm still shook that harmon figured out that he's autistic after researching asd *after* the first season of community came out where abed was coded as autistic.

[@bally7675]

@@NobodyC13 there's a great interview where harmon mentions that he began writing community as identifying with jeff winger as the version of himself that he wanted to be, but after looking into asd, the autistic community, and why the autistic community embraced abed, then wrote for the rest of the series identifying with abed as some form of who he currently is/was.

[@claredawson9420]

Neurodiversity encompasses more than Autism. For example ADHD overlaps with Autism in many ways and has often been represented in myriad ways in popular culture which is worth discussion. The video is brilliant as an essay on autistic representation, but the title is misleading. Also, 'Aspergers' is an outdated name/diagnosis (for what is Autism) deriving from Nazism so an asterisk to acknowledge that would have been beneficial. --Also acknowledging the white-centred Autistic representation that badly needs diversifying.

[@hdigalob]

I wanted to second this, as well as to note that one person is "neurodivergent," not "neurodiverse."

[@friesxnxcoke]

@@hdigalob Yes, This! The title is very misleading.

[@miekewriteswithyou5889]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt like this wasn't about neurodivercity but autism. I expected it to change once they mentioned tourets, but Im kinda sad they didn't go beyond this

[@littlemy7622]

This exactly!! I was very excited to hear about ADHD rep and was left quite disappointed :(

[@patriciablanco1146]

I support this completely, that's why I got in here. If you're using the term "neurodivergent" then you have to include several of them, I wanted to see the ADHD part as a person with ADHD myself

[@gabriellaberman]

I think this video is great, but neurodiversity is SO much more than just autism. I don’t like how this video uses the blanket term “neurodiverse”, but only really discusses ASD. I have ADHD and never see characters in media with ADHD, unless they’re self centred men with short attention spans.

[@brasiliania]

Exactly!!!

[@roxasrocker9154]

Yes I agree :) Great vid, but I just wish they touched on more forms of neurodiversity. I had no idea my dyslexia was a part of neurodiversity until recently. I’d like all forms of neurodiversity to be touched on more

[@DahianaG]

They not only mention autism as neurodiversity, it's just the main focus of the video

[@mills2942]

Because there's only one good ADHD character in media and that's Maria from "Sound of Music" and she was written before it was in the DSM. The media won't even try to represent us.

[@maryjanerx]

They show A Beautiful Mind, and that character had schizophrenia

[@trinaq]

"Everything's gonna be Okay" is one of my favourite shows, and I love how realistic its portrayal of Matilda's autism is. It helps that her actress, Kayla Cromer, and the creator, Josh Thomas, are also on the spectrum, which helps to create an authentic performance.

[@iaracabral1033]

Mine too!! I identify a lot with Drea and Josh specially

[@watchingthebees]

@@iaracabral1033 yes, I relate so much to Drea! It’s so refreshing to see a character on tv who speaks just like me and has the same mannerisms and everything! Also, the fact that she’s hyposensitive to touch! I’m like that too and people never talk about it in media, they only talk about being hypersensitive

[@bally7675]

the show came out when i had just gotten a diagnosis (at 21!) so i found it really reassuring to see representation of a woman with asd, who had talents, but wasn't just an 'autistic savant'

[@az19091]

That show helped me realize that I am autistic. It was specifically the part where Genevieve helps Nicholas fill out an online AQ test. His answers were exactly what mine would have been.

[@aussieman3021]

Last year may have been sucky, but it was where we seemed to be getting the pinnacle of autistic representation, not just through that show, but also the Pixar short film Loop, where Pixar teamed up with Autistic Self Advocacy Network to help out on the film, when compared to Music where Sia teamed up with Autism Speaks.

[@MekareP]

My son and I are ADHD. I had to argue with and almost yell at his music teacher because she insisted that the clinical psychologist who diagnosed him was wrong about him not being autistic. Autism almost seems like a buzzword when it comes to school. Any kid who is different is almost always pinned at "possibly autistic". This waters down experiences and feelings of kids who are autistic and completely ignores the (different) needs that kids with ADHD have. It just feels like no matter what it is, including our own diagnosis it's always through the lens of neurotypicals.

[@HawkIsMercurial]

I have ADHD and once a group of friends told me that I was most definitely autistic. Both things share traits but they're not the same, but people do not know this.

[@jessatlife]

Autism and ADHD coexist often. I have both, and sometimes it’s difficult to pin down what trait belongs to which condition. But what I’m trying to say is, being autistic doesn’t discard the possibility of having ADHD and vice versa. Your teacher was still wrong to want to diagnose, though.

[@nexusSix_237]

I aggree it is a buzz word! And not everyone with ADHD OR OCD has ASD, yes those traits can go along with someone with ASD but you can have the others and not autism.

[@greyLeicester]

You are not ADHD you HAVE ADHD

[@nexusSix_237]

@@greyLeicester HAHAHAAA! Why you so wound up over her wording? Are you that fragile and riled up over something so small? You will never survive life little snowflake. Grow some brain cells and comprehend on an adult level.

[@dani01949]

I understand that this video speaks about autistic characters and their trope. However, since the title includes "neurodiversity" I'd like to add that ADHDers also can hyperfocus. We usually hyperfocus in things that are not the thing we're to supposed to do, though.

[@kateblase9436]

Hyperfocus is actually in the ADHD diagnostic questions, while it is not for autism, so every time this was brought up as an autistic trait (which it absolutely can be!!) But ADHD WAS NEVER MENTIONED it made my blood boil

[@lunar686]

@@kateblase9436 Hyperfocus is not in the diagnostic criteria for ADHD in either the most recent or previous edition of the DSM. It’s a commonly reported symptom but not part of the criteria. Also whilst the same word is used within both disorders there’s differences in its presentation and the underlying neural network activations that cause it...in autism it is more ‘hyperfixation on detail’, where the focus is on burying down into minute task details and activates seritonergic functions in the brain (well from what we know of anyway lol) whereas is adhd is often ‘hyperengagement’ and is more to do with dopamine flooding and results in lots of tasks being focused on in quick succession, like a video game or other tasks that doesn’t involve the original objective lol.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

This Video is acting as if Films and Shows were the only thing to present or mispresent Autism: Why is this video not showing a second of Cartoons, Anime or Manga?! It jumps into the Eye; especially thanks to ‚Marcy’ from ‚Amphibia’ being the most recent And in-peoples-head-right-now Example of a very Healthy Autism-Representation.

[@lunar686]

@@loturzelrestaurant I think the channel is about an analysis of visual representations in mostly popular western movies and television. Although you raise a really interesting point 😊! Anime and manga are becoming increasingly more and more popular throughout the world and it would be awesome to see an analysis of how neurodiversity is portrayed in basically one of the popular forms of storytelling. Personally, and whilst my knowledge is obviously limited to the content I’ve viewed (which I’m assuming for any true fan would be barely scratching the surface lol...after all I prefer dubbed to subbed 😹😹😹), I do have a strong preference to how it is portrayed in that media format, in comparison to how it’s portrayed in popular western media. Mostly because I can’t register any virtue signalling in it, and neuro diversity is simply presented as just another facet of a character, rather than being the core defining feature or the sole storyline as we see in popular western media. This is just my interpretation but I would love to hear your thoughts 😊🌸😊

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@lunar686 Of course? Why do you say this like ist not common knowledge though and your wise for knowing it? Anime is already popular thoughout the world. Its already everywhere. Especially worth pointing out is the one literally just now making News in the Autism-Community: Marcy; a Cartoon-Character.

[@punkrockjoanofarc]

As a neurodivergent, seeing Sia’s movie angered me deeply

[@trinaq]

Me too, just watching the scene where Music is "crushed" during her breakdown made me cringe, since in reality, that would make the problem SO much worse.

[@sammyvictors2603]

As a neurodivergent as well, same for me. Which is why I plan to write a book with a neurodivergent protagonist.

[@sammyvictors2603]

@@katherinealvarez9216 very bad, like all caricatures rolled into one.

[@TM-qt2ze]

@@trinaq Pressure can be soothing, and restraining can be necessary with episodes of self harm, but the thing it's that it can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, portrayals shouldn't be so light.

[@CL-je6sv]

@@trinaq Watching that scene made me panic, because I was thinking about how much worse that would make me feel if I was having a meltdown and someone did that. I like pressure (tight hugs etc.) if I'm upset and almost to a meltdown, but once it has started, being "crushed" or even hugged would be terrible.

[@leoandersson6461]

Being diagnosed with Aspergers, I can't relate to any autistic characters in films. It's just presented as a superpower and never portrays the rough side of it. Like for example the huge unemployment within the Asperger's community, the drug abuse, gambling addictions, alcoholism, the feeling of being alienated and lonely, the overrepresentation of neurodivergents within the prison system, the feeling of being looked upon as an idiot, a psycho or a creep, teenagers with the disorder that are getting in all sorts of trouble, etc and etc. Most on the spectrum aren't billionaire math geniuses but are people mostly in the middle class or working-class conditions struggling to make ends meet. Personally, the most accurate depiction of my Asperger is Taxi Driver. The social awkwardness that Travis has and that you don't notice until its too late that you are socially awkward and make everybody uncomfortable is so spot on, especially when he takes the woman to the porn theatre. Not being able to read social cues as well as the normal population, I admit I have been in similar situations and felt so bad for it.

