Who is FAKING Autism?? | Autistic Person Reacts to Jubilee

I'd love to post more frequently on this channel because I have WAY too many ideas! To make the possible, I've started a Patreon. If you join, you'll get get 2 exclusive videos a month and access to the Discord server, even on the lowest tier:
/ imautisticnowwhat
🐌 If you want to learn more about the Patreon & Discord community, I have a video tour! 🐌: • Introducing... THE ANT...
00:00 I can't guess!!
02:40 I'm nervous help
03:00 Let's goooo
Jubilee Video:
• 6 People With Autism v...
If you want to know more about autistic traits, you may find these three videos helpful...
10 Traits of Autism in Females around social differences:
• Are you just Socially ...
10 Traits of Autism in Females around sensory differences:
• 10 Traits of Autism in...
10 Traits of Autism in Females around emotional differences and interests:
• 10 Traits of Autism yo...
Please also note that when I say women or female, the traits I am discussing could be experienced by any gender. It is not black and white.
*Books I'd Recommend about Autism:
Different not Less by Chloe Hayden (read if you want to cry):
amzn.to/40fKx2m
Aspergirls by Rudy Simone:
amzn.to/3xSZ6Mg
*Links with a star are affiliate links. The channel will receive a small commission if you buy anything on Amazon after clicking through with this link. There's no extra cost to you and any money will go towards putting out more content. I'd love to post twice a week and put more time into research for these videos. Thank you so much - I really appreciate everyone sharing their stories in the comments.

[@cheesebread3]

I believe autism is not a disorder, but instead a natural variation in human brain functioning. I do think it is a disability. Disability is not a dirty word.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Yesss!! Brilliantly worded. Thank you!

[@annerigby4400]

I struggle with calling autism a disability for the same reason you mention that it is a natural variation in human brain functioning. I get the impression there are as many disabling features of being neurotypical as what there are in being autistic, it's just that the autistic ones stand out more because the neurotypicals are the majority and their normal is not the autistic normal. For instance, autistic people have difficulties in social settings, neurotypicals have less (some NT's are shy, introverted, etc and it's not the same but it is still something they have to overcome), but autistics excel in focus and detail where neurotypicals struggle. The autistics I know never needed any kind of explanation of how to do anything, or of what anything meant, etc and I spent a couple of hours with neurotypicals and found them to be very hard work - loads of help needed, anything new had to be explained, no autonomy in work. The NT's I was spending time with were, btw, good students with high grades, etc. I think that is why I struggle to think of autism as a disability. Autistic people who consider it a disability do so because of their own life experiences and I respect that perspective, I'm just talking about my own experience. I don't think NT's should call autism a disability or a disorder. It's not their place to do so.

[@sin3358]

I don't agree though? People often forget level 3 autism exists, the kind where functioning normally is extremely tough and you need a lot of help to live a normal life. It is a disability. No, it's not a bad word, but you shouldn't make it less than what it is

[@annerigby4400]

@@sin3358 You could, by the same token, say that neurotypicality is a disability because there are neurotypical people who need help to function in society. They have a disability. Just because someone is autistic does not necessarily mean they need more help than a neurotypical person. What needs help is society to take into account neurodiversity. Noise levels, lighting, decor are all factors that can relatively easily be adjusted in many cases. An autistic person can have a disability related to autism, but it doesn't mean all autistic people are disabled, therefore I think it is misleading to call autism a disability.

[@DreamtaleEnjoyer]

@@sin3358 Levels are stupid and here’s why. Support needs change. I recently discovered an article that claimed some people “grew out of their autism.” This is untrue and impossible. It was clear to me that their support needs changed, likely decreasing, and they learned to mask. I personally didn’t struggle with brushing my teeth at all as a child. Now I need to use a silicone toothbrush instead of nylon, can only brush once a day, and even that can trigger a meltdown on a particularly bad day. No one knows an autistic person’s needs except them. “Professionals” or “experts” in this field truly means “people who were trained by a misinformed, ableist society to make autistic people fit their skewed expectations at the expense of the person they claim to be helping.” Autism is regularly and demonstrably misdiagnosed because no one knows what’s actually going on inside someone else’s head. If these “experts” truly knew everything they claim to, this would not happen. Comorbidities are nearly guaranteed. I haven’t met a single autistic person who doesn’t have SOME mental illness, disorder, disability, or trauma that might be related to but is not caused by their autism. MOST of the struggles that are related to autism are actually responses to the traumatic world we’re forced to live in. Society just doesn’t raise non-traumatized ND people. Thus, the struggles that would relate to “level 3” are likely the product of an entirely different issue. “Functioning normally” as you call it, is not natural or healthy for autistic people. And yes, I do mean all. We are not neurotypical, we never will be, and it is never good for us to act or be treated like we are. We should be treated like the normal, healthy people we are, and accommodated based on our normal, healthy needs. Society. Is. The problem. I do call autism a disability, and I do call myself disabled. But this is because at this point in time, it is pertinent to express that I and other autistic people are not able to do things the average person can. We are far more complex than 2 functioning labels or 3 levels. Thank you for reading.

[@SailorYuki]

In Swedish it's Autism spektrum tillstånd, which is autism spectrum condition. I see it as a natural part of being a human, not a disorder.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Oh, I love that! Thank you for sharing - that's super interesting!

[@april6620]

This is awesome! And also how I view it. I usually try to leave the disorder part out when talking with my 7yo about. And I've had a good bit of success in explaining autistic traits to his classmates... one girl now understands that our sensory processing issues can make things seem more scary/uncomfortable etc than they might seem to most people (after she was asking why sawyer is so nervous during their roller skating section of gym class)... "she said oh ok, is that kind of like a phobia? I have a phobia with heights..." I've gone in to read books about autistic kids to them and try to be very open about my own struggles and traits (since the class sees me as the fun, rock/gemstone mom that comes to play and make art with them.... and they're always stopping by my little crystal/jewelry shop booth at our village's makers market. I'm just hoping to spread awareness, education and encourage inclusion.... This just gave me another reason I want to move to Sweden.

[@turtleanton6539]

Samma här

[@turtleanton6539]

Ja det stämmer

[@emb7854]

tack så mycket!

[@NniemandweiterR]

When i was under treatment for depression, the doc told me about when a mental condition is classified as a disability: When it negatively impacts your life. So, for example, if you have meltdowns during certain activities then it is a disability in a sense that you lack the ability (expressed by the word dis-ability) to deal with the situations you encounter in your normal life. Calling autism a disability makes sense. However, the important part is that neither you nor anyone else should view you as any less, belittle or look down on you.

[@HeatherLandex]

Disablity not less than human or failed normal. I think the first gu to speak.

[@DreamtaleEnjoyer]

That is exactly the conclusion I came to without any doctors! When you break down words, it makes the meaning very clear. That’s one facet of my autism that I really like and appreciate: my special interest in language. I always look to root words and etymology for true definitions. I think a lot of other people would benefit from throwing connotations to the wayside and defining words this way too, the way they were made to be.

[@NniemandweiterR]

@@DreamtaleEnjoyer as a german, many of our words are simply a combination of other words, where their meanings also combine and intertwine. learning English I couldn't help but notice many English words are very similar, although it doesn't seem like native English speakers think of them as such. although I wouldn't call it a special interest of mine I easily notice these patterns and find the topic rather fascinating !

[@DreamtaleEnjoyer]

@@NniemandweiterR That’s so cool!! It is weird how many English speakers just never think about the origins of the words they use on the daily. I’m sure it’s easier to notice when you’re learning the language from scratch when you’re older, than when you’re young and adults just teach you whole words and never talk about how to break them down. Sometimes I take my knowledge of how words are built a little too far and make up words that I think SHOULD exist and maybe even do, but I’ve never heard them and autocorrect doesn’t recognize them, like flusteredly and other -edly words. I mean, how else are you supposed to describe someone doing something in a flustered manner? Language is so cool :D

[@cookie856]

Remember me when someone was asking me to describe an hypothetical universe where "being in a wheelchair isn't being disabled", made an argument against it and I went "Do you consider needing glasses being disabled?" followed by a "that's exactly my point" when they answered no.

