Autism Spectrum: Atypical Minds in a Stereotypical World

About this video lesson:
Autism is not a disease and therefore can not be cured. What we can do, however, is to learn more about it and gain an understanding of it. In this video Timo, a young boy diagnosed with Autism will help us understand how living with a neurodivergent mind can be.

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3D AUTISM SIMULATION

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SPROUTS TEAM
Script: Jonas Koblin
Production: Selina Bador
Production Assistant: Bianka
Male Voice: Matt Abbott
Female Voice: Mithril
Coloring: Nalin
Expert: Cynthia Borja
Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
Proofreading: Susan

MUSIC

LICENCE
Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:29 Atypical minds
1:00 Autism as a spectrum
1:40 Meet Timo
2:03 Diagnosis
2:22 Timo has atypical perception
3:13 Timo is highly sensitive
3:51 Timo has a fascination with logic
4:21 Timo experiences social disconnection
4:58 Therapy and reality
5:28 Autism is not a disease
5:44 What do you think?
6:02 Experience a party like a girl with autism
6:23 Our wonderful Patrons!

#autism #learn #teach #sproutslearning

[wizardsuth]

"Should we treat children with autism with therapy, or celebrate them for who they are?" -- A bit of a loaded question. How about giving them the help and tools they need to cope with an environment full of people who don't think or perceive things they way they do, without treating them as though they have a disease?

[Just_A_Creative_Mind]

It's sad how often people with autism are misunderstood or misjudged. I remember back when I was 8 years old; my teacher told me that I was too dumb to ever go to a ‘normal’ school. The same teacher also took away my encyclopedia, saying that it was ‘too difficult’ for me and never gave it back. I have an above-average IQ... Having autism does NOT mean you're dumb!

[ryanlink]

I am a high functioning autistic teenager and autism is one of my special interests, I research it for hours at a time, I think that autistic people should be taught how to understand allistic people but not be changed in such a way where they hide their true selves.

[lukedavies]

As an autistic person, I’d say both for sure. Overcoming social situations has been tough but I’m far better and more comfortable than I have been in years. Teaching them social cues and maintaining their way of thinking is crucial. Do this without treating them as an idiot please

[Wildlon]

I am a 20 year old female recently diagnosed with autism (high functioning Asperger's, so as a girl especially, it went unnoticed - only the effects were clear - I'm easily stressed, have social anxiety and experienced repeated bouts of depression/ suicidal thoughts throughout my teenage years). I think what we really need is therapy, to help us cope. Especially people diagnosed as adults would benefit from this, because we lived our whole lives with certain perceptions of ourselves as a result of not realising we have neurodiverse brains. I'm currently at a top university studying a STEM subject, which took no small amount of effort and self-imposed social isolation to achieve. It's difficult to feel like all I can be proud of is my achievements, because I'm a social car crash...

[Wirewrap]

My mother told me that I was hyper focused on things ever since I was aware of my soroundings. In my early childhood I wasn't interested in people so much so that i didn't remember the names of most of my classmates. I didn't even know how to tie my shoues till i was 10. I turned out ok but I still don't understand flirting.

[LeeHawkinsPhoto]

You can’t make an autistic person BE neurotypical with therapy…you can only make them LOOK neurotypical, which is called masking…which is mentally EXHAUSTING. It’s also not a matter of celebrating our differences…just accept them. In fact, we could just accept that even neurotypical people have differences too while we’re at it and just not expect everyone has a neat little spot where they’ll fit into the corporate grinder to be used and abused. People are not commodities, we are individuals, and we should be appreciated as such.

[OldmanNix]

My son has autism. Hyper imbalanced atypical traits across the spectrum. We weren't allowed sleep the 1st 4 years. He was years late with speech. We had to guess then respect every single pattern he created for himself to cope with everything. We've had tons of help that didn't help. Some even said things like "well, I guess you guys'll have to suffer and hope it'll get better". So eventually my wife gave up trying conventional help and let me do my thing, when previously I wasn't allowed and this dualism in how we saw we needed to approach the problem, caused a near break between us, so I relented until this moment where she gave up. What I ended up doing with my son is via meditative listening in the forest near our home, make him stop hearing everything individually but since he couldn't filter out any, make him "see" it as a classical concert (and later jazz as he grew up). Once this mechanism was automated within ... We've been blessed with a good sleeper, a superb learner and a sweet kid able to cope with the world almost as if he was typical. He's still quirky and can make my blood boil but ... that's (as he says it) all part of the concert.

[loomonda]

It's so interesting bc a lot of the "stereotypical" signs of Autism are displayed here, but individuals with Autism are soo different! For example, my brother has Autism and he is unable to talk, but he is the most affectionate, kind, funny, outstandingly intelligent individual who loves to be around others and go to family parties - so everyone is very different!