[@tenshinokuragari]

Just an FYI, we stopped using “Aspergers” about 10 years ago. The diagnosis is now folded into autism, so it’s not accurate to keep using Aspergers as a term (even for those of us who were originally diagnosed with it, I was too). Not to mention, Hans Asperger had Nazi ties and sent disabled children to be euthanised (so we don’t wanna keep his name).

[@ilian3199]

@@tenshinokuragari As far as I'm aware and I talk to a lot of with people diagnosing, whether we still diagnose autism and Asperger separately depends on where you live for ex. in Poland both terms will be replaced by autistic spectrum in year or two. It is also important to remember that USA use different system for diagnosing psychological problems from EU

[@tenshinokuragari]

@@ilian3199 that’s an interesting note

[@jessatlife]

@@ilian3199 not a “problem.” An “illness” or “condition.” Also, whether the system they use is different or not, it still doesn’t justify the use of the term. Many in the community all over the world, including Europe, have rejected it because of its origin.

[@leoandersson6461]

@@tenshinokuragari I know that, but I still want a term that separates it from autism, because a lot of people see me differently if I say autism instead of Aspergers. Because autism is more associated with the stronger symptoms while I have just milder. If I say autism, people will start talk to me like a five-year-old.

[@Hannah-mu1uj]

I was so excited to watch this video as a woman with ADHD, which is under the umbrella of neurodiversity. I learned a lot about the autism spectrum watching this, but if that’s the only diagnosis discussed meaningfully in the video, maybe you should change the title. There’s already so much misrepresentation of ADHD, I think this video may create *more* misconceptions about neurodiversity by exclusively focusing on the autism spectrum.

[@daniellehenderson907]

The ultimate irony of a video about the misrepresentation of neurodiveristy that then misrepresents neurodiversity. It’s like calling for greater representation of BIPOC and then only focusing on black people and their experiences.

[@Layla12251]

@@daniellehenderson907 Same, as a person with bipolar, there's plenty of films that portray bipolar, but often focus on the manic side of bipolar, rather than the neurodiverse bipolar mind. A good example of bipolar is in Homeland.

[@wiskeslagroom2472]

If they had called the video how film and tv misrepresent autism it would have been fine but with this name the take shows their own ignorance about the broad definition of neurodiversity as a woman with adhd this is very disappointing

[@annaluisa3933]

Felt the exact same way! "neurodivergent" is not the polite new way of saying "autistic". "Autism" is not a dirty word! If you mean that, just say that. The neurodivergent community is, funnily enough, diverse. It'd be cool to actually see that accurately represented sometime. Not in this video though, i guess.

[@Kikua1612]

Saaame. I would love to see some representation of ADHD that’s primarily inattentive. So sick of the ADHD = running around like a 6 year old / being loud and disruptive trope.

[@MadameTamma]

Recently I saw the movie Luca, and there's one character in it that has one arm. the character simply explains that he was just born like this, and then the fact that he's missing an arm isn't really brought up again afterwards. It got me thinking about how people with physical disabilities are normally portrayed in the media and I'd love it if the Take would make a video on that.

[@secretlybees]

My aunt was born without a hand. Before I met her, my mom told me about it and let me ask a bunch of questions so I wouldn't embarrass her, since she was uncomfortable with it. I learned young that some people were disabled/different and I should just treat them like people. It's okay to have curiosity, but it can be uncomfortable if you're not close, so just look at them like anyone else. I'm really lucky to have had that experience and I think it's sweet that a film can do that for others!!! It makes me happy

[@helena2037]

"i have autism, my dad regrets vaccinating me, thats a joke" is great because not only is it really funny but it lets an autistic character make a joke and not BE the joke

[@robertstan298]

Yeah I agree, that's a great joke, in more ways than one.

[@jennifermanning8282]

I wish more had been said about ADHD. It's such a misunderstood disease and shares many of the traits in this video assigned to ASD. Tiger is what textbooks say young boys with ADHD look like. That's not how it presents in adults or women.

[@gabriellaberman]

Yes! I was thinking this the whole time. I NEVER see myself represented in media. And if I do see characters I really identify with, they never outright say they have ADHD. I thought adhd was like characters like Tigger and Bart Simpson as a kid. I think this is part of the reason I was diagnosed at 20. I was never a hyperactive kid

[@Mibbitmaker]

And whenever it is mentioned, you only hear about ADHD, not ADD. Of course people with ADHD have more more to deal with than those of us with ADD, but the later seemed to vanish in discussions. And, yeah, both needed more representation in this video.

[@sarahcicle8592]

I think Tony Stark would be a great representation of adult adhd, there’s even a book published by marvel that states he might be adhd....we’re sooooo close to it being canon

[@Alina-xu7nn]

yes! I don't personally have ADHD but I do have OCD which is I think similarly or at least close to as misunderstood as ADHD

[@lunar686]

@@Mibbitmaker I think the last time ADD was used was in 1987 when the name simply changed to ADHD and a few years later the new DSM came out...the weird thing I find is that it is clearly a spectrum disorder but they don’t want to let go of the dichotomous categories lol

[@adammyers7383]

An asexuality video AND a neurodiversity video?? The Take making me feel really seen lately!

[@trinaq]

Ditto, Christmas has definitely come early, right?! 😻

[@nesser52]

Saaaamee 🎇

[@robinfa1477]

Yes. I've been waiting for these.😁

[@sarahcicle8592]

As an Demisexual Autistic ADHDer...yessss

[@twigthetroll9279]

SAAAAAAME

[@thebohemianserb2114]

Is neurodiversity a disability? Yes, it definitely can be. Is neurodiversity an advantage? Yes, genius is neurodiverse. Two things can be true at the same time, they aren't mutually exclusive. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without being neurodiverse but I also wouldn't have gotten this far without my medications.

[@mysteriiis]

Exactly so. The advantages tend to be situation dependent. While the disabling parts make everything difficult.

[@emilymatthews2990]

Agreed. Being Neurodiverse to me means high intelligence and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

[@CL-je6sv]

Agreed. I can intensely focus on things I like, which is definitely an advantage, but also usually get overwhelmed if I'm in a room with people talking loudly. It's a very complex thing.

[@fnjesusfreak]

I describe it as a double-edged sword or a mixed blessing. I understand the advantages but damn if it doesn't feel like I'm cursed sometimes.

[@deeeemac]

Writing from my husband's account because I need to say this: touche. I have lived very much the same experience.

[@SchatzInaoriginal]

I got to agree with the sentiment of a lot of my fellow ADHD people here. As a woman with ADHD I was excited that my condition would get the spotlight for once! Especially women with ADHD are gravely underrepresented and it needs to be called out! I don't think the video did that. It felt like the video was almost entirely about ASD, which is important to talk about too, but it sometimes feels like it the only "neurodiversity" people recognize. ADHD is so stigmatized in media. ADHD traits are almost always used to code characters as "unlikable" "difficult" "annoying" There has also been a worrying trend where a character saying "I've got self diagnosed ADHD" has become shorthand for "I'm going to be a dick, you won't like me!" Now this is regarding men. For women with ADHD? It's like we don't actually exist. I saw myself represented in "the manic pixie dreamgirl" being quirky, impulsive, hyper-focused but constantly daydreaming and having many special interests that seemed to change every week. Yes we are bubbly, sociable, funny, quirky, creative. I love that side of me. But what they never show is Executive Disfunction, Time Blindness, Lack of Object Permanence, the Anxiety we USE to mask our ADHD symptoms, the hoops we have to jump through to be accepted. The intensity of our emotions, which seem "too much" to neurotypical people. I'm tired of seeing ADHD ONLY portrait as hyperactivity. I'm hardly ever outwardly hyperactive. My brain goes at 100 miles per hour. I ALWAYS feel restless unless I'm 100% comfortable and no one acknowledges how TIRING it is to have ADHD. I'm exhausted all the time, I spend so much of my day lying in bed just trying to recover from living in a world that wasn't built for me. For a long time I had no idea why I felt this way. I hadn't had the slightest clue, because I never saw it put on screen. It felt taboo to be the way I am. It wasn't till my mid 20s that a doctor recognized my debilitating symptoms as what they are. All I had known about ADHD at that point was from media. A small hyperactive loud white boy who could not sit still in class and who would be heavily medicated till he "grows out of it" When I went back home that day after my doctor told me about it I found resources online that described the symptoms in women. I cried for 3 days straight. It was like seeing all my pain collected on one page and it FINALLY made sense. It all clicked. It also comes with the realization that the many times I've been "rejected"... often times I've been a victim of discrimination. Fired from jobs, kicked out of flatshares, ridiculed by teachers. They all feel justified because in a society where the value of a person is decided by how "productive" we are, having a disability that makes us unable to produce at times is the ultimate sin. It's invisible, so everyone looks at us and sees a personal failing. The amount of times people have told me "Just do it!" "I don't see how it could be this hard?" "Try harder!" There is a line in the video that talks about how neurodiversity is stepping away from the idea that we're "disabled" and I have to disagree. As long as our world only accommodates and rewards Neurotypicals and punishes and challenges Neurodivergent people we're being disabled by society. I don't feel "able" when I spend 6 hours procrastinating going to the bathroom, when I really have to pee. I don't feel able when accessing "disability services" take 10 different steps that are complicated and require me to complete tasks that I struggle with. It's not empowering when Neurotypical people tell you that being different is "a gift" when they never even acknowledge what we really go through. ADHD deserves to be talked about more!