[@FinneganTheCaptain]

For me, autism is a disability. I have medium support needs and I have a hard time navigating life. It’s definitely more of the social disability aspect, but it’s still a disability. Obviously I love the positive aspects of my autism (like my personality, humour, and a unique thought process), but the negatives are very hard. It’s hard when a lot of people around me are neurotypical and I’m not able to be myself. Society is not built for disabled people and I wish they would try harder to include us. By the way, just because it’s a disability, doesn’t mean it’s negative. I have seen a lot of people say “it’s not a disability be because autistic people are amazing in their own way.” We’re human so of course we’ll have likeable qualities. That doesn’t mean we’re not disabled. It’s weird to say that people aren’t disabled because they’re great people or just because they’re people in general. I also use a cane. Just because I am likeable or awesome to others, doesn’t mean that I’m not disabled. I just thought I should add this because it seems like people are refusing to use the words “disability” and “disorder” because they’re scared to offend autistic people. Being disabled isn’t offensive. Thanks for reading this and I hope you have a good day.

[@adams509]

Yes, I previously wouldn't have considered it a disability at all but as of the past year my negatives have all been increasing drastically as my brain finishes developing (im 23). It's even affecting my ability to handle working and speaking to people, and it's so so scary watching my functioning skills depleting in a way I feel I can't navigate through. I'd finally gotten mentally well enough to be ready to tackle life, but now it feels almost like a health condition from how much it's impacting my thinking and functioning. It's definitely more related to the fact society wasn't built for me, and that it's near impossible to talk about especially since I can't currently afford official diagnosis.

[@Whateverhasbeenmynameforyears]

If you don't mind me asking do you feel it is all autism or do you think there is a comorbid condition that goes along with it? I am wondering because ADHD is similar but a high percentage would have no trouble just in a different environment. A lot of the sever cases of autism that are held up as typical seem to me like more of a developmental disability that is making it so that they can not manage instead of the autism being the main component? I hope this makes sense. What are your thoughts?

[@adams509]

@@Whateverhasbeenmynameforyears idk about the original commenter but for me I am getting official treatment for adhd as of February, still waiting to afford an official autism diagnosis. It's probably a mix of both thats been affecting my functioning and I did recently switch jobs and that has helped a lot with my work struggles, but other struggles still persist especially socially and with communication and other stuff. I've been looking a lot into both, and I think it's the mix of them that's been giving me the hardest time because while there are a lot of similarities, there's also direct contradictions between the two that can really affect quality of life based off of what ive researched and looked into so far! I'm sort of at the begining of my journey to actually work through some of this stuff and am about to get back into therapy, this time focused on neurodivergent challenges. So for me, it'll be hard to say what is causing the most challenges until I'm further along in my journey, those are just my thoughts on it as of this current moment! Hopefully that makes some sense, as a lot of this is still a big ? for me as well.

[@adams509]

@@Whateverhasbeenmynameforyears also if I misunderstood your question and answered something totally different, let me know what you had meant to ask and I can try to answer that to the best of my ability as well, if you're interested! I feel there's a chance I misunderstood the question now that I reread it but I'm not too sure.

[@Whateverhasbeenmynameforyears]

@@adams509 I mean you covered it a bit but I think ADHD has a similar problem that it shows more and causes more disruption when you have comorbidities. Also I am loving how autistic this comment section is with all of us thoroughly explaining and checking in that we have not miss understood or cross lines. :)

[@avantgauche]

I'm so glad they didn't have a NT person pretend to be autistic because it also spreads awareness of other ND types

[@gocelotspice5766]

This is one of the only bearable odd one out videos from jubilee I’ve seen. Most of them are stressful seeing everyone pitted against each other but everyone here seems so reasonable and the lack of pettiness is refreshing.

[@coda3223]

Yeah it's this sort of thing that makes me proud to be autistic. It feels so nice to fit into a group with social rules and values that align with your default.

[@lolomcspanky]

These were my two reactions, first "this is so different from every other odd man out" and then "I love my tribe so much."

[@haileys5224]

Amanda was a whole vibe. Down to raising her hand. I also do that sometimes. It’s a good compromise to my impulsive self to not interrupt and wait my turn.

[@kraziecatclady]

I have 3 autistic children. Amanda talking about pink the way she did reminded me so much of my oldest obsessing over Lego or rubik's cubes and my youngest's obsession with moths. She can talk about moths for hours. I'm not sure if I'm autistic or not, but I am diagnosed with ADHD. I get obsessions over things like that, but most of the time, it is really intense but short-lived, or once the "excitement" has run out, I'll switch to a new "hobby" or once again find the "excitement" of coming back to an old one. If I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I can get way too focused on learning more about whatever it is. Aside from hyper focusing on a particular thing, more often I'm kind of all over the place frequently changing subjects and losing people in conversations because they have trouble keeping up. The same thing often happens when I'm trying to do tasks like clean the house and other chores. I might start with the intention of doing the dishes and 45 mins later I'm out in the backyard working on digging the pond I've been trying to dig while only half the dishes actually got cleaned, but I also put clothes in the washing machine but didn't add soap or run it, cleaned half the sink in my bathroom, reorganized a portion of a bookself, and brought seeds out to the greenhouse with the intention of planting something. Things have to be clean and organized around me, or I absolutely cannot focus. That's usually how I end up mixing tasks. I'll see something out of place, and next thing I know, I've abandoned the original task. Those things are pretty classic ADHD though. Sometimes, my daughter's stimming will bother me if I'm trying really hard to focus on something. I don't yell at her or tell her to stop, but I will ask her to go do it somewhere out of my field of view (or where I can't hear it) and tell her that it is distracting me, making it hard for me to focus especially if what I'm trying to do is really important. I cannot read and listen at the same time, I just can't do it. It's like those two parts of my brain just do not work at the same time. If I'm trying to read something and there's noises in the background (TV, music with lyrics, someone's foot tapping, people talking, etc), I get really frustrated.

[@willowsnow1092]

You know how ADHD is like... classified as a disorder, but when our species was still vulnerable to hunters ADHD brains would have an advantage in things like hunting and being sentries? I think Autism is like that where it's an advantage evolutionary, but a disadvantage in this modern society.

[@turtleanton6539]

Oh vdry interesting

[@sin3358]

This is exactly how I view autism!! I always compare it to ADHD. They're practically the same, just the issues people deal with it are different. I still find autism useful in modern days though. Having someone who's capable of specializing in certain topics can potentially save lives. Who knows how many geniuses were really just autistic

[@fakeweeb8655]

@@sin3358 It gives me a lot of hope as well, because it means for me and so many others that we can actually be productive, happy members of society while staying true to ourselves. It means it's okay to be bad at things everyone else finds really easy, it's not a character flaw, and you can accomplish a lot if you focus on your strengths.

[@amyjanemade]

Love this sentiment. Lately I've been practicing reframing my anxiety by reminding myself that it's just an instinct that's been passed down throughout evolution from days when considering every outcome before making a decision (aka overthinking) and hyper-vigilance would have been a *huge* asset. The other day when I was working through some anxiety and using this 'method', I started thinking, "wait, of course I'm going to have anxiety, anxiety's focus is solely on survival, so the fact that anxiety is in my genes is *the reason* my lineage has made it this far...so why does it feel so detrimental?" Feels paradoxical.

[@ohgodimlost421]

@@amyjanemade I think this is a great way to think about that. A lot of people with anxiety talk themselves down, I think. Like "Ugh, why am I so nervous about this that's stupid", so reframing it in this way can maybe help take a step back and see it more objectively

[@JustWatchMeDoThis]

I think autism is a type, not any of the other things. It's a brain processing type. What makes it a disability is the same thing as what makes something normal or not normal... the people that set the rules. The normal people are disabled in a lot of areas we are good at and they suck in. Just saying, we are not as weird or disabled than people like to judge us as.

