Autism Brain: How Aspergers Affects YOU Learning (3 TOP Issues) 

I never paid attention in school but still passed. I was hardly able to learn in a school environment but I'm a boss at teaching myself. Bad memories from school negatively affected my life up until I turned forty. Now I own my own company and life is easy. Hang in there anybody struggling in school life gets better.

Teacher: *explains everything* My brain: *the sweet sound of a fax machine and AOL email combined*

I spent all of my school years just feeling stupid, lost, and confused because I couldn't learn at the speed or in the way that the teacher's taught. I bravely went to University at 33 and it still takes me twice as long to understand things and complete assignments as everyone else. The internet has saved my grade so many times because after sitting through a few hours of lecture and not understanding anything I can go home and watch videos on the topic that explain it so much better because there are visual elements to the videos.

I hated school. You hit the nail on the head with this video. The only way I survived school was with text books and worksheets. What I didn’t understand in the classroom (most stuff), I could study at my own pace over and over until I finally understood things enough to pass a test. It also help to study in a quite room with dimmed lights.

School was upsetting for me because my teachers would often assume I was being lazy. They could see I was intelligent but couldn’t understand why I couldn’t keep up in class. I devised secret ways of learning at home so I could keep up. It massively affected my confidence. It was the 90s so no one really considered autism as a possiblity

I’ve never been able to take verbal directions well. Especially navigation directions. My brain refuses to retain anything short term and especially not the first time I’m told, names are forgotten immediately. Meeting new people and starting new jobs is really really hard. Takes my nervous system a while to chill out enough to warm up to anyone and by the time I’m ready, I’ve been identified as a weirdo or “off” by the group. It sucks. I’ve survived by lists and writing things down. Also by stalling all personal interactions for as long as possible by prioritizing the training first. There is nothing more alarming to me now than some new acquaintance who has no apparent boundaries volunteering personal info and attempting to do emotional interfacing with me. I view those people as invasive and offensive. Not sure how to put those people off without conflict yet. I’m kinda ok with the invasive clingy type disliking me, but the smear campaigning that I’m some kind of a lizard or serial killer is annoying.

I remember sat in school having no idea what I was supposed to be doing because I'd zoned out when the teacher set the task. If I'd ask I'd get wrong for not listening even though I was try too. So I just didn't do my work. Then end up getting wrong for that.

School has always been so emotionally and mentally draining for me as well! It's definitely not set up for neurodivergent brains. So much of what was demanded of me were very things that didn't come naturally to my brain. Executive functioning skills were a nightmare with different types of short and long term projects, especially the long term projects. Long projects were just given one firm deadline with no instruction on how to break down the task into multiple deadlines. I would almost always end up turning in late work. Transitioning from class to class was hard, social interactions, focusing on class, visually tracking the board to take notes, sensory overload, and so many more things. I hope they continue to build supports for students like us and bring awareness to educators that they can't just teach one way and be an effective teacher, and they can't expect students to all learn the same.

Yep, that's one of my issues. I kinda zone out when i'm reading my school books or with simple things as choosing what clothes to wear but at least i know things will not get Easier with age and that i comprehend that and instead try to help myself feel less stressed out.

Thanks so much for your vids. 46yrs old and just found out I’m on the spectrum this week. Struggled terribly my whole life and never knew. What a mind job.

I don't really struggle academically, BUT... in class I totally get you. If I am trying to follow a lecture, I easily get super far behind unless I totally get what is being talked about. However, I slept through almost all of neurology and still passed with higher than average grade of my class. I love to learn on my own from reading text books and watching videos. I love to write out flashcards, make mix and match guessing games with colored shapes. If I have more time I will even make foam or paper "models" of whatever I am learning about

This makes so much sense. I always had good grades (and had to work 10x harder than everyone else to be like that) but college science labs about killed me. I would do the pre work and then when the TA explained what we were doing everyone would disperse and get to it and I never understood how they did that. I felt like a foreign student who didn’t speak the language and I had to just tag along behind some group and ask a bunch of questions. I felt so stupid even though I knew I wasn’t.

The verbal commands one-that is so me!!! It's been a huge challenge for me my entire life and frustrated my parents with me to no avail. I'm so glad and happy you explained that in detail because 99% of the time when people are talking about something, unless I get a visual learning of words, I can never understand fully the full meaning of a word in a conversation. I hope I explained it right.

I'm trying to advocate for my 11yr old daughter at school and get diagnosis at the same time. Thank you a million times over for this, she has articulated to me EVERYTHING you say here. Gosh this is so amazing 💜🥰

I can't even comprehend the answer if I ask someone for directions and it's more than one turn!

This is so helpful in finding my way

Nothing triggered me faster as a kid (and still, I just can hide the reaction more) than someone invalidating "truth", from my perspective. Something I used to wish for was the ability to stop everything in class to explain when I have two conflicting understandings of things. This is basically why I'm currently transferring from management back into IT/Tech. Years of dealing with people who want to debate clear truths (Or maybe just failing to explain myself to people that SEEM like they just don't want to understand) has caused me a LOT of stress and made existing social anxiety even worse, I think. Even outside of work. The idea of working with things that either work or don't (And it's my job to fix to make work) sounds like a dream and I'm so excited, lol.