[@Bluebird-vd4je]

yup this! I totally understand u. It's rlly hard having ADHD. especially if u arent hyperactive. I call my day successful if I get out of bed. but it feels rlly shit when my mother comes home and asks me why am I so lazy? what have I been doing the whole day? how can u feel tired? u did notting the whole day! meanwhile I feel like I have been at war and didn't get any rest at all :( my sis is hyperactive as well as my mom and they don't seem to have so many problems with interacting and energy I watch them and always ask myself from where is it coming I am more combined leaning heavily on inatentive some days I don't even feel like speaking cuz it requires so much energy let not talk about keeping a job or friendships.

[@mss6235]

My god I am a girl with ADD and until I just read what you wrote, I hade no clue of the extant of the effect this disorder had on me. Honestly, thank you so much for sharing

[@hilalk-b]

I diagnosed at age 21 even though I have a long history with psychiatry they have never looked for neurodivergence for me before. I have extreme rejection sensitivity and I still am afraid of socializing. I like myself for who I am but being bubbly and talkative woman is still considered unlikeable and I hate people can't accept me with my neurodivergence just because they think it isn't ladylike.

[@aleeexbarajas]

I saw Abed from Community the cover, I’m definitely here.

[@trinaq]

I agree, Abed is my favourite character, and I love how he isn't treated as a joke within the show, but as a valued person in the group.

[@garfieldseviltwin97]

Abed is a divine being !

[@AliFareedMC]

@@trinaq except for Jeff who uses Abed when it benefits him and ridicule him when it is not

[@garfieldseviltwin97]

@@AliFareedMC Jeff is the worst - I hate him so much

[@taiyabazaheer9492]

The best portrayal of mental illness was in John Greene's 'Turtles All The Way Down'. Protagonist is a high school girl suffering from OCD. The portrayal is so honest and brutal but at the same time comforting and positive. Loved it to the core as sm1 with mild OCD.

[@TheBibliophiliac]

The Weight of Our Skies was also written by a person with OCD and is also a good representation.

[@rashonmyeed]

If The Take are looking for a group that is misrepresented for the future, Muslims are so incredibly misrepresented as characters or are portrayed as bad guys. Example, that one where someone breaks their fast with alcohol, WHAAT?? Honestly, i'd rather not be represented at all than be misrepresented.

[@Uspr73]

Imagine muslim, neurodivergent, ace, female 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@luuuuux_]

@@Uspr73 the horror. As if someone can ever be *that* diverse /s

[@caroskaffee3052]

yeah babe thats how hollywood sees everyone who is not like americans. i am german and we are constantly painted as villains and nazis who are screaming all the time. same goes for russians, they are also always the villains. that's just how it is.

[@lunar686]

Imagine if they had both positive AND negative characteristics and they came across on screen as human...just because an individual does not perfectly follow their faith does not mean the only alternative is an evil bad guy....there’s more to people than their faith and nationality but someone failed to give Hollywood the memo... now we’re stuck watching movies where the personality qualities of the lead actor is that they are (drumroll)....female!!! Lol I don’t hate it because I’m not feminist, I hate it because it’s boring and two-dimensional lol

[@lunar686]

@Skeptical Idealist too true. It is unfortunate how the word has been co-opted over time. i’ve never really liked anything that says that someone is better than somebody else based on immutable characteristics.

[@Jadesmorot]

While Zendeya herself might not have OCD, I personally think Rue from Euphoria is one of the best depictions of OCD I've ever seen, As a queer mixed person (who happened to have a white trans girlfriend) having Rue be a real fleshed-out character was so refreshing and while her drug addiction might be seen to some as overshadowing her OCD diagnose I think that a lot of the symptoms she expresses mimic and amplify the symptoms and experiences of having OCD. The way she obsesses over her drugs while being scared/repelled by them and the existential dread she feels when something goes wrong whether it be drug-related or not was, to say the least, a phat mood

[@aalaixa]

I agree with other comments: Your title is misleading. A quick Google search told me there are at least 9 recognized types of neurodiversity. You only focus on autism and shortly - very shortly and not at all sufficiently - mention ADHD, OCD, TS. How about the other 4 kinds?

[@peachqueen7133]

aspergers isn’t a diagnosis anymore, it is just autism

[@aalaixa]

@@peachqueen7133 Sorry, I forgot that. I'll edit it out of my comment

[@peachqueen7133]

@@aalaixa ur all good! thank you:)

[@slevinchannel7589]

Hollywood-Autism is a Term that exists. Go figure. I mean... its bad.

[@fuhgetabatit1051]

I hate watch this channel for it’s bewildering stupidity.

[@lita313]

I didn't realize that Andy was also Austic. I'd like to see more women of color, hell even women who are Austic. Its the same when it comes to the LGBTQ community. Media shows mostly white men, then white women every so often. Anyone who doesn't fit those groups are ignored. Or told they're not Austic orpart of the community.

[@lkeke35]

Can confirm. I'm autistic, and the only WOC I can think of, on TV, is the Black female character from Stephen King's The Other (which was excellent!) played by Cynthia Erivo. Check it out. She's great!

[@sakuranovaryan9261]

Ok its sadly true that not only media doesn't show much sides of female autism,in real life, female autism and adhd goes undiagnosed a lot. In the past also it used to get gaslighted under the old term of female hysteria

[@comparsa1]

LGBT women are overexploited, we need more non-binary people and Gay and trans men

[@jennyfab312]

@@lkeke35 the series is actually called "The Outsider" The series was outstanding. I loved it

[@alwynwatson6119]

It’s really stupid that people do that because there is no evidence that Autism is just a white person thing. Or just a male thing.

[@sarahellis6703]

haven't watched the whole video yet but one of the things that always drives me crazy is how the characters I relate to, whether they are canonically neurodiverse or just coded that way, are always treated as a cringe character or someone that everyone agrees is annoying. it sucks to see yourself in a character and then have that character treated like shit by everyone because of the traits you see in yourself

[@DahianaG]

Like Pearl

[@kahkah1986]

yes, if you are a high functioning ND misreading social cues can be an occasional annoyance, it isn't your only defining characteristic and most people do get used to you. Tbf, even in shows like The Big Bang Theory, characters may complain but they actually do tolerate ND characters like Sheldon and Amy, they are friends with them, they have all been bullied/ abandoned etc. so they do bond over that, there is a shared level of empathy.

[@nexusSix_237]

Yes! But those are the people I'm drawn to, on tv and IRL. I've dated two guys with ASD! 🥰

[@mysteriiis]

@@kahkah1986 I love tBBB for it's representation. Abed from Community, the other popular mainstream character, is more of an aspirational figure. My life, and most people I know, look a lot more like Leonard or Raj.

[@anglicusrose]

I love this video, I just wish they had delved further into why other neurodiverse conditions are never even covered or acknowledged (they do mention Tourette's but just one off mentions of ADHD, OCD, etc)

[@gabriellaberman]

I agree. It’s all about autism. There are so, so many other neurodiversities to talk about

[@Angi3_6]

It's gotten to a point where people just assume you have autism the moment you say you're nuerodivergent.

[@anglicusrose]

Even if they didn't have time to touch on the representations of all neurodiversities, they could've had a sentence in the introduction of the term detailing which conditions are considered neurodivergent, or just explicitly made the video about representations of autism. It feels incorrect to claim it's about all neurodiversity the way it is.

[@kahkah1986]

@@anglicusrose Yes, if they are going to talk autism, label it autism.

[@kateblase9436]

@@anglicusrose exactly!! I loved the implication with the Winnie the Pooh part that any neurological condition is neurodivergence (looking at you anxiety disorder) when it's actually just Autism, ADD/HD, OCD, and tourette's

[@karue7581]

My biggest gripe is when neurodevelopmental disorders get treated as superpowers...

