The Party: a virtual experience of autism - 360 film 

One thing about being autistic is that you hear EVERYTHING. Not really that it's louder, but you just notice it. You can hear each individual voice. Not that being autistic is bad, though. I love having an encyclopedic memory and massive attention span to use on my incredibly strong interests. Even the sensory sensitivity is nice sometimes. It's incredible to walk into a forest and be able to hear every bird and raindrop around you. I wouldn't give that up for the world.

"People will think you don't want to talk to them!" People would be correct. Lmao.

2:13 "How does everyone else know how to act?" This one hit me right in the face. How do they know? No one has told me. They just expect me to know.

The relief I felt when she was in her room made me feel like crying.

This is pretty accurate. Only difference is, there is no inner monlogue telling me what is bothering me and reading out my own emotions for me. That would actually be pretty helpful, but I'm usually too focused on making sure I'm saying and doing the right things at the right time so no one thinks I'm an alien. I usually can't pinpoint the things that are making me want to rip my own hair out, and I definitely don't realize that I am overwhelmed until it's too late and I'm hiding in a bathroom somewhere.

I'm 16 and recently diagnosed with ASD. If you take this video, extend the length of the party to seven hours, have the pov be forced to struggle working on tedious assignments almost the whole time, take out the part where someone shows understanding of the pov's experience at the end, then have the pov acknowledge that they'll have to do it again the very next day, you'll end up with a pretty accurate depiction of my high-school experience.

I WISH I could hear my thoughts this clearly during sensory overload lol. My internal monologue is just internalized screaming during these situations, there’s no way I’d be able to identify every individual thing or focus on any mindfulness exercises with clarity XD

Most relatable part in this video for me, is recovering from "the party". It takes days sometimes a whole week. And i get called lazy, but it is exhausting.

This is very well done, totally relatable as an autistic person myself. This captures experiences I've had myself very accurately. I had such a strong reaction I wanted to leave that room myself - I was feeling threatened and anxious. The sensory aspect was triggering my flight instinct. It was a relief when the scene changed to the bedroom - so much calmer.

Allrighty then... can someone PLEASE make a video how normal ppl experience party's? This information for neurotypicals is great!☺ but aren't there more autists that want to learn about neurotypicals?? Would you consider making a video how neurotypics experience the same party? Its good to learn about each other... i really REALLY want to understand why, especially party's and crowds, are fun to others!

When she was in her room finally-i know that exact feeling. I look forward to it each day.

This is how my anxiety attacks feel. Your heart races, you hear everyone talk at once. Feels like a heart attack, then the blurry vision kicks in. It's damn near identical to what this video shows. If you did a shot of adrenaline and put this on it would be pretty spot on..

As an austistic person I can confirm this is fairly accurate, at least to my personal experiences. The visuals of it are exaggerated obviously, for me going to a party doesn't cause blurred vision or saving private ryan type ringing in my ears. But the feeling of being overwhelmed, of just sticking in one place or just wanting to be alone and somewhere quite. I have experienced that, even as I am now older and much more socialable, it is still a big issue for me. And the relief you feel when you finally get somewhere comfortable and safe. Believe me that is very true. I know when I am invited to things like that, my family are not being malicious and that they just want to make sure I don't miss out. But it can be hard to say you just don't want to go to something. So yeah, this is very much true

Please do it with parents who don’t understand, so people can see just how isolated people are, especially when they haven’t been diagnosed and the parents think they’re just being awkward.

I am not autistic, but this helps me realize just how important it is for people to understand autism. Layla was doing an incredible job managing a bad situation, but it never should have happened in the first place. No one should feel like they're drowning 24/7. I hope more people see this.

This is really eye-opening. I had no idea Autism could be this stressful! Well done for sharing educational media, it is fundamental to my understanding as someone who doesn't experience this.

we are not all exactly the same - and yet we seem to insist that we must all behave exactly the same. Analytically that is bullying.

This is what people like me go through. It is hard, especially if you are not diagnosed like me. People don't know why I act the way I do. I do but they don't listen. They think that me thinking that I am autistic is really unrealistic. They say things like you don't seem autistic or you can not be autistic but they don't do their research. People don't understand that it is a struggle being afraid to talk or to even look people in the eye. I have to guess what people are going to say and formulate something for me to say back. It is a struggle, especially when people don't believe you.

Fascinating audio-visual experiment. You should continue this with a series on mental health and well-being.

