Exploring the topics of autism and neurodiversity.
As a recently diagnosed autistic adult, I am passionate about not just raising awareness of autism but promoting acceptance for the autistic community.
I want to explore the autistic experience from every weird corner of my brain and help others discover themselves, be proud of themselves and change the world, one silly video at a time.
My result was 171, but I think if I took the test a decade earlier (before I've figured some stuff about myself) the result would be quite different. Although I agree that some questions would benefit from some rewording because they seemed to be not specific enough/ not worded in the best possible way. I also have both ADHD and autism so some of my answers seemed to be opposite of the monotropic pattern.
Why would anyone take the time to get good at something they are not interested in? I thought you have to be interested in something to devote the time and effort to get good at it.
Listening to you over analyze the questions was wildly entertaining. What made it entertaining was the fact that I did the exact same thing when I took that test. lol
I am most definitely extremely monotropic. That is something I have struggled with my entire life. This hit really close to home for me. My Great Uncle is also undiagnosed, but he is also very monotropic. He has been diagnosed as having a low IQ his entire life, but he doesn't. If it is something he is interested in, he has no trouble whatsoever understanding very complex concepts, but it is impossible for him to learn or remember anything if he is not interested in the subject. I picked up on it a few years ago. For instance, stereo systems are one of his special interests. He has no trouble explaining how every type of stereo functions and he can pick up on very subtle differences in sound quality from machine to machine. I worked in a studio for years, and I can't pick up on it as well as he can. On the other hand, I tried to explain how to file taxes to him, and he could not understand it. He is 84 years old, but somehow he fell through the cracks. His cognitive ability is directly related to his interest in a particular subject.
I absolutely LOVED this video! It was not AT ALL what I was looking for when I came to your channel, but WOW, you really had me cracking up throughout the entire thing! I WANT MORE! I WANT MORE! I WANT MORE! 😂 More calling out bs research, more costumes, more punny jokes, and more bloopers! 😊❤ Thank you bunches for this random nugget of solid gold!❤🙏👍
Different traits coming out at different times is so true for me. I have a friend who is heavily suspecting ADHD (from an outsider's perspective, I'm 99% sure that she is right) and when I'm with her my traits of ADHD really come out (she's not the best influence in a classroom setting, but oh well...) whilst when I'm in other situations with different people or different circumstances, I may be much more reserved, quiet and hyperfocused. Also, this really explains and super confusing sensory thing for me. I was bamboozled because I hate loud noises, bright lights etc. due to overstimulation and sensory overload, but sometimes I actually enjoy it and find the stimulation fun, and it has a similar effect to stimming.
I know for sure i'm gifted and have inattentive adhd but feels like there could be more maybe?. Wondering if these are signs of autism- -Kind of sticking to the same obsessions for years such as playing music, logic/debates, ethics/philosophy, 1 or 2 video games, etc. -That voice inside my head saying the same sentence a lottt sometimes for like a 3 hour block. -At the end of typing this I just found a few simple writing mistakes. I feel like this is sight sensory issues. Do you think this? Also, if you have sensory issues are they noticible? Ex: If you're trying to figure out if you struggle with decreased sight will it be obvious? And if you know, I wanted to ask this: I feel super different from everyone else. Definately different from gifted kids and maybe different from gifted with inattentative adhd I think. Would this be placebo effect or a sign? I also really feel a constant conflict between the same thought patterns and considering/wantig different thought patterns. Thank you and great video 🙌🙌
Stfu this just unlocked my brain, found out ADHD at 22, autism at 32.... I have always been able to tell who is autistic after talking with them for a few minutes and never understood why ..
Oh… I was hyperlexic, found out recently I’ve had auditory processing issues my whole life (not hearing loss, like I was led to believe), and I’ve got the interview for my neuropsych assessment in 4 days. 😅 Yet another thing that lines up way too perfectly…
3:05 so that's what happens to me? I'm not actually "hard to warm up with people" but I'm that? That... that makes perfect sense! How, why, what... witchcraft!!
7:37 - I think so. It's like I wanna do something but don't feel like doing anything. I would try playing my games but then it feels like it's not it. And it's frustrating so I end up sleeping, unless I can't sleep then I'll continue to find something to do until I'm lost in it. It happens most of the time when I am stressed or not too stressed enough? like feeling like I have to do something even if it's unnecessary. 11:00 - OMG!!! It's like being supervised, I get it. It sounds like micromanaging but, I tend to do more things and get less distracted when I know someone is watching me or seeing how I work. Though it makes me more anxious and that's all I could think about. 12:00 - Sadly this must be my perfectionism and how my "attention to detail" comes up at the most irrelevant things. My boss has said that to me while watching me work. 13:45 - I downloaded Notion a month ago to try to be organized but I couldn't use it a lot. Idk it seems a bit overwhelming for me and I have to keep reminding myself that I use Notion, I still prefer writing on paper to remind myself of plans and things. But I do write Journal entries in Notion from time to time when I experience surge of emotions and don't want to break down.