[@captain_hanzo]

That's the first thing my autism coach told me when we first met. The autistic (neurodivergent in the broadest sense) brain processes stimuli/input differently in general and it is perfectly "normal" and "healthy" to cope...well...somehow when the world around you is built for people that perceive the world differently. Not sure who else needs to hear this. It's not deep or anything but it fundamentally changed how I think about myself and my surroundings. I might be an alien to most but I come in peace dude.

[@natashasullivan4559]

In my point of view, it shouldn't be a disability. But in today's society is can be, and is Disabling for a lot of people. Which is very unfortunate, and really dumb..

[@madgadgetss]

right!!!!!!!! i love it when i read something that my brain couldn't put into words for years

[@mattjack3983]

Yes I agree with that, but like someone else mentioned in another thread, there ARE autistic people who are very much disabled as a direct of their autism, and struggle quite a bit to function without help. They are of course people like anyone else, but it's pretty disingenuous to pretend that autism is anything less than what it is, and for some unfortunate people, autism is absolutely 100% a disability. Autism does exist on a spectrum, and the reality of it is that somewhere on that spectrum there are people who are rendered completely "disabled", in every sense of the word, and simply do not function without alot of help and assistance. There are tons of autistic people who make their way in the world just fine, and I can understand why they would not see themselves as disabled, and take offense to being labeled as such, but it cannot and should not be ignored that for some people their autism is absolutely "disabling".

[@Buzzelke]

It’s absolutely disabling for my daughter. People see her and misjudge her ability to perform at the level they believe she should be performing, which ends up worse for us b/c we can’t seem to convince people (Teachers(!!), even with the diagnosis!!), that Executive Function, processing speed, and memory recall, acute anxiety really DO impact her academic ability! @12 she masks so well - they don’t understand she’s absolutely frozen stiff inside, b/c she SO fluffing terrified! She can’t do it. We’re new to this … it’s really frustrating waiting for appointments, getting schools to adhere to accommodations.

[@lui4129]

Your sense of fashion is valid and fashion is a spectrum. More strawberry plz.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Ahaha! Love this! Thank you ❤

[@phoebebaker1575]

I really like the way you said “Fashion is a spectrum” because of the dual meaning; jokingly comparing the varying styles of fashion to the different ways autism is presented, also, literally, fashion is a spectrum of colours. I love your comment.

[@DECAGIG]

@@phoebebaker1575I like your comment because it sounds like you think in a similar way to me.

[@lornatw]

I wish we would talk more about disorders such as fetal alcohol that literally are so under diagnosed or misdiagnosed and appear similar difficulties to asds

[@anniestumpy9918]

At first I wasn't sure about the whole concept. But I think the way they did it is respectable. (btw I would have thought one of the two long haired guys was the "mole"). 1. It reminds us (and hopefully NT people) that the crucial thing about being autistic is not always how we present on the outside - but how we perceive the world and process (and suffer) on the inside! 2. It raises awareness for another, often overlooked (or underrepresented, like in the media) syndrome which is FASD. Well done in my opinion, thank you for making a video about it :)

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Thank you for your lovely comment! ❤

[@JudeCorvus]

I saw someone in the comments saying that autism was kind of a “part time disability” and I kind of feel like that resonates with me. Like sometimes it’s really fun to be autistic. But also sometimes I don’t even want to leave my room because of sensory things, or I don’t leave my room because I’m invested in my special interests (mostly my characters lol). I would consider autism a disability, but it doesn’t always have a negative effect on my life. Edit: I’m sorry if I came off as insinuating that autism isn’t a disability, or that autistic people aren’t always autistic. Yeah I completely understand where you’re coming from. I’m not trying to insinuate that at any point in time. I probably should have made a bigger distinction between it being a disability and disabling. I just saw someone say they saw it as a “part time disability” in another comment and I thought it encapsulated my experience where sometimes it’s more disabling than others (and many times not disabling at all). I definitely think it is problematic to say that we’re not always autistic or to separate ourselves from being disabled. I’ll try to choose my words better next time I speak about it.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Love this! Thank you for sharing :)

[@DreamtaleEnjoyer]

I do think it’d be problematic to define it that way. It makes it sound like we’re not always autistic. Every disabled person has times when their disability doesn’t affect them. For example, a leg amputee might not be affected by their disability if they’re sitting down. Our needs obviously do fluctuate, but it’s not reliably predictable, and we’re not any less disabled if we’re having a particularly good day.

[@JudeCorvus]

@@DreamtaleEnjoyer Yeah I completely understand where you’re coming from. I’m not trying to insinuate that at any point in time. I probably should have made a bigger distinction between it being a disability and disabling. I just saw someone say they saw it as a “part time disability” in another comment and I thought it encapsulated my experience where sometimes it’s more disabling than others (and many times not disabling at all). I definitely think it is problematic to say that we’re not always autistic or to separate ourselves from being disabled. I’ll try to choose my words better next time I speak about it.

[@phoebebaker1575]

You are a thoughtful person and good at expressing ideas. You’re both kind and a good writer, I guess is what I’m trying to say.

[@JR-pf9in]

This made sense to me Being autistic is a joy until other people are thrown into the equation. Alone, I'm just me. With other people, I'm struggling to keep up and decipher expressions or what every word means to each person.

[@babybirdhome]

I actually picked her out pretty early in the video and everything just kept reinforcing that, but I might not have picked it up if I hadn’t watched your other Jubilee video first where you mentioned the outcome being unexpected - it might have flown right past me then, but I’m not sure, just saying it’s possible I might have missed it. But there were several signs that I noticed - the first of which is that she didn’t lie about anything. That’s what made it stand out to me because everyone else spoke about themselves very openly and while she did too, she did so very carefully with a few unnatural word choices that all danced around saying autistic whenever she referred to herself, and whenever she referred to autism or being autistic, she always avoided first person parts of speech, and that’s what stood out to me first. Once I noticed that, everything else just kept aligning to that while everyone else didn’t. That and it seemed like she didn’t feel comfortable in her skin within that group, which is kind of a weird thing because autistic people often don’t feel comfortable in their own skin, especially in group settings, but in this case it felt more like she was masking masking instead of either being unmasked or just masking, if that makes sense? Like there were two layers to the mask and those didn’t align the way they would for someone who’s autistic despite both being the same kind of “not comfortable in your own skin” type of things. But I really loved how they treated her and made sure to let her know that she’s still welcome in their community and how they could all relate to many of her experiences and understood her and could leave room for her to be there. I hate “othering” people and would rather enjoy their differences and what makes them unique, so that part made me happy. And it also made me happy that she got to explain what her diagnosis was and what it’s all about because FASD is not very widely talked about or recognized but the people who are born with it have to deal with it for the rest of their lives the same as autistic people do. It matters to me that they got to let her belong with them and she didn’t have to get shunned or anything. They did a good job on that video.

[@anastaciazara1787]

I guessed too, but for completely different reasons. This sounds super critical, but I promise it's not being said in a mean-spirited way. She's a lot shorter than everyone else, something is going on with her upper lip, and her voice and body posture/mannerisms were kind of jerky in a way that was distinctly different from everyone else. I thought that maybe she was born with a cleft palette and that she had some sort of condition associated with folate deficiency.

[@rem.reverie]

When Meg explained her experience with stimming in class (flapping around a book) and was completely mortified after her friend called her out in front of everyone, I related so hard to that struggle that it brought tears to my eyes. I didn’t know I was autistic at the time, but I distinctly remember one day in class while I was in the fourth grade where I began hum. At first, my humming was soft, and for some reason I was under the impression that only i could hear my humming. So my humming gradually became louder and louder as I got deeply invested in the class assignment. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have a friend who called out my behavior. Nope, it was the teacher who reprimanded me by slamming her palms down onto my desk which startled me and honestly left me traumatized to this day.

