Working on Life Skills with Autism/ADHD❤️❤️ 

Neurodivergent brains are definitely wired for research and having a deep understanding of topics, much less for everyday skills lol. That’s why a lot of ND folk might have trouble with these real life things. Unfortunately having such a different skill build leads a lot of people to think we are just more incompetent, period.

Toren is asking all the right questions! Now I'm curious, too!

Ok, so I've just fallen down a rabbit hole so lets see if I can explain this. First of all - well done in your practicing, keep at it :) Now on to the distracting part: The chip in your card is like a tiny computer. When you put it in (or near) the machine, it gets a small amount of power and signal to make it work. The machine is not actually "reading" it like it would a barcode or magnetic strip. Instead, the machine is asking the chip to do a computation. Its like a really complicated math equation, and the machine is checking (via the internet) that the chip is coming back with the right answer. The bank's system knows what the equation is, but it is not stored on your card, only in their system. So, to simplify - say your card's number is 5. And lets equally simplify the equation and say its X plus your card's number. The card reader doesn't know what any of the equations are, it just asks for the answer. So the reader asks the chip for the answer and it gets 7, which it then transmits to the bank to check if the answer is right. The bank's system says only Yes or No, and based on that, the reader either accepts or rejects the charge. So that way the machine never knows what the card's actual number is, which makes it much safer when compared to an old-school magnetic strip, which would have contained the actual number along with a bunch of other details. And because (staying with our example equation) X is always changing, it can check the card each time without a static number. So even if 7 is the right answer this time, it won't be next time. With the chip, all the machine ever knows is whether the equation was actually solved right. This is obviously super oversimplified, but that's the basic idea. If I am still being confusing let me know and I'll try to clarify.

I find Toren’s hyper fixations so interesting. I know it can be hindering, but his thoughts are so awesome to me.

it's so interesting because So Many people remark or question the chip in their cards, but not in a way that makes me think they actually want to know how it works. it's a little bit cool to me when people actually want to figure out how and why things work, and i like to be able to help people find that answer.

Wikipedia is a good starting point for those "how" and "why" questions. Sadly the education industry has de-standardized educational texts so there is no one universal format that presents everything that an autistic mind wants/needs to know in a single book/website, so researching is often more of a hunting expedition than it ought to be. I always recommend consulting an actual local expert in whichever particular field of interest so that there's an opportunity to ask questions and build on one's customized learning experience. Ironically it seems that hierarchical institutions (e.g. schools, workplaces) are the worst places for us to try to learn any useful social skills, as their methods are generally designed and/or implemented by neurotypical people. Having left home early myself as an undiagnosed AuDHD kid I would argue that self-directed learning (with the assistance of patient experts) is a highly effective way for autistic students to learn whatever most interests them while meaningfully engaging with others in relevant "real-world" conversation.

So the chip reader is actually super cool - there’s an antenna/coil inside the card, around the whole outside edge! You can sometimes see it with a flashlight. This coil picks up the energy (not sure if it’s electromagnetic or radio waves) and powers the card, which then gives off a signal a few inches around. It’s great. This is the a similar technology to wireless charging smartphones or an Apple Watch charger.

now i’m googling how the chip works. the answer is interesting!

I do this all the time and it annoys my dad so much 😂 I can't help but be curious about the things I don't know!

Good on you, working on it and doing it. I just find paying for things so scary so I avoid it, but I really should practice it. This is what is hard for me: The till do not look the same in all stores so that is confusing and scary. The cashier ask a bunch of cuestions and I often do not know what to answer or it's simply distracting/to much. I'm stressed by the people in line and I feel like I can not mess up because people is watching me. I'm scared that my card will not work or that something is more expensive and that I will have to handle that somehow. All of these things together is so overwhelming for me.

What I do with my daughter who is on the spectrum is role play a scenario before actually going into that situation. That way she can ask all of the questions (such as the card ones) before going to wherever and getting stuck in the weeds rather than focusing on the task at hand. It is impossible to cover every possible scenario that may occur, but it helps. We live in a city where there is never a register that doesn't have a line, so we need to minimize the issues we may encounter ahead.

There’s a series on IPlayer called ‘The Secret Genius of Modern Life’ by Hannah Fry and the first episode is about bank cards. Would definitely recommend this :)

Toren would love a show we have in Germany, called Sendung mit der Maus, which is a mix of stories explaining scientific concepts like "how do the stripes get into toothpaste" or "how do touch screens work" mixed with cartoons.

There’s a really cool explanation to that technology, I’m sure!! Love to see/hear him processing!

The chip in the card has a series of code on the metal of the chip that the computer of the card reader receives when the card is placed in the card reader. Hope that is helpful

This reminds me so much of our four year old son. I love his curiosity and hyper focus (most of the time 😂) it’s a beautiful way to see the world and we need it. ❤

Valid questions, just not the person to ask. ❤

The chip is encoded and read by the terminal to confirm bank or credit card information.

Looking good, Toren!

Powered by induction from the scanning machine, like wireless charging.