I'm undiagnosed but I can relate to almost of what happened here, the sudden loud noises, the endless chattering, the feel of not wanting to socialiaze with other and the fatigue of being in a chaotic social function like that

Great audio-visual video. This isn't what I experience, though. Autistic people experience things differently depending on which side of the spectrum their on.

"People will think that you don't want to talk to them" People would be correct. ME

I like this. But I don't think this should be generalized, as autistic people each have a very different personality as well.

I'm autistic and this is extremely accurate compared to my experiences

The casual ableism from the grandma is a great touch

ah, the whole "listen to music and just be cool at a social gathering" thing. It happens a lot.

Autism-inception (I have autism and watching a vid about autism)

I never understood why I felt so uncomfortable at parties...now I know. This is a perfect representation of how I feel

i don't like how accurate this is

This video is absolutely a triumph. This must be so terrifying at the best of times. I loved this. Side note. I'm ADHD and the 3D thing kind of threw me for a loop and I had to watch several times to grasp. I feel your pain from the other side.

2:19 "how does everyone knows how to act" this hits 💫

I want to cry. I’m going to show this to my parents. They may understand.

This depiction is so accurate. My autistic son was non-verbal until 7+ when he started making the odd sound but from 10+ he started talking & one of the things he always would say ALL DAY LONG was this line: What’s that sound? What’s that sound? He says this all the time! After a while it suddenly dawned on us: he hears everything! Literally, everything. Even the fridge’s quiet buzz not only distracted him but also caused such panic that he self-harmed. Every sound WAS disturbing! He was panicky & miserable. Now, he’s totally different. He likes parties so long as the comers are mostly familiar faces in a familiar venue & if there are strangers, he’s OK as he has learnt to focus wholly, obsessively & very happily on familiar things, familiar topics & familiar faces. His various obsessions SAVE him day in, day out & he’s so changed that an unexpected sound is no longer a source of panic but of amusement. Instead of the disturbed tone “What’s that sound?” he now emits an amused “That’s a C” or “That’s an E, mama” and on seeing my bewilderment, he smiled & added, “The bell’s an E”. I feel that autistics shouldn’t be obliged to attend a party. It’s an attack on their senses & it doesn’t necessarily get easier, unless they really want to go to it. They might, like my autistic son, when it’s at a familiar venue with a small party of familiar faces well liked. Otherwise it is a real struggle.

I'm always forced to go to parties that I haven't even agreed on going to. It always puts me in a bad mood for the whole day.

I have anxiety and this gave me a headache and my face feel numb. I can’t imagine what autistic people feel internally when they experience this, I really feel for you guys.

i've never seen something so realistic and accurate to what i experience every single day. i wish everyone could see this video so they could understand what we go through. i wish i had this kind of support growing up.

Watching this made me cry from the second hand anxiety

I probably shouldn’t watch this for I have autism but hey I wanna make sure y’all know what we go through is correct or accurately shown Update- yeah pretty much this is what it is

I am now almost 60 and have never been diagnosed, but I sure do relate to a lot of this. I can't "do" people unless it's one on one. I can't hear conversations in a crowded room. Loud noises make me want to disappear. I spent a large part of my life drinking to drown out everything, and to try to fit in. I finally realized I would never fit in. I don't consider that I have "friends", just "people I know". The only thing keeping me going and keeping me in this world have been my animals. Thanks for this experience. I totally get it. I just never had anyone else understand. They just say I'm strange and that I need to try harder to be "normal". Or they turn away in disappointment, which hurts a lot.

This was very well made. Personally, I didn’t relate so much to the not seeing properly, but I could relate to the fact that too much was going on. Thank you for making this, honestly.

If I had a room like that i'd like nothing more than to stay in but unfortunately I share one with my brother it's exhausting how I am always expected to talk and share my day and everything I am feeling at the moment.

Sometimes i feel like it's impossible to say anything even a hello or Im scared to look a certain direction. People yell at me a lot because i stare sometimes and it's really hard not to. I'm not invited to hang out because I never really talk at all

For me, this is partially relatable. Mostly when i am at parties (Which is a very rare occasion because i do not like parties) i feel very uncomfortable, i just don't know how to act and end up staring with a straight dead face arround the room. And when i hear loud noices, and i don't know where they are comming from, i start to panic. Even i don't experience these audio overloads this heavilly, i still think that this is a pretty accurate depiction of an autistic person at a party.