[@millsgurl8358]

Thanks you! The take should do the disability as a superpower trope next

[@slevinchannel7589]

Hollywood-Autism is a Term that exists. Go figure. I mean... its bad.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

This Video definetly did not give some facts enough time to breath and show the scale of just how intense they are: -Sia's 'Music' was utter nonsense and not just bad for a single Detail. -Sherlock Holmes in 'Sherlock' is absolutely a Magical Being. A Thing. Hbomberguy; the Legend he is; has made a big Essay-Video about this. Its extremly recommendable. I hope 'The Take' improves, as even the c-section here has some Criticism - but i bet they will read comments...

[@brianarbenz7206]

I was diagnosed as High Functioning Autistic 18 months ago -- at age 61 -- resolving a lot of unanswered questions about my life's many difficulties strangely coupled with my noteworthy accomplishments. Being on the spectrum overall is neither living the Temple Grandin story nor being the non-verbal, stimming burden. Neither extreme tells who I am/was. Movie portrayals of a character are a portrait of that one person, not a narrative of a whole group.

[@childfreechurch4854]

The term "high functioning autistic" has been rejected. They now use type 1, 2, and 3 autism as terms.

[@elyssapollio4187]

Dyslexia exists and so do other disabilities. Please include everyone when talking about neurodiversity. Me and my friend's (all with adhd) were talking about how most work place initiatives for neurodiversity group everything into autism spectrum disorders, and how this can hurt people with other disabilities, because for example treating someone with dyslexia the same as someone with autism would not necessarily be helpful and can even make those people feel worse.

[@edi9892]

It's pretty obvious why savants and mad geniuses are over represented. Hardly anyone likes the locked in people and the other extreme of mild asperger is rather easy to overlook. Just like villains and antiheroes, these characters are free to do things others can't or wouldn't, which makes them unpredictable and entertaining.

[@edi9892]

Also, I don't think that many people of the higher end of the autistic spectrum get into acting. Thus, it's a bit like saying only elves should play elves...

[@josefinebliss2801]

I kind of agree with this. Us with aspergers tend to mask well so our symptoms are invisible to the outside world but we still struggle with mostly the same stuff, but certain things to a lesser degree and the rest we are good at hiding in public. For example not having meltdowns, but maybe getting home and sleeping the rest of the day or breaking into tears or just isolating a lot and eventually experiencing burnout. Of course we can and should still be represented as it would really help break stereotypes and also give us charactes to relate to. Like said in the video though there's many characters in tv and movies which are quite clearly aspies, but the problem is it never gets mentioned. Only time it typically gets mentioned is when they've built a character entirely based on extreme stereotypes which doesn't help anything. But yeah in media they tend to want interesting and unpredictable characters and to turn things up to extremes. It's not just a problem how they show neurodiversity tbh, this channel is pretty good at explaining how many groups of people are badly represented actually. Not that that makes it much better.

[@edi9892]

@@josefinebliss2801 thank you! I just think that this channel goes overboard with assuming bad intentions in tropes and bend everything to their leftist world view. They make some good points though, but I'd like to see a more neutral and rational approach to the reason tropes linger... I think that it's often a disservice to call out minorities like they do. I prefer that e.g. An Afro-American is praised for his achievements rather than using him as an example of how few reach high positions and demand quotas...

[@OyayoTheStorm]

I'm a woman on the spectrum, and in college, related so much to Elle Woods of 'Legally Blonde'. Her brilliance, depth, her drive for the small successes instead of the big picture until later, incredible attention to detail, and her desire to adapt even her wardrobe to her environment in order to almost mask was so much like myself. In Cali, she didn't fit in with her sisters, nor in Harvard. When she won the case, she didn't win with alibis and her legal mind; she won by using different parts of the things she's learned in her previous environment. When I was diagnosed at 33, I watched again, and saw all the traits that got me diagnosed, she embodied. I can't diagnose her, but I definitely related to her

[@fieryhellkitten]

I definitely disagree with Elle being on the spectrum at all. She has too much ease being social. And she did relate to her sisters in Cali… it was when she went out of her comfort zone that she didn’t.

[@OyayoTheStorm]

Glad you disagreed! That was me in high school and when I worked in modeling. Came to find out that 2 of my friends in color guard and soccer were also on the spectrum, and so were many in the local modeling industry. We even studied her in some courses, when I went into mental health. It's not just the socialization, but the patterns of behavior, sensory issues, hyperfixation, comforts, perspectives, hidden intellect that didn't match her own family or people's view of her, even the way she dressed were all excellent examples of how one can show plenty of masked autistic qualities in women. That's cool, that you don't agree; it's actually moments like this that can have a possible autistic person ignored in the field, and it should definitely be a higher topic of discussion, so thanks for that 💚

[@anaj835]

You guys should do a video on reality TV shows like Survivor, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, Dance Moms...

[@silviaov633]

Thank you for talking about this! I hate how when a show has an adult neurodiverse character it is usually portrayed either as a problem or as a "not like other neuroudiverse" with almost superhero skills. It is really dehumanising. Like we only deserve to be treated like humans if we are constantly proving that we are useful somehow.

[@emilygray6786]

It’s great to have a video like this to show the nuances of neurodiversity such as autism, ADHD, etc. But it has been hard for me to find any representation for those who are dyslexic. I hope that there are ones out there that don’t fall into the stereotype of being dumb.

[@rikky9512]

As a dyslexic person myself, I totally agree !!!

[@arianna2930]

It’s never explicitly stated but Wylan Van Eck in Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom is dyslexic and is never portrayed as dumb :)

[@adammyers7383]

Though I still call my neurodiversity a disability, and I will until it’s not actively a disadvantage in life. Otherwise, I’ll be expected to not need something different to help. Also, I’m tired of media seemingly linking asexuality and neurodiversity in ways that Other both

[@vanessaforsythe8074]

I don’t think the word disability needs to have negative connotations. The first sentence in your comment verbalised something I’ve been thinking about for months.

[@messinalyle4030]

The media could certainly do better in how it portrays both neurodiversity and asexuality. But, also, as an autistic, asexual, and aromantic woman myself, I have kind of an awkward relationship with neurodivergent people not wanting to be portrayed as asexual and vice versa. It could be done in such a way that didn't dehumanize both populations, I think. I hope to do that very thing in the novel that I'm working on.

[@adammyers7383]

@@messinalyle4030 I’m asexual and autistic too (though not aromantic) so I definitely get it. But what I don’t like about it is how it tends to be stereotypes of both and serves as a way to Other them both simultaneously. As in “this character doesn’t understand social cues, doesn’t want sex, acts abnormally, haha look how alien/robotic they are”

[@messinalyle4030]

@@adammyers7383 Yeah, I know what you mean.

[@sarahereach]

I have noticed a pretty large overlap between Autism and Aro and/or Ace orientations. I am Aro-Ace, and while not officially diagnosed, I recognize many autism spectrum traits in myself (my brother and dad ARE diagnosed ASD) I was tested for Asperger's (as it was called in ye olde 2001) when I was in high school and they did not think I was neurodivergent at the time. However, back in the early 2000's, schools did not have a particularly good understanding of how Autism manifested in girls, and by the time I was tested at age 15, I was adept at masking and blending in, at least until I got home. Still, my Autistic traits are minor enough that no one seems to notice and do not affect me to the point where I need any medication or work accommodations, so I don't know whether I can claim neurodivergence. Anyway, my complicated relationship with Autism aside, I have noticed that a lot of Asexuals are also on the Autism Spectrum, and it makes me curious as to whether there might be a genetic or biological component to the relationship, or if I am just experiencing a confirmation or self selection bias and the overlap is purely coincidental. (BTW, this is not to say that I see my Asexuality as a disability or something to be fixed, I am just nerdy enough to wonder whether the stereotype has some biological truth for people like me.) I also want the matter handled in the media respectfully and diversely, I hope to see neurotypical aro-aces, neurodiverse married couples, and also some people like me that aren't Data or Spock. (although I do love them too.)

[@ariannaselleri1103]

I thought so called "low-functioning" people with disability didn't or just couldn't care much about representation, until a couple days ago my brother, who has Down syndrome, while watching a TV show looked at me and said: "He's Down!", referring to one of the characters. He looked so genuinely happy, my heart melted!

[@bebbization]

Too bad Entrapta from the She-Ra (2018) series wasn't mentioned. She was so well written. I feel I could recognize with her (even though I haven't gotten myself checked), by the way she kept getting easily distracted, how invested and super excited she could get about her interests, and how communication can get awkward by her hyperactivity. Also, she wasn't only there to help others, which she was amazing at, but she was allowed to deal with her own struggles. She was struggling to show others that she cared, and felt like she was letting people down and thereby also feeling left behind. The others around her have to learn that and truly understand, to be better at including her in the group.

[@adirtyswarlos]

My son is autistic and I appreciate when people recognize that they’re not broken and I personally don’t hope for a cure. There are certain symptoms of autism that can be adverse and challenging like anxiety and difficulty communicating. I think the medical field can help them with those symptoms but it doesn’t need to cure them. I love who my son is and can’t imagine him without his autism and wouldn’t want to.

