What Is Asperger's Syndrome? 

We're not antisocial. We sometimes like to be alone, yes, but don't like to "feel" alone. That drives many of us to seek social situations deliberately. But since social interaction is difficult, overstimulating and exhausting, we have trouble finding tolerant crowds to hang out with. It's why we often develop unconventional friendships, too (age disparities, or exclusively of the opposite sex) -- we'll befriend whoever relates to us, understands us, makes us comfortable. We're not antisocial.

Some of the things that really annoy me, are when people say we don't have "emotions" and that "we lack empathy" but It isn't true, we do have feelings.

Do you; 1. Have very few/no friends 2. Enjoy time alone 3. Become overstimulated easily (noises/sounds) 4. Enjoy being with animals (sometimes more so than humans) 5. Have a creative outlet 6. Enjoy learning 7. Suffer from bouts of anxiety/depression 8. Exercise solo (running, cycling etc.) 9. Wish you could interact freely with people 10. Do you know how awesome you are Then yes.

When I first met my boyfriend he didn’t tell me he was autistic. I was very attracted to his intellect and unique sense of humor, and it wasn’t until months into our friendship that he told me about his autism. It never occurred to me that he was different aside from a few little social quirks, and he said the biggest giveaway was his unnatural tendencies with eye contact, but funnily enough I greatly struggle with even just meeting people’s eyes so I never even noticed his eye contact tendencies. As I got to know him further I found that he has a very unique sense of rationalism, a wonderful sense of sarcasm, and deep, profound emotions. Now I’m proud to call him my boyfriend. When you really take the the time to know a person with autism, you’ll find that they are not disabled, but simply wired to think and feel differently, and it has been a wonderful thing for me and my boyfriend to learn and grow together. Edit: one year later we’re still together and happy. I’d like to clarify that when he talks about his autism, he makes it clear that he really does feel disabled. But in getting to know him I never saw his autism as a disability or something that hinders him.

I've been living with AS for 61 years now and I'm still here much to my own surprise . the best way to describe it is feeling like a small child trapped inside an adult body and you never really wanted to be an adult in the first place. I really enjoy being alone, except that I'm not alone as I have many dogs and cats which are far better company than any humans could ever be

I apologize but I want to vent my frustration. I am 39yo male married with three great kids. I have always been different from everyone else and felt outcast most times especially growing up and in school. In April of this year I started researching AS because a friend of my wife has a child with AS and told her that our four year old son has AS. I have noticed that as my son grows he is acting exactly as I did his age when it comes to certain actions, obsessions etc. Some really stand out more than others. He is also very intelligent and active much as I was. So I started looking into AS and it has been a mind blowing experience. Nearly everything that I have researched including this video is not only my son but myself as well. Over the last few months I have come to terms with this and realize the pros and cons. It is refreshing to finally have a reason to know why I am the way I am. But even though it has really helped me grow in my career and side business and everything that I do the I have to say that the social aspect of it really sucks. I mean really really sucks. I wish I could feel what its like to have a normal prolonged conversation and interaction with people for a day. I also wish I would have known much earlier that I have AS thinking maybe I wouldn't have been so hard on myself and self forgiving of my actions. Anyway sorry for the rant.

My son has Asperger's and 99% of these describe my son. He was diagnosed very early and had help at school from 5 years old. His high school had a communication support base where he went from 11-17 and he is now nearly 24 with a computer science degree. Kids deserve the best education and support they can get, no matter what difficulties they may have.

Its like you crash landed on earth but the scientists didn't give you a handbook.

I have Aspergers. A friend once described it not as a “disability”, but rather as a “different ability”.

Hi. I’m a Doctor in Psychology. I’ve worked with people within the autism spectrum / high functioning (prior aspergers ) In my experience it’s not a syndrome, meaning there’s something wrong with them.They are not sick. Their brain is wired different. I found them much more empathetic, with wonderful human values and fun to be with. I rather be with an aspie, than with neurotypicals.