This video is brilliant and spot on. I was not diagnosed with Asperger's until a year ago (I am 57 now.) This is the stuff that really goes on inside our heads. Especially at parties. Aspies unite! Not everyone with autism will identify with every aspect of this video. Like the saying goes: If you've met one person with autism, then you've met one person with autism. Well done, Layla!

This is probably the most accurate depiction of what it feels like I've ever seen. Thank you so much.

As a teen with autism, i've never seen it done so well. This film perfectly incapsulates everything that goes through my mind at parties, social gatherings and the like. wow..... wow indeed..

the blurryness does happen actually, its cause of the tears in my eyes when im overwhelmed.

The sound and the stress was really accurate...aaaaand I'm clicking away because I don't need to watch something I experience daily

I have autism too, and although I can get overwhelmed in situations like this sometimes I also enjoy parties and some other similar things because I want to have fun and socialize. It's just a bit more challenging for me than others sometimes.

this is extremely accurate for me. i really really wish i had someone who understood my needs that wasn't exclusively online to be honest.

I have autism. the cookie and the salad 'thought' is so me! the accuracy of that freaked me out XD

I’m not autistic, but the mom was so nice and it made me cry because I have mom issues. Like, my mom can’t be nice to me like that for a solid minute.

I'm an autie woman who was undiagnosed until age 30, so I really really appreciate and love this!! However, I'd like to be able to share it with some of my family members who are hearing impaired. Could you please add subtitles? (The automatic ones just don't cut it, I'm afraid.)

Personally I have an autism diagnosis, but love talking to people, party regularly in college and go to large concerts and conventions. I hate it when people talk about my autism so none of my friends know about it and I told my parents to never share my diagnosis (they have been very supportive). but everyone has a different experience since it is a spectrum after all. I also get amplified senses when around people, but I kinda enjoy the dopamine rush that comes with it. Overall great video, but always keep in mind other perspectives exist too and we all perceive the world differently

i'm crying because before i realized i was autistic, i would just force myself through extreme sensory experiences like this just to fit in. Until quarantine, i was always in sensory overload and i just accepted that i was crazy or dumb

This is the most relatable thing ever. My family doesn’t understand and they always make it worse

One of the best I've seen. Thank you, I relate to this so closely.

Everywhere you read online it says high functioning autism is more prevalent among the male population without any qualifying statement for WHY that is the case...ASD in females presents differently (NOT MORE MILDY...DIFFERENTLY) I was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder before ASD. I feel like I've lost valuable time having a diagnosis for "so long" that didn't quite fit - because doctors thought female ASD was "so rare".

*Having this is legit a super power.*

It's scary how accurate this is.

I've never seen a video explain how I feel more accurately than this one, I finally have something to show people that can explain better than I can, thank you

Okay, seriously, I thought this was how everyone experienced stressful situations that way… I’m probably autistic but I thought that I didn’t struggle hard enough with sensory issues to be autistic but this is very similar the way I experience situations with many people.

I started crying because the situation felt too real. This video is amazing.

i never thought of it like this before, but having tinnitus seems to be a saving grace for me being on the spectrum

Watching through this video and moving around, I felt it. I felt the social anxiety, the feeling of feeling crowded in a room full of people, the loud sounds and especially the need to escape to somewhere quiet. I can totally relate to that. I can handle social situations, but only to a point. It's not that it's a loud place, it's just that there's too many people in one room and I don't feel that anyone is paying attention to me... so I feel the need to retreat to a quiet place. My mother feels I may be mildly autistic, but I was never diagnosed to know for sure. I wish I knew to be honest.

Wow very eye opening. I always feel like a alien I do want to adapt so much ! But I know now it's better to take it one step at a time. If I'm going to be in a crowd of people i make sure I am breathing right and cause when I'm anxious i will find myself holding my breath silly right? But I do find it to help and it is always good to be with someone you feel safe with 😇 I'm going on 50 this year and still learning self awareness is so important!! Thanks for sharing this video!!!!⭐

this is by far the most accurate depiction, though for me its sudden loud sounds, like nearby thunder and fireworks

i have high functioning autism and when im stressed things kind of seem almost like a cloudy blanket over your brain its kinda hard to explain

I feel such a connection to this, not the visuals though, but the inner thoughts almost exactly. Loved this, very eye opening!