"Theres northing powering it" thats where your son got me i now need tk stay up untill ill find out.

I love Toren. How lovely that he takes time to ponder things. He's very contemplative.

Hello, im sadie! Im new to your channel and i aslo have autism and ADHD! I really like these vidoes you make! I sometimes enjoys seeing other people with some of the same things as me and do some of the same things that i do! Have a good day!

I love new ideas! That chip technology is cool. I'm physically disabled and have been bedridden for years, so I haven't paid for anything like that before. I would totally want an explanation! ❤

Your inquisitive and curious nature is truly a quality to behold. Questions are the gateway to knowledge, I remember a time years ago when I’d spend countless hours asking away. I must thank you for being yourself on camera, you’ve answered many questions I find myself asking about a friend. You are so brave in a world that’s too afraid to ask questions. It’s a bit of a contradiction but I find myself afraid to ask the friend I mentioned, the questions that you and your mother are so open about answering.

I love the curiosity in the HOW! Reminds me of Richard Feynman Talking about the pleasure of finding things out.

Dang, I just watched a video about this very tech from one of my favorite educational RU-vidrs. Wish I could remember which channel so I could point you to it!

Toren asking the questions i never thought to ask like now i'm curious about how those work too-

When he said maui's fish hook i instantly knew what he meant lol i was like bro sameee

Toren reminds me of myself but I have been able to almost complete college, have many relationships, have a few retail jobs though I struggled with work and I now I moved countries were its more accessible for me and life is a bit slower and easy. I zone out a lot and forget what Im doing while Im doing it and get distracted very easily. I think Toren is going to be just fine. And yes that bit on the asphalt did look exactly like a fishhook. I bet Toren could be an incredible artist if hes not already.

I feel him...things are remarkably fascinating to me

Good questions, good observations. I wonder about things like that and more!

He stands just like my oldest son. He also gets hyper focused while he is doing things. But, usually, it is stuff in his head. It’s good for autistic individuals to go through these real life situations over and over in order to develop scripts for future situations. You did great mom! I would have gotten distracted and tried to look up how the chip works 😂

I’ve never been comfortable using the chip. I slide the card when I can… I’m usually not thinking about anything at the check out except making sure all the sales and coupons ring up right… but now that Toren has asked these questions, he’s verbalized the knee jerk discomfort I have with the chip. And now I have to know the answer. If I don’t get a comforting answer, I’m going to only do online shopping (where you put in card numbers) or pay with cash.

Great job, love the curiosity.

Good Job Toren 😊 Research has been one of my most favorite things, some think of me as a “know it all” but that’s not my aim or why I research (and most don’t know I’m autistic because I haven’t shared that with them.) I research simply because I find things fascinating and want to know how they function/work and what the purpose is. People get annoyed with me because I ask so many questions, obviously not to irritate people but I’m just intrigued by the process of activity they’re doing or something most don’t think about I want to know why it’s done or done in the way they’re doing it because I would do it differently (but wondering why they chose that specific way to perform whatever it is.) I love that you thought of the chip in the card! The science behind it is intriguing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and part of your day! 😊

We’re proud of you, and there’s nothing wrong with curiosity- learning new things is so much fun!

It's passive RFID. Radio frequency. The reader 'energizes' the chip essentially using RF. Same tech as tapping the card or using your phone, except your phone is active RFID and the info isnt static. It's used in pretty much everything. Same tech powers the anti theft tags at stores.

I have ADD but not autism ( no official diagnosis, at least), but so much Toren says and does makes so much sense and / or feels familiar.

And this is why i love my phone. Cause of google. Any time of day or night i can look stuff up and get the answer to the questions in my head.

Aw Torens pretty cool right? He may have some issues in general that can make life challenging for him and others with autism but I also think theres a high level intelligence there as well for sure. You can see Toren processing the whole chip reader concept and hes making intuitive connections that a lot of people struggle to make. Autism is an odd thing really, is it really a disability?....I dont see it that way, its just a different perception of the world. Sounds like he has a very caring Mom, hell be just fine😊

The chip can be ‘’powered’’ by the device it’s in. A pay wave would be radio frequency (RF) powering the chip using minuscule radiation.

My 18 year old autistic daughter has been learning to do this, and gaining more confidence. Youre doing a great job Toren, and your mum is brilliant at helping you. I am (late diagnosed at 45 only this year) AuDHD and our family dynamic is very similar to you and your mum. Is your dad neurodivergant at all?

I admire his genuinely curiosity Every body should creation how things working It is seems to me normal

There's a really interesting video about bank card chips and how they work by the BBC's Hannah Fry. It's called The Secret Genius of Modern Life -Bank Cards. Toren might find it interesting, because she dissects the card to show its inner workings.

I never even thought about how the chips work… see you in like 6 hours when I’m an expert on that. Lol

Dang man, now I wanna know how the chip works 😭

Idk, he looks normal to me. And btw there is a tiny computer in the card that is powered wirelessly by the reader and then sends signals to the reader.

So much like me and my son 🥰 Have a read about computer chips and how they work. It's the same technology, just used in a slightly different way.