[@AnnaCatherineB]

I like chai's personality. I relate so much to the difficulty speaking. I've had a lot of experience tripping over words, my voice breaking when I'm trying to speak. All my life I've found the other person in a group who is also having a hard time, and be friends with them.

[@JustWatchMeDoThis]

So I just found out I have been telling doctors, therapists and educational for decades exactly what I had going on with my hearing and they have told me there is no such thing. In fact there is! It's auditory dyslexia. Words and letters that I hear are scrambled until I see them or make them repeat it a bunch of times. And often I give up asking what they are saying and pretend I understood. All these processing disorders are connected. This is why I am so smart but always had trouble in school. I saw my grades on my old report cards even in grade school and they were terrible. In 2nd and 3rd grade I was getting Cs and Ds. Before that they just have us pass/ fail and I always passed. But it's also why I always had trouble reading, mainly finishing what I would read. I could never finish. EVER And now I learn so easy because I watch hundreds of videos to learn. I'm not reading except to search for and clarify something then go back to video learning.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

I'm so sorry it took you so long to discover that - it's so frustrating that healthcare providers are not educated on neurodiversity. So glad you've found ways to work with your brain now!

[@Eryniell]

it's also called auditory processing disorder, because it's not about the ability to how well you hear, but that processing of incoming sounds is not processed correctly, which then ends up presenting exactly how you described it. Honestly it's something that I really wished I didn't have...

[@JustWatchMeDoThis]

@@Eryniell yes, I found a few terms for it. Even back over 10 years ago I saw it under auditory discrimination. I see that term sometimes still. And telling them EXACTLY what it is called, still get the blank stares. And they tell us not to go to the web for answers. Trust the doctors they say. Yeah, even before the web, I have had to find my own answers because doctors failed. It's not like Grey's Anatomy where they go search their database for answers. If they don't know the answer or never heard of what you are talking about, game over!

[@Eryniell]

@@JustWatchMeDoThis yeah sadly...they go usually with the most common and simplest answer first and when you go against their conclusions it's "it's in your head" or "you are worrying too much" etc.

[@baekat4928]

​​@@Eryniellpossible retort "well yeah... My brain is in my head. Where else should the problem come from(, smartass) "

[@sarawawa8984]

I really liked the redshirt guy. He didn’t talk a ton but he was so considerate to everyone else, making sure everyone got a chance to speak. He was always quick to step back and let someone else speak before him or instead of him. He tried to to encourage others to speak up. He was just very polite and kind and considerate and he would is someone I would want to be in a group with. I know if I was struggling to speak up he would watch out for me. Good guy, and I didn’t see any other commenters mentioning him so I thought I would lol

[@archivewarrior8535]

As an autistic person, I consider autism a disability because I am less able to do things like communicate effectively, much like a person who needs a wheelchair may not be able to navigate some spaces as effectively as someone who doesn’t need a wheelchair, even if both my and the wheelchair-bound person’s disabilities are in part caused or exasperated by external factors. That said, I don’t think the word “disability” is or should be considered a bad word. Like was said in this or possibly a different video, it doesn’t make anyone less human. It’s just a human variation, even if it makes life harder.

[@AramatiPaz]

A great comparison. Someone in wheelchair can go around. But not Avery where. Someone blind can learn to read. But not printed text. But you don't see people saying none of those are disability only because it's possible to be independent with those. People are just treating the word "disabily" as if it's offensive.

[@zuzutaylor]

I feel like I have some learning disabilities (communication based) that are because I'm autistic. Most of it's just quirks of being me. It depends on how it expresses and I think it's completely fine for people to call it a disability or not. It's made it harder for me to maintain employment and that sure seems like a disability to me.

[@coda3223]

A person is not disabled by their wheelchair, they are disabled because social spaces do not make navigating with a wheelchair as much of a priority as walking without mobility aids.

[@coda3223]

​​@@zuzutaylor I wonder if you'd feel the same way without the pressure to use mouth words and/or communicate with allistic language and allistic rules. I've never felt better at communicating than when I'm communicating via text with other autistic people. Damian Milton's Double Empathy Problem theory is based on the evidence that autistic people communicate just as effectively as allistics when paired with same neurotype. Allistics struggle just as much as autistics to communicate effectively paired outside their neurotype. Additionally, while many learning disabilities commonly co-occur with autism (I myself have dysgraphia), they aren't necessarily caused by being autistic. I'm pretty sure being autistic is characterized by bottom-up processing, monotropic thinking, and neuronal sensitivity. Whereas learning disabilities like dysgraphia can be driven by motor, processing, or spatial mechanisms - there might be overlap, but it more correlation than causation.

[@zuzutaylor]

@@coda3223 I wonder sometimes that if sign language were more common, if autistic people would find that easier than spoken languages. Maybe it would be just as difficult but I do wonder.

[@benleach5063]

I prefer to say I am autistic rather then I have autism. Cos to say I have autism implies it's something I have that I can put down or lose but to say I am autistic makes it sound like it's a part of me and who I am. EDIT: I also believe if you are autistic whether self diagnosed or diagnosed you can refer to it as however you want and what suits you/makes you happy BUT if you're not autistic you have no say on how it is refered to and should ask the people who are how they wish to be addressed with it

[@michaelmoran9020]

Honestly, I prefer to call myself something vaguely edgy because it puts people at ease.

[@robokill387]

it's ultimately down to the individual, but the fact is that an overwhelming majority of autistic people prefer identity-first.

[@DemiCape]

I personally dont see the difference between being called autistic or being called someone with autism, because they are the same thing, only difference is grammar and context you use the word.

[@romyjane17]

I use both, but I have autism in the same way that I have a body. It is part of me in whichever way I say it

[@cosmolosys]

For me autism is a "disorder" in the sense that I kinda fall out of the order of society, but fundamentally I think there is nothing wrong with us. Like I don't see it as a disease or a defect. If only society would be more adapted to everyone and us, that would be nice. And in my opinion it should. It would be a huge gain for humanity as a whole.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Love this!

[@eleegee]

Totally agree

[@scalylayde8751]

I'm neurodivergent, and also have a very strong "gut instinct" about people- I'm probably picking up on things which aren't "quite right" about how someone behaves. It's a tough thing because those instincts have protected me many times from people who turned out to have bad intentions, and in a broad sense, I think those instincts are vital. But, I think the same instincts can be triggered for NTs by innocent ND people.

[@jessj2530]

ND people are often less predictable to NT people. That's scary. The brain wants patterns.

[@Eryniell]

I liked your comment "it's the opposite of flow" yes! that's how it feels...like everything I try to involve myself into a larger group (anything above 2/3 people is large to me XD) it feels...clunky...i sometimes can't get any words out at all...i don't know when to talk and even what to say and...then comes the anxiety of being noticed as being awkward...when i make a joke and no one responds or laughs...and then I just get incredibly overwhelmed and quite often end up just listening (if i can even do that).....and then someone telling me "it's okay, you don't have to be scared of us" or "don't be shy" ...^^"

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Someone needs to tell these people that the phrase 'don't be shy' has never, in the history of humanity, made someone feel more confident to speak 😂😂

[@Eryniell]

@@imautisticnowwhat right?! XD if at all it makes it worse cause now you got pressure to change your behaviour too ^^"

[@Beafree]

I did not expect that! Love you! You need more subscribers. Im 48, married with 5 children diagnosed with autism. I recently self diagnosed with autism. Life makes so much sense now. I am going to look into an official dx but for now I'm trying to learn to parent myself. Self care is so important. Do you have any tips or a video coming out on this subject?

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Aww, thank you! You're so kind ❤ Ahh - I just love this community so much, haha! Wow! 5 children - I commend you! I'm soo glad you have finally been able to start this path of self-discovery. It's certainly life-changing. I have found I'm much kinder to myself these days. That's a great video idea - I'll write it down and start having a think!