[maczajsci]

The point of therapy should be to give tools for people with ASD to navigate the world better as opposed to changing them

[myplatior]

“We are different, not less.”
- Temple Grandin

[Mtn_Dewit]

As an autistic myself, I can say all of this is very accurate. I'm diagnosed as an high functioning autistic with an IQ at about 130.

I have a difficult time socializing with others, reading emotions and social cues. I especially have major difficulty understanding if someone is being sarcastic, lying, or joking. Because of this I never had any friends in school.

I actually got so used to this that when ever someone tries to start a conversation with me and try to get to know me, I'm privately very suspicious about what that person wants. I also like to spend a majority of my time by myself and stay in my room, only coming out if called, use the bathroom, or eat.

I live in Alabama, a very conservative part of the US so people I interact with have no idea or are not well informed on what autism is, so people just thought I was some weird quiet kid. Things were really bad in middle school because of that and I was bullied constantly to a point that I was suicidal and had to be homeschooled for a year. I was shoved into lockers, harrased, ridiculed, and ostracized. I still remember having to sit alone in the school lunchroom because of my terrible social skills. I had a better time socializing with my pet cat and imaginary characters than an actual human being.

I enjoy focusing on the tiniest details and aspects on my favorite topics, which are history and art for me. I like hyperfixating on things such as vexillology, the study of flags, maps, history (mostly WW2 and Civil War history, bit I also enjoy other historical topics), and ect. I usually don't do with others because I'm afraid that I'll be seen as annoying and be further ostracized. Not many people my age are into the things I enjoy.

I also tend to see the world in a more logical and reasonable perspective. I appear on the outside as neutral and unemotional, but my mind is very much active and emotional. I just have difficulty showing it. Because of my tendency to see the world in a more logical way, I'm not much of a religious person and identify as an atheist. But I usually keep that to myself considering where I live. Alabama is very conservative and my neighbors, coworkers, and family members tend to look down on that sort of belief. But I also understand why other people are religious and the importance of religion. I'll respect their opinions and beliefs as long as they respect mine. I have no quarrel with people who have different opinions.

My mom is the only person I feel comfortable around and feel safe to be myself. She was very patient, caring, and loving. She also raised me to be more and has made me the person I am now. It's thanks to her efforts that I can hold a job, drive a car, currently be in college, and many other things the doctors who diagnosed me said I'd never achieve.

My step father also helped me become who I am. He taught me how to ride a bike, introduced me to several things that I now enjoy such as video games, historical reenactments, etc.

All I'm trying to say is that autism isn't a disease for a disability, it's a personality and all I and my fellow autistic brothers and sisters want is to be treated like a regular human being. We don't want anyones sympathies or hand outs, we just want to feel included and valued in society.

Also, I need to remind everyone that autism is a spectrum disorder, and autism varies from person to person. Not all autistic people are like Sheldon Cooper or Shane Murphy.

[nigelgreen]

I never thought we would bring a child into the world with challenges we did not understand until her 20s. It is heart breaking to think we could have supported her if this was talked about and understood better. My wife suffers from depression and anxiety, my oldest daughter with anxiety and BPD, but autism, in our youngest's case, is more subtle and we never knew how it was affecting her - her challenges remain huge and something we work to support her with - more information, support and resources are critical. Thank you for your work

[IfIPickedtheWinners]

As a "high-functioning autistic", I feel this is a very good way of quantifying the differences between neurotypicals and neurodivergents without getting caught up in nuances or irrelevant information. I was very pleased with the way autistic minds are represented, while also making sure to acknowledge the inherent diversity within the spectrum.

[lari_atleta]

Therapy doesn't mean trying to change the kid to fit in 🙄 it's about giving them the tools to work through their difficulties and manage their emotions, communicate better and ultimately experience more happiness.
It's definitely visible how happy a kid is when they learn certain skills and work through situations that were once overwhelming.

[IshDaBoi]

I have two autistic siblings and was very surprised when a lot of their behavior and their way of thinking was showcased here. Really helped me understand them better.

[thethemperoroftheholybri]

I grew up during a time before autism was properly diagnosed, so because i was a quiet lone child at school teachers and my mother would force me to hang around with other children in an attempt to make friends, i hated every minute of it but i did learn to fit in, i might not properly understand every social situation but i can pass by without being recognizably different.
Basically what I'm saying is be patient with the autistic but don't walk on egg shells around us, we know when we're being patronized

[kathleenclanton]

After working with children having ASD for over 40 years, I must say that this is a very generalized overview of ASD. The spectrum is