I am literally crying, this explains my entire life

I remeber as a kid i was diagnosed with aspergers. The reason the doctors wanted me tested was that i would almost never listen to what my parents said, and i often misunderstood things. So they took me to get a hearing test, which i got a perfect score on. Then when the doctors asked about it 4 year old just said "I just don't want to listen." My dad was really stressed out and angry about it, so he decided to lock me in a dark room to "Reprimand the aspergers out of me" Which of course didn't work at all. My mom ended up convincing him it wasn't something to get so worked up about. I used to really like dinosaurs as a kid, and i don't mean the usual "So cool, big monster!" kind of way most kids did. Instead I would spend hours rewatching the same dino documentaries over and over again, memorizing every fact they contained, i remember once when i lost one of my favorite dinosaur toys. I had a mental breakdown and cried for several hours, my mom (the most understanding person on earth) managed to get me into thinking that another dino toy at the store was the same one, which finally stopped my crying. For the first 6 years of my life i wasn't really that different, i mean i would get worked up about unusual things and would start crying whenever i was even mildly frustrated. But i wasn't too different. Then school came, it started out fine, but i started getting made fun of by one of my classmates. He started as my friend, the kind of friend you don't really talk too outside of at lunch or when you're in the same group, but still a friend nonetheless. But this friend had ADHD, and he really struggled with attention during class, so he started doing things to distract him. Like throwing pencils, using the blunt side of scizzors to make me think he cut my hair, and hitting my cap of off my head. I kind of feel bad for him, his parents got divoced right as we really started to get into school (The swedish school system gives kids a "0th" grade to get used to getting up at a certain time and to do simple work, and this was right as "0th" grade ended) We still go too the same school, but we have a pretty big class, and we're in different groups. He almost completely stopped these things when we got our new maths and english teacher, she's been extremely understanding and helpful towards any student who struggles with anything. Although i personally believe that i have been able to work it out of my system, i still struggle with socializing. And i think because of the fact that nobody really knows that i have a reason for it, they just kind of assume i try to be weird and annoying. So most people in my class really don't like. They don't hate me. I very often hear people talking about me, thinking i can't hear, i often have people assume that i am staring at them when i zone out, or intentionally do things like bumping or stepping on the heel of their shoe. But i don't mean to do it, i just struggle with reading movements or knowing where to place my eyes. And this means that most of my class (excluding my friend group) just think i'm a jerk. I wish i was brave enough to tell this story to other people, but I'm not. My Anxiety and deppression aren't that serious, but i don't think i'm doing too well either. The simplest way i can explain aspergers is that you're playing a game with the controls changed, but without you knowing where their mapped. So just kinda press all of them until you find the right one, but sometimes you click one that does the complete opposite of what you want to do. Sorry about the text being so unorganized and whiny, but i really just couldn't stop writing when i finnally found a way to talk about it without actually talking to someone. Update: I have a massive friend group of super supportive and nice friends who all started to understand me (weirdly enough, they understand me better tha my mom does.) and the amazing teacher has made a majority of all students understand that kids with ADHD or aspergers don’t intentionally do weird or dumb stuff, its motstöt just misunderstandings or stress.

For me, it’s more of the lack of social need. In other words, I really don't need friends and I do just fine alone. I’ m quiet in large groups, but in small groups, (and I mean VERY small like even 3 people is intolerable) I’m actually quite social.

The ‘one sided conversation’ thing really bothers me, when I’m talking to somone I try to talk about them and then they try to talk about me and it really makes me feel uncomfortable.

The part where he mention friendships really hit me personally, because I have the syndrome and have always suffered with friendship issues. I remember in primary school having a stage in my life where I had no one to play with during recess or lunch, and so I would talk to whatever teachers where on yard duty. This went to the point where I had a closer bond to the teachers rather then my actual peers. I also began to memorise which teachers were on yard duty and when, considering that not all teachers were ones that I was willing to talk to because I didn’t have a pre-existing bond to them. I would also hate working in groups, because I would always feel like an outcast and none of my ideas would ever go through as I had a different way of thinking opposed to everyone else. I am also very opinionated on almost everything I think, so that didn’t get me any popularity points. I was also a firm and open christian, which also had the same affect (primary school kids are mean). Eventually I got back into a social group and was able to enjoy my last year of primary school (year 7).

Older aspie here, it's like playing the board game manopoly , no matter how hard you try to win, it's always back to the starting line again.

I play the guitar. And I have allot of anxiety. But when I play. Everything goes normal and I become my own person!!

I hate admitting I have Asperger's syndrome. Nothing has come good from it. I have been bullied from it most of my life. Well ever since the early years of primary school. From that point on I have suffered from bullying all the way up to now. I am now 18 and in my final year of school. How I have lasted this long is completely beyond me. There have been times when things have gotten that bad and I have been treated like shit from a lot of people all my life that I just wanted to end it all. People with Asperger's syndrome seem to go through life harder than others. Sure everyone can go through tough times but it just seems harder on our end trying to move through life.