[@nefertitimontoya]

A potential answer to "you don't look autistic": "update your training data" 😂

[@hannahk1306]

I'm quite pleased that they didn't just have a neurotypical person acting autistic. There are already enough stereotypical representations of autism by neurotypicals out there (many of them harmful), that I think don't they needed to put another one out there. There's also a danger of it being quite disrespectful (like in Sia's film Music) and undermining the genuine representation.

[@davethedrummer2134]

well done guys for participating in this experiment. I did not expect that outcome. I am overwhelmed by how supportive you guys are towards each other.🥰

[@jessicahanson6105]

You can tell Amanda is she’s just such a happy acting pink obsessed person. We do tend to get obsessed with things we like. 😅

[@thatguywithanumbrella]

FASD, ADHD, and Autism. So yeah, a lot of overlaps can happen. I usually just go with Autism because it's the most recognizable, my ADHD hardly ever shows itself and not a lot of people know about FASD which I haven't had a symptom for since I was 3 anyway.

[@BeautyMaya1]

From seeing my doctor recently I had trouble with knowing when to talk even with my doctor, my doctor got a phone call while asking me questions and felt like maybe it wasn't the right time to answer the last question they asked when the phone rang and ended up never answering it, my doctor didn't ask me again. I'll try to start talking if others stop talking for a few moments, usually only if I'm asked something or want to talk about something, but if someone interrupts me or starts talking with someone else, even if they say their listening still, I just stop talking. Knowing what to say is really hard for me too and it can take a while for me to respond even if it's just written/typed instead of spoken.

[@adams509]

Oh wow...Im currently undiagnosed (saving for a screening) but I relate strongly to pretty much all of the symptoms, masking, etc I've seen in the 2-3 years of looking into it that I've seen. It goes way back to childhood, and just recently I had the curveball of FASD thrown at me. I knew my mother, who I don't live with, had alchohol/substance abuse problems during pregnancy but only recently did I make the connection of FASD when my guardian revealed she was told it was very likely when we were kids. FASD isn't talked about, at all, the only way I heard of it were the drinking warnings posted in bathrooms at breweries and such. When I looked into it, the symptoms line up with ADHD/Autism nearly to a T, and so they line up with me to a T too. Now, I've got the headache of trying to figure out if it's that, or autism with ADHD, or both. The fact the mole was someone with FASD is amazing, I'm so so happy that a light was shined on the condition and that you covered this, because there's no way I'd have come across the Jubilee video on my own.

[@mechadrake]

The "smartest guy in a school" happened to me, but I myself did not think that,I just thought I was decent at math and just teachers taught others badly. Still good at bigger school and got never told that when got into the bigger shool in a special class with only talented kids (lol, it seems there were a lot of non neurotypical kids there, zero diagnoses, obviuos adhd boy included).

[@turtleanton6539]

Oh ok

[@SuperSarahbop]

I am self diagnosed and I picked up on Amy being ever so slightly not like the others. I felt like I could commiserate with the others particularly when they all where supportive of each other. That made my heart happy.

[@c0ff]

Totally agree!

[@NekoMimiMisa]

So I was diagnosed with ADHD (technically it was ADD at the time) when I was a kid. Later, when I was in like junior high, my mom suspected I might be Autistic instead or as well. To test me they gave me an IQ test and my score was 140, so they said I couldn't be autistic because I was too smart, so I really relate to Amanda.

[@mariecait]

I collect social security disability for depression but I have autism / adhd. It’s all debilitating but the depression is what makes me disabled. I know many autistic friends who aren’t disabled with depression but are disabled with anxiety or executive dysfunction. Support needs vary always. Take care. ❤

[@renatajansen3872]

I could never have guessed! Love the video, Meg 🥰

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Thanks, Mum 😂

[@alexspencer6408]

As a self diagnosed AuDHD person, I related to Amy a lot (if even she/he/they are the mole) when she/he/they talk about communication and how hard it is to put feelings, thoughts and concepts into words. I'm hyperverbal with semi verbal episodes and I prefer to comunicate throught music and TV references. If I'm feeling sad, I will make a comparison between my feeling and the song that better describes my feeling (for exemple, "I'm feeling sad but in a The Unforgiven by Metallica way"). When I want to explain some thought I tend to prefer drawing it or writing, since I struggle with verbal comunication (even with me being hyperverbal lol). Me and my family are searching for an offical diagnosis for me and maybe even for my mom, since she shows lot of autistic traits and in most cases, autism is genetic, so it's likely I got it from her. Hugs from Brazil :D

[@fakeweeb8655]

It's such a pain! I've gotten quite good at verbally keeping up with my train of thought, but trying to write in the "normal" way is a painful slog. Since I've figured out I was AuDHD instead of just ADHD, it's helped me accept that I'm going to have a hard time doing that no matter and I may as well try and come up with alternatives instead. Working on taking voice notes and using speech-to-text now! It's exciting.

[@LeeHawkinsPhoto]

I think it’s hard to accept the term “disabled” because it feels more like a tradeoff to me. While I would like to socialize without turning it into an ever-evolving game of wondering if I’m behaving appropriately, I would not like to be saddled by the mental processes that reinforce arbitrary pecking orders or other constructs that really don’t serve any truly useful purpose when I’m trying to design a new system or redesign an old one. I have skills and abilities _even socially_ that a majority of neurotypical people lack. So do I feel disabled? Yes, very much so when I’m expected to measure up to neurotypical norms. But when I take my life as a whole, I really feel like I bring some extremely useful skills to the table that benefit society if people can be bothered to be patient with my other quirks. I mean, I don’t get to avoid dealing with their quirks, so why should they get to avoid dealing with mine? Can’t we just meet in a middle ground we can both tolerate so we can enjoy each other’s strengths rather than obsessing over each other’s weaknesses? So I feel like disability is relative. A person confined to a wheelchair is not disabled when they’re sitting in a meeting or sitting at a computer doing something…they’re only disabled when they need to do something someone else can much more easily do. So I don’t like the label of “disabled” in general because it gets taken too often as making a person less than whole for society. But when we design society for people in wheelchairs, well then they aren’t as unable to participate and interact and they aren’t all that functionally different. So yes, they’re disabled and so are autistic people, but we aren’t less than whole people and we can do a huge percentage of things everyone else can when the world better accommodates us. It’s easier to accommodate people in wheel chairs by building ramps into our infrastructure than it is to get employers and teachers and classmates and coworkers to accommodate our autistic issues though for some reason. I don’t quite get that. I get that it’s not easy to accommodate us all the time, but I feel like it’s worth it for the contribution we can make since we see the world and question things in ways that can and do revolutionize it…if others bother to listen.

[@marianar3367]

I guessed her first and then second guessed myself thinking it was 'too obvious' and I could also see a bit of myself in both her and Sophia. Amanda fooled no one 😂. Loved her enthusiasm and energy.

[@JustAHoardOfRats]

Everyone there was so sweet! Love your channel btw, your whole energy feels so safe and happy ❤

[@MsSilentH]

I love your change of opinion from saying you'd be absolutely terrified to be in that situation to wanting to be there after you saw the video. I was the same way, though I couldn't get myself to watch it, partly because of second hand embarrassment stuff, my heart rate goes BONKERS, even with your pauses and learning that it was way different than we all expected hahaha. But then seeing what and how they talked about stuff made me feel like, wow, I'd love to just listen to others talk about their experiences and their view on, well, everything!

[@Melissa.Garrett]

I’m 95% sure that in that situation, I would be the one suspected. Neurotypical people always seem to have a hard time accepting me as Autistic, because I made it to 43 without knowing what I was and the masking got so horribly entrenched. 😔

[@l.matthewblancett8031]

thank you so much for this. it gave me a breakthrough in understanding myself.

[@mechadrake]

I was suspecting the mole would be someone who has autistic partner and would copy their traits, then suspected something with different condition. Was not expecting the fa case, as I forgot that it existed.