A friend who is training to be a psychiatrist thinks I suffer from ASD, I'm not sure if I have it, but I definitely relate to what you say about struggling to follow commands, especially at work. It's like I hear and understand the words that my manager or other work colleagues tell me and confirm that I have understood, but then I go to do the task and I often don't know what they meant, unless shown explicitly how to do it. It's really humilating and sends me into a panic, although as I have gotten older I've learnt to calm down and just ask if stuck. I know that most people to a degree may get confused with instruction at work from time to time but with myself it's definitely to the point where I can tell a lot of people think that I am not the brightest tool in the shed and maybe in regards to this type of intelligence I am not, but I do feel condescended and admittedly a bit upset when people think I am like kind of low I.Q'd even though I can handle cognitive tasks like computer programming, learning/teaching foreign languages, 3D modelling and I am currently studying my second degree at uni with good grades. But yeah, I really can't explain why I struggle to do basic things that others take for granted sometimes. I have always found peoples perception of me is either a bright smart person or a fried and dopey cunt, there really is no in between!

High School was soo hard for me because of all the home work and the assignments to complete by the end of the day to be turned into class the next day. If it wasn't for my study skills class, I would have failed high school. I'm glad I graduated! Now for college!

I genuinely DID NOT know that no one else also couldn't keep up with taking notes in school. I figured everyone struggled to keep up, while also struggling to process what is being said outloud 5 steps ahead. I thought everyone zoned out too! I'm afraid to go back to school and have to face that mental Exhaustion again, and I'm afraid I'm gonna get frustrated and bored and drop out again!

Aw yus, thank you for this. Oh, lists and directions...... The STRUGGLE I've had trying to explain that this is just word noise unless it can be written down to refer to. And sometimes instructions have to be very precise, especially if I'm trying really hard to impress (like at work) Thankfully a new work situation has lots of open and honest communication, and people are really interested in clearing up ambiguities. After so many years in crappy offices where you're expected to understand or guess.... That's a real plus. Being an adult on the spectrum is so tough!

I'm not diagnosed, but I honestly think I ended up learning only because I was highly interested in both science and storytelling (trying to understand directions in math was terrible). My Achilles heel was the social aspect of school. I got my GED two years early because I had such a difficult time I spiraled into a full breakdown. That was fifteen years ago and I'm still dealing with the repercussions.

As to your second point (and partially your third), Myself, I have to learn as much as I can visually, either writing or a demonstration. Lectures or oral instructions are very less effective for me-I have to take copious notes and just learn from the notes later. Same with lists-I have to make them before going to the market or come back without one of the items I need, for example.

I experienced what you described at the end about losing track getting behind and zoning out. Math in 5th grade. That teacher told my mother I would never be good at math. I got A grades in college in Algebra.

This definitely explains a lot for me, thank you 😊👌 going through school I grew up thinking I was stupid, I even had certain teachers say it to me, because I couldn't even follow a simple direction. I couldn't finish homework because I didn't remember the lesson by the time I got home, to the point I'd just not bother trying and despite me telling them over and over, they just thought I was disobedient and not paying attention when they refused to explain to me what they said when I asked them to repeat, they thought I wasn't listening. I learn more every single day of my life now than I ever did there all those years ago, so maybe I wasn't as stupid as they thought I was 💖

Thank you, Dan. This video is very timely for me. I’m currently having several meltdowns over my uni assignment. The written instructions conflict with the rubric - I have no idea what they want from me! Their explanations when I question this also offers very little help. Glad to know I’m not alone 💜

Definitely relate I can’t concentrate for that long and I used to zone out in class because I didn’t understand anything

Hey! So my sister and I are both trying to find out if we're autistic. We show a lot of the same things but in different ways. What you said about the lists and verbal commands is incredible. I've gotten into so many arguments with people about how I can remember how to configure all these things on a computer but I cannot remember a grocery list with 3 things on it

I teach digital media for a college. Each semester I have at least one or more students with your list of diagnoses. I'm using your video as part of my online class platform for people who are interested and would like to connect with someone like you. Thank you for this. It is excellent. I work hard to support the learning of all my students. This helps me be a better teacher.

when someone tells me to do this and that if it not wrote on paper I feel like I have to get it done all at one time like they demanding me to do it

it's just like all pieces r coming together in one picture i really appreciate how u made me understand myself i was really having a hard time in college, now i get it❤️

My son is almost 8 and high functioning (asperger's if they still diagnosed it like that) adhd also I just found your channel and I'm HOOKED I hope my son is half the person you are I always worry about him. Thank you!

Thanks for the video. It’s going to help me with my relationship because my partner gets frustrated with me for asking for more details when she needs me to do something. I can understand why since our brains work differently that way.