The awkward standing / not knowing what to do with your hands really hit home for me. Also the small talk problem, and not knowing when a conversation should end. For many years I have been treated for social anxiety but my new therapist suggested it could be Aspergers. Thank you very much for the video.

This literally made my day at the age of 35, and explained everything about my life... I need to learn more about this.

"Tend to talk about themselves." Yes. I myself (see, there it is) thought for years that's how a conversation is. Every single person I ever spoke to only ever talked about themselves or how the world related to them. When other people told me this wasn't the case, and I would quote the person in question, the person speaking to me about the other would say, "See, he was talking about this or that." And it STILL sounded like the person was talking about his or herself. Honestly, I still see and hear people talking about themselves. It takes a long time for me to go through all the possibilities and I often end up with, "This person is talking about himself."

I'm 22 and was diagnosed with aspergers when I was very young. I had a lot of difficulty socializing with people when I was younger and felt very isolated. When I finally made friends as an early teenager I remember really struggling with appropriate behavior. I sort of felt like I could act however I wanted without consequence. I put a lot of effort into improving my social skills and some friends of mine now said they would have never guessed I was on the spectrum, I've even been told by teachers and friends that I have a high EQ and very socially aware. In terms of socializing I now deal with social anxiety but in very specific settings like at my small liberal arts college or around new coworkers. It's very odd and hard to explain. However in some places I feel very comfortable and come of as charismatic. I also have a hard time with sarcasm when I first meet someone, as well as my tone of voice not matching how I feel (so like I may sound annoyed at someone when I'm really not) I also thought the AD/HD aspect was interesting because it reminded me of how I sometimes struggle in reading or sitting down to do work. I'm sorry to ramble. I've just been thinking a lot about my relationship with aspergers and how it has changed or even if I had it to begin with. Cheers everyone!

People used to call me narcissist and egocentric for years, no one wanted to be my friend when I was very young because I was “different” and “weird”. Now that I am adult I still struggle making friends, sometimes it is hard to make a conversation and talk appropriately. I have a girlfriend and she wants me to stay with her most of the time, but I LOVE to be alone for a certain time and she gets mad for that. I am 21 years old, a few months ago, my mom confessed I have Asperger’s syndrome and I never knew that, now that she confessed it, it explains everything.

When I was in 4th grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD but my family didn’t know much about it and didn’t want me to take any meds so we didn’t pay much attention to it. But now that I found this video I felt that he was completely describing me. And its crazy how many things now make sense.

I'm 34 & have just recently learned that I have Aspergers. It has explained so much & has kind of given me a new lease on life. All of the things I felt so self-conscious about & all of the things that made me feel like I was failing as an "average" person, they can all be attributed to asperger's. So the fact that I am a nurse, a Mother, a loving wife & the few close relationships I have are all blessings. I wish people knew more about people like me - that people with Asperger's are really just normal people with a different perspective. We are highly sensitive, which can be STRENGTHS. I need to get on with it & make my videos about my experience with aspergers. Thanks for posting this. It will be very helpful for my family to see it simply explained.

I have never been diagnosed with Asperger's, but I've always struggled with many stages in my life. I'm no psychologist, so I won't go as far as saying I have this disorder. But mostly everything on that board applies to me and it definitely answers a lot of questions why I do things or say things the way I do.

At 74, the inept feeling never goes away.

This guy just described my entire life in 6 minutes and 43 seconds

I was diagnosed with a mild form of it when I was 14. I'm 23 now and I feel very strongly towards never having had it in the first place. There was definitely a point in my life where a combination of social anxiety, lack of social skills and just plain being a a weird and awkward teen could make people draw the conclusion that I suffer from that syndrome, but the me of today contrasts the 14 year old me in so many ways that I just think I must have been wrongly diagnosed.

I am a loner but only because I love the internet so much and It is so educational.