[@sundropcenter6758]

We should also talk about how Big Bang Theory is one of the main reasons why neurodiversity is often poorly represented in television, and how Sheldon Cooper has unfortunately served as the biggest representation of autistic people for many years

[@PhoenixRising87]

If I see one more representation of autism that's a pasty, condescending white dude...I'm gonna lose it.

[@evandrofisico3094]

I hate, hate, HATE the big bang theory. I'm a autistic theoretical physicist, and people always compared me to Sheldon. He's in my opinion the worst case of cripface in TV's recent history, an exaggerated caricature.

[@AliFareedMC]

@@evandrofisico3094 if I were you I will take the good qualities of Sheldon, he is ambitious, persistent, he never gave up on his dream of winning a Nobel despite how many times his research reached a dead end, he did it with Amy, he showed us the power that comes from scientific collaboration, in terms of Character Development he changed a lot between season one and season twelve, but with TV everything is exaggerated for sake of comedy or drama, all that good qualities are lost by bad writing

[@kahkah1986]

@@AliFareedMC Yes, he has been sheltered in academia from a very early age which has made him more overt about his likes and dislikes, routine etc. than most high functioning ND ppl, this is exaggerated for laughs but I'm not sure how I feel about the 'character growth' thing as something like AS is for life, it isn't 'curable', it is more like learning to deal with NTs/ social situations rather than changing as a core person?

[@AliFareedMC]

@@kahkah1986 Yeah when it comes to Sheldon's character development, He wasn't cured, it was about Learning and Adapting, it was gradual 12 seasons long development, when they introduced Amy at the end of Season 3, Sheldon didn't understand concept of relationships but gradually with the help of people around him he learned about it, that's how I see it, people don't stick around to see the full character development because the show is badly written and full of laugh tracks , I was about to quit after season 3 but they added Amy which made stick around to see how it is going to be with Sheldon, I really thought she was going to be one shot character, but it made me stick around till the end I wasn't expecting that both Amy and Sheldon will learn from each other and their friends, that's my personal view of Sheldon

[@WaitingxInxSilence]

This video, while enjoyable, was mostly about austic characters. I’d love to see The Take dive deeper into other disorders, or cover how neurodivergent characters often are the villain.

[@masonjenks7636]

I’m diagnosed with autism since I was 18 months old and this is what I’ve been waiting for. I would love to see a Disney movie with a neurodivergent lead Character or side character

[@gabriellaberman]

That would be amazing!! I’d love to see that too!

[@sydposting]

Check out the short film Loop from Pixar! It features a nonverbal lead that is voiced by a nonverbal actress. I loved it.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

I agree that I would like to see a big Disney movie that has a neurodiverse lead. However I am happy to see that recent Disney shows have neurodiverse characters, like Owl House, Amphibia & Molly McGee. If you haven't watched them I strongly suggest them.

[@alejandraolvera5029]

I'm just so sad that even this video talking about "neurodivergence" largely IGNORED the ADHD community. We can't even dream of getting a proper representation because we're not even considered neurodivergent. Astonishing.

[@McSnezzly]

I’m hoping they make a separate video to discuss how badly we’ve been mishandled by media’s representation of us

[@Muskeljudentum]

Yep, how about anxiety and cyclothymic? These producers think they’re so forward thinking but really they’re just creating patronizing videos that themselves aren’t helpful at offering complete analyses.

[@andreaner8874]

We ARE neurodivergent. This video is wrong. It mentions A Beautiful Mind which is about a man with mental illness, so it’s not very legit

[@fernandaa7334]

What about people with Bipolar disorder being portrait like the classical crazy and without any control about their lives, full of vicious in drugs, alcohol, shopping or any other self destructive habit? Or with someone that haves constant delirium? W h y?????🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 And this video didn't even touched about this, we are not considered Neurodivergence people? Because let me tell you, I fell really divergent.

[@andreaner8874]

@@fernandaa7334 forgive me if I’m wrong but isn’t bipolar a mental illness? ADHD and autism aren’t considered mental illnesses as they’re neurodevelopmental disorders.

[@Fluffkitscripts]

Being high-functioning is a thing in itself. I can “pass” as nothing more than “weird”, but I’m always a few steps removed from the behaviors others consider normal. It feels more like playing a part than actual expression, probably because I do most of it by observing the intonations in words, the movements of hands, the very minor choices in language and mimicking those. But what that means, is a portion of what and how I express will always be molded to preserve the sensibilities of those who would be put off by how I act otherwise.

[@ashleightompkins3200]

As an woman with ASD who was diagnosed late in life, I NEED better representation of my condition and others. I had to teach my dissertation mentor all about ASD and I wish that I had better, more recognizable examples to point them to.

[@FauxDutchess]

Normally I love your video's, but neurodiversity is more than autism. I don't think this title is right. Only being represented by tiger or piglet is pretty offensive, since these are very one-dimensional (albeit sweet) characters. ADHD isn't only being hyper, having an anxiety disorder doesn't mean shivering all the time. Yes, there are plenty of autistic characters and they're thankfully getting better representation, but other people who are otherwise neurodiverse, are barely represented in media, while I bet loads and loads of (screen) writers are neurodiverse.

[@slevinchannel7589]

Hollywood-Autism is a Term that exists. Go figure. I mean... its bad.

[@FrancescaGeorgiou]

Hate how this video wishes to explore neurodivergency and its lack of representation or misrepresentation, and then fails to mention ADHD much at all - even though it has both a severe lack of representation and gross, off-hand misrepresentation through off the cuff jokes

[@no-one00]

SO TRUE. I was literally thinking the same thing

[@anyone1111]

Who knows. They may make a separate video.

[@Stellaacee]

Although I agree with your comment, there are not a lot representation of ADHD in media, coded or otherwise. Hopefully we'll see more accurate and compassionate portrayals in the future.

[@FrancescaGeorgiou]

@@Stellaacee I agree that the representations aren't vast or canon, but there are at least two women (Leslie Knope and Lorelei Gilmore) who come to mind for me who do have some of that coding, and their traits are explored for their concerns as well as their strengths

[@sotakovatereza352]

It would be better if the video was named "How Film & TV Misrepresented Autism" instead.

[@josefinebliss2801]

As an autistic person, thank you for making this! Personally I don't mind Atypical having an NT actor playing Sam because I think he does such a convincing job and reminds me of myself and the people I know with aspergers though his traits are greatly exaggerated since he's supposed to be "high functioning". Like he doesn't mask or seem to have any concept of what that is which is a huge part of being high functioning and a contributor to burnout unfortunately.

[@shittymcrvids3119]

Please call this people with autism, not neurodiversity, Sincerely, Someone with quite severe ADHD who is very sick of people thinking neurodiversity is just autism :)

[@fuhgetabatit1051]

SAAAAME!

[@AlexBlank]

I've been waiting for this kind of video for a long time now, and the gaps in neurodivergence representation in the media are certainly striking...

[@deargodwhyme]

As an ND person, I like to think of people's personalities like how the audio equalizers work in various apps. Most people are expressing the same tune in terms of needs whether they are ND or not--safety, love, belonging, etc. NT folks are used to hearing themselves and others with one of the presets like Rock, Pop, Jazz, Hip Hop. ND folks just have some settings that might make it harder for NT people to recognize that we are all listening to the same thing.

[@daniellehenderson907]

Yeeesssss that’s how I visualize it too (ADHD here, hello!) I wish this video had better researched the ND experience, because the way we can visualize things is pretty fantastic. It’s why we can excel in the arts, science, math, engineering, etc. Our brains make the best connections

[@pheonixed8860]

When I first watched the BBCs adaption of Sherlock, I got really excited, because the way his autism was presented was almost exactly the same as how mine actually is, which was brilliant for me because I don't really tend to connect to characters too well. I also feel like though for me it was really good representation, there should be more types than the super-intelligent socially awkward stereotype. I think there should be a lot more variety, because everyone on the spectrum is different. :]

[@eliasnystrom1161]

I'm autistic and I don't care who is representing me, autism or not. What I do care about is if they're making me look like a complete spaz when I'm a regular person.

[@camelopardalis84]

And what, in your opinion, makes someone a "complete spaz" and someone who's not a "regular person" according to your standards?

[@eliasnystrom1161]

@@camelopardalis84 Well what I meant was that I don't want them to misrepresent what autism is. And I don't think the actor having autism is vital for that. And by the word "complete spaz" I was referring to the way they show us being completely non-functioning in an everyday context, while that isn't the case.

[@eliasnystrom1161]

​@Bunny Euphoria Yes, but my point was that you don't need to have autism to portray an autistic story, you just have to be knowledgeable about the experiences of different autistic people. It obviously helps if you have autism yourself, but I don't think that is strictly necessary.

[@eliasnystrom1161]

@Bunny Euphoria I think we misinterpreted each other, I thought you were answering my point about actors not needing to have autism to portray autistic people. Yes, you are correct that my experience with autism isn't the same as everyone else, I know that. My problem is that most movies don't know it.