Thank you for this video. I have two sons ages 19 and 17 years old they were diagnosed at ages 16 and 14 years old. They struggle with autism and I appreciate your videos that help me to understand them better and to know how to support them better. I'm sharing this with my youngest's teacher to help her to help him in school.

The thing that got me the most with my ex was when she'd say something sarcastically, unless there was obviously no way someone could want you to do X, Y or Z, it didn't make sense in the context or it was something downright dangerous or stupid, I'd take it seriously and often go to execute a sarcastic command, really irritating. I find it difficult to focus if I'm not interested in something, in the case of my relationship I'd do the stuff that was required, like cleaning and cooking because I felt I had an important reason to do it, on my own I struggle intensely with motivation. My interests tend to change a lot too, I will become VERY interested in something, then a few months later it won't bother me at all. I can learn things that follow obvious patterns or things which involve memorizing facts and figures easily, but more abstract concepts often allude me, learning to play an instrument was very difficult, I can learn patterns like scales and chords and the theory behind them but it has taken a lot of effort to learn how to put it together in a non-mechanical and artistic way.

I was just diagnosed with ASD and I notice so many things about myself that I didn't realise was connected to it. I could never focus at school because I was either not interested, couldn't read in time (dyslexia) or was distracted by external stimuli (ADHD). When I got home I used to do the day's work plus my homework and mum always questioned why I had so much homework. I never really studied for exams either and still managed to get 5 out of 6 academic awards for my classes in year 12. Strange minds.

Another amazing video! I am catching up on your content😀 School was extremely difficult for me and I have a high IQ. I did not really learn to read until 7th grade when I encountered an amazing teacher who helped me find out how I learned.

Thank you for this video. My son is 3 and my parents and I often struggle with him because it always seems like he does not listen. This video has clarified that the issue might be different. He may actually be struggling to understand especially if there are 2 or more steps to that command. I will be sharing with my parents. I truly appreciate you and the work you do.

Recently I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. My experience in school was hell, to say the least. I'm 35 now, and it was the early and mid 90s and teachers weren't nice. At all. I was called everything from stupid to lazy. Now that I've been diagnosed things are starting to make sense. I've been trying to watch up on some videos and it's helping with trying to console the "what ifs" in my head. Like, event makes sense now, but "whatb if" I had gotten this diagnosis sooner? Would I have been treated differently? That kind of deal. But I'm still struggling horribly because literally everything you've said thus far in the videos I've watched, match up with what I still deal with on a daily basis. And it's really hard. I'm 35 and I have Austism. I'm still struggling with even saying it.

Having taken the RAADS-R (Score 180 / 65 threshold) and Aspie quiz (167/200 Aspie / 53/200 Neurotypical), waiting 90 more days for scheduled testing will be most difficult. The biggest Catch 22 I see as a likely Aspie is that we Aspies don't really like a lot of small talk, we prefer that people get to the point, yet we have a problem getting to the point ourselves. *looks up* THANK YOU, GOD!

I was diagnosed a few years ago with ASD but I was skeptical of the diagnosis, honestly. (I was also skeptical of my ADHD diagnosis, but I now realize I definitely have it). But I've watched a few of your videos on ASD and mentally I was thinking, "yup, I relate to that; and to this; and to that..." And this video, in particular, really hit home for me. I am awful at understanding or remembering verbal commands. Simple things, I'm okay with (e.g. "Can you vacuum the floor?") but as soon as someone starts listing off things they want me to do, I get confused. Or like, when my mom asks me to get something at the store that I haven't bought before, I sometimes get overwhelmed and frustrated because often she doesn't give me enough details about the item (so I end up calling her a bunch of times). I also had a hard time keeping up in classes, especially math (and I have dyscalculia, but it wasn't diagnosed until I was in uni). I was able to just write down what the teacher wrote on the board (or had on a powerpoint slide) so I at least had it written down and I could re-read it later to try to understand it. (But that didn't work for math, lol).

I'm a college student, and my art professors usually aren't the best at writing and giving commands verbally. Art is better at being taught through demonstrations, and I did start college in the fall of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. But either way, I've had to email or chat with my professors to achieve clarity on specific details I may have missed. 😂

This video is so helpful. I think I just realized why I’m struggling so much with my new job. OMG. My therapist has told me I’m neurodiverse, but I only thought of it in terms of social skills. I didn’t think about how it affects my learning style until now. I’m replaying my whole life and thinking about the areas where I’ve succeeded and where I haven’t. Holy crap. I’m great at learning things when there’s a visual and physical component. But I’m not great when I’m only given verbal instructions. I gotta type this somewhere: I’M NOT INCOMPETENT AT MY JOB! I just learn differently and that’s why I’m not absorbing the verbal instructions that my boss gives me. So now I just need to find ways to get instructions from her in written format or some other format that’s visual.