My son was just diagnosed at 6. I have three other children without this diagnosis and they’re all a joy as well in the way God has made them. My 6 year old is absolutely amazing though! He has an outstanding memory (knows every country in the world and most by square mileage/size), and is honestly just remarkable in so many ways. I feel like this diagnosis, though tough to swallow initially for many people, is actually a huge blessing. He is an amazing kid - and I’m noticing more people like him and they are all amazing humans made in the image of God. I’m really glad his school encouraged us to get him assessed because instead of being frustrated about the little things that can be bothersome as parents of a young child with Aspergers, we are more understanding and actually appreciative of our son’s gifts/differences. He is extremely intelligent and loving. He definitely has different demands and needs than my other kids - but he amazes us every day. So incredibly thankful to be his mom ❤

I just recently starting going out with this extremely nice guy, he’s sweet and caring and I love him to bits. It was around the first few times we started calling that he explained he had Aspergers and how it was on the spectrum. Growing up I had a few friends who had it but I never really noticed. I’ve been taking the past few weeks to study up on it more and it’s been really fascinating to learn about, it’s also helped me better understand some of the things he isn’t very good at or triggers him. This video was really helpful! It also expanded more in depth some of things that were confusing me ((like the social cue things and blunt honesty. I mean, I appreciate the honesty, but it is a bit shocking when I’m randomly sitting with him and straight says he wants to hook up.)) Thank you for the video 🥰

I have Asperger's. I'm over 60 and only discovered it 4 years ago... my life has begun to make sense. This is the absolute bet short description I've ever heard! It is me to a T. thank you!

Upon reading 70% of these comments I feel like there are some things I must make clear #1 Yes, Asperger's is a funny word. #2 No, we're not retarded. #3 While there are people with Asperger's who're assholes (just like they're people with any form of disability, mental illness, etc. who're assholes) most of the time we just don't understand that situation or the conversation, we don't intend to be mean. #4 as with everyone we do have the ability to make friends, it's just more difficult for us. #5 Asperger's was removed from the DSM5 because medical experts wanted all forms of autism to be grouped into the same category, most people on the spectrum (like me) prefer the term Asperger's over high-functioning autism for many reasons. For me they're A) because I found people understand Asperger's more than autism, and B) because the term autism as more weight to it that Asperger's. What I mean is that when most people hear Asperger's they think of people who're just odd or may need a bit of extra help. When people hear Autism they tend to think of those kids who sit in the corner and rock back and forward all day and talk to trees or whatever. #6 We're not trying to be smartasses, that's just the way we talk. #7 Ok, this is something I thought I'd never have to say in my whole life, Asperger's is NOT A FUCKING POLITICAL THEORY!!!

I am 20, and I already have an official diagnosis of Aspergers. I generally found it difficult to communicate and interact well in group conversations and often remained silent and inattentive, yet I would successfully communicate during one to one conversations. Furthermore, I generally struggled to maintain eye contact while conversing, as I feared how I would be coming out. However, in academics, I excelled in mathematics while achieving mediocre to low grades in other subjects and struggled to sustain focus for long durations. The factors of attention deficiency and anxiety had further impeded my outlook and emotional well-being, leading to me questioning my abilities. After watching this video, I am becoming a lot more self-satisfied compared to how I was during the diagnosis. Additionally, I am getting reminders of my obsessions with international affairs, politics, and maps, which appeared awkward in the company of people, and it has made me self-satisfied. P.S. Apologies if I didn't articulate well, as the English language was my weakest subject.

I think some of these things come from a feeling of being overwhelmed or too intense. I have a hard time with eye contact because it is so intimate, and social interactions are energy consuming and intense. This video is a great explanation of "this" 😁

I have Aspergers. I was diagnosed when I was 11 and through my whole life I struggled with communication and social ques. But through years of observing and practicing I feel like I have mastered that and honestly I'm like the life of the party now and I have no difficulty gaining friends. Although I still struggle in other areas like being in large crowds and bright lights but it's manageable so I'm pretty happy where I am in my life. If anyone struggles with this just know that you can operate very well with this syndrome if you learn to control it.

And there is virtually zero help for adults with Asperger's. Also, it was removed from the dsm. Sadly it's a life long struggle

I have Tourette’s syndrome and I’ve always wondered if I can have Asperger’s too. I tend to have obsessions, particularly with 80s culture. Been obsessed with it for 18 years now. I dress it, collect photos that were taken from that era, do lots and lots of research on the decade because it just seems so awesome as well as collecting anything that was from that decade. Especially the year 1986, anything to do with that year entices me! The economics, educational system, political views. It was so different back then (even though I wasn’t around). Anything from that era and I mean anything gets me excited. The sound quality of. Lives from that era was great too. And I love sharing my affection with that time with everyone.

