Why I HATE Autism Awareness Day - Unmasked, Unedited, Unwatchable

[@syberphish]

If we're not surviving, then it's a sheer miracle that late-diagnosed autistic people even make it to being diagnosed without self deleting along the way first. It's hard enough when you actually know what you're dealing with; but it can be incredibly difficult when you still have no idea.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

Goth Bosch Incarnate March 1965 to March 19th 2029...been asking about deletion for 23 years...finally got an answer. not self deletion...just dying from anxiety, Depression and a broken heart. but before i go, I want to contribute the plans for a small Eco-friendly house.

[@nessknows.]

You are exactly right. I’m 30, had a horrific childhood and developed cptsd and it wasn’t until this April that I was diagnosed as autistic. The fact that I’m alive after three attempts to self destruct is a miracle. And that lost feeling of not knowing why I couldn’t just do what everyone wanted was a core part of that.

[@auntycori]

Yes, yes, yes!

[@AquaPeet]

YES! Hire autistic people to help autistic people! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@SunnySunshineField]

❤

[@Kehtilan]

Both my partner and myself (both self diagnosed autistics) are both struggling. He hasn’t been able to keep a job, and I haven’t been able to work because of a combination of depression, social anxiety etc. we’ve just been surviving for years, and I’ve had to have help my entire adult life. “Surviving to thriving” is definitely BS.. it’s all buzz words that sound nice, but don’t actually do anything.

[@pro_154]

Does the b******* that I'm going through and they really keep on trying to sell you a dream of a getting easier better because they don't want to accept the fact that you're actually playing with less than a full deck of cards and winning the game better than them

[@pro_154]

What I would like is the actual assist instead of scientifically guaranteed to help me become more self-reliant but that's crazy when you live in an environment that seems to be predicated on taking advantage of the less fortunate.

[@calamity0.o]

Surviving to thriving is a phrase to empower those going through abusive narcissistic relationships. I've not heard it used for autism before.

[@stephenie44]

@@calamity0.olots of people use it for lots of things. And everyone seems to think it’s a clever combination of words.

[@leslieyancey5084]

Thank you for this, Orion! I’m currently trying to find a job, and had my 2nd interview with a company today. It was brutal! I hate open ended questions and “tell me about a time when you made a mistake, and what did you do about it?” My mind just goes blank and I end up not being able to think of anything relevant. 🙄

[@dominic.h.3363]

"They all ask the same questions. They always ask about living with autism. I live with my wife and kids, I don't live with autism. I AM autism." I am to this day unable to properly convey to people that being born paraplegic and sitting in a wheelchair is LESS of a definition of me, than autism, because autism is orders of magnitudes more pervasive than simply considering stairs enemy #1. I wasn't even diagnosed because every single odd behaviorism was shrugged off as just the weird thing the paraplegic kid does because his legs don't carry his body, which is total nonsense, putting just all of it in the same pot. I've felt like there was more to my experience all my life, and then I found the language that described my experiences in autism. NT people are going by their assumptions to not have to ask direct questions as socialization attempts, and I am the one whose communication and socializing is deficient? My communication is allegedly disordered while they are the ones minimizing social contact to instead rely on their guesswork? I am autistic and I still see the irony of that. Nobody gets it. How paraplegia just modifies things (instead of 'this', you do 'that' for the same purpose, additional steps, same goal). While autism redefines and reframes them entirely (you don't even perform tasks for the same purpose). Thank you for listening to my TED talk.

[@CindySmith-vd7xh]

I have autism too and reading your comment made me shift my perspective on disabilities lowkey. Autism effects every part of my life cuz it's the filter that my perspective literally goes through 24/7. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@laura5425]

I wish there were a TED talk where you gav that insight. Invisible illness is usually where things get tricky with the outside world. It's easy to minimize or talk away if you can't see and anticipate the struggle. And it takes ages to realize that your own "normal" is not the average "normal" in most aspects of the day and that your hurdles are costing you a large percentage of your energy which you lack for other things... Thank you so much for sharing this!!!

[@Crouteceleste]

Good TED talk, I hope you get the opportunity to go onto a real one one day because I would like to listen to you. Guess work and vague conversation topics as social lubricant is STUPID.

[@raining_trees]

Thank you SO much for this look into the differences between your disabilities! I love it

[@franki1990]

This is so well put, thank you for sharing it

[@TenshiJuuSan]

"Hi. I am a professional technical communicator. I would like a job in my field, with your company. Making complicated information understandable and accessible to anyone is my special interest. However, there is one kind of document I cannot write. I cannot write a cover letter. But that is it. I can write or revise just about anything else." And into the virtual circular filing cabinet my resume goes. Why? Because I am literally incapable of bullshitting my way into an interview with a three paragraph essay on why I want to work for a company I just became aware of on a job site. P.S. No I cannot provide writing samples from previous positions. That is all proprietary information. It is literally illegal for me to show you evidence of my prior work. I don't care if everyone else does it. I can't because it will completely mess my mind up. There are two tricks here. Getting a job within a system that feels like it is deliberately designed to prevent me from being employed. And, keeping a job for more than a year or two after they realize the quirky personality you had in this interview was not nervousness. It is actually how you really are and it is an inconvenience because, just look at that mess of a human. Nah. I'm not jaded or bitter. Not one bit...

[@g0atlady]

Perhaps you can create some mock writing to show them in interviews? So that you don't use anything that's illegal. Just create one or two pieces that you do off your own back, not for some other business. It's like creating a portfolio, as any other artist would.

[@TenshiJuuSan]

@@g0atlady I actually tried this years ago. That is not what they want. They want to see actual work that has gone through a publication process within the company for which it was created. If, say, Caterpillar or Komatsu are on my resume they want to see work from those companies.

[@meggieigge]

You're absolutely right! I wish we could stop having all these "XYZ month" things where people outside XY or Z groups try to cram that group's history, lived experience, and challenges into a month or a day and then get to wipe their hands and say, "ok! well that's done, on to the next one!" without ever having to do any actual meaningful work. I'm so grateful for these unmasked and unedited videos, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@alanguest1979]

Many have to realise that autism is not just for April, it’s 24/7, 365+ days a year...

[@alanguest1979]

Thanks Orion, keep up the good fight.

[@Jonz808]

I hate these bandwagon 'feel good" moments that only celebrate the "unique-side" but are ignorant or ignore the entire package. Just like the colored ribbons and pins, this often becomes an accessory for that moment and forgotten about after the event is over. We're not an event.

[@heatherlewis4477]

My sentiments exactly! Autism should be accepted all year round, not just for a day or a month.