Understanding verbal instructions is really hard (almost instantly forgotten!), but if it's combined with some other media - either writing, diagrams or doing something, it's almost impossible to forget. As most school lessons involved one of those methods, I still remember most of my schooling over 20 years on. Less so anything since, but things like writing, drawing or doing (but not always reading) are equally memorable on their own.

you know what Dan, your absolutely right espessially about learning time and be able to digest the information. Theres actually some things i never was able to learn at school and i dont want to learn as an adoult eather. But despite me not being able to learn in school I am quite educated after all.

You’re the second person on RU-vid I’ve ever slowed the voice down to .75. The other person was an Aspie too 😀. Love your channel... lots of energy and enthusiasm for us to learn.

I loved school, I think it was mainly the routine and structure of the day I enjoyed. I never did well though, from the age of 8 I had a desk permanently at the front of the class right beside my teachers desk, away from anyone else because I was too much of a distraction to myself and my peers

on the last point, in school I always either got things right away or I just didn't understand them at all, especially with things like math. more often than not I got things right away at least up to like 6th or 7th grade but then I started burning out. now I'm learning in a different language and it takes extra long for me to get the same comprehension I'm used to, plus when I don't understand something there's no real way for me to get it re-explained in a way I'll understand so I feel like I need actual individualized help in order to not just better break the language barrier but to make sure I'm actually understanding without slowing down or interrupting the whole class. I'm also chronically ill so I won't be physically going back to school this year, but hopefully if we ever actually hear back from the school district I'll be able to get a tutor or something.

The more of your videos I watch the more I think I am autistic. My son is which is why I am here but blimey do descriptions of autistics get me spot on.

Totally agree 100% Dan. I had to go to a basic beginning math because I couldn't figure out equations and trig or any of that. Plenty other subjects just didn't click. Now with my official diagnosis of autism, i hope that well change.

I have been trying to fix them issues with me because I have Asperger syndrome and I definitely gotten better with my learning abilities.

Dude, you're awesome. Your videos are really helping me understand my ASD. Rock on.

U hit the nail in the head and I’m also glad you upload videos like these thanks dan.

I feel really seen and understood rn. I've been going through a rut of feeling so out of place and like I don't have a place in this world. It is comforting to know that others feel the same way about things

Knowing the function of what I'm obtaining helps keep me on track

Before covid happened, I was an honor role student. The only class I was ever failing was math. Biology, social studies, English (mostly the vocabulary portion) was my strong suit! The human body is fascinating, social studies is interesting, memorizing english vocabulary was fun, and writing creatively was extremly exciting! (These were also things I liked to teach myself after school) And because all of these activites at the time were pretty stimulating, I wouldn't get bored. I was happy to learn these subjects everyday so long as it kept my attention. And for the most part it did. Anyway! Math was significantly harder for me to grasp. ~☆"I have to do this- and then that.. cant forget this step, or that step- do this.. etc etc"☆~ I felt bombarded by concepts I couldn't latch onto (like math, in which I've been bad at since the 1st grade) so I zoned out and didnt do it most of the time. The teachers always tried to convince me that math was "easy" ᵇᵘᵗ ⁱᵗ ʷᵃˢ ⁿᵒᵗ After lock down and the lack of 'socializing' (while also going through a lot of stress while sick) I could no longer function in any of those classes (I still like them, the environment is too much now, my brain just doesnt seem to want to stay focused- I've never been good with directions, and my emotions were very much all over the place. I felt very tired and iritable) It wasn't that I became really bad in those classes, but because I was no longer able to focus/concentrate, do things on time (lack of motivation and adjusting) I simply wasn't interested or able to focus on each assignment. I developed more anxiety which lead to anxiety/panic attacks. Very unfun. Especially since no one knew how to help me because theyd never seen me in such a state. I was supposedly a "gifted student" so they never would've thought I'd struggle so much. It actually scared and even angered those around me. Before the whole covid thing hit me as hard as it did, I received high honors, but now it is extremely different. I have now failed nearly all of my classes and may need to retake the grade if I don't pass the summer school program. They have me doing math to make up for the credits I didn't receive. I am further behind than anyone else in my summer class already. Nothing makes sense ✋️😩 I did surprisingly pass my Global studies regents and passed the English final! (I think that was what boosted my English grade to begin with.) I couldn't take the earth science test because I wasn't eligible (due to the lack of labs n stuff I didn't get done) and I didn't pass the math final because I didn't catch onto the lessons in time.

This absolutely describes me!! I had no idea that this was why I had trouble completing tasks, but this makes total sense!! Thank you!!!

You made a couple of spelling mistakes in your description, but it’s OK 👌🏽 CORRECTIONS: “nurotypical” -> “neurotypical” *2nd paragraph after the timestamps* and “very” -> “vary”. *3rd point about speed and time*

👍Thanx Dan! Lots of information here..I really appreciate your heart to help others in the Spectrum(with all your difficulties)My son has adhd,ocd, disgraphia and he’s in the spectrum.keep up the good work!🤗

I'm feeling a "whoa" moment here. I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, fairly recently, and I've struggled with everything in this video my whole life. It's bizarre and really frustrating. Because I have one child with ADHD and another who has been referred for an autism evaluation, I've recently been considering where I fit in all of this. Hence, research. Now I'm questioning everything and wondering what the overlap is with these conditions. I also have OCD, intermittent tics, and sensory issues--as do both of my children. I'm so grateful for these videos as it helps me to put the puzzle pieces together!