[@flutistnotflautist4740]

I would love to hang out with that group. I love how thoughtful and caring they are.

[@lexismore]

I don't know your name yet but you're such a lovely presenter! This is the third video of this channel I've watched and it's just really nice and refreshing to see someone take things as they come up and allow the possibility for differing perspectives - while also sharing a perspective that closely aligns with ones I hold and rarely see represented, natch - that also includes holding space for others' ideas. *Cue infinite recursion mirrors.*

[@XaltaTarot-qs2hc]

Duuuude this made me cryyyyyyyy! I need a group of buddies like this!💙

[@lauren_elizabeth_1111]

Thank you for sharing this! Love your content!

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Thank you soo much, Lauren! ❤

[@MelodieRose727]

That was unexpectedly pleasant. ND people are so sweet and accepting so much of the time (when in a safe setting). Loved this, hope there’s a follow up! 💜

[@pbgv399]

The way a lot of neurotypical people feel like they cant recognise the way autistic and other neurodivergent people interact reminds me of how my friends and i feel about interacting with NTs, theyre weird 😂 My friend and i have a safe no masking space for each other, he gets to vocal stim in peace while i dont get judged for reacting to hallucinations. Truly lovely

[@danielsykes7558]

19:52 this is so much more wholesome than most by jubilee things

[@talon1313]

great video and great channel, Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[@ars6187]

THANK YOU for doing this!!

[@cedarmoss7173]

One, a condition can become a disability when your environment restricts your behavior and makes being yourself unacceptable. It’s not that autism is an inherent medical issue, it’s that our society functions against what is natural to autistic people. Two, I’m a cook at a restaurant where pretty much everyone is neurodivergent. Basically everyone has ADHD, autism, or some intense childhood trauma, if not all and it’s so great to be able to just, talk about it and stim and not be judged. Oftentimes I’ll stim while working on line and whoever I’m working with will just mimic me. We talk in funny voices or European accents, or purposely use bad grammar. We also make funny noises, vocal stimming. One of the manager likes to randomly sing. We talk about our special interests, that being music, cooking, K-Pop, East Asian history, reading, deer, dinosaurs, cats, video games, etc.. And we cover for each other’s disabilities. I highly recommend getting a community of neurodivergent people! It takes years of internal stress off

[@rezdbest14]

Great video. It's nice seeing content I can relate to ❤

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Thank you!! I'm so glad ❤

[@thelifeofelle1389]

Gahhh!! I feel like I've known since the beginning of the video who it is and it's killing me to wait for that confirmation at the end!! Aaaahhhh

[@meta5175]

I recently saw a video about people talking about Hypermobile EDS diagnosis criteria, for example, they showed the points they fit in the diagnosisng criteria, and emphasise that many people may also have some symptoms in the criteria but to be diagnosed with the condition is when you have a bunch of symptoms together and also ruling out other causes. And I think it's quite similar to mental health diagnoses, or nerodivergent diagnoses, when some of the symptoms are a variant amongst people, and some people fitting well with the criteria may be due to other conditions like the one shown in the video, and the goal is to understand how the diagnosis can tell us about the common problems we may experience, and the ways to better help us

[@HappyHoney41]

I have comorbidities to my autism. To me it seems that my comorbidities are what really cause most of my daily struggles, now that I am retired and don't have to try to mask and interact with others all the time. After being isolated for 2 years after retiring, I have finally been able to feel relaxed inside. That's how wound up you can get inside with PTSD from masking for 50+ years.

[@FromTheAshes7]

I always heard grumblings as a child about "mild autism", "a touch of autism", "Sarah's different", "overly emotional", etc. I went to a specialty pre-K program for children with intellectual disabilities for a couple years and then was thrusted into the public school system. I had a speech pathologist work with me until the 1st grade before I no longer received any services. I flew under the radar and somehow passed all standardized testing all 12 years. I never once was placed in special ed, was bullied all 12 years of school, was drowning academically yet dismissed by teachers. Always told I wasn't applying myself, wouldn't make much of myself, etc. I assumed that since I wasn't like the kids in special ed and since I didn't present as the other autistic kids, that surely my dad had lied to me about my childhood diagnosis. Fast forward to the pandemic. I see declines in workplace performance, suffering in school. TikTok starts suggesting ADHD videos to me. Then the algorithm turned to ASD. I was scared shitless because I had internalized ableism that I was still blind to. I asked my father the summer of 2020 if there was any validity to what he used to tell me as a kid, because I wanted to seek out an adult diagnosis on my own (but wanted to save the time and effort if possible). He confirmed everything. I was Dx'd at 3 by state psychologists at a low-income hospital program, was enrolled in that special preschool for 2 years, and ended my enrollment there with "being on-par with the rest of their neurotypical peers." It was the 90s during this time, so my dad took the evaluators at their word & thought I was cool to go into public school, not ever realizing how grave the decision was until a few months ago. It took me off-and-on literally 10 years for me to finally complete my associate's degree. I finally graduated a few weeks ago, but not without immense struggles due to dropping out a few times, academia hell, trauma and life happenings. I contacted 6-7 different providers with either zero follow-up or providers refusing to see adults or they were booked out for the year. I waited a year just to be allowed to be added to a waitlist. Then was added last fall and seen this March by a provider. Then I wasn't able to get my results until LITERALLY THE DAY BEFORE my last community college final on May 2, 2023. My psychologist took my social history of childhood trauma & "barely missing thresholds" and wasn't able to give me straight answers. Her report contradicted itself multiple times. I got cPTSD and "neurodevelopmental disorder due to prenatal polysubstance exposure" with traits of autism, inattention, and other learning disabilities. My pyschiatrist already Dx'd me with ADHD last year, but my psychologist doesn't agree with the assessment. My provider claimed I was clinically neurotypical, yet in multiple spots on my report, claimed that my experiences and results were likely tied to autism. Because my testing results conflicting on some multiple choice tests, the ASD assessment had to be thrown out even THROUGH she knew I had issues with reading comprehension. I was told in-person that my issues stem from my mom's drinking, smoking, and drug use while pregnant with me, followed by trauma throughout my life. I waited 2.5 years to be told information I already knew and she was so invalidating with me about the experience. Yet at the end of my assessment papers, she lists my workplace and academic accommodations and how this is all tied to me being neurodivergent. Sigh.

[@EloTheCurious]

12:16 Autistic myself and diagnosed 2 years ago, at age 25, and I fully resonate with this struggle. It’s been crippling in social events with family the friend groups I’ve had throughout my life where I would get really stressed out and end up having meltdowns at some point in during the events, really consistently. It’s been a really struggle, but since being diagnosed and learning to unmask, and respect the stims I need to calm myself down, and many other boundaries I discover I need or want for my wellbeing, I’ve heavily reduced the amount of plans with others in groups I’ve made, and the events I’ve gone to. It’s been a learning the hard way type experience find those boundaries but well worth my health and safety.

[@somebodyrandom952]

6:10 in a family with both adhd and autistic members we do this quite a lot during dinner (we all have a lot of words lol (there's so many interruptions))

[@AutisticAwakeActivist]

Awe bless her , I knew she had something as she had some language disability. I thought the one in pink might of been over acting, but then I used to bounce on my feet was always getting told in the army about it

[@FilmFanaticUTube]

Ik I’m like 2 weeks late I’ve just found your channel at 2:35am UK times on Feb 3rd I was early diagnosed in like 2018/19 and now I’m 18

[@RedFenianPunk1916]

That was extrmely fascinating!! I might just go and watch the original video... despite the "spoiler" :D All of this is very relatable and poignant in their anecdotes. Not least that Amy lass with FASD!!! I took an instant shine to her and that didn't change at the end. All the kind of people I'd spend hours talking with. Yourself I'd include in that too :)

[@Star_Rattler]

Yeah, no, I totally got it wrong. I thought the guy in the red shirt was the mole! I liked this video, it was a good watch. I love the things you have to say, very positive and upbuilding. :) ♥

[@imautisticnowwhat]

It was really sneaky, haha! I'm so glad - thank you so much for your support ❤

[@emanuellandeholm5657]

Fack! I'm binging your content rn. I wish I had something like this to relate to like 30 years ago. :D I'm male, and I was diagnosed circa 10 years ago at the age of 40. Both of my children have since been diagnosed too, and they are girls. So I guess there's something in the water, lol! Anyway, thanks for teaching everyone what autism is really about, especially re. girls! I love the videos of you as a small child, they are absolutely adorable and they remind me so much of my own daughters. This is much needed, let's get this information out there! :D

[@marilan3455]

I thought she was the mole but I thought it would be someone acting and that she was acting. Great video again!