[@Hydrangea1971]

Agreed. I am a mom and a partner of people who have autism, so i think just 1 day is nog enough. But awareness can start with this one day, but I so hope it will transform in an awareness that grows to an very day one. We need a society that thinks inclusive all the time, that learns to make space for people with different needs all the time.

[@genevievegreene1595]

...for a lifetime

[@Kdrive23]

I once saw a post on the website Post Secrets from an autistic person regarding the whole "cure for autism" phenomenon. The postcard said "I'm autistic and I don't want to be cured" or something along those lines. It spoke to me deeply. And it made me realize many of these "Autism Awareness" organizations are largely as you said - run by non-autistic people who think we need to be "cured" or somehow changed to make THEM comfortable.

[@Kdrive23]

It also reminds me of TV ads you see in the US around Christmas from orgs like the WWF saying "illegal poaching is at an all-time high". OK? The WWF has been in existence for almost 100 years and illegal poaching is at an all-time high? What the heck am I donating to, then? Same with Autism orgs.

[@amandamandamands]

Autism Speaks was created because a man's grandson was diagnosed autistic (what these days would be level 3) and he wanted to find a cure for his grandson. These days they don't publicly say that they are looking for a cure but they do still fund other organisations that are looking for a cure. They also only stopped saying that vaccines cause autism when they were made to. So I really side eye any organisation that is in any way affiliated with them, also any organisation that talks about ABA in an even remotely positive light.

[@SuperGingerBickies]

Spot on.@@Kdrive23

[@ZeonGenesis]

There's also a huge difference in virtue signaling awareness and actually doing awareness, and I think in this era, most people just virtue signal to make their moral image look good. And the worst is also if there is a culture of forcing you to appear so and so morally pure, but nobody does anything out of genuine interest or care, either because they don't care or they've not been met with a convincing argue. In general, we just need to throw out the catwalk moral fakeness and bring some authenticity back to the table. Raw data, logical arguments, speaking to people's empathy work better than fliers and T-shirts.

[@daminox]

I love watching your "unmasked" videos Orion. They make me feel so validated. I really appreciate it.

[@emmalarsson8291]

I know right? I feel like Orion is the male version of me 😊

[@kalyasaify]

SAME! 😭

[@kirameki]

As a woman who was told by my psychologist i cant possibly be autistic because its a socializing disorder and i don't have trouble with that, in spite of the fact i was one of the few girls actually diagnosed with ADHD and went through all sorts of socialization therapy and special schools and in my adult life, my friends are mostly neurodivergent.... i was left speechless. Hell, the only reason i got diagnosed with adhd as a kid at all was because my male cousin was and my family saw similarities. You are so right in that if you don't fit the medical perception of it they dont take you seriously even if you have all the markers and a diagnosed comorbidity.

[@LWren-nr6ud]

I paid thousands to try and get a mental health diagnosis and treatment from a specialist in Perth. Autism was something one of the specialist were going to assess me on, luckily I found out just before the ($1k) appointment that they only rediagnose autism in adults, if you hadn't been diagnosed as a child they couldn't diagnose you. They told me literally nobody in Australia would diagnose me as an adult. Funny how my sister was able to get a diagnosed in NSW though

[@skinnyraddish696]

I'm self-suspecting I'm autistic and seeing your unrestrained unmasked "ranting" I see so much in common to when I "rant". I keep teetering between going for a diagnosis or not. Watching your videos, other KZbinrs and reading r/autism posts I keep recognising similar behaviours and life experiences and it's almost eerie how much I relate. Thank you Orion.

[@kawag6356]

Same, I am recently diagnosed, but before that I was blown away at how similar my frustration shows.

[@bensabelhaus7288]

A diagnosis is just another official piece of paper for other people to not understand. Be you. If you need a diagnosis, understand that it does not open doors. In fact, the knowledge of a diagnosis often gets the door slammed shut because you know your rights and others do not.

[@skinnyraddish696]

@milkdreams.never.fadeaway If the autistic experience rings more true than being neurotypical then you probably are ASD. God knows that most neurotypical people can't empathise with autistic people.

[@skinnyraddish696]

@@kawag6356 Did getting a diagnosis impact your life? Or your psyche?

[@nyhtlyht]

Getting a diagnosis can aid in getting help and making accommodations where needed, like in schools or workplace or recieving help from certain organizations. To have it on paper can potentially protect you from certain thing when it can get legal. Its more than a piece of paper, you just never know. Or it can simply be anothrr form of validation. Yes, its a rigorous process, but the truth is the more people bring up autism in therapy and evaluations that alone will cause a shift and make them realise how important and serious it is for everyone, its not just a fad or internet trend.

[@Squeebicus]

Love the idea of it and appreciate the thought but I take issue with the term “awareness”. No one needs to be aware of me because I’m not a danger to anyone. I need understanding, not awareness.

[@LunarWind99]

I saw in the comments of a video by an autistic creator that it should be renamed 'autism acceptance day' and I second that so strongly ^_^

[@skachor]

​@@LunarWind99 I agree, but really everyday should be everyone acceptance day. We can dream...

[@PuffTastic]

I never realised people took the term awareness that way actually, I always thought autism awareness meant awareness of what autism actually is opposed to what people perceive it to be so an awareness of proper understanding which leads to acceptance.. I've been using awareness and promoting it a lot and I feel uncomfortable with my actions now that I've interpreted a meaning incorrectly :(

[@skachor]

@PuffTastic I'm not going to weigh in on whose understanding of awareness is correct, but I will say that I like and understand your explanation as well as @squeebicus's

[@citydweller99]

Technically the whole month has recently been renamed Autism Acceptance Month.. so maybe it's time to rename the day to that as well.

[@rikkicobb2693]

I'm quite glad that I don't buy commercialized autistic and autism related items. I will say that I never bought my son the t-shirts or things because they tend to have a very negative connotation in the underlying message, in my opinion. For instance a shirt, hat or w/e may say "please be patient, I'm autistic." I feel like if I bought that shirt for my son, I would implicitly be saying "I'm so sorry that my son's existence is a burden to you, please just tolerate him." I'm not okay with that. He's not the problem. So, I embroider him sweaters and things. They say things like "I don't have to apologize for being Ausome" and "I don't speak much because I'm brilliant and I am too busy thinking." These highlight the fact that he is not a burden, he is himself, and if other people are bothered by him then they can f*ck off.

[@SuperGingerBickies]

Amen! Preach it! That's the way to do it.