[@eliasnystrom1161]

@Bunny Euphoria Yeah, pretty much

[@MarinaPapaViolinist]

I think the shift in representation is important and crucial for the neurodivergent. BUT this video implies (1) neurodivergence is just autism/ASD, and (2) that ASD is only "high-functioning" autistics. For good or bad reasons DSM-5 categorizes autistic people in a very broad umbrella with 3 levels of severity. Representation of only high-functioning autistics and Aspergers, is still stigmatizing for the rest of the autistic community. I do agree that the representation of previous decades was through "look-at-the-weirdo" lens and shall be abandoned, but we can't and shouldn't just erase the very existence of non-verbal autistics, with repetitive self-regulating behaviours, in need of support to acquire independent living skills. Also, the experience of being neurodivergent is often something more than being different, because living in a society with complex social rules built by and for the neurotypical, make real challenges for the neurodivergent people not only focused on their communication skills, but in other areas of development (from cognitive skills to motion skills).

[@mysteriiis]

This. So much this. Much of the internet's 'autistic community' seems hellbent on erasing anyone for whom ASD is truly disabling. Attacking anyone who points it out. Or raging against the possibility of a cure. Create something that will help numerous low functioning people? Screw that. We're the only ones who matter.

[@disappointedoptimist1437]

@@mysteriiis Absolutely. I've been a support worker for people with severe ASD. ASD can be seriously debilitating and heartbreaking for parents. Railing against finding a cure completely ignores these people. The experiences of the neurodivergent KZbinr community are a world away from those of people with severe ASD.

[@s-kj1333]

THANK YOU FOR THIS COMMENT. My brother has had horrible experiences interacting with both verbal autistic and neurotypical people because nonspeaking autistic people are so underrepresented and are rejected by both communities

[@siaahsan6385]

I felt Freddie Highmore as Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor portrayed neurodiversity pretty well

[@robchuk4136]

I think it's funny that somehow Elsa from Frozen seems to find a way to fit every trope The Take talks about. ;) But yea, I am in the camp that objects to armchair diagnoses if it wasn't explicitly the writer's intent. Because a lot of the traits people may reach for as signifiers, like hyperfocus or misreading social cues have been coded to *villains* a lot as well. So be careful. Anyway this was interesting. I haven't seen "The Boy Who Could Fly" but there was a character named Gary from the SyFy series "Alphas," and he had the ability to "see" electromagnetic wavelengths. It was suggested it was tied to his autism, and that was the first time I'd seen a character like that given superpowers. And in defense of There's Something About Mary, it should be noted that Warren is actually the only male in the movie who isn't a scumbag. Mary's relationship with her brother is truly one of the sweeter things about the film, and I'd like to point out that the Farrellys have gotten better about this stuff over time, and last year, The Ruderman Foundation honored them “in recognition of their advocacy for the inclusive and authentic representation of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry.” This topic is near and dear to me, so I have a lot of thoughts about it. On that Claire Barnett quote: "an identity that can be assumed for the purpose of entertaining people."- Yes. Also known as literally the definition of acting. For whatever we want to say about neurodiversity, I'll never be one to say a person shouldn't play a character just because they aren't literally exactly that character, and I don't know why people keep doing this.

[@elsehiszem8]

I completely agree 👍

[@bongosapien9474]

I agree as well acting is a craft, yea it is important to have better representation of neurodiversity in pop culture but from a technical aspect if it's not a documentary it may be very hard to work with an actor with severe autism or OCD. And it being a wide spectrum the neurodiverse actor may not fit the character written unless again it's a documentary. I think as a global society we should approach this with a lot of empathy, level headedness and Kindness. I have an autistic younger brother and two autistic nephews.

[@IsisAlv]

once my boyfriend said he is "depressing", and i told him that Eeyore was too and he was still beloved and was my favorite character in winnie the pooh. as a kid, i also could relate a lot to pigglet, since I'm shy and scared most of the time 💕

[@lucypreece7581]

I have been waiting for this. I have Dyspraxia and Sensory Processing Disorder. Do you know how under represented those thigns are? The only major character from a major piece of media that I can think of over the last 10 years with confirmed Dyspraxia thats is verbally stated on the show is Ryan Sinclair in Doctor Who. Yet so many famous people have Dyspraxia. Daniel Radcliffe, Florence Welch, Will Poulter, Cara Delevingne. Neurodiversity deffo needs more and better representation. The only other character that i always felt was coded and i suspected of having Dyspraxia was Finn Hudson in Glee. But that's my headcannon.

[@kindacalled777]

I liked that portrayal of the character in the first episode of Doctor who. Then after that it turned into either forgetting he has dyspraxia or else he'll magically be able to do something physically challenging as long as he believes in himself. Yep totally how disability works 😆

[@lucypreece7581]

@@kindacalled777 ikr. Like it was so poorly done. You k ow what would have helped it? Casting an actual person with Dyspraxia

[@marybonner7432]

That's definitely interesting that you headcanon Finn, he is quite a klutz especially with dancing and honestly is quite awkward for a leader. I have dyspraxia and never really thought he was but it's interesting that the "new" Finn like characters Sam and Ryder both had dyslexia. Which are common comorbidities within the neurodivergent spectrum. I wish they explored that aspects of their characters. Not to mention Brittany as well, although painting her as a savant I think was a bit shortsighted feels too stereotypical.

[@lucypreece7581]

@@marybonner7432 I totally headcanon Finn with Dyspraxia cus of the clumsiness and the factvit takes him lonfer than everyone else to learn to dance and stuff like that. Someone once said "how can he have it though cus he playsbthe drums and good at football?" and I reply saying that he has been doing those things since he was a child so he developed the muscle memory for them. With Dyspraxia if you are repeating the same task over a long stetch of time it just clicks in your brain and Yeah Brittany was badly handled but she totally shows signs of Autism. I tested her charactet on my mum who was an SEN teach for 10 years and who worked in a special needs school.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

@@kindacalled777 Yeah that was really annoying & I bet misinformed a lot of people. Both my sister & mum have dyspraxia (me & my dad have dyslexia) so I was happy & exited to see it portrayed on screen, especially in such a popular programme. However it was framed more like anxiety or not trying hard, when either there are perfectly logical reasons to be worried as you know you are bad at things due to your disability or no amount of effort is going to make you succeed. Suggesting the barrier is self made is insulting to everyone with a disability imo. For example I learned to ride a bike as a child but my sister has never learned. Say it took me 10 hours of practice to learn & I fell off 3 times but then I was fine & have been a good rider ever since. Where as for my sister she fell off 300 times & after 100 hours of practice she was not making significant progress at all. It wasn't through lack of trying but because she has a disability which makes many physical taks either impossible, the outcome isn't worth the effort, or its dangerous. I really wish they had included the smaller symtoms of dyspraxia like dropping things putting cups too close to the edge of the table, bumping into door frames, tripping up on pavements etc. Those small inconveniences that most experience in their lifetime but that is a constant hiccup for those with dyspraxia. Is would also show that they are able to be overcome with just trying hard, they are already trying hard & that's exhausting in itself. It's a running joke that I by mum mum mugs every birthday & Christmas because she breaks so many, it's not because she is lazy or doesn't care, she is upset when her favourite cup is destroyed but it's something she is unable to overcome because of her disability.

[@sammyvictors2603]

I think Neurodiversity is best when written by people who are neurodivergent. Which is why I, an autistic man, am currently writing a book (portal fantasy genre) with an autistic (and bisexual) protagonist. Her story is one of self-empowerment and introspection, facing her (the story has some Jungian/Freudian themes) Oedipal and Electra complex issues with her birth parents, in the form of an antagonistic duo.

[@NowCovering]

Ooh! Please update with title and links to buy when the time comes! =D

[@sammyvictors2603]

@@NowCovering I will

[@luuuuux_]

I’d love to read that book! Do give us a link if you post it on the internet or the name if it gets published.

[@sandradermark8463]

@@luuuuux_ me too

[@emilymatthews2990]

Cool. I have a similar main character that I show as Neurodiverse and Bisexual. It makes it easy for me to get into her headspace.

[@inescastellano7960]

“What’s eating Gilbert Grape?” deserves its own video analysis. That movie is so beautiful and criminally underrated

[@messinalyle4030]

If the analysis is good, it will also include the tons of problematic elements of that movie and the novel that it's based on, from a social justice perspective.

[@inescastellano7960]

@@messinalyle4030 What problematic elements????

[@messinalyle4030]

@@inescastellano7960 Fatphobia. Obviously. Ableism, in that the focus is on how Arnie affects those in his life and no one ever tries to see things from his point of view, just like this video talked about. Gilbert seeing Becky as an object that is obligated to put out and have sex with him if he puts enough "kindness tokens" in, and resenting the hell out of her for not being ready to have sex with him since she sees that he has a lot of emotional growing up to do. Becky as a manic pixie dream girl, a trope that has some problematic elements in itself--and one that has been covered by another video on this channel. In the book, Becky was fifteen--while Gilbert was twenty four in both the book and the movie. The movie never states her age, but it's implied there that she's close to Gilbert's age.