[@Ww-nh9pl]

I truly believe that people who are good at communication such as knowing when to speak, when not to speak, when it’s your turn to respond etc. learned it from observation. I don’t think anybody is born a good communicator, we tend to communicate the way we grow up seeing the people around us communicate so you learn what cues and mannerisms show that it’s your turn and when it’s not. Then it just flows without effort for some. I’m somebody that can have long in depth conversations with complete strangers at the check out line. Something my family often chuckles at is that I’m known for exchanging phone numbers with so many random cool waitresses I’ve met over the years that were taking my order and just vibed so well with. I was watching my 4 year old daughter talking to her friends mom and noticed many of her mannerisms look exactly like mine! Even the way she was standing, using her hands to communicate, giggled, responded and asked questions in exactly the same way that I do. Very interesting to see! So I think it’s learned at a very young age from our primary caregivers. We all as human pick up cues throughout life but I think people with autism maybe have tunnel vision as children that possibly don’t notice or pick up on these cues.

[@diosadeamore]

I thought Chai and Sophia presented as most NT and I had also suspected the "winner". IMO, none of the people presented as fully NT. IMO, if this was done with an NT in the midst, it would be very obvious who the NT was. This is because, as diplomatic as we want to be about our ND, the truth is that there are definitely ND traits that are easily picked up on by others - from the way the mouth is held, to a slight accent, to eyes either being very fixed or moving all over the place, to maintaining the conversation on 1 topic for a tad too long, to slightly different facial expressions (to NT's). Honestly, it is obvious. There is no such thing as "nobody having known" of our ND. I'm ADHD, discovered/diagnosed 4yrs ago. It did not come as a surprise to anybody. I'm now discovering my ASD traits. Will likely look into diagnosis for this also. And thus far, has been no surprise to my hubby or my sister. People just know. Even I know. In saying that, human behaviour/speech/idiosyncrasies/culture has always been ... dareIsayit, a special interest of mine. And that might be why I feel sonewhat attuned to picking up on others' ND.

[@kateseph98]

Yes! Normalize raising a hand in group conversations. I struggle with finding natural places to fit in my thoughts and sometimes get talked over because I'm quiet. I raise my hand with friends and family and it makes socializing easier.

[@gbail9566]

I learned when friends adopted a child that subtle facial features are diagnostic for FASD. Looking back I see that in Amy, but it's so subtle that you have to look out for them to catch them.

[@echognomecal6742]

I had SUCH mixed feelings about this(!), but yes, agreed, it was done tastefully. Informative & even fun :)

[@JoshuaCastillo6309]

They’re all awesome but I gotta give props to Sophia. She’s incredibly good at masking. Pure skill right there.

[@dees3179]

I laughed really hard when you said want an autism support group. I’m 45 and technically undiagnosed. But of course on the years long waiting lists for autism and for ADHD diagnosis with everyone else. Turns out all my closest friends both at work and out side work have one or the other or are the partner of someone with these conditions. Every single one. Including my boss. Admittedly I work at nerd central (U.K. university, have a guess which one, you have two guesses) and they do tend to group together in such areas due to the industries that grown up locally when people don’t move away and just start building tech companies after graduation. But it’s still hilarious to me I inadvertently have my autism and ADHD friendship group before I knew I had either condition. And no one meantioned it to me. I just asked if they had it and they said yes. And when I asked if they thought I had it they think I do. And the ones which are neuroscientists are probably in a position to tell.

[@pckrichards7980]

Even though I have moderate autism, I still question myself as Autistic because I didn’t start to have social distress until I reached middle school. Elementary school I had struggles, but it never bothered me until later. Now, I’m just awkward, but I feel that my Autism affect me more internally, or at least that’s what I notice more.

[@onlinejokester]

It’s a spectrum, you’ll never fit into every box or possibility perfectly, doesn’t make you any less autistic.

[@DJ-jp3ye]

I would say it's a condition (as in the state of the brain, in the same way that any other mental condition could be), and yes, a disability. But using disability I think can vary from person to person, it really just depends on how it affects that persons life. Also agreed on saying "I am autistic", rather than I have autism. I also think this would be a lot harder with AuDHD individuals involved bc quite often our ADHD traits get used as a mask and a lot of people tend to not notice the Autistic traits as because of it.

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

I like that they got so many different people because there’s a stereotype of autism looking one way (usually a skinny white male nerd who is socially awkward). This video shows that autistic people can be social, they can be funny, they can be emotional, they can be fashionable, and they can be empathetic. We’re all so unique, and I love that this video shows that!

[@erikaarnold4780]

I learned a Universe of knowledge about communication from acting classes. You get a chance to pick apart interactions down to their tones, timing, rhythms. I am no actress, but I am not afraid to talk to anyone today.✊🏾

[@Rose-In-Wonderland]

im not diagnosed with autism but i have a lot of the traits and ive done online tests that said i could be on the spectrum. when i was 9 or 10 i noticed that i acted differently and also i was the 'wierd kid' (and still am 😭) . I love your videos :) ❤❤

[@celeste8157]

Amanda was too cute talking about pink! I wish I felt that way about something. I, of course, have my special interests, but there is nothing that could make me that happy. I don't feel much of anything lol

[@stephanieosberg6179]

I watched another of your videos to see if Autism could describe my symptoms...it does. The funniest thing was never thinking about t-rex arms before; after the video while making coffee, I looked down and there it was t-rex hand, right there.

[@karenorgan6203]

I’m very open with my diagnosis, but my friend group of twenty years closed their door to me after a couple of years of burnout and still trying to control myself (looked like sulking, pouting, passive aggressive, when really it was shutdown/meltdown and trying to not ruin everyone’s evening), basically no friends means I have few people that remember me before I figured out ADHD/ASD was joining my PTSD/MDD/GAD … now I’m certain it’s PDA ASD.

[@lifeofsaffran]

Okay, I once said “I did not like how the one who diagnosed me called me disabled” in an autism group and got a lot of push back about how I had self hate or looked down on disabled people/people with disabilities. And I can see how the concept of “we are disabled by the world around us, not by the autism, so we are disabled” works. But it still feels iffy. Most people when they hear autistic people are disabled immediately equal that to autism being the cause, to it being something bad, a disease. It’s not like they will think it’s the worlds fault. The “/“ thing I did earlier is another great example, most disabled prefer person first language since it’s separate from them, blindness, missing limb, disease etc. But we use person second because it IS something we are. And that clashes with people perception of disabled. And definitely negatively backlashes at us. The way I see it, allistics and autistics are equal created. Two beings, like dogs and cats. Some will say that doesn’t describe it well since there are autistic people with more difficulty, more disabled, but there are physically or mentally disabled allistics too, they just don’t attribute it due to being born “with allistism”.