[@misspat7555]

@@SuperGingerBickiesMy daughter’s autism diagnosis changed nothing about how I feel about her; I love her dearly and want all the best of everything for her. Her diagnosis just gives me some clues about how best to pursue that for her! 🥰

[@rikkicobb2693]

@@misspat7555 if I'm honest, my son's diagnosis changed a lot for us, for the better. I was able to learn a ton about his challenges and that in turn helped me recognize that I needed to be kinder to myself about mine (I have ADHD and I knew that but I tend to have a very critical inner voice.) It didn't change that I love him (of course) but it did change the way I understood parenting because I had to learn to stop paying so much attention to the conventional "milestones" and just appreciate him the way he is without feeling that pressure of "is he meeting this or that milestone?"

[@Karen-ph9rc]

Thank you for your advocacy Orion. It is so frustrating to try to get most people to actively listen and understand. I hope you know you are not alone in that frustration.

[@liquiddrums42]

Holy crap...I've watched a lot of your videos, but this was the first time I watched an Unmasked, Unedited video. I was always a bit scared I guess, to see a darker side or something. Especially after seeing you being so relaxed and cheerful most of the time. But man...this video made me appreciate you even more. And the thing you said at the beginning...about being seen and heard; the way you rant about some topics is so recognizable! I was even talking back at the screen at some points! :P Anyway...long story short; you're awesome and I'm really glad to see someone trying his best to make us neurodivergent people look somewhat normal. Keep doing what you're doing! Thanks!

[@desertdarlene]

How funny it is that as I was watching this, my local news was doing a story on Autism Awareness Month. They go on and on about suffering parents.

[@batintheattic7293]

I'm not bothered by the 'suffering parent' phenomenon. As far as I can tell - there's at least a fifty percent chance that these suffering parents are also autistic. If it's a good way to get themselves seen and understood - fine. It is a little Munchausen's by Proxy, though. It would be good if people could think, a little more subtly, about why they are suffering with their autistic child before they broadcast about how difficult it is for them. They might want to get themselves evaluated before they attribute all the difficulties to the child.

[@daminox]

Youre right. It's really weird that non-autistic people pay themselves to run organizations dedicated to raising autism awareness. I also dont like autism awareness month. I work in a warehouse (extremely underemployed btw) for a big-box retailer most Americans have shopped at. This company celebrates "Autism Awareness Month" every April. To make a very long story short: After a few years of this i learned that the vast majority of people in my facility (of over 120 people) have little to no idea what autism is (that includes supervisors, managers, human resources, and upper management). And yet this company decorates the cafeteria and hands out free Autism Awareness bracelets and t-shirts to its employees every April and make a big deal of it. An anecdote: when i "came out" to human resources about my recent ASD diagnosis, this woman- this 60 year old woman- looked me in the eyes and said "Oh? What's that?" with the same inflection of child-like curiosity in her voice as a friend you just told about a new show on Netflix they've never heard of. "Oh? What's that?"... I couldnt believe it. A grown woman. Who has been working in >Human Resources< for one of the largest retailers in the US. And has "celebrated" AA Month every April for god know how many years. And has somehow never heard of Autism or at the very least has no idea what it is. I explained it to her (as best i could on the spot) and she just said "Oh. Okay." As time went on i learned her boss and coworkers (and my own coworkers, for that matter) weren't much more knowledgeable about autism than she was. This was 1 year ago btw.

[@its.Lora.]

This! My experience as autistic in the US. It's such a joke. All these HR initiatives about awareness and DEI but HR doesn't even understand autism. I work for a hospital system that is owned by a major health insurance company (Murrrrica!) and my HR accommodations case has been sitting untouched by HR and MGMT for over a month. I've reached out several times and no one does anything. Because they don't understand autism! They just want to look good in the public eye so people pick their health insurance and go to their hospital. Profit margins are what matter to them.

[@DJ-Daz]

Likewise, I have a 120+ IQ, I'm stacking shelves at a local supermarket in the UK. I can build, diagnose, repair computers, laptops, infrastructure equipment. I work on Windows, Mac OS X, DOS, Linux. I can design, build, diagnose networks. Yet I stack shelves 3 days a week.

[@itsallgravy7]

​@@DJ-Dazwork for the government. They love Autistic workers ❤

[@rocketraccoon1976]

Autism Awareness Day/Month is when non-autistics can grift some money and/or social credit/fame for pretending to care about autistics. 😒

[@hameley12]

That's terrible! Not long ago, when I did my driver's test for my license. The driver coach and I were talking suddenly we began talking about the streets and its history, and about the nearest city and how sad that the oldest stadium and the recreational center were demolished a month ago. She looked at me like she didn't know what I was talking about. This was a woman in her 60s, maybe 70s. Who's lived her whole life here in the States and has family members and friends, and has been driving for years. Let me explain the importance of the stadium and centre. Both were used by children and adults for 100 years, used by the unemployed and homeless for 30 years. On its last life, it sheltered dogs. Until it was bought by a developer who plans to build a bigger and better stadium. Needless to say, our conversation stopped, and I parked the automobile. I passed the driver's test and walked away really sad. Similarly, when I explained my diagnosis to my family, half of them laughed and asked, "What does that mean?" The other half asked me."What is the plan? We will back you up. Anything you need, we are here" How people live without knowing is beyond comprehension. Plus, most of the information is plastered all over the city in posters, adverts, AA Month, TV shows, etc.

[@johnoliver8982]

I’m 59 and only just getting my diagnosis now. I’m under psych care for another reason, but when discussing with my GP that we’re thinking autism, his response was “yes, you do show a lot of the traits”. FFS, I’ve been seeing this GP for over 6 years, he thinks I’m autistic, and he said nothing. This is one of the reasons support is so pitiful in Australia - if medical personnel don’t follow up.

[@Crouteceleste]

Just so you know, you actually made me cry at 27:00 because hearing from someone that you were brutalized by society and no one ever aknowledges that for us, is both terrible and freeing. Yes they've hurt us and they never apologise or take responsibility. They are supposed to care for everyone and each other but somehow it's okay to not care and even actively smother us. And then they blame us and make us feel bad for showing signs of the consequences and who we are.

[@TheAutisticRebel]

Someone's gotta say all this... thank you ORION!!!

[@EzriKaiRaven]

Your Unmasked videos help me a lot as I learn how to unmask after 40+ years of not realizing autism is part of what's impacting me so much. The glitzy and glam that a lot of people use for their vids encourage the unhealthy and unreasonable expectations of ourselves, autistic or not. Keep doing you.

[@Xacris]

I really appreciated this video, and especially the part about the organizations of NT people all getting paid to figure out how to help autistic people... when those organizations could just hire and pay autistic people, and be doing immediate good even just with their goddamn paychecks. Turns out that having money tends to be really beneficial to have!

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

so true!