[@MsNonblonde]

I watched "... Gilbert Grape" recently and was blown away by how moving it is. Those kids loved their mom so much! I'm not sure why this video is criticizing DiCaprio's portrayal of Arnie Grape so much. Did they even watch the film?

[@call666ontherebound2]

Neurodiversity is diverse. This vid is well intentioned, but the title is a bit misleading and is a bit too broad. Neurodiversity is more than autism. Its autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, aphantasia, prosopagnosia, etc.

[@superninetails56]

It seems to me, we need to stop trying to use unrealistic extreme characters slap the neuro diverse label on them so money floods in from people who want to see them on screen and instead write genuine interesting stories that include neuro diverse characters. Focusing only on the fact that a character is different does not make a good plot, Focusing on what the character wants and needs is always the best.

[@thetake]

Check out The Takeaway on The Tomorrow War: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6qWdqaNgal0pLc on Amazon Prime Video.

[@BellaLouisaatje]

I'm a 36 year old woman with autism. Known it for 4 months now. I'm happy it is more recognized now. I found after the birth of my son. I just couldn't hide it anymore. But I'm glad I couldn't. Now I can be myself and not feel down because I am never the same as others.

[@jadamiller7485]

Autism doesn't mean no empathy...idk... Maybe certain sides of the spectrum. But a lot of autistic people as far as I've seen are very caring. And I myself suspect mild autism.

[@isobelduncan]

It's not that we don't have empathy, but more that we sometimes have trouble expressing it.

[@villainoir]

Does having a personality disorder considered neurodivergent? So far the discussion is only about autism.

[@tenshinokuragari]

Personality disorders aren’t really considered “neurodivergent” - the label is mostly for what used to be considered intellectual/learning disabilities, and the term comes from the autism community. So adhd, autism, dyslexia, Tourette’s, dyspraxia, etc, are neurodiversities and are related to how the brain is physically wired. Personality disorders and mental illness usually result from genetics and trauma - they’re psychological in nature. Something like ocd could probably go either way depending on who you ask.

[@kateblase9436]

@@tenshinokuragari this comment is a better assessment than the video smhhh

[@tiannab328]

Personality disorders do indeed fall under the neurodivergent umbrella. Neurodivergence encompasses any divergence from what is considered the norm of the brain's function not just disabilities like asd, adhd, and learning disabilities

[@sophiebyers5496]

I absolutely love autistic headcanons. They are usually more realistic and shows that autism is a spectrum. For example: Saitama from One Punch Man is emotionless, talkative to himself, blunt, hyper focused, interested in becoming a super hero, and forgets important tasks. While Tsukimi Kurashita from Princess Jellyfish is emotional, socially anxious, prone to have meltdowns and panic attacks, uncomfortable during unfamiliar situations, interest in jellyfish, and more comfortable talking to her pet jellyfish rather than people.

[@SynymynBuhnz]

For me being neuro diverse is absolute hell. I can do the most complicated problem solving yet everyone thinks im a fucking rude or uppity because I don't understand normal society to the point I don't talk to anyone unless they talk to me first and people think that I think im better than them but in actuality I just hate every moment of my life wanna stop waking up every morning.

[@Magni87]

*poetry finger snaps*

[@dianas2585]

This may be a truism, but the problem is not neurodiversity, it's the society's ignorance about it. I just hope awareness keeps growing and things get better for us, even if only slowly.

[@MagicKamek]

I feel you u u

[@varsityathlete9927]

that is normal human existence

[@edi9892]

I can kinda relate despite not being neuro atypical. I'm just a guy who grew up in a highly dysfunctional family and come across as rude and selfish. I really hate questions like _how are you?_ because I don't want to lie nor does anyone care if I got a bad day...

[@tsukikage]

Great video, but "neurodiverse" isn't just another word for autism spectrum disorder. It includes all sorts of things, like dyslexia, dyscalculia, hyperlexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome (TS), and even epilepsy.

[@PsychoStain]

When my family and I seen Julia on Sesame Steet we all teared up!! My little brother is Autistic and seeing her stiming where she would throw her hands up is EXACTLY what my brother does and it was just a beautiful moment to experience!!

[@watchingthebees]

I’m an autistic and ADHD girl and I’m so happy you decided to talk about this and even mentioned Everything’s Gonna be Okay... to me, it’s the perfect representation. I think Anne Shirley (mainly the one from Anne with an E) is DEFINITELY autistic + ADHD and I feel like if she was a boy, people would say it’s quite obvious. I think she’s basically like Abed but with emotional regulation issues (I’m exactly like Anne, it’s actually a bit weird how similar we are, and it’s a very common presentation of autism in real people, especially in girls). Also, in Brooklyn 99, you forgot to mention Rosa, I was never sure if Amy was neurodivergent or not, but Rosa definitely is

[@anonima4117]

I really like the movie “what’s eating Gilbert Grape”, i get that it isn’t told from the perspective of Arnie and that makes him feel one dimensional but it was the first movie i had seen with a neurodiverse who wasn’t a genius or “neurotypical passing” (probably not the right word) and i could relate a lot to the family. My brother is autistic, has a lot of trouble communicating and ppl outside my parents and my sister usually try not to talk to him and it’s very disheartening and it makes me so angry bc he really wants to talk to someone other than us and i know he has very specific interests that he only wants to talk about but it shouldn’t be that hard to make a 15 min conversation with him for others, neurotypicals make meaningless small talk everyday so why do they practically ignore him i’ll never know. We have kind of a love/hate relationship but now that i moved out we get along better when i visit.

[@CarolineATRC]

I really like it as well. I remember watching it when it came out and saw very much of myself as Arnie. It’s also how we used to be seen by other as well in a way (if that makes sense) so it’s hard to look at it through today’s standards

[@alexandrajasso729]

As someone who’s also on the spectrum and has been a huge fan of this channel, I was waiting for this video for a long time and thank you so much for it.

[@Rhaifha]

I just want to see more autistic people like me in media; communicative and independent, but needing some help in taking care of themselves, struggling in the workplace and with sensory input. And as other people said; Neurodivergency encompasses far more than just autism.

[@jordankaech9747]

Y’all slept on the film Benny and Joon and Dr. Dixon from Grey’s Anatomy

[@messedup8763]

Am I the only one who got excited for brooklyn99 because they thought jake would be mentioned and he never was? he is so relatable in every single episode...I have adhd;w; it's like we don't exist

[@bonafide4874]