This is a video... that you can move the perspective of? You can MOVE it?! It really is 2018 I’m shook

This has been my daughter's reality for 21 years, She was only diagnosed a month ago., she tells me this video is very accurate for her, As her mother I am overwhelmed at all I did not understand. So much makes sense to me now.

it's so crazy how accurate this was especially with just hearing specifically "she's on the spectrum" and the utensils dropping and then the relief of being in your own quiet room recovering from what just happened

I really like this video It doesn't simulate the having trouble with feelings or reacting part, but the overstimulation part, and also being able to reflect on it. I used to get this a lot I still want to die tbh Btw, for me it doesn't feel like i am not safe, but i just lose the ability to function and process information etc. Thx for this vid!!

this is a really great video. it’s exactly what happens and when you can sort of mask it people don’t understand how hard it can be, but you also can’t be yourself because then you get excluded and bullied. it’s really tough and I wish more people understood

I’ve never felt so seen, heard or accepted - Thank you 💗🙏🏽

Very relatable for me! This is why I like outdoor parties. All the noise disperses more. Makes it less stressful.

I can't relate to 98% of this.. I get that everyone has different experiences with their autism, but I had a strong feeling that this was made by someone who's not on the spectrum..

*OMG THIS IS ACTUALLY BRILLIANT!!* 😭😭😭👌👌❤❤❤❤ Whoever made this, WELL DONE. It's genius, it's scary, it's... beautiful.

My vision doesn't blur often, but other then that I absolutely get this. The anxiety builds up until the tiniest thing sets off unbearable discomfort and this feeling of just needing everything to stop NOW! Some days I can handle a lot, some days I can't handle anything. I live with someone who constantly hums, talks, laughs, they never shut up and I just need quiet! It's painful, but how do you explain that to a "normal" person? They'd think I was rude 😩

I noticed they love their quiet space.

Oh my gosh thank you for adding subtitles!! I don't know when you did, but I just checked back and am thrilled that my request was granted (whether or not it was in response to my request). I can't wait to share this with some of the hearing impaired people in my life!!

Wow, this is really well made, I almost cried at the ending of the first clip and I constantly looked down on the floor, like I would in that situation in real life

As someone with autism, seeing different parts of how it feels for others is really interesting to me.

I am not autistic but my 12 year old grandson is moderately autistic...he is very immature and yet he handles alot of things that I would have a hard time with such as doing unbelievable things on his tablet..I also have a tablet but have troubles on some things. He also doesn't stress on how others see him at all! He never lies and is a very sweet little guy

This is incredible. I’d recommend it to every parent. Thank you so much for making this film.

I didn’t know there were 360 videos like this! Cool! Also the invading house thing is relatable, I have Aspergers and I can be pretty territorial.

I couldn't watch more than the first couple of minutes - it was all too relatable (from someone who still tends to run out of the room totally freaked out when a group of people sings "Happy Birthday" to me - and I'm in my 60s).

When the mom got in the house with everyone I felt like I was going to passed out on my couch.. my heartbeat and breath are still going crazy. If I had watch it in VR I would definitely had passed out.

Wow... when all of the tension was building I ended up crying, it felt so real, thank you for doing this. I hope this helps people understand better, I’ve only been diagnosed for about 2 years which apparently is an early age for girls to be diagnosed (15)

I cried watching this. We are suspecting that my bff toddler is on the spectrum and this truely brought me to tears. I can't even know what would be like for parents themselves to know that their little angles are suffering inside like that. Thank you for raising awareness like that 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

This girl's voice is like music to my ears. I love it.

My life since childhood, well done and thank you as others cant imagine what is like. This state never stops and never goes away. imagine school... imagine life. Love and respect to all survivors. Believe what we tell you ya´ll. This is the way some of us live.

That was impressively accurate. Especially with how the people around me *just* *don't* *get* *it*.

For me id say everything is accurate except the vibrating visuals. Lights get too bright sometimes but people don't blur away for me. Do other autistic people experienced that visual effect?

Wish I had at least one parent or ANYONE in my life that was as caring and nurturing as her mom.

I just watched this in 2023. I can feel Layla's PoV as if it were mine. There's a massive tug in my chest and I shed a tear without realising it

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH !! This is absolutely brilliant! It's exactly what I experience in my everyday life!

This video is surprisingly accurate! Well done.

I am female and am on the highly functioning spectrum of autism, and yeah that virtual experience made me feel claustrophobic and so many sounds that distracted me, and I wanted to get out of there. It sometimes makes me feel bad about myself, even though I try my best, but there are times I am happy to just chill by myself

I thought it was very insightful how you portrayed people talking around the girl about "being on the spectrum". I don't know why it's so difficult for people to get that yes, we can hear you talking about us. It's important to let the person with Autism choose if they want others to know they have it or not.