Hey, a bit different experience here! I loved the school and never had any trouble with it, I used to be an exceptionally good student, had high grades and principal prizes in end of almost every year up to the high school (I only hated PE because I had zero coordination and sucked in ALL possible sports). What happened to me was, that I dropped out of uni because of social issues and severe anxiety. I had studied Japanese Linguistics, was quite good in grammar and writing but I was deadly scared of speaking. Plus when we were prepairing for apprenticeships our teacher would not help us understand what do we need to do in order to pass them, she just said: that's easy, don't waste my time just go ask older students. So no real help + forcing me to involve in social events & integration, it made me FREAK OUT completely. Since that event I never continued the education and even if now I would like to go back and get some degree, I'm just scared, because I have noone to give me a clear, detailed instruction what to do step by step and I have real trouble to figure it out myself (which I think connects to what you said in point #2!!)

Your videos are tremendously helpful. Keep up the amazing work. You touch on it a bit here, but would you ever consider doing a video about dealing with ASD during the teen years, and how parents might help their children with ASD navigate adolescence?

Who else didn’t like to learn in school, but don’t have a problem with learning in home?

The part about school was so relatable. Honestly, near the beginning I didn't give up after I got lost. I would always try to ask my teacher about the thing that confused me and they would be annoyed because they covered it already. Or I'd ask a question and everyone in the classroom thought I was trying to be 'smart' because it was a literal question in a circumstance that apparently wasn't literal. Needless to say, I stopped asking questions after people got mad at me so often and that made school even more difficult for me.

Yep, I struggled with all 3 of these things in school. It was awful and very hard sometimes but I made it through school with very good grades anyways 😁💖 It was worth the struggle.

I can so relate to this, and now working with all this is such a problem. Asking for accommodations or just even trying to explain any of this to an employer usually ends up in termination. Another one about hyperfocus for me is say someone says "have this done in 2 hours". I will look at the exact time figure out what time two hours is from that time, and then struggle the entire time on NOT looking at the time and calculating how much time I have left versus what I have to do. I hyperfocus on the time. I used to have that problem with tests too. The focus was on how much time I had left for the test versus how many questions were left. Anyone else have that?

I have autism and ADHD which makes me day dream a lot. The day dreams about anything ruins my focus on anything I'm reading. Even though I have a masters degree I read at a 4th grade level because of my concentration problems from autism and ADHD. And I have short term memory problems as well. I love learning new things but it can be difficult. Plus the problem of remembering what it is that I just learned. Good video and subject.

I dropped out of school twice because I thought “I am not made for this”, turns out it was just my brained being wired differently. I hated the college life environment so much, it’s way too fast paced and I need time to think. I was never able to have fun with my classmates during break hours even though I genuinely liked them. And about studying, once we switched from online to in-person studies, I couldn’t understand any of the words the professors said- one of my biggest struggles is following verbal commands, always has been. Now I study and work online and I’m doing so much better. I go out every weekend because I am NOT an introvert and I like to be surrounded by people from time to time. “I am not a loser, I am a girl with an invisible handicap”😊

While i was reading the comments I remember this one time when I worked at a hamburger place. I was new to work, had worked for about 3 months. had to deal with cleaning seats, packing food and taking care of the orders that day (other days I’d make the food and be in charge of cleaning). Doing many things at the same time isn’t my strong side, but I needed the job so I kind of said I was good at it.... however, my boss told me “go change the garbage bags outside the restaurant”. It’s mid summer, really hot. I walk outside and open the trash can. It is FILLED with wasps. I panic, ofc, and ask my boss what to do about it. “Well just be quick with it”. So I give it another go. People were staring at me, i was afraid of the wasps and embarrassed for not being able to change the bag. The anxiety started. I was so focused on the people around me, the sounds, the smells, the wasps etc. I think I might’ve zoomed out for a bit because of that. People starred. So I walk in again, telling my boss about the issue, that I’m too afraid. She just tells me to get a coat. So I get this big winter jacket from the staff locker room (again, mid summer) and gloves so I’ll be protected. Trying to impress my boss by changing the freaking bag. This process took me over an hour. I finally finish, sweaty, nervous, anxious but relieved because it’s FINALLY over. I told her I finished. Then she said “good did you do all the other ones as well?”..... I just starred at her in chock. “I was supposed to do all of them?” I said, she replied “yes of course..” so I took her aside from the staff and told her I just couldn’t do it. I was to afraid. That’s when she finally asked someone else to do it. He did it in like 10 minutes. I also found out that day that another employee was suppose to take care of that task but didn’t even try because she was “busy”... (she had been employed many years so she knew what was waiting). After that day I didn’t get to work another shift. They didn’t call me to notice me about firing me, or asked how I was doing. I think I got called into work 1 time after that event the same year. But I didn’t go because I was too embarrassed that they didn’t understand and that I was weird..

