What Is Autism? Autism & Society

Autism is easy to explain...isn't it? The internet is full of descriptions of autism from charities, medical companies, health authorities and academics, but hardly any of them have had any input from a single autistic person.

A communal definition of autism

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[howardlanus]

I've always considered my autism to be a curse. It's made me a target for bullies. Communication is much more difficult. Social situations are far more unsettling and frightening for me, as I need to watch for contextual clues that NO ONE really lists or explains so I try to be as aware as possible, but that's like trying to consciously see everything at the same time. And when I do make a mistake I get lectured or even yelled at, but when others make mistakes I'm expected to forgive them after a simply apology. These and other inconsistencies are impossible for me to ignore, so they knock around in my head and make me resentful of others. And then there's the emotional sensitivity, my greatest weakness. It's left me vulnerable to breakdowns and meltdowns when being criticized or dismissed. I have no problem with receiving feedback on my behavior, but it's the delivery that counts.

Sometimes I feel like Frankenstein's monster. I have a lot of pieces that most people would think are great, but the way they are put together means the world won't see me for that.

[maureenbray]

Will be sharing this with my non autistic friends as one of the most clearly communicated descriptions of autism I've yet come across. Thank you

[christianebrown]

All I know is that all the autistic people I've ever met or had experience with or have heard of have been incredibly, impressively intelligent. I think society as a whole doesn't know how to deal with people who are deep and keenly logical thinkers.

[JaneArtsyOtternutKirkwood]

Brilliantly done as always Quinn, thank you for all that you do. I totally agree that autism needs to be defined by those of us who are autistic and when I said that to a non-autistic family member, their response was, "It can't possibly be defined by autistic people because that would be biased." I have to admit, it left me kind of speechless. Very best wishes, Jane

[BrainWeevil]

You sure are rockin' in the communication department, Mr. Quinn! 😄 Deficits, my hirsute and bony posterior!

[mbm]

The background noise at just after 05:00 regarding what aliens would think of us… ouch! I was freaking out a tiny but because I thought I was having a tinnitus flair up.😅

[HouseRavensong]

Recently self-diagnosed in my late 50s. I think this is my new favorite channel.

[footwearisoptional]

I'm fortunate enough to actually have a meatspace hangout just *jam* packed with neurodivergent people. The bartender is autistic, and a bunch of her autistic friends come to hang out and just be ourselves without having to worry about being judged. I found the place when someone told me the bar has an open jam on Thursday nights. I play bass and don't you dare start making guitarist remarks at me or I'll play the guitar part of the intro to Crazy Train at you...

I jam with the band and occasionally another player who has turned up knowing the same songs I do, dance with drunk guys, dance by myself, go dance with other patrons if dancing spontaneously breaks out elsewhere in the bar. I've realized that dancing for me is a form of stimming. I can just let the music take hold of me and move my body and all the tension just melts away.

I also dance while I'm pushing my shopping cart down the aisles at the supermarket. If I'm walking somewhere and someone stops at a red light with annoyingly loud music blasting out their speakers, I'll start dancing. What do people think of me? I don't give an eff.

[SignInguestmode]

I have been giving my opinion to people I've spoken with, well Before even knowing I myself am on the spectrum, that; " I firmly believe people who are on the spectrum and those who have ADD/ADHD are the more obvious signs of human evolution. The amount of good doings and the accomplishments we as a species will achieve are going to be unmeasurable."
I have been saying this over and over for years now and
I have so much more to say on this topic.

Also as someone being on the spectrum and trying to settle in now that I know where I fit in, I am increasingly finding that I don't want to nor should I have to adjust myself for anyone to accept me. I have been unknowingly masking myself for my entire life and it's no wonder I always felt exhausted around people. Now that I have very reasonable explanations of why I do things the way I do them, or my outside the box thinking (which proved to be more of use than not) is not a "airhead" way of thinking. Or the "what were you thinking, I don't understand your logic" statements can be defended with and actual reason I feel like I can finally breath. That I don't have to sit a certain way, be a certain way (as a woman this is what drove me the most insane) or talk a certain way be interested in certain things and don't let anyone know what it is I really want to say think sit, talk, or