Did anyone else read Rosa from B99 as on the spectrum as well? I mean, she's very similar to Captain Holt in that she doesn't show a lot of facial expression, speaks in a monotone voice, is often thought of as scary/ cold because of these things, plus other things, but has as many emotions and feelings as anyone else on the show, and is also very kind. I also love the dynamic Rosa and Holt have on the show bc they're so similar/ on the same wavelength. Also, I love how Rosa and Holt are both queer AND autistic-coded AND poc. I swear the only representation of autistic people is a brown-haired white guy *rolls eyes*. I also really like how Holt is great at understanding people/ is good at reading people, which autistic people in the media are almost never presented as. He recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of his staff and in what situations they would be suited for, and is good at motivating them and inspiring them. I also 100% identify with the quote above about how he'd like to just ingest food as a liquid with all the nutrients needed. Cooking and eating are such a waste of time. Yeah, didn't like how this video was talking about neurodiversity but only includes ASD. Someone is neurodiverse if they have a neurodevelopmental difference. This includes ADHD (which there's 3 types of), ASD, tic disorders (which Tourette's is in), learning disorders (dyscalculia, dyslexia), motor disorders (developmental coordination disorder/ dyspraxia - Daniel Radcliffe has this), and neurogenetic disorders (Down's, Fragile X syndrome). Seriously, all I had to do to get this info is search up 'Neurodiversity', go to the Wiki page on this, and then go to the Wiki page on 'Neurodevelopmental disorders' (sadly, they're called disorders, not something else). Also, there was no mention of neurodiversity and comorbidity - as in, people with neurological differences tend to also have other mental illnesses (this isn't bc neurodiversity is inherently bad, it's bc society isn't accepting of neurodiversity so ofc if you're feeling alienated/ different, you're gonna be susceptible to mental illness). Coming off this, there was also no discussion of the intersectionality of neurodiversity - as in, someone could be neurodiverse but also have other disabilities, someone could be neurodiverse and mentally ill, and in the media and in society, who is diagnosed (and with what) is also very skewed. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and autism than girls and black kids with autism are more likely to be diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I think it would have been better if there was one video on Neurodiversity as a whole, then a video on autism, a video on ADHD, and then a video on other neurological differences in the media. Also, I agree that most depictions of ASD only show the autistic person being a burden or being wholly accepted for their quirkiness by their group of friends/ coworkers/ colleagues and not actually the autistic experience. Which is a mix of good and bad. The 'bad' normally coming from the social sphere - as in, people being unaware of autism/ how everyone doesn't function the same as them and you finding it hard to fit in socially and make the right social decisions or read the right social cues. For me, it's feeling alienated and different in some social groups or spaces, and feeling completely understood, normal and accepted in others. Normally the people who I feel accepted around are people who know me well (friends and family) and who have some degree of autism/ neurodivergence themselves, and often share my special interests as well. They also just GET things - like you don't have to make eye contact in order to be listening, you take ages to get to the point of the story and ramble but eventually get there, you talk over them and they talk over you - sometimes you're both so excited and are still listening, or sometimes they talk over you, and they apologize, and then ask, 'Sorry for interrupting, continue?' and you continue easily, because you know that they're not disinterested in what you were saying, or were being selfish, they just thought something and wanted to quickly add it to the conversation. On the flip side, it's people telling you to 'look at me when I'm talking to you' or asking 'are you listening?' when you are, you're just not looking at them bc it's more comfortable not to. It's saying something you think is completely fine and then the person responds in a way which indicates you've said the wrong thing in the wrong situation, but you don't understand WHY it's wrong to say that, so then later you follow up and ask why what you said was bad, and they get annoyed, and you ask them to explain it, or ask for some kind of verbal signal or confirmation next time, and so they explain it to you, and you try to store that rule in your head for later use. It's other people being good and comfortable with small talk while you're trying to listen and formulate a response at the same time, and appear interested in what someone is saying, when really you've just met them and don't know them, ofc you're not interested in them, unless what they're saying is actually of interest to you. It's also trying to match people's emotions when you don't feel the same way - someone is sad, you try and mimic their facial expressions to also feel sad - but you feel like a fraud bc you're not actually sad, and you're an open and honest person, who's not good at faking emotion, hopefully they think your sadness for them is genuine and appropriate, and not fake, bc you're only trying to match their emotions. It's also having the way you communicate judged - don't say um, ah, like, or omg, don't ramble on, ask other people questions, don't speak too fast, think before you speak, 'that doesn't make sense', ugh, just let me express myself without worrying and stop trying to police how I express myself. Idk, it's like in some situations you're different, you're the alien, and in others it's like you and your friends/ family are normal and everyone else are the weird aliens.

[@daniellehenderson907]

I love this channel, and I’m not one to typically comment on videos since I watch KZbin on my tv, but I am here to say that I feel really let down by this video. Neurodiversity being portrayed as being 99% ASD and only a split second mention of ADHD. The are similar symptoms, but they are not the same, and each diagnosis comes with its own unique struggles that the other doesn’t. This is the kind of topic that really needs to be done properly or not at all, because this is the kind of video that can do more harm than good. Please do better. Do better research. Let’s not contribute to misinformation about neurodiversity. Ok? That’d be pretty great.

[@rebeccaparke3453]

Thank you so much for this video. I am an Autistic person who loves films and media and I really love this channel. It can be so frustrating to see how poorly Autism is represented in media. I tried to watch the fourth series of Atypical yesterday, but I felt so depressed that I didn't have the energy to ignore all the inaccuracies about the portrayal.

[@sapphirasapphira]

Made me cry. Great way to explore a large part of identity/experiences rarely acknowledged.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

Been waiting for this. Cat Ladies at Ebert review: Am I a joke to you? I want to say as someone on the spectrum, we get gaslit a lot. It's weird we are presented as savant but we get gaslighted

[@trinaq]

That's true, it's horrible to see the Autistic community get so dreadfully misrepresented on screen. Autistic characters are normally written by Neurotypical writers, who tend to exaggerate their traits.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

@@trinaq Yeah...and Sheldon and Elon are not my representation

[@nallelychow]

This is great!! You missed mentioning "Love on the Spectrum", that's a lovely modern documentary (:

[@saltycrunch]

Good grief, people really projected a LOT onto Elsa in "Frozen". According to the Internet she's lesbian, asexual, aromantic, and now autistic? Seriously? The idea that it's fine and dandy to "hijack" (to borrow the word used in the video) someone else's character (who wasn't written to be XYZ identity) to use that character as an illustration of XYZ issues is so bizarre to me.

[@a.d.w8385]

You are very right. I am guilty myself of assuming she was ace and aromantic. I think it all boils down to two things. People who are often not represented look for themselves in characters and when they find a character with certain traits they latch on to it. There are also people that just love diversity and what it could mean.

[@fuhgetabatit1051]

Thank you! I noticed that too

[@jacobmilburn1318]

I started crying when you mentioned Boo Radley from "To Kill a Mockingbird". Reading the book as a kid I would get so upset over how he was ostracized, and loved watching Scout develop a relationship with him and treat him like a human being. I honestly didn't recognize the coding until now, but even then I could fell that Scout's empathy for him was a big deal both in the narrative and outside of it.

[@winningblackwomen1416]

I wish y’all included Judah and Yolanda from Bojack Horseman too . Also Pearl and Peridot from Steven Universe .

[@sarahereach]

Also Entrapta from the new She-Ra. She is written as a Savant, but I think the show does an excellent job showing the social struggles in a nuanced way.

[@roriestill6231]

What also needs to happen is showing more POC nuerodiverse characters. It shouldn’t be so White. We exist.

[@masudpeach3017]

Please, make a video on how you guys make these amazing videos citing so many sources & films!

[@heartdelacruz5285]

i see abed, i click. AAAAAAA the take's streak of vvv goood topics thooo

[@sophiamikell7490]

I have Autism and I am annoyed that this video is treating this like it the only way of being nerodivergent (I know I spelt it wrong). There is so many other ways that are hardly acknowledged or joked about like OCD. It was a missed opportunity to talk about all of them. Edit: as seen in the replies I did not voiced my thoughts very well. I have a problem with the title. The title implies is going to even at the very least briefly mentioned all different versions of Neurodiversity because there are lots. It does talk about autism in a pretty good manner. Great representation only for autistic people.

[@daniellehenderson907]

Yeeesss!!! I have friends and family members with ASD and while we relate easily to each other’s symptoms, our way of viewing the world is quite different. A lot of my ASD peeps don’t have the easiest time with figurative language, hyperbole, etc., and my ADHD ass would explode without figurative language because I mostly express myself through metaphor, simile, and sarcasm (and like a million hyperboles a minute). To be fair, my ASD friends make some of the best puns. My god, I am so jealous of the pun abilities.

[@slevinchannel7589]

Sophia I think you overreact and she did nothing wrong, tbh.

[@sophiamikell7490]

@@slevinchannel7589 I didn’t really share my thoughts super well. They did nothing wrong except for the title. It is a great representation of autism. But there are many different forms of Neurodiversity. You cannot make just one video describing Neurodiversity, it would have to be a long intensive series. My problem is with the title basically saying is representing all forms of Neurodiversity and all the individual ways they are misrepresented. I do acknowledge that I do have a hurt from being misunderstood therefore I do sometimes overreact react too scenarios like this one. Thank you for your input

[@DragonKazooie89]

Don’t forget about Bipolar Disorder

[@sophiamikell7490]

@@DragonKazooie89 That too

[@RedRoseSeptember22]

Speaking as someone with a nonverbal learning disability, you absolutely *can* find love :)

[@biatravessa5234]

I am autistic and ADHD, and also a BIG fan of this channel. Mh boyfriend saw me hyperfocus on this channel everytime a video comes out. Seeing this? I cried with joy. I cannot tell you how much happiness I'm feeling. Even though I do agree with the lack of discussion about the gigantic ADHD community. But, to me, the Take ladies are on the right track. Much like the world itself.

[@bethstovell8608]

Thanks so much for this video. My husband and kids are all neurodivergent. It’s been a beautiful gift for me to see the world through their perspective. We need more films and TV that accurately represents their experiences.

[@introxgrunt]

Good video, but just remember that “neurodiverse” doesn’t just mean autistic! Also, you mentioned that Sherlock’s lack of empathy is an autistic trait, which is absolutely IS NOT. We have empathy.

[@EmpressCosplay]

Always love your videos ❤️

[@Louisa-ei2kw]

When you're 98%sure you're on the autistic spectrum but the waiting list you're on to be assessed is 2 and a half years long and you had to fight to get on the waiting list in the first place because of the very specific trait sets they look for are specific to boys and ignore a factor of other experiences and traits, this video hits HARD. I feel validated and recognised but because I have to wait so long for an answer, I don't know how to identify this video. Doesn't help that I have really bad anxiety and none of my meds do much and I don't know if that means the anxiety is coming from undiagnosed ASD or not. Great job as always with the video :)

[@Lemanic89]

The field of entertainment that still misrepresents and even discourages neurodiversity is the music biz. One reason for that may be the root of Rock music philosophy in the field of anthroposophy i.e "eugenics lite" or "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".