Regarding the verbal command and locating stuff- I'm usually good with finding stuff, but that's because I'm the one who puts it away. At least in my parents house. But when I'm out, like a friend's house, you're right, I definitely need more detailed directions to find something

Our own thoughts are more engaging than what has been said to us. It's hard to listen and only think quickly and lightly. You have to constantly clear your mind when someone is talking so you don't ponder on what they just said!

That upside down moment “I have no idea what I’m doing” lmao I 💀 I feel like I’m “stupid” especially at work where I receive a lot of verbal direction… leading me to think I have a processing disorder because I notice it everywhere now. I just asked to work a position where I’m actually on my own, gardening, which I’m actually very good at sculpting shrubs, very artistic. I just like to be on my own with my music and then they tel me it’s time to go home now or I can’t see what I’m doing because it’s so dark out

I've got aspergers too. I can't stop learning. Almost 40 and had this problem since I was a child. My brain rushes with ideas and never shuts down. I'm burned out all the time because of this. Makes me feel ill too. I don't zone out, I can't focus with noise around me. Noise for me is a sensory trigger. I understand hyper focus to be hyper focused on a topic as opposed to zoning out when people are around. For example, I'm doing embedded hardware development and I'm hyper focused on studying everything there is to know on the ATmega. Including minute details like how the chip responds to temperature. Things I don't need to know but my brain won't relax until I know it. Like an urge that I must I do to truly feel like I understand what it is I'm learning. This has destroyed my life. I'm a hermit. People call me a genius and turn to me for programming help all of the time. Well, where is my job? Why am I still unemployed with a degree in CS? These are the things that frustrate me. Not being able to focus on one topic for long enough before some other new and shiny idea replaces it. I'm clinically depressed because of it. I hate aspergers. I'm on Government assistance and because of the complexities of the crap I go through it pays ok. But I hate that too. I want to work. I want to be a productive member helping to change the world and solve its many problems with technology. But nope. Pass me on the street and you'd think I was a bum.

Growing up school was my obsession, so I think that helped me do well in school. So even when I had difficulty I found ways to do good because it was my only focus. However, the downside is I couldn't figure out to have friends, so that is probably why school was the only thing I thought I was good at.

I wish that my sons teachers and his educational teacher would see . They are at a loss on to teach my son and understand Autism. I think that all of your videos are amazing and really very helpful .

Great subject. Very helpful. Thank you.

That does help a lot. Intelligent, but when it came to following along, always behind, needing to ask to catch up.

I have gotten teased at multiple jobs for carrying around a notepad that I keep todo lists on. But it works.

Random question for everyone here. How can one definitively pinpoint a hand flap from an autistic adult? Does it have to be fast? Can it be more of a slow hand wave?

I’ve been doing research for writing characters on the autism spectrum, and your videos have been super helpful and informative! Thank you~!

I flunked out of school. It did well enough in kindergarten, but then I was homeschooled and expected to sort of keep up with my sister, at first. She's older. But I can't learn from listening to someone ramble on, or read from a book. I have a terrible short term memory and recall. And the sensory processing disorder adds a layer of challenge too. Any background noise is going to be irritating or distracting, so much so that I can't hear the teacher at all. Such as birds chirping, hammering on the roof, dog licking it's paws, cat meowing, etc. But on the other hand, if the room is dead silent, I may be distracted by the echos, sounds of breathing, or even my OWN HEARTBEAT. Anything can become a distraction. At one point, I was trying to learn from a cd in the computer. The computer was located near the water pump, which has a loud click and then it roars until the pressure is right, then it clicks again and shuts off. Every few minutes that pump would kick on,which would jolt me back to reality, scare me, raise mh adrenaline and blood pressure, distract me for several minutes, then shut off. When it did shut off, I would be super confused because I don't know what I heard, or what I missed.... I'd have to re start the entire video. This process ended in tears every single time. I also struggle with numbers, and facts that don't have a lot of "texture" or personal meaning, or tangible-Ness. Math makes no sense to me. Numbers don't have any meaning to me, beyond maybe counting tangible things, like how much money is in my wallet. Or how many cows should be in the pasture. I can't use rulers very well because the fractions confuse me. History is difficult to learn, because most of the lessons are too generalized. I need greater detail and to make the stories more personal, more memorable-- BUT I have a short attention span, and bad recall ..... so even then, you might lose me. Best bet for me to learn is to get my hands on whatever it is I need to understand. Let me break it, fix it, move it around, know all the how's, why's, when's, and let me ask a million questions and have it repeated dozens of times. Once I grasp a concept , I will never forget it. My long term memory is amazing. The information just has to get through that barrier between short term and long term memory to become permanent. Hyperfocus is a blessing to me sometimes because it allows me to really zone in and soak up the information without any distractions. My obsessions (horses, farms, machinery, etc) allow me to store such detailed and complex information that it amazes everyone. I can recall something so obscure, others just are shocked. But ask me my birthday.... if I'm distracted or bothered by something (like bright lights or noises), I'll struggle to remember my age, birthday, address... it's all gone.