I would rather the other person adjust themselves for me! Why? Because they're the inside the box typical person and chances of them having to adjust themselves again that day or evening or even that week or maybe month is way less than if it were me and I don't know about anyone else on the spectrum but I believe it's time we stop accomodations for everyone else when there's fewer people on the spectrum (to my knowledge) than there are neurotypical people. We shouldn't have to mask or even worry about masking or worry about what we should be like or if we're being appropriate to their liking. (And of course we're behaving ethical and obeying laws, exedra.) Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems most of the YouTube videos about the autistic community and helping those of us with recent awareness of being on the spectrum, still want us to mask ourselves or seem to be with some degree suggesting this. They almost come across as shamed or timid about being autistic and I'm flabbergasted as to why, ?? Maybe.... ok I probably could be very much misinterpreting what I've watched and thought I was learning. But from my perspective this is real to me and it frustrates me because I feel we're in a very important monumental time of human life, if my theory is correct and there should be more of a proactive positive movement on this than what I am seeing so far. No more adjustment for me! This isn't me being standoffish or difficult either. This is me, (my name is Dawn) being my authentic self and I'm never going to hide her, mask her, change her or try to fit in anywhere with Anyone ever again! I am grateful for being who I am, flaws and quarks and all and I firmly believe that everyone (on the spectrum or not) should be as well and never feel ashamed! I believe autism is a blessing and I know there will be great things in our future if we stay vigilant in not giving in to the "typical" society and stay true to your authentic selves.

--Rant over.. 😁 thanks for reading! This was my first outreach since I became aware of myself, it's been pent up. Lol. Have a beautiful day/evening.
-Dawn

[MøPgr]

We have a word in Norwegian: "Medmenneske". Google, for once, translates this very well! Fellow human. Every person I meet is a fellow human. Some people think I am a bit batty for thinking that way, but I am stubborn! I also try to BE a fellow human. That means being helpful and kind and caring. I hate when people get put into boxes. How can you put individuals into boxes??? I have a friend who is diagnosed autistic. I suspect her mother may have been given the same diagnosis if she were born now and not when she was. I suspect I could have been diagnosed as autistic, because I recognize myself in a lot of the character traits you describe as quite typical for autistics. I'm glad that you point out the worth of having great knowledge and/or skill in specific areas. Where would the world be if scientists were generalists, for example?
Thank you so much for making all these videos! For me, it is like sitting down with a nice guy who can answer the questions I have, or that I didn't know were questions I should ask. I am learning a lot - and I am enjoying your company!
PS. I also love the way you talk with your hands! Elegant and giving wonderful punctuation to what you say. 🙂

[catherinecastle]

To me, its like every human is given a big 10, 000 piece puzzle, at birth. Neurotypical people get a puzzle that has a picture on it with a variety of colors, shapes, patterns. True, it's a mixed upuzzle and it now must be assembled piece by piece to complete it (takes a lifetime), but with all the visual cues and a box lid with the finished picture on it, typically, assembling the neurotypical puzzle becomes easier with time and assembly.

To me, having autism is like getting a completely blue 10, 000 piece puzzle, at birth, and every single piece is exactly the same color of blue. Not even a wisp of cloud to make some blue pieces different. Even the box picture is just one big blue picture, not a single clue as to how to assemble the blue puzzle. So, we non nurotypicals (females, at least) tend to look sideways at the neurotypical people doing their own colorful intetesting puzzles and we attempt to mimic their assembling. Yet, while observing others can help a little, it's not the answer. In time, some of us get more comfortable assembling our own blue puzzle, we don't mind that it's different. BUTwe then find out that our ability to master the blue puzzle is often greeted with hostility, disdain or indifference by the neurotypicals. And then that becomes the hardest part of living life assembling a blue puzzle. It's not so much we eushed we didn't get a blueuzzle, but that we notice "the others" have little to no empathy or respect for our achievement and successes while having a blue puzzle to assemble.