Thank you for making and sharing this video. Also, thank you to everyone in this comment section who shared their thoughts, thinking process, experiences, feelings, insights and desires. May you continue reaching your goals and happiness.

I have a 16 year old who has AS . He is socially isolated and that depresses him and he also suffers with anxiety. Loves mathematics but can’t be bothered with his other subjects. Luckily the school that he goes to supports him and they understand that he is different. Having a child who is different means that you are not only raising him but it also becomes a community issue. I have had to be involved throughout his schooling life but it comes with the package.

The 'literal' thing is more of a misinterpretation of aspergers humour in most cases. It's our way of fooling around.

I love how he managed to deliver such amount of information in such a short time

Socialization is tiring for us, but we can do it. We can train ourselves to function well in society and lead a pretty "normal" life.

Almost every person I've ever met of above average intelligence fits this.

This is the clearest explanation we've ever witnessed of Aspergers. Thank you Dr Sheldon.

I'm certain that I have this. I'm almost in my mid-20s and I learned about Asperger's Syndrome not too long ago. When I was in high school, I was diagnosed with social anxiety. In my early 20's, I was diagnosed with ADHD. After being diagnosed with both of these, I still felt like I have something more than just ADHD and social anxiety. For a long time, I couldn't figure out what is really wrong with me until this year. I never watched this but I heard that when Elon Musk was on SNL, he said that he had Asperger's. At the time, I heard of it before but never knew what it was. So I googled it and the characteristics were identical to what I have

I love the way you have explained all of this. I have a diagnosis of Asperger’s and am have my six year tested as well. I see many symptoms I exhibited as a child. I’m hoping that whatever the issue is that we can make school experience for him so he doesn’t go through the same issues that I did.

I've never been formally diagnosed, but I think this is me. I'm no genius (IQ 125), but I did very well academically, and not very well socially. Things started to go pear-shaped in 3rd grade--that's the first time I remember a teacher yelling at me for working ahead, completing more lessons than required, or solving a problem too quickly. This was to happen many times in the following years. (My school district was standard-issue, white suburban America, and most of the teachers were dumb Elementary Education majors.) I was bad at sports, so I was miserable in gym class (teacher was a gung-ho meathead who belittled me), and didn't discover individual sports until university. Teachers were always after me to "come out of my shell." I read at 12th grade level by the time I was 6th grade, but nearly failed Reading class because the material was so boring. I was, and still am, extremely noise-sensitive. I can remember being on a school bus, having a pounding headache because every other child on the bus was screaming at the top of its lungs, and thinking, "I wish they'd all die." Finally found my tribe in high school, thank God.

One sided conversation hit the hardest for me. I always have a wall up and don’t let ppl in it’s burned a lot of relations. People don’t truly get to know you for you until they see your highs and your lows and I only exhibit my highs like I’m always okay. Always there for ppl but don’t want no one there for me. Rather suffer in silence than seek help it’s toxic but I’m getting better haha

I really wish someone would have told me this year's ago. I was socially isolated for almost most of my life. That led to obesity, self isolation, shyness, slow learning, no opportunities to play any sports and living in fear because of being gay. I have been different from my family for years. But I feel now as if it is a continuing process for me to overcome my disabilities, even if I still have moments when I get mad at myself. But at the end of the day, I would rather have one true friend than a group of large false friends. If I have no boyfriend right now, I am at peace with being single. I am more active now than when I was younger. Most importantly, I had lost a incredible amount of weight. So thanks for sharing this!

Diagnosed today at 20 years old. Crying in front of my computer, so glad to finally have an answer to who I am and why I felt so wrong and different.