This is so amazing! Thank you for these videos. I just found them and my 8 year old is probably autistic we are in the middle of testing now.

In the USA, Asperger's isn't a term that is (supposed to be, but outdated therapists still do it) professionally used anymore. This is primarily because of it's association with Hans Asperger, the guy who named autism and experimented on us horrifically until we died, buuuut yep, these things definitely help. I did have to slow the video down to ~.75x speed (a little* slow for me, but gives me time to process). Does RU-vid still have the 10 minute minimum for 'optimization' to show it up better in search engines? if they do, an extra minute from that might get you some revenue from them in addition to Patreon. I've found that the "focus" thing seems to work on some of the same axes as addictions, like gaming addiction, in some people. You keep getting serotonin-rewards instantly for micro-rewards like turning in quests, collecting the three things that bundle into one big thing on cell phone games, completing 2-minute levels, whatever. So I need to either* find a way to make the thing I need to do rewarding (and it's *super-hard to shift focus*, shifting is almost impossible), OR I need to find a different rewarding task. Instead of the phone, I need to do a different repetitive stimmy thing, like washing dishes on a timer with certain music going on. Weaving something. Usually something using my body and not entirely my brain. I use post-it notes for everything. Text me everything. EVERYTHING. I have a very specific list for how to clean the kitchen, including: clean the fridge inside. Clean the fridge outside. Clean the freezer inside. Clean top of freezer. Every 6 months, scrub coils of fridge for dirt and dust. If I DON'T LIST THAT SPECIFICALLY, it will not get done. Ever. I cannot visualize that in my head. I need to draw a photo from a list of descriptions and then try to memorize the photo. I have a good photographic memory- better before the heat stroke and the TIA symptoms. But I can't come up with images "on my own". I can't remember things so much now after too many injuries. If it weren't for those, I'd still have that photographic memory. On one hand, I'm typically good at academia *as long* as what is expected is specifically outlined with specific due dates and expectations. However... if something doesn't meet that criteria... I'm lost. I need the structure of class at repeated, regular times and intervals with the same expected person at the same expected times, but if the prof is not great or doesn't stick to the syllabus, it can be torture because THERE IS A CHANGE and now I have to STOP and restructure EVERYTHING and of course nothing stops just for me.

Omg I can relate to this so much. I feel I can never keep up with others in a learning environment and the verbal commands are were the worst especially when as a kid and now at work if I can't remember or understand what was instructed of me it makes me feel really dumb and embarrassed. It has knocked my confidence and self esteem. I am not diagnosed ASD or ADHD, but I do suspect that I could be on the spectrum of one of those.

Hey Dan! Super relatable video, thank you for sharing! I’ve also been known to correct teachers LOL! I have a question for you: what accommodations have you found most useful? Whether they were accommodations provided by the institutions you attended for school, where are things you’ve done for yourself.

thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, your information helps me to understand my 7 year old grandson.

I was doing really well in school because I was constantly trying to prove people people wrong about their assumptions that I must be stupid because I'm autistic, but then I moved to an awful abelist school where they refused to teach my ANYTHING that I didn't already know just because I have autism and ADHD. All the work they gave me was offensively easy, and the teachers were offensively bad at trying to gaslight me to believe that people my age were supposed to do this work. Like I existed before going to that school! I already learned all this stuff! And I already did all the work they gave me YEARS AGO, and now I had to do it again! Once I was given a spelling pre-test that they forgot to remove the "grade 2" thing from, so I showed it to the teacher telling her that she can't claim this is grade 10 work when it literally says "grade 2" on it, and she said "nO iT dOeSn'T!" I guess you can't argue with that! It's impossible! How can you possibly convince someone of anything if they're denying the existence of something you're SHOWING THEM!? What the hell is the point of going to school if the only thing you're learning is that advocating for yourself is a waste of breath? And I couldn't drop out because I wasn't 16 yet, so I was trapped! Then when I eventually did turn 16, I ended up not dropping out because I moved to the previous school that actually teaches stuff to diagnosed neurodivergent people. But little did I know, that was a waste of time too because in the year and a half I wasted at the abelist school, I missed all the context required to learn the current grade 11 stuff! Then I went to an outreach school in grade 12, but I ended up slacking too much, and this was also the same year my mom gave up at waking me up in the morning so I was constantly sleeping half way through the day (but that sleep schedule was infinitely better than it is now and I want to go back to before my sleep schedule became so irreparably awful! I've been crying about this all morning after staying up all night because I wasn't tired enough to sleep because I slept all day yesterday because I was too tired after staying up all night!). Also, quarantine started half way through the year, and this school didn't have any Zoom classes or anything like that. I was expected to work on stuff and email teachers a bunch, but I barely did. So I ended up not finishing school.

I corrected my biology teacher on the pronunciation of a word, and he had me look up the definition of the word "pedant". Now I'll never forget that word.