I'm 67, not yet formally diagnosed, yet, to me, "autisn" explains most everything, along with ADHD (I'm also graphme synethete, hyperphantasic, diagnosed CPTSD, head injury at 40....). Maybe because of the hyperphantasia, I recall and see things mostly in pictures and, one day when I was musing on the macros of autism, a big blue puzzle popped into my mind along with a 'normal' puzzle beside it and, well, it made sense to me that my puzzle was the blue one 😮

I think ending a lifetime of trying to assemble a blue puzzle, while surrounded by others assembling multi colored picture puzzles, has made me a super woman! After over 60 years of not understanding...now that I do better understand, I'm having the time of my life! I no longer mask, and wrong painful relationships are no longer in my life. And those who remain, while appreciating a better understanding of autism and me, don't love me less or more ❤

6 decades is a long time...but, today, I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing. Yes, I have had MANY dark clouds in my life, as do all peoples, including the neurotypicals, but, Jesus was the only one who taught me how to get at least one silver lining from every single dark cloud! He went on tho teach me how to turn lemons into lemonade. I am of all souls most blessed.

Today, life just gets better and better. It is my wish and prayer all who were given a blue puzzle at birth come to realize why they got it and what it means to the Bible God.

I also think of life as a horse race and I (and perhaps you?), being made such strong and fast horse, was then given extra weight, extra handicaps, to prevent me from winning too many races while young, so that I'd be less 'cocky' in later years (thus, kinder and more empathetic) than my neurotypical counterparts. If all Truthers belong to Jesus and "all liars" belong to Satan, then perhaps our Creator has a special purpose for Non Nerotypicals? We do tend to be honest... to a fault, at times 😊

[gregorybabbitt]

I sometimes wonder if ASD and ADHD type personality traits, which often co-occur in many people, might actually represent a much evolutionary older form of 'normal' in human behavior. If you think about it, in their higher functioning manifestations, these traits can be quite advantageous in the natural environment. The love of repetitive motion and routine (ASD) could have been harnessed for all sorts of adaptive technological things like spinning wool, grinding corn, gathering nuts and seeds, or making stone tools, whereas the ability to be hyperactive, quick and impulsive, and notice changes in finer details of the environment (i.e. distractions within ADHD) could have been clearly an asset in tracking and hunting. Only once cities and civilizations were built upon the backs of these hard-working and talented people, would the evolution of neurotypical traits and social politics become more useful. Has anyone out there ever seen any academic study of this idea? I would love to see a video exploring this possibility. BTW - I am a biologist by training, not a psychologist.

[tribejones]

Thank you, for your time and energy 🙏

[Autistamatic]

Are you autistic? How would you answer? I'll compile the best & most interesting ideas from the comments here, from the messages sent via autistamatic.com & social media into a later video.

[davidkirwan]

really really spot on video, for me that is brilliant definition and explanation and the link to the autistic collaboration is cool, just checking out site now... thank you for linking and sharing and, il be buying one of your nifty baseball shirts as thank you in green... nice :)

[tyttihalme]

Hi! I just found your channel yesterday and have been binge watching since. Now on 27th video I decided to comment because you mentioned about private doctors and therapies that don't help and can actually be harmful. Google didn't help me much with that, so I decided to ask about it. What therapies you consider harmful and why, and what therapies would be helpful?

My soon 4yo son is level 1 autistic, we are waiting to get attended and diagnosed officially. (Through him I have come to realise that so am I! (The relief of understanding all the struggles, and that I'm not just a weirdo!!)) And along with a diagnosis will come therapies and such, and I don't want to just throw him in whatever is suggested, but to actually know what would be most beneficial and what to avoid.

Thank you for your very professional and informative channel. Your voice is pleasant to listen and as a non native English speaker, I appreciate the use of normal human grammar and clear pronunciation. 😁🥰

[LookinAtStars]

Yes, Quinn, thank you.
We're different and not deficient!
It sure doesn't feel like it though...😕

[kathryngreaves]

Sadly and Unfortunately the bad news negative stuff is always published but not the positive things about autism. 🙄. How we can be very empathetic, have excellent standards in the work place etc

[gno]

Thinking about the Dictionary definition of homosexuality. 'being attracted to the same sex' what if your sexual identity is not apparent just by the visual bias. I may be visual defined as male but very much feel more comfortable with a feminine disposition inside a male visually dominated body or vice versa. Society dictates our role and it should be us that dicate who we are and our role as it we who are comfortable or uncomfortable with and allow a degree of flexibility. Flexual, frexual.

[AutisticAwakeActivist]

I say autism is Apple versus Android two different processing chips thus when we run Android programmes on apple it causes problems with the apps😂😂❤❤.