[@Darthdog4957]

Autism I would say is just a different way the brains wired nothing else I’m dyslexic and my disability is starting to be seen as different way the brain’s wired also. So I think it’s a big step in the right direction as it helps groups like us be treated more like normal people who have their quirks and that’s it

[@suzannexander]

I had my eye on the long haired blue clothed person as a potential odd one out, since they weren't moving much at all, but then hearing what they said about masking made me understand that they were standing so still to suppress stims and avoid judgement. I absolutely do that so much too, and I wanted to slap myself for not understanding that sooner. But anyhow, I'm glad they didn't make the group choose who was the odd one out, it made this a lot more wholesome ❤

[@-the_sprocket-613]

Wait omg I heard Meg mention the dinosaur thing a bunch of times! At first I was confused why it seemed so familiar then I realized I do this every day especially when I was younger 😆

[@sammjaisais7135]

I remember having issues connecting with my peers when I was a child. I have never had that "that person looks interesting, I should go and say hi" impulse or the interest. I can typically have a conversation with someone who approaches me, but I lack that thing that makes people start up a conversation with a stranger. As a child I was bullied as well and didn’t have many friends (I had one or maybe two each year). Until I went to middle school and met a friend. She's still one of my best friends. Then again, she was diagnosed as autistic only a few years ago when her younger brother was diagnosed. If I had a nickel for every time that happened... I'd have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Well, actually it happened three times. And then one of those three started suggesting that most likely other people in our 10-people friend group were also on the spectrum. And the two others were diagnosed as autistic. And then another one was diagnosed with ADHD. And then another friend got diagnosed with ADHD. And then I was diagnosed with ADHD but most people who know me have either suggested or suspected that I'm also autistic. From the people I know, the mums of three friends have already just assumed that I'm autistic, a few teachers (when they taught me), one of my nieces, a resident I worked with, and all my nd friends say they're almost sure that I am autistic. On to the other thing I wanted to comment on is the "disability" part of it. "Disabled" is not a dirty word. It's not only society that makes me disabled. I'm not going to blame society for me being unable to remember that I have to eat or being unable to shower because I'm having issues with executive functioning, or blame society for me having a meltdown because it's too f%cking hot or the sun is too bright. I wouldn't blame it on society any more than I would blame society for my myopia. I would love it if society could give me the equivalent of glasses to manage my executive dysfunction, my sensory issues and my problems with socialising (not masking because I already do that and it takes a huge toll on my mental health), but it's not society's fault that I need those accommodations. I saw some people saying that autism itself isn't disabling, that it's the comorbidity, but I strongly disagree. My only comorbidities would be ADHD, depression and anxiety. My depression and anxiety were derived from me being ADHD (and most likely autistic too). My sensory issues have no other explanation. My executive dysfunction has no other origin. My difficulties with social situations stem from it. If you need accommodations, you're disabled. I need glasses, therefore I'm disabled. I need earbuds to drown out the noise because everything is too loud, thus I'm disabled. I need medication to function, therefore I'm disabled. Someone with bipolar is disabled, someone with schizophrenia is disabled, someone with depression is disabled, someone with PTSD is disabled. Disabled is not a bad word. It's not an insult. It's a descriptor. It's not necessarily society's fault.

[@frankblakley8249]

Colors are the spectrum of light and a fantastic analogy.

[@tinkeringtim7999]

If you know how spectrums are treated in physics e.g. with a fourier transform integral equation... then superposition of wave-forms satisfying symmetry criteria does make sense of the spectrum.

[@lilymoon2829]

I had hunch it might be Amy with a disorder similar to Autism. My other hunches were that Sofia might have ADHD rather than Autism or that the twist ending might be they were ALL Autistic because yeah it's really hard to tell and we shouldn't really be trying to guess, just believe people when they talk about their experiences. But I like how the episode shone a light on the similarities between ASD, ADHD and FASD and the experiences we share. 😊😊

[@user-rj9ir6bv3w]

Oh my gosh this is so relatable

[@tecknicolour7850]

I'm doing my argumentative essay on gender bias in autism diagnostic criteria, and the paper refer to is as Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) instead of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and that just made me so happy. 😊

[@Jaclyn87]

I feel that I am autistic but also have imposter syndrome sometimes but I am 35 years old and that could have something to do with it. Also I told someone really close to me about my suspicion and it was completely dismissed so I am now quite afraid.

[@jvrock7]

I'm 35 and autistic (and also adhd but that was diagnosed in childhood). I figured it out in 2020 lol. I told my best friend and he was like "whaat? Nah I think it's overdiagnosed" blah blah blah... few years later turns out it was cuz he's autistic too! He just didn't realize that our experience isn't the "norm." Even others who aren't autistic and dismiss us, they're just used to us being "weird" or "quirky" and they're still only aware of the heavily publicized stereotype as the "only" way to "be" autistic. Just, try your best to be patient with them (eaiser said than done i know 😖)as they adjust their view of you if they're willing, and absolutely be gentle with yourself and don't let their dismissal make you dismiss yourself. Keep researching. Keep interacting with other autistics, and decide for no one else but *yourself* if you think your experience fits despite the imposter syndrome. 👏Self 👏diagnosis 👏is 👏vaild!

[@Ela_at_Midnight]

Ooh Amanda is so wholesome❤😊

[@bjarnes.4423]

I wasn't sure it was her, but if I had to pick one, I would have guessed correctly. Before the reveal I had 3 people that I was unsure whether they where autistic or had another condition. Well made video

[@Ouchimoo]

Okay, blue guy in the shirt reminds me Sooo much of my ex coworker whom I love and miss so very much. The girl who ended up not being autistic, when I was young and stupid I dated a guy who I really did not like. I only dated him because you were supposed to date in highschool to be "normal". His friend though he had Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and he was pretty badly affected by it as in he was physically disfigured by it. That guy was such a cool dude though. Of course he was socially rejected as well so that wasn't great.

[@JDMimeTHEFIRST]

At 12:27, I would think it’s either the first guy who spoke or the long haired guy in denim. But the short haired white guy seems the most neurotypical to me. But the red head woman after that started talking more and saying how she fits in . That was the tip off. But then she said her relatives are autistic. Autism is not the result of brain damage. I thought it was weird that the producers think that someone who had brain damage is similar to an autistic person. She doesn’t seem like she had too much damage (maybe just to some speech). But yes, can people do one with a neurotypical person.

[@roysmith7087]

I feel normal and fit in, but I'm the weirdo. I topic people to death with what I know. How I see the world, How I relate to people. Or sometimes I just watch people but don't know how to engage in conversation or contact. I jump into talking to people I don't know sometimes because I just hear a conversation and I just say what's on my mind. Sometimes people are cool, but other times I think I just insert myself in conversation where I'm not welcome

[@paulrudd1063]

Just something to add to your discussion about gendered preconceptions and how these impact on autism diagnosis: two other major factors that people never seem to talk about is class and status. Working class kids are far less likely to get a diagnosis and this is especially the case for females. I know several women whose parents were told that there’s no point in getting an official diagnosis as it won’t change anything and will just cost a lot of money. The other factor that impedes diagnosis is status. If a parent has social capital, they will be taken more seriously by medical professionals. This will impact upon the likelihood of their children getting a diagnosis. Also, if a child’s parents are divorced, many health professionals will consider things like anxiety in a child is attributed to that, and overlook symptoms of autism. Again, this affects girls more because so many adults feel that girls should be shy and reticent.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Thank you for this - definitely something I want to talk more about! People definitely assumed my meltdowns were a result of my dad leaving when I was four years old etc

[@paulrudd1063]

@@imautisticnowwhat yeah they did the same thing to both my daughters. It made it really hard to get a diagnosis and it wasn’t until my eldest daughter stopped attending school in year 7 that they started to think something else might be going on. Even after the diagnosis the teachers at her school refused to believe it and were very resentful about making any accomodations for her. Trauma is something that can make it hard for girls to get a diagnosis. Everyone just blames the autistic traits on the traumatic experience. I think it’s because we have a cultural expectation that girls are more sensitive and weak, and therefore will take a lot longer to deal with difficult events in their lives. Which is hogwash of course.

[@geab.2182]

I love your strawberry shirt and I have strawberry shirts, too (but different ones to you :-)