I'm undiagnosed on anything but it's at the back of my mind. I've had some comments said to me that people wonder if I had ADHD that I thought maybe I could have but then it got a bit complicated like I'm not always this or that, I'm not the only one who's like this or that, so how could I have it? So it got too complicated for me like I don't know myself all that well. But recently learning that a person can have both ADHD and Autism, I looked it up and somehow it's like "this is me". I'm kind of sad because I want to get checked and get to know and understand myself better but financial reasons.
17:30 It’s easy to keep up with what everyone is saying when what they are saying is nothing; neurotypical banter. I think that is one our toughest hurdles as autists is that the typical world has no room for substance. I rarely get to engage in conversation, because I actually have something to say. 19:05 There is thinking, which we autists do, and there is reacting, which allistics do. Mental rumination requires the initial critical thought. 19:15 The question is trying to describe catastrophizing (at which I excel), which is just my brain constantly running simulations about the world around me and the possibilities.
203 - officially diagnosed as autistic three years ago. I'm really taken with this theory as it seems to pull together many of the seemingly disparate "traits" ascribed to autism (and ADHD?) and provides a unified cause for them rather than just bundling them together without explanation. At last I have a theory that explains why I find myself incapable of shutting up about obscure progressive rock bands regardless of my victim's overall interest level, the sense of joy and comfort I get from designing the perfect spreadsheet and my frequent inability to navigate my body through doorframes in buildings that I've lived and/or worked in for several years.
I got SO stressed listening to you try to take this questionnaire, I had to stop. 😂 I get so frustrated with the vagueness of these survey-esque questions SO MUCH, I couldn’t handle it!
Thank you so much for everything you shared with us. While answering the questions, I observed that you experienced the same little confusion that I experienced at first. That's why I realized that I either overlooked this note at the beginning of the questions or did not pay enough attention. How to Take the Test: When reading the questions, imagine situations that are stressful, uncomfortable or when you are excited. Often when we are at home and relaxed and calm, it is hard to tell how we feel. If the question is confusing, look underneath it for an explanation of the question. Taking this explanation into consideration enabled me to answer the questions much more easily. That's why I would like to kindly share that it with you, asking for your forgiveness, in case it might help you answer more comfortably. One more time thank you so so much Sam. You are doing amazing. And please never change your mind and continue to your channel. You are helping to find my way since the first day when my journey started. I owe you sooo sooo much thing. With my all best and good and beautiful and warm wishes.
I got diagnosed with autism a couple of months ago but felt like it didn't explain everything. My partner is diagnosed with ADHD and we've always felt we could heavily relate to each other in our neurodivergency, beyond the traits shared between autism and adhd. Recently we've started to suspect that we both are AuDHD, with their adhd leaning more ADHD-C, whereas mine is very ADHD-I. While watching this video I remembered that my psychiatrist even said that I am a very atypical autistic person, as I am incredibly social and enjoy new and exciting experiences and quickly get bored of too much monotony. I should probably get it checked out tbh
My inner conflict is about routines. I know from experience they calm me, but it's so hard to maintain them. I managed to keep a healthy routine when my kids were young but as they grew and the house got messy my brain was distressed for a while and now I have learned to accept what I can and ignore what I can't.
Thank you for this video. I'm self diagnosed audhd (not for the lack of trying to be seen by a professional to get a diagnosis). I absolutely..hate therapy. I dont know where i feel anything in my body. Talking about my traumas has never made me feel better- i left offices worse off and it would take time for me to rebalance myself emotionally afterwards. I have felt misunderstood and bullied to buck up. I have expressed deep emotional pain and an inability to continue on doing life and .. I'm met with near blank stares. Life often feels so heavy and yet, i have to mask that all is well because, in my experience, nothing changes when i let my guard down.
As a husband with a wife that’s recently diagnosed with autism. And burn out as a consequence. My oldest daughter has been diagnosed 3 years ago. For me this is a very dark time as for me it sounds like an external locus of control. Also healthcare as you also mentioned is very behind on the subject. So we have to wait 8 months on mental help. Is it just the case that autism is a thing and the only way to deal with this is global autism awareness? Is it possible to have autism and an avoidant attachment style (as do I) and still have therapy for the attachment style or couples therapy on top of psycho education for autism? Sorry if this may sound rude but I am freaking out a bit…
On stimming - I feel like my stims are relaxing either but rather self-soothing (which feels different because it feels reactionary). Stimming for me has been the equivalent of putting a band aid on a cut - I don't do if I haven't been injured (low on spoons, unexcepted spoon storage, etc) and maybe that means I'm functioning from a place of near burnout verses using stimming proactively - I haven't figured out how to do that yet or what my proactive stims might be. Thoughts?