It’s only after I leave a conversation do I realize what the person’s body language meant, if I think of it at all. I was told to talk about things that interest others, or ask them about themselves. But I could see that even though I was asking basic questions, the people were looking away. But even then I still didn’t not know how to walk away from the conversation. So, finally one person did. I look back on conversations from decades ago and realize the person gave me an incredible amount of body language to indicate they needed to leave, but I kept talking to them. In the middle of a conversation it is difficult to understand body language in real time. I’ve also been called pit on my body language numerous times, either being told it is not appropriate or dismissive, or my body language is saying one thing, and I’m saying another. As a child I always felt like other people understood social situations, even children my age, but I didn’t seem to understand. I always felt like other people were given a book of explanations, but I wasn’t. I was often laughed at when I didn’t understand what was going on. I had severe ADD symptoms, but no one had any answers or understanding back then. I was considered “intelligent”, so many times my struggles were overlooked. I have terrible balance and coordination, bumping into things constantly. Things like dodge ball were a nightmare. I was very bad at sports. Math made sense to me, and initially I excelled at math. But home life problems distracted me from my ability to learn. My dad was always socially inappropriate, talked about himself, lost interest in conversations if things didn’t understand him. No matter how much of his behavior was brought to his attention, he just never seemed to “get it”. Like me he had severe ADD, and ADHD, was alcoholic, but the two of us understand humor. I still take things literally. I have neighbors that say “stop over any time”, but something tells me they really don’t want me to. Or people will say “call me”, or be nice, but don’t really mean it. Others know this, and understand social niceties, but I don’t. Do I have this syndrome? I don’t know. I’ve noticed I want social interaction less and less, and my ability lately, to communicate with others has really gotten impaired. I think when I don’t practice at being social, I do more poorly. I’m glad for the internet. Boy, do I wish I had it when I was younger.

My boyfriend has this syndrome and I learn from it everyday. I try not to get mad, but at some point I do have to explain to him what the simple things are and to be honest I think its adorable. Even though I dont know what its like, I still love him no matter what and I still think people need to learn what this is so they don't be mean. It really bothers me when someone makes fun of him

I never realised until now but most of these symptoms or quirks I struggled with in my early life but managed to overcome in my adult life, and in no way was that easy. I'm 30 now and I'm only just starting to feel normal and accepted compared to my peers. I wish I was properly diagnosed when I was younger because maybe I would of avoided or better coped with things growing up. throughout my adult life I've been screamed and yelled at I've been emotionally abused I've been physically beaten, all because I'm different from other people, but I've managed to overcome all of that, and I'm only just now starting to function like a normal adult. I still have a long way to go but this is inspiring.

Being Asperger's we always feel overwhelmed with social interactions because how much the stimulus we face at those times, we overwhelms by how much sensory and emotions come from many people at once Oh and i feel so stressed out with 3d gaming and epileptic inducing videos, my brain couldn't handle that and go panic attacks....

I struggled a lot with AS as a kid but over time after becoming more aware of what I was doing I was able to stop it. I now have very little issue interacting with others and I feel more self aware than others thanks to that. I was lucky in the regard that I didn’t develop any neurological disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, or depression. My biggest problem was just that I would regularly act out in ways that were sometimes off putting to others. As I matured this issue slowly resolved itself through self reflection and experiencing further relationships.

I honestly didn't know that the change in routine was part of my condition. That explains so much... nor did I know about the self discussion being a legit part of it as well. Again, explains a lot for me... and now I feel real bad for the times I've rambled about my own stuff yet when it came to other people talking about their stuff, I always lose interest. Also, the part where one get bothered by noise, it's always different in each individual. The roommate of one of my family's friends have aspergers, and he's really bothered by the sound of pages turning, meaning that in order for the other guy to study, he literally has to move to another room. Personally, I'm bothered by the sound that happen when you smack your lips or you're chewing on something... ESPECIALLY if you open the mouth even slightly while still chewing. It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to sit with other people and eating, even my own family, without me having to rush down my food and leave asap! Thankfully they're okay with me eating in my room, even more so after learning of my condition.

I was diagnosed with Aspergers back in 2003 I was 17 years old & back then there was very little information about the disorder but thankfully nowadays there is way more help out there .

This presentation was so incredibly interested and informative. Thank you so much for educating us on this! Very insightful and easy to understand. Thank you

I'm asperger but I can understand sarcasm and I'm also a comedian. I'm into the minority of course.

Right on the nose! This guy actually IS an expert, and is obviously NOT just some dumb neurotypical with a degree and title like most of the so-called "experts" are out there! Just for that, I am subscribing! Thank you, sir, for actually being professional, and spreading truth and awareness, and not just horror stories and lies! P.S: I excelled in all my classes, bringing home multiple 100's on my report cards in high school. I'm not the only one, but although it is surprisingly common, especially in math, it is not something to automatically be expected. Also, I have a strange learning style: either I get something completely, or I don't get it at all, and if I learn something I "don't get at all", it just clicks almost instantly!