[@AutisticlyRose]

Since my diagnosis last year I've reached out to a few of those autism organizations to see if there was any assistance. They sent me curated lists of other places to go. Places and business that will charge me for services I can't pay for since I'm unemployable, and un qualified for because 99% are all for children. It's not even good lists, they are just pdf files that have to be manually updated with some phone numbers so I have to get on the phone. That's what all those grants and donations are funding? What a waste. I'm hoping there are actual programs somewhere that are actually making a difference somehow.

[@stephenie44]

I saw it in my calendar and used it as an excuse to finally tell my family I’m autistic. So that’s something. 🤷‍♀️ But I agree with what you said

[@amandamandamands]

Agree with you regarding awareness. People can be aware of something existing and still know nothing about it. I remember telling someone I know that I got my autism diagnosis and their reply was that it was good that I hadn't let it affect my studies. I looked at her and said that it definitely affected my studies, I was in and out of the psych ward the whole time I was studying as studying and working was too much for me to cope with (only got my autism diagnosis 10 years later). Seemed like she thought it was some learning disability.

[@autisticcupofjoe]

I'm another big fan of your unmasked/unedited videos. I think they're the best things you do. You are so brutally honest and passionate. It's rare to see these days.

[@Ophmar4]

This seems like a continuation of a rant I was having with a friend (thankfully they were very receptive). I've been lucky enough to find full time employment, and I've been lucky enough to have a job with great union, but I've shared enough ideas in my workplace to know that I would have been discarded for being problematic. The thing is, I don't care if there's an element of discomfort, if I see something wrong I will speak up about it and be candid to the fullest extent. I told my bosses I believed they weren't doing their job properly and they were being unprofessional. Luckily enough (once again) I've transitioned to a better team who are receptive and who appreciate the truth. However, this is the exception. You've inspired me to write up one of my novellas and send it to wider organization, so thank you. I've already sent a message to my old team a month ago detailing the ways they failed in their tasks and contributed to a lifetime feeling of inferiority I've struggled with (no response, but that's probably wise because I would continue the conversation on my own terms).

[@SeriouslyJaded]

Thank you for this unedited video - showing your authentic self is much appreciated and I can recognize way more of myself in you from this than any of your other, more curated, videos. Also, I agree with your comments.

[@GingerRoot-kf1gm]

I didnt learn about the spectrum within autism until I was in my 20s. Up until then, my only known exposure to autistic people was when they were severely mentally disabled. Then, on tumblr of all places, I read posts from an autistic person that finally made me realize that autism is so much more... Since then, I've realized that many of the "weird" people I've done school projects with or worked with are probably on the spectrum. Hell, I might be too. I work at a grocery store which employs a fair number of autistic individuals. As far as I've seen, most coworkers are accepting and inclusive, making space for them in conversations and working with them to get them the supports they need. But this one incident keeps coming back to haunt me. While having a group conversation in the breakroom, I got into a side conversation with this autistic guy, let's call him Patrick. And this other coworker kept mouthing something to me over and over. I didnt understand but he did and stopped talking. Later on that other coworker came up to me to say, "I was telling you to stop talking to him because it's going to make us ret*****." I was speechless. Still never finished that conversation with Patrick either. I tried but I don't think he realized i was talking to him. Or maybe he just wanted to put that whole incident behind him, i don't know. All this to say that there are understanding people in the world, but not enough to overcome the ignorant and hostile ones. And i think a lot of it is that corporate/capitalist mindset of speed-running profits and success. It's bad for people in general, and hurts autistic people disproportionately. There arent enough spaces for anyone different from the successful template to just...be.

[@profilingmanipulation]

❤

[@johnstover4584]

I struggled with being sight impaired and it coved up the autism. They just kept thinking it's my sight that makes me act different. But in my 30's I got diagnosed because I'm old enough to describe everything better then when I was a kid.

[@marthamurphy7940]

Impossible to make the guy who said that ret*****, because he already is.

[@FaolanHart]

I really appreciate these unmasked videos. I have found myself masking more & more over the years. I used to be a lot more natural. But I find it much harder to do these days. So seeing someone being brave enough to show their natural self is really appreciated. I was diagnosed as a kid. But only started to dive into the online community over the last two years. So this awareness month isn't something I knew about. I feel the same way about Pride month. It feels so fake & patronising. Especially when the corporations get involved to make some money out of it. Most people that come under all of these "awareness" campaigns just want to be able to live normal lives, & a little understanding.

[@hellequinm]

It's weird, my therapist asked me a few times when I say I struggle with how the world works, it's not fit for me "would you like to have more adjustments or that changes are made to accommodate you?". The truth is: no, hell no. And by your comments on NT ppl running those organizations, it gave me a hint on understanding why I don't want accommodation. Accommodation from NT people is pity, they think you are less capable, less able and start treating you like a child and keep ignoring your triggers and burnouts. I feel disgust just thinking on this possibility. Agree with you, maybe what we really need are company managed and run only by autistic people hiring other autistic fellows. I don't want to keep asking to be able to exist and pleading to NT people to allow me to do so.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

they will have to at least meet you halfway youngling...zero accommodation only hurts us.

[@PeterGriffin-kb2hf]

This feels nice to watch because i like the way you talk and explain things. It feels familiar, like I might talk if I didnt have adhd which makes me talk way faster lol Idk why but it feels friendly to my inattention because when I miss something its easy to keep track of where you were without rewinding.

[@KatrinaTapio]

I always end up unemployed because eventually, there are all these strange demands unrelated to the actual work I'm supposed to do, but that I can't keep up with or understand, mainly social issues or meaningless tasks, pretend work, or weird rules that don't make sense for me, and it stresses me out so much that I have to try to find a different job. It sucks. I might love my job the first few months, because it interests me or is challenging in a positive way, but eventually they start expecting me to be more than what I can be, even if I try to explain that it isn't possible. I've given up on explaining any more because they won't make any changes or accommodations. Maybe I should just give up and become a homeless person (again).

[@megadjc192]

I agree 100%. I find it disgusting that there are people who think they are "helping" by trying to speak for me or demand stuff out of me. I think so many of those organizations are simply patronizing "feel good" organizations. They are doing it to make themselves feel better rather than actually having some accountability and helping. I have also struggled with trying to understand the political correctness of the organizations too. An example was "how autistic people identify themselves?" and trying to establish some sort of way we refer to ourselves like pronouns and stuff. I found that odd as most autistic people including myself don't really think that way. We simply use whatever terms we have access to or understand to communicate that we are autistic. It reaks of "mom with an autistic kid" vibes rather than actually being driven by autistic people. It is confusing. I also have learned that you can't simply build a "compatibility layer" for people with autism. At the end of the day, we need a complete paradigm shift. For me personally, the biggest need I've had is for people to actually accept my abilities for what they are and understanding that my goals are for function and not for an aesthetic. I do wish I could do more to help my fellow autistics', but I struggle with managing the amount of work it takes to keep that up.