You’re so handsome

I watched this video yesterday and today I came back to write this comment because I kept thinking about how those chips work 😂

What an amazing mumma ❤️

im not an expert i dont know about electronics but i think it be based or something similar to cell phone chips. those arent per say powered by something but inserted into a device that is reading information off something. how the information is physically store on there im not sure. since i believe it be something differe to a floppy disk. but probably also similar to a usb. its probably the same kind of technology. and made in such a way that the devices are able to understand the information on the usb/microchip. so its a two part system. because if there werent a system that could read the usb/chip then the information on the chip/usb would be useless.

I can't even explain that and I have a Computer Science degree, I didn't like the hardware stuff so I didn't focus on the electronic side😅.

I was just as curious! (AuADHD here) So I looked it up. Sadly I can't tell you about the specific electrical waves or signals and how they transmit because I couldn't find any specifics on that. But a lot of data is stored on the chip: account information and a whole lot of random numbers - a code of sorts, to transmit the account information to the card reader. These codes/numbers are randomly generated continuously to avoid security breaches and information theft. So... If I understand it correct, it's like a binary code: the codes comprises all of the information from the bank and makes sure the right info is transmitted to the card reciever, which will then read and accept the data or read and refuse it... And now I kind of want to know how this randomly generated code updates in real time with your bank account.. hmm..

Was Toren always good at vocalizing his understandings and questions? If yes, that's awesome! If not, what helped? continuous speech therapy? My autistic son Jojo is 7 and Still only repeats much.

I relate. I would also like to know how the chip works

When that happens is it possible to make a note to yourself (physical note if mental one is easily forgotten) so you can finish checking out from the store? Then when you get home you can look up the answers to your questions on the internet.

I used to work for the bank. It is an advanced technology and it is weird.

It's kinda like a key fob to your car.

To help Toren, let him know that the chip is powered by the device that he inserts it into. In most cases, it is only powered for a fraction of a second. Take a look at my info, if you want to know more about me. BEST!

It’s probably wifi Toren

My son could tell you ALL about how it works!!! 😊

❤..

Maybe he can carry a small “question notebook” or use the notes app and if he is in the middle of a task but has a question that won’t help him finish the task, he writes it in his question book to research later. Then when he has free time he can learn all about his questions! This way he knows he won’t have to dismiss or forget the question and he knows he will get an answer, just not right now. No offense, but I agree that the answer you provided wasn’t quite sufficient enough! And he won’t stop asking until he gets a technical answer (see helpful comments below). 😊

Hey Toren! You did wonderful! Moana 2 comes out November 27th 2024 🌊

Its easy explain, work like a key, a key doesnt have electronic things, you put in a lock and do the same as that mashine scanning a chip on a card.

Can someone explain the sunflower lanyard? It's the sticking time I've seen someone like that on a neurodivergant individual

Me on the other side of the screen trying to come up with answers to his chip questions because my default is to try and answer things even if I don't actually know the answer. 😂 But my best guess about the chip is that it's like a camera SD card where pictures are stored, except instead of storing pictures the chip stores your debit/credit card information. So when you go to check out the computer sees a "picture" of your information like when you put an SD card in a computer and it shows you pictures. But I have no idea if that's accurate or not. 😅

I know Americans Like to Pay with Card a Lot... But you can still pay in Cash, right? Wouldn't that be more accessible for him? Since technology is so fascinating...

how DOES that chip work?

I started dating my now 50 year old husband when he was 16, and oh wow are these two very similar. The penny has finally dropped.

Where did you find the sunflower lanyard? I ask because I’ve had trouble finding one for myself. I’m also Deaf but I don’t want to let people know that I had to figure out all this when I moved away for college and boy oh boy was it hard; especially hard to keep it there I had to type it up in a reminder connected to a set grocery list (or for whatever store I went to)

also this is so my dad (i'm pretty sure he's undiagnosed autistic) except he starts explaining random shit instead of asking lol, like down to the topic i could 100% see him quickly change any conversation to explain how credit cards work

It is a bit awkward navigating food shopping whilst deeply contemplating complex special interests that the vast majority of humans have never even heard of.

Why is Toren wearing a badge that says he is autistic? Is that something he wants to have on?

Am I the only one who immediately went to the Internet to find out about the chip technology? I never thought about it, but now my brain was screaming for info. I looked it ip, it’s called Near Field Communication, but I am sure others in the comments have already explained. Keep going Toren, eventually you will get the hang of it. My ND son did.🫶🇳🇱

Not sure if it helps, but maybe someone at the bank could help with your questions? Or at least who else at the bank might best know? 🌼🩵🩵🩵

What I do with my daughter who is on the spectrum is role play a scenario before actually going into that situation. That way she can ask all of the questions (such as the card ones) before going to wherever and getting stuck in the weeds rather than focusing on the task at hand. It is impossible to cover every possible scenario that may occur, but it helps. We live in a city where there is never a register that doesn't have a line, so we need to minimize the issues we may encounter ahead.