They sound like bad teachers, I’m sorry to hear you weren’t listened to. I’m going to fight my way back into teaching, even if it means going abroad. Have a wonderful, supportive questionable NT? boyfriend to help me manage the stress of somewhere new. Need to get enough traction in the education field to stop kids being treated like that and disengaging from their potential. Clearly you put yourself back on track no problem with your degree and your RU-vid business though, so fair play!

Hi Dan thank you very much for all your videos they have been so helpful I have always struggled with my learning disabilities I can't tell my left for my right I constantly have to remember that the hand I write with is my right but this isn't about me this is about my grandson he's 7 years old he started life with so much difficulties anyway he weighed 1 lb 11 oz was born at 24 weeks of pregnancy I got him when he was I think about two he still wasn't talking I took him to another town about 30 miles a day three times a week for speech now he's in first grade they made him repeat it again this year because of his learning problems he's pretty good with math he doesn't understand Reading writing syllables sounding out the words the other children make up names for him. He's such a beautiful soul he won't take up for himself I have gone to school had our meetings they're testing him at school by watching all your videos and all the other videos I could find on autism I strongly feeling my heart that he has autism he can play video games that most adults can't play and he zones into them so much that I literally have to walk up and touch him to get his attention if it's something he likes he's so smart about that subject he can tell me things that he's watched and going to full detail about it but when it comes to subjects he don't understand like his reading he shuts down I'm looking for a psychiatrist so that I can get him diagnosed and get him to help he needs because this is his second time in first grade and I don't see much improvement with the reading yesterday he came home and said that he looked at another kid's paper so the kids started calling him looker he said Nana I just don't understand how to do it .so I want to thank you your videos have helped so much my husband and I now have a better understanding in how to teach him at home with his tasks and things again thank you so much.

I've never been diagnosed but everything checks out and I'm completely sure I have autism. I use to get treatment as a child in the early-mid 90s when I was growing up in Germany at the time. The people doing the treatment suspected that I had autism but could never figure it out and called my disability a "UFO". I didn't talk until I was older and at first wouldn't talk to any adults except for direct family. I still don't talk much and have selective Mutism. I struggled in school because the information I was being taught didn't make sense to me and just wouldn't click. Yet I was always hyper focused in whatever I had interests in and was very knowledgeable about whatever I had interests in. I'm also clever when it comes to figuring things out, for example, if someone has a computer problem, even if it's something I'm unsure about, I get creative and find solutions to fix that computer problem. I was trying to see about getting diagnosed not too long ago, but then Coronavirus got in the way, so I never got to that point just yet.

I absolutely completely agree with ALL of this.

My mom used to tell me to do things. Then 5 min later "well, aren't you gonna do what I asked?" I had completely zoned out and forgotten. She had to tell me so many times and often it didn't get done. In school, I actually did well though. Except in gym class. I am completely uncoordinated. I associate balls with pain because I was bullied and people used to throw balls at my face during gym class. In other classes, I would doodle in my notebook during lessons and just absorbed what I heard so I had super high grades 95% to 100% in all my classes (again, except gym) Until I got to college/university. I also am dyslexic, so reading the books I had to read was a nightmare, but classes I didn't care for, or classes that forced group work were a big no and I didn't do as well. I still passed. I have a degree. But I didn't do so well in the classes that didn't interest me. But yeah, especially the group work. I like to study and work alone...

School was horrible for me. I can remember hiding so I wouldn't have to go, as early as the 1rst grade. My family didn't understand why I was having such a hard time with it since I was considered to be "gifted." Now I can clearly see that I was struggling on a social, communication level and not just a "bad" kid.

Lacking the ability to retain verbal commands makes me feel extra confused. I used to feel constantly just confused and i seriously thought something was wrong with me. I was always behind everyone else in school and when I was too slow i just gave up and doodled on my paper

Can definitely relate to these points! Great video thank you 😊

Wow this is the most relatable one yet

I was bad in a lot of my classes because the teachers would go so fast when it came to trying to teach us anything, and I always hated that, which is why I didn't really care for school by the time I reached high school. It was because I knew it would feel like the teachers would be trying to teach us 20 things at once, and I had a super hard time trying to focus on what they're trying to teach us. When it came to sort of understanding step 4 of 20 of what the teacher was trying to teach us, the teacher was already trying to explain step 17 of 20 to us, and bugged the hell out of me because they weren't going through the steps properly for me to understand them.

I would also be the kid in class that got the letter sent home saying I was disrupting the class, but I also never had much close friend in school nor did I learn as fast as the other kids and I definitely realized that young. Even now I'm supposed to do a 4-year bachelors and I really don't think ill be able to at the pace in which they take the program. My stimming would also be a huge distraction to myself first and then others in the class.

Related so strongly to the point about verbal command... To me it feels like I understand the words used and I probably know how to do the things mentioned, but there seems to be a "middle link" missing in my brain. I need to constantly repeat the steps to myself to remember and easily get sidetracked from the middle of things.