[@GoodTarget_]

I could write a horror book using sentences said to and about autistic children during the "march for autism" in the preschool I work at. More than one teacher were extremely upset for having to take autistic children with us. One of them threatned to leave a little boy behind. He was upset cause she said, we're gonna leave now, but made students wait in line for 10 minutes. "Ok, everyone, let's make another line here and leave him out, cause he it not behaving. I will leave you behind and I'll show you!"

[@lastlight4252]

It is patronizing. Thank you for sharing the real you. Your pointing out that the mountain has always been there was a bit of an epiphany for me. The rate of autism isn't exploding, it has always been there.

[@audhdhumanine]

I love you being you and very happy that someone is so well capable to explain the lack of acceptance and throw it out in the open

[@mrmrlee]

First! Thank you sir, for all you do for our community.

[@jessicaroy4125]

Thank you for making these videos. I found your channel a week ago. It was the imposter video and the timing was amazing. I had just shared with someone that I am neurodivergent and she reacted by saying " Huh well I guess we are all a bit autistic". Her comment and reaction was surreal. She has a grandchild with autism who I am assuming does not resemble what she sees in me so she assumed I was lying I guess. Then she met my son who is also on the spectrum and said to me "wow he can speak so well!" What is wrong with people. Anyhow sorry for the rant. I just wanted to say that in just one week thischannel has made me feel so validated and seen so a big from the bottom of my heart thank you!

[@EphemeralTao]

There are few things that make me more angry than someone saying "I guess we are all a bit autistic". That whole "Everyone is a little bit X" is just a form of denialism known as "universalizing". When you universalize, you deny the impact a particular condition has on someone's life, by equating it to a minor quirk or inconvenience in yours. Nah mate, you're not "a little bit X", you just don't want to acknowledge just how deeply this impacts every single part of our lives. People like that make me absolutely livid. You can't say "well, I guess I'm a little autistic too" out of one side of your mouth, then call us creepy, weird, aggressive, and obsessive out of the other side. It's like someone who is a little stiff getting out of bed in the morning saying "well, we're all a little bit disabled" to a paraplegic, who cannot even navigate the world you created and live in without much more effort than you can even imagine. "Everyone is a little bit X" is not their way of trying to understand us, it's their way of trying to make us shut up and go away.

[@jessicaroy4125]

@@EphemeralTao It's really hard to open up that you are on the spectrum cause it gets implied that you are lying but then when you don't say it people are like why do you take things so literally or why are you so upset about that sound and so on and so on. You just can't win.

[@EphemeralTao]

@@jessicaroy4125 Yeah, exactly.

[@blackmber]

28:30 I lose all respect for politicians when I watch them debating. The scene in Hamilton does not even exaggerate their behaviour. They look like unsupervised schoolchildren. And in Canada right now they are are working on a bill to make “online hate speech”, defined in the most vague terms, a crime punishable by prison.

[@HaakonOdinsson]

After all the dismissiveness I get from everyone around me, this is a blessing. Thank you for this Orion, much appreciated 🙏⭐️

[@xenedraa2825]

Thank you Orion for this amazing video. I recently tried to talk to my therapist and they expected me to explain to them in a way they understand. We definitely think different.

[@KarenDUlrich]

Best damn factual rant ever! ❤❤❤

[@Mopsie]

The Mount Everest part is very accurate and hilarious

[@misspat7555]

16:00- After living probably over half my total lifetime as an undiagnosed autistic woman, can confirm it is BRUTAL just trying to have a life like this. A lot of us self-end. Autistic people are not doing so hot; weirdly, somehow, worse if we DON’T have comorbid intellectual disabilities! 😵‍💫

[@nancyziegler5724]

Thank you for being real and speaking the truth. It is BS how 'they' act. Its super frustrating. Ignorance is Bliss for the 'suits', always is. I have had so many bad experiences in the Workforce that have scarred me. I know im not alone. Without my close family member, with whom i share an apt, id be in a huge mess. Keep it up Orion, you speak for so many of us, you are priceless. You speak what i feel and am unable to express.

[@Dancestar1981]

I don’t work due to ptsd in toxic work environments I have Asperger’s and combined adhd

[@nancyziegler5724]

@@Dancestar1981 i no longer work outside the home either. what a relief. i get it

[@autisticMargo]

Orion, thanks for helping us identify and climb our own personal Mt everests.

[@TwoMomFamily]

How did you do the infinity symbol 🥰

[@autisticMargo]

@@TwoMomFamily I think it's available because I'm a member of this channel.

[@zeekay3205]

I appreciate this video so much!!! 😊❤ As a Caribbean Black female in the US - this is essentially my exact sentiment more or less about Black History month as well. It's a cross between "Appreciate the half ass, watered down, throw away, kinda insulting gesture" and "indifference / this is a nuisance / dont bother me about it with a million questions, this is 2024 hit the internet / idgaf about this day/month/whatever / It is not my "privilege" (scoff - AKA responsibility to educate you about this stuff - but then I seem like a bitch with a chip on my shoulder for saying it so I don't 🤷🏽‍♀️ - I have to pick my battles regarding questions about topic regarding my identities (Black History Month, Woman's Day, Autism Awareness Day, Queer etc) questions about it. Love this video!!! 👏🏽 🔥 💯❤️ Yes. Very brave about this - love, respect and appreciation for your channel grew even more!! 🙌🏽 Just YES I've seen this video since the day it came out but I get annoyed/worked up about social injustice so realized I "had to really pick my moment" when I realized you were really "getting to it" and came back today when I would t listen and be angry)worked up for days. Please don't be mad. It wasn't cowardice. My Audie self and Audy bf and I appreciate the video!! (he goes by "Aspie" but I can't with the sordid history- he also has ADHD and needs some time to "load" what Asperger's Syndrome means within the context of history.)

[@Piroschatz44]

I am a late diagnosed autistic, soon 43 year old guy, from Switzerland and the EU said, that below 10% of the autistic people in Europe are employed.....and the last 3-4 years made it even worse and this ranges from base education to high educated who lost the job. Even top educated are more likely without having a job....so, we have a harder time on earth overall....and countries, like Canada, makes it to a hostile place. I have the luck to live in Switzerland and since this year, I have the help of our disabilty insurance. I got hired pretty fast, from a worldwide marketleader for a project for this year. After the 1st week they were so impressed, that they contacted the main HQ to get permission for this job for me, to offer a fixed contract after this project runs out. The good thing is, the company and all my co-workers knows of my autism and they have 0 problems with it 🙂 Edit: I haven´t heard from an awerness day in/from Switzerland, maybe its not a thing here, but we are behind 5 years or more in this Autism-Topic anyways.