I'm up at 2am losing my mind right now. This man just perfectly described my insecurities and told me it's consistent with SOMETHING. This feels like finding a missing puzzle piece

To marry a person like this is very challenging. One must love with a deep heart. Many dont understand what mild spectrum autism syndrome is! If you find yourself married to one with this condition, my heart goes out!! Even more so when children are involved! They have AMAZING QUALITIES! They contribute to society in many ways and are in most situations extremely successful. But God help you if your married to one diagnosed with this. Even MILD its beyond significant! You need to be an independent person, strong, with high empathy.

They say Einstein probably had Asperger’s and his words mirror my own thoughts, so LIKE this if you agree . . . . "There came a turning point for me -- I came to understand that the virtue of my type lies in what I think, and not in how well I express my feelings -- My thoughts encompass me, so I can't easily engage in chatter; just as one wielding a hammer can't then easily play the violin -- I can love humanity it seems, but I'm just not cut out for close personal ties -- I've never really belonged to any country, circle of friends, or even to my own family -- My need to restore within myself has increased over the years -- The resulting isolation is often bitter, but I have never really regretted it completely -- If I'm cut off from the sympathy of others, then I'm also independent of their opinions and prejudices -- I feel the Solace and Virtue that lies in the Insignificance of the Individual and it makes me happy -- I have always sought to gain just a glimpse of the order that lies hidden in nature -- Our search for understanding is all that really matters -- The rest can truly be forgotten.” . . . . Albert Einstein, "How I See the World" . . .

I have aspergers and I have lots of friends who are nice to me

I was diagnosed at 72. Know i have experienced a life of hell. Some people saw something different in me as a child already something that gave them the right to abuse and victimize me at 5 id been raped and sexually exploited for the rest of my life. I thank God for tears and melt downs cos they helped me cope. Today i know it was a walk of life i chose to do from heaven thinking i could do it for the teaching behind it. I look back and realize what a pure gem i was in handling my walk as best i could. I have taken the lessons and im not angry or bitter at anyone. It was my learning path and it made me an amazing person by not being bitter or angry. Im content that i walked my path as best i could considering the circumstances i needed to cope with.

I've been researching this topic for a while now. This is the first explanation that I could really grasp that made sense to me thank you so much for this article.

I was labeled with Asperger's syndrome. I am working on a PhD in psychology, now, and I find this label a little strange for me personally. Although I have had communication problems with people, I imagine they may not be any greater than neuro-typical people. My suggestion for people with Asperger's is to explore Buddhist psychology. The stresses of modern life may be partially to blame for this Asperger's concept. Many people are having trouble integrating cognitions and affects.

I really appreciate your chart and in-depth explanation. Life is hard. This helped at least one lone soul.

You nailed this video! Such good info. I wish I saw this 10 years ago when we knew nothing about Aspergers. Teachers need to learn about Aspergers in the child’s Kindergarten years. We didn’t find out til my son was 14, two years ago.

Excellent, clear video. Both my partner and his daughter, who lives with us, are Aspies. I definitely related to everything you talked about, especially language. Boy, can they both talk! It’s not easy being an INFJ with two Aspies.

I grew up like that. I was fascinated with entomology, mythology and moved to other topics. Also a perfect memory but I did not like to relate to people. I learned at 18 to start watching and mimicking the way people who successfully relate to others. I went through the military after and appeared normal by acting like others I observed. I became a good mimic. I was in intelligence specialists but changed after 3 years due to a cut down. I actually came up with new ideas in the military that changed things, like using computers back when it was windows 3.1 and wordperfect to print maintenance cards and the items listed. Also I came up with changes in the special order system that had me investigated for a unheard of sales and stock turn over. 1.3 was normal mine was 4.1. Then I was taken to a meeting of all ships store people to give a live presentation of how to do the job and was elevated in that area to the leading sales expert. I was injured after I got out and only do light security now. Anyone want an old broken sales expert with asperger's to work for or with them? I am also great with computers.

Isn't there a better way to say Aspergers? I forget the correct pronunciation. People keep sounding it out "Ass Burgers".