[@mikicionekk3554]

I suppose there are more than 10% autistic people hired in EU, most of us were just undiagnosed and not aware of our autism. I mean: those who are employed are more likely be undiagnosed. But of course there is a problem of un/underemployment problem of autistics. Greetings from Poland, UE. I am a female software developer, diagnosed at 43.

[@rocketraccoon1976]

Wow. You won the lottery! Most highly skilled autistics don't even get a chance at that. Best wishes and may your career ever be bright! 😃

[@theoddestautist]

Hey im canadian, what specifically about canada is hostile to autistics? (Not saying youre wrong or anything)

[@Piroschatz44]

​@@theoddestautist I can´t tell it without my comment gets deleted. But try with Google and something like -- 27 year old autistic canda -- or with -- canada disabled eu .. anasia -- or -- rachel finlay ontario -- I am not saying that everything is the truth and I am too far away to check it and talk with the people about this, but I don´t call this "Friendly".

[@Piroschatz44]

@@theoddestautist I can´t tell it without my comment gets deleted. But try with Google and something like -- 27 year old autistic canda -- or with -- rachel finlay ontario --. maybe you will find more. I am not saying that everything is the truth and I am too far away to check it and talk with the people about this, but I don´t call this "Friendly".

[@laceweisbrod]

Hello Orion, it’s Lace here. I am so sorry about your interview and that they did not give you enough time. I remember feeling that way in school when I had to give presentations in under five minutes. So I know what that is like. Yes, learning about autism should not just b dedicated to a month or a day it should be for life. These organizations need to wake up and get it together. I hope this makes sense Orion:-) Keep doing what you do.

[@lindaT82]

Not offended 💖 Ignorance, hypocrisy, and power. Autism month is relatively new for me, and that's been due to my own ignorance. Not sure how I feel about it all yet. A lot to think about in your video. Many thanks for your honesty and work!! ✨

[@GeekGamer666]

Honestly, it's important for autistic influencers to be authenticly unmasked sometimes. Yes you have to mask to do many things related to that profession but at the same time the responsibility exists 'walk the talk' to show the rest of us that watch the content that it's not possible or healthy to mask continuously. Edit: I wanted to add that you're now my favourite autistic influencer because I agree that all those autism charities are full of poop and it's nice to hear someone call them on it.

[@JayBurkhart]

Orion, thank you for your honesty in this video. I really appreciate the points you brought up. I'm 43, and I'm successful with my career, and married for 21 years. I've been struggling for about 15 years just to wake up every day and do "normal" sh*t, and wondering why it's so damn hard. At 43, I'm just now discovering that I'm autistic. I'm realizing that I've had severe autistic burnout for 15 years and just pushing through it at great cost to my mental/physical health and my marriage. 5 days ago, my first experience asking for help after an eye-opening and painful process of self-assessment and self-discovery was to have my doctor literally laugh at me when I asked for a referral for an ASD specialist. She insisted that either it was impossible for me to have autism because I have a job, or if I did have autism, that I'm totally fine and don't need any help. stupid, ignorant sh*t like this that comes from the same people who are supposedly there to help us needs to stop. The ignorance and bigotry from clinicians and medical "professionals" is unacceptable. I've been seeing a lot of the same things that you brought out in this video, and the more time goes by, the more indignant I get. Just to survive, I've developed the dogged persistence and stubbornness to push through whatever I need to and kick down every f***king door until I get what I want and need, and that's what I'll do in this case. But it shouldn't be that hard, and we shouldn't have to self-advocate to that degree to get help, and we shouldn't be laughed at when we ask for help. I'm angry not just for myself, but mostly on behalf of autistic people who don't know how, or just plain can't push like I do to get what they need and deserve. I've been working as a firefighter for nine years and getting bullied and harassed so bad at work that for over a year, I've been arriving to work and sitting in the parking lot for half an hour with my hands shaking before going in, confused about whether I should cry, quit my job, or if today will be the day someone starts a physical fight with me. And this bullying and harassment is coming from the supposed "heroes" that everyone thinks are there to help them. These "heroes" Are the most broken part of the same medical system that has no clue about how to treat or even just show human respect to people with autism. I'm seeing a huge need for advocacy, and looking forward to what's next in my journey and how I can help. Anyway, that's my rant. Thank you for this video. I hope to see more like it.

[@brianfoster4434]

The first rule of any non-profit organization is to pay the people that work there. The organization may be non-profit, but the people that work there are most definitely not.

[@its.Lora.]

Exactly. So non-autistics make money spreading misinformation about autism, silencing real autistic people, and just not doing any real progress. Just words, social media posts, blah blah blah, and awareness days. It's all a scam at the expense of autistic people.

[@rocketraccoon1976]

Right. And the first priority of many non-profit organizations is to keep themselves running, even if that means ignoring or opposing the reason the NPO was created for and the clientele they're supposed to be helping.

[@marthamurphy7940]

I worked for a non-profit for eight years. I was the only employee and I did the payroll chores. But I refused to raise the money to pay myself! I told the board of directors that was their job.

[@mooreanonumbers]

Of course, but it's pretty common for NGOs to be excuses to turn money around, schmooze, and give jobs to family, friends and upper-middle class randos.

[@sammylangford8858]

Hey Orion, I’m not sure if you know this But last year when I was doing night shift doing bread deliveries my husband and I were listening to the night shift with Luke Bona on Triple M and he stated on his show that the government is going to cut funding for autistic people on the NDIS because they believe that since the NDIS started there has been an explosion of Autistic people and they believe that we as autistic are trying to rort the system. Now I don’t know exactly how that is even possible when and just going on my experiences here I have 3 people in my house alone who have a major lack of therapy and therapists where we live and are unable to even get on NDIS for that simple reason. Because I’ve tried to get me and my autistic children on the NDIS twice and the reason for refusing is blaming our gp’s for not doing enough to help us. Now we live in Dalby we have a major lack of specialists anywhere near us and even the ones that are an hour or more away from us aren’t available to us as they are all booked years in advance. And we also have an issue with accessibility to medications where we are because since Covid all of a sudden medicines are becoming more and more scarce. Anyway I just thought you may want to know this if you didn’t know this info.

[@travisriggs2635]

I’m recently diagnosed autistic (10 days ago). It’s been rough. Your videos have likely saved my life. Thank you. I’m getting on, and I know I’ll be OK.

[@ashleyien1222]

I don't know much about Autism Awareness Day... I've only suspected that I'm autistic for about a year now... 😅 I'm self-diagnosed. I don't have the money for a diagnosis or to see someone for mental health stuff (there is free stuff available, but I'd have to miss work for it and it's first come, first serve, so no promises I'd even get help if I did miss work). I have an education... I have a job... but my job of 16 years is only part-time (occasionally more hours which leaves me exhausted, but I can't turn it down because I need the money). I'm hopelessly single and live alone... so I have to pay for everything alone on my part-time job... I'm struggling. I'm always exhausted. Anxiety is high. Health issues one after another and feeling ignored by doctors {not returning my calls... and I HATE making phone calls}. I don't know why it's so hard to understand there are more autistic people now because there's more knowledge of autism and more people getting diagnosed. It was always there... just ignored for years.

[@PowerMechGuyTechMasterEarl]

Disconnected. I couldn't agree more. It's the conclusion I keep coming to over and over again. I don't even know how one starts to address it either. Thank you for posting, this was once again incredibly cathartic.

[@isabellammusic]

Your voice is so important to the Autistic community and we all should say what we want to say without having to mask. I think you are amazing and more Autistic people should raise their voices and let the world know what they think!

[@yetanotherhannah2036]

Thank you!! I really want to go to an Autism show in the UK but firstly, I can’t afford it, and secondly, the capacity is for thousands of visitors! Call me crazy, but how the heck do they expect this to be “accessible”? I will have to force myself to go just to gain the benefits of learning more about myself and to have the opportunity to learn coping mechanisms. It doesn’t make sense to me 🤷🏻‍♀️ Thanks for the videos! You’ve really helped me during my darkest moments

[@chrisanthony6933]

Loved your rant! I need to vent a little now too 😂. The National Autism strategy is a joke. Its purpose isn’t to help autistic people as that would require money and action - it’s to make NT people feel better. It’ll get a flashy launch and then the NT folk can put our struggles out of their minds happy in the knowledge there’s a strategy. It’ll then get put in the cupboard with all the other strategies they need to pretend to care about. The reason there’s noise around an explosion in autism diagnosis’s is to enable them to tighten rules around autism eligibility for the NDIS. They need to make out like people are gaming the system to get onto NDIS. 😂😂 😂 like somehow that’s a great life. NT people are already lapping up that narrative. I love my autistic brain but who in their right mind would choose the life that the NT world forces us to live.

[@rachelmintoff8301]

I remember during seeing an NDIS services actually ripping off Autistic creator content, word for word and putting their own name on it!!!, and when called out they blocked me and didn’t acknowledge it!

[@BarryBazzawillWilliams]

Thanks for articulating something I was struggling with. I work at a large government department, I am lucky enough to have supported employment which both helped me get my job and helps me day to day. Last year a group of autistic employees, released a great piece of writing for April. I was not involved in this but through their writing I was connected with a large group of autists across Australia in government. We were trying to organise something for this April and had lots of good intentions but I did not have the spoons to do this in my own time. It would have been great to be given a day of work hours to work on this.

[@sophiegolden]

Maybe it s time for us to buit our society, our schools, our companies, a country 😊, where we are feeling comfy... After all many groups are doing that !! I don't want to fit in, I just want to be myself like many... Our clubs, pubs, stores whatever ? They will probably be envious 😅... Thanks Orion ❤

[@reneepatton3654]

I'm not against autism awareness... Think how much more invisible we would be without it. At least some people get curious and find out. There is a gradual sense of people understanding tiny bits more about it. Change is gradual. Spot on with your explanation about why more people are diagnosed now. I was 52 when I learned about myself, and only because I stumbled upon a conversation by some Facebook friends, and I asked for more information. I thought it interesting that so many of the people I felt I could relate to identified as autistic. About five books into looking into it, I could no longer deny that I was definitely on the spectrum. I still struggle to explain it to people, and I've read at least 12 or 13 books on the subject. I recognize it in myself and I understand it in myself, but how do I explain that to a neurotypical person? They're such a puzzlement to me. I still struggle to understand why people do the things they do.

[@joana.en.pyjautiste]

Thank you for sharing your true self 🙏 In France, for the 2nd of April, they put a moovie about autism on tv...talking about a mum who murdered her autistic child 🤦‍♀️😰....... Yeah....good message....😑🤮

[@madamenordica]

OMG OMG OMG YES! NOBODY is accountable anymore. thanks for addressing this and love this video! Keep making them! This is great, tho I really think the logic will go over a lot of ppl's heads LOL :)

[@batintheattic7293]

Personally, I think I may be done with office politics, and not entitled to boss me bosses (a good one I probably wouldn't notice), and psychological games, and jostling egos. I'm trying to stand up on my own, now. The big waves.. I would seriously prefer to not have the big waves. Second best option is that they are regular but infrequent. Third option, every six days but don't try to schedule for it as it might be twelve or nine, is what I've been given to try to cope with. And usually at least ten minutes late leaving me not only with a three day hole in my routines (a lot of catching up to do) but a ravaged hand because I've taken to biting myself (not enough to break the skin but just to feel a little pain) to distract my nervous system from the fact that my neck is on the block and I don't know where the executioner is. Usually, the executioner turns up and apologises for being late before sending me back to my cell with a promise to do this all again in a fortnight (never quite a fortnight). And I say, "Thank you." Meanwhile, all on my own I am trying to drill down into what was an enormous crater of exploratory holes but is gradually gaining definition and my hole needs a hell of a lot more than six days of focus to be able to make any noticeable progress with it. Then again - I don't want to tell the executioner about my hole. He will turn up with concrete. 'Cause it's not 'customer service'. It's not just a hole I'm talking about, is it. It's an escape tunnel.

[@jugglinglotsathings6593]

This is my first time seeing you both unedited and pissed off, and I'm loving every minute of it!

[@SweetiePieTweety]

The powers that be have reduced everyone to a slice of a second, a reduction of voice… 10-15 minutes with your doctor… if you can get an appointment to begin with. Five minute spot on a media platform to speak to any subject. Most people give other people about three to five minutes for a social exchange. The world 🌎seems bend on limiting the opportunity to speak period. Conditioning. Yet with autism, this modern day social norm just isn’t Within us to execute or conform to. Is it selective mutism or a surrender by force of “convention”. But thank you for stepping up to do the impossible…. What most of us are trying to do every day in simple ways in our lives, are attempting to do on the public platform for the community. Thank you

[@raymierodgers4411]

That was funny Orion. Cheers 😂😂 Good chat fella 🙌🏼💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@mostevokish]

Thank you Orion!! Thank you for your diligent and important work. As an adult with an overlooked and misdiagnosed case, with little accommodation or even the correct diagnosis, you are speaking on my behalf. And you make me feel SEEN AND HEARD even without meeting or knowing you personally. Thank you for speaking for us for saying what most of us can't say ourselves.