My friend recently told me he has Asperger’s/Autism and told me the basics but this really helped me learn more about it. Now some of his mannerisms make more sense and I know how to approach it when he has a “hyper episode” as he called them, and just understand bettertoo, so thank you for making this video, it really helped!! ❤️❤️

This was very helpful! Thank you for this video! I am a 27 year old male and I have a lot of the symptoms of aspergers. I am considering doing some sort of test for aspergers just to hopefully help me in life and understand myself more and hopefully explain why I am how I am. I've struggled so much with having friends and have always been kind of a loner. I am married though and I think and actual diagnosis of aspergers would help my marriage and help my wife understand me more. The way I am holds me back in life as far as jobs. I've worked since I was 18 and I drive but most jobs are very uncomfortable for me and I have major issues with change and I like a routine schedule. I am very socially awkward. I take anxiety medication and it helps some but I feel like if I actually do have aspergers it would explain a lot for me. Being an adult is pretty hard for me with the responsibility that comes with being an adult. I don't understand sarcasm and I take things literally almost all the time and body language is hard for me to read. Also I think my wife might have this or a form of autism so that might make sense why we match so well together, lol.

Yes, human communication is based sharing common experiences. I appreciate you pointing that out. Its helpful and hopefully someone will be encouraged by this statement.

I loved the way this was laid out. Perfect. Thank you.

This is my mother. I am so relieved that she was not as cruel purposely as I had previously believed.

This is the best description I've ever come across. Thanks 👍

I'm 22 and have always felt like something is off. I never got diagnosed when I was younger cause people just assumed I was lazy or stupid, but the specifics of doing sports and such alone, and the balance one really caught me. The amount of times I roll over my ankle when running, and it doesnt sprain or break fascinates me, and my partner says I sometimes have t rex arms.

I think I got off easy. When I bring up my ASD people are cool about it. I never got bullied for it, and people think highly about my ASD, saying how many great people had it. It has made my life quite good

We do actually have a lot of feelings and emotions towards the people we like. But as soon as they disappoint or betray our love (based on our standards that are usually wider than the common perception of healthy people), they lose our interest and feelings once and for all. We wouldn’t either bother to check on them in a couple of years or so, despite the fact that we’re dying to get in touch. But our ego, in addition to the deep and harmful feelings of betrayal, will get the best of us and keep us away. In other words, we tend to be very sensitive people that we either love too much or we don’t care (sometimes hate) too much.

That chart and the man's reading of it was the best explanation of Asperger's Syndrome that I have ever heard. Perfect. Thank you.

I find that music and working on cars helps me to focus. Music helps to soothe my mind wether I'm playing it on guitar or listening to it. Working on cars has helped tremendously with my fine motor skills and it makes me think of the steps I need to take to fix an issue. My father has pointed out to me that I tend to get a little ahead of myself, but have aquired a knowledge that, at times, rivals his own. I don't really agree with him, but I take it as a compliment nonetheless.

I have aspergers. Came here to learn more. I definitely have it.

Very simply put. You're a great speaker too

Thank you for explaining this clearly in just a few minutes

It's nice to know there are many others out there just like me in the sense of having this. But I'd like to think of it as a gift we have been given. We are definitely different, but in our own special way! I just hope that those who are not like us, would see our world for just a moment and understand we are human too. Thank you for this wonderful video :-)

I have Asperger syndrome and it's kind of hard to explain cause my pov in my opinion is very conplex

Anyone else like learning about themselves? Its interesting knowing why I've done stuff my while life that I knew was different. Aspergers also sucks. I've always been cast out and called "nerd" or "school shooter" because I absorb information really quickly and show almost no emotion, monotone and sometimes come across as an asshole. I would like to tell people that I'm just unable to pick an expression for most given situations because I interpret them more as a, put 2 and 2 together of a face with a feeling, rather than just seeing the face and knowing how that person feels, but then I could be labeled as "psychopath" and that's the complete opposite of aspergers. Its honestly pretty frustrating. I hate having my schedules broken, and I hate that I hate having my schedules broken.

Really well done...great ability to convey a lot of info smoothly. Husband is ASD...this is a solid summary!

This was so helpful, thank you so much . My boyfriend has Aspergers syndrome.

People with Asperger's design and build the world. Normal people use what these gifted people do.

I felt so alone.. until i saw this video and all the comments. Thank you for the video!

I wish this was my teacher, he explains it all slowly and nicely.

thank you, this describes me so precisely.

My I.Q. is 176. I have aspergers syndrome. When I first found out. I didn't want to accept it. Now that I have. It has helped me to understand myself a lot better. I have all the issue's that come with it.

Just recently been looking into myself as someone with adhd and aspergers it honestly makes alot of sense now..

not having many friends means they understand that most friendships are shallow … they just do not consider people that have shallow relationships as actual friends … some people think everyone is their friend