[@rainravenscraftingcorner2907]

I am a 37 year old female. I was just diagnosed on April 1st! Oh, and i had to spend $4,000 USD for that assessment! I have no family to go to for support. I have a husband. Im lucky to have him. It just would have been nice to have the answers and support when i was younger. It would have been nice to have been accepted and understood by my family. Perhaps one day, autistic individuals will feel like there is a place on earth for us. One can hope even if it seems pointless

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

$4,000 USD for that assessment! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[@thissunchild]

That has got to be *_the best_* rant I've heard in years. Bloody well said, Orion.👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@malapropia]

"It's not about not getting not getting to thrive, it is the world refuses to acknowledge the in between". Yes, Orion! Yes! They are allergic to process. No understanding of how to get from one point to another, nor how to figure out how to navigate, too busy being ashamed of their fetishized vulnerability. also: do we all think in statistics? That bit about Everest was pure genius. Feeling so much belonging.

[@Sommyie]

Hello from September! I too am barely making it. Almost no friends, my relationship is terrible, I'm too blunt or not sensitive, and I hate every day more than the one before. It's pure pain some day. What's that song again? Pain is better than nothing?

[@LinauLee]

Sad but true...Orion, so well put!

[@mammajamma4959]

I love you Orion, I feel heard. My youngest is 27, unemployed , I so need to help. Im 64, pretty sure Im autistic. Im so tired, so burnt out. Is my son 'disabled'??!! I just cant bring myself to help him apply for disability, it seems dishonest! dammit. You are spot on, its society that is disabled! Im just so tired.

[@stillnotstill]

Please reach out for the resources. They don't make them easy to get so if someone gets them they need them

[@Mistah_Krinkle]

Thank you for sharing whats in your heart. The sentiment you shared at the end hit deep.. I've been struggling with being hopeful for the future. At least I can watch your videos and not feel alone.. I appreciate you brother

[@whitneymason406]

I definitely have mixed feelings about this month. Thanks for sharing your perspective!

[@richwatson28]

I’ll be honest Orion, I’ve never been able to watch any of your regular videos all the way through with all the quick editing, it’s a bit too much for my Autistic/ADD brain to handle. But this was something else. All in one take. I want to articulate this exact message to people I’ve known but have lost touch with, such as parents, siblings and even nieces and nephews who ARE thriving in the NT world. Pure emotion. Brilliant 🫶🏼👌

[@sammylangford8858]

Sorry Orion, just wanted to add one more thing to this info and that is yesterday I tried to get my daughter her ADHD meds at the chemist, now these are not the type of meds you can just stop till they are available again and they are also the type of meds that you can only be given to you by a psychiatrist, anyway as I was saying I went to the chemist to get a script filled for my daughter and found out the her meds are no longer available so I couldn’t get them. Now this has now become an issue as now she has to go back to her psychiatrist to try and get an appointment with her just to have her medication changed and that would be ok except she may not be able to get an appointment straight away as like I said earlier it’s hard to get appointments with these specialists because they can be booked out for months or even years.

[@existentialbread4746]

That was a very engaging and intelligent rant, and I enjoyed every second of it. Pure catharisis.

[@gamer-8955]

Oh Orion. I love your sense of humour. It's very similar to my own. You make me laugh. I love your rants and Ur honesty. I love your directness (can't remember if that's even a word haha).

[@Autistic_Goblin]

I loved this video, thank you! If/when you're up for it, I would love to have an allistic-friendly version of this that I can share with my family, friends, and colleagues, to help them understand. If you have any professional resources that you can share, too, this message is so, so important!

[@MandaPanda254]

I greatly appreciate your comments on the statistics of diagnosis numbers. The way you have phrased it is so helpful to be able to explain to others

[@KPaul7]

I really appreciate you Orion ❤️ I am so nervous that I'm going to offend other people with autism. On the way I refer to autism. I am perfectly fine with saying "I am Autistic". I don't care that much about having to say "a person with autism" or I have autism. For bloody hell I'M AUTISTIC. The way it is said does not change the fact that we have a autistic brain. End rant. Thank you for doing these un-cut videos.

[@HeidiBouman]

Thank you for this video Orion - it felt a bit like I was watching myself rant tbh - I'm 50 and started suspecting I'm autistic after I got longcovid which led to being unable to mask more than a few minutes at a time. I doubt I'll be able to get a 'professional' diagnosis but your videos have been very helpful and cathartic regardless. I'm less mean to myself knowing that my SPD is not just me being a whiny, useless person - I have a lot of the usual ASD comorbidities so probably not a far stretch to assume my inherent alienness is due to neurodevelopmental issues. If my assumption is correct I now know why it;s near impossible for me to connect deeply with 'normal' people and why i'm always the oddball in any group setting :)

[@neltivana1975]

YES I love UNMASKED Orion videos 🖤🖤

[@TheRawChuck]

Thanks, Orien. I tend to agree with you on so many of the points you mentioned.

[@Alias2404]

I'm 1000 % with you. Thank you very much to putting into the right words. I'm appreciate them so much. Greetings from Germany 😊🙏

[@Emily-es1we]

Thank you! I was feeling stressed this week and wasn't sure why. This is what I needed to hear and I can now continue with my week not feeling as much pressure to have to perform or answer every question thrown at me about autism as it was draining me. I felt very seen as I agree with a lot of what you were sharing, thank you!

[@Pjolter365]

Thanks for speaking up Orion, and everything you do on your channel!👍

[@ItsRyan265]

Thank you for voicing your concerns. It means a lot to me to have someone put into words so well why an event like this would be frustrating. It's too many factors for me to articulate why something like this is systematically ineffective.

[@laceweisbrod]

I love watching your unmasked videos because they remind me of myself so much.

[@KatjaTheAutiArtist]

I literally had to share this video twice. Once because OMG, You're so on fire with the facts, mate. and another time I shared the video because I HAD TO QUOTE YOU. Thanks so much Orion. This is an example of why I painted you as Orion Kelly 007, lol.

[@orionkelly]

I appreciate it mate.

[@mesmo4888]

Thanks for doing the hard work, it's seriously seriously appreciated 🥺

[@edzielinski]

You're arguments are compelling and insightful. I learned a few things along the way, which is great. I would also like to add that there is an inherent problem with organizations, and especially large organizations of any type, which is that their primary interest is in sustaining themselves and ensuring their own future (e.g. governments, religions, countries, etc.), and this can compete with their charter. So we need people to hold them accountable to their stated mission, and that needs to be people outside the organization or with some stake in what they are offering which is not in competition with the organizations internal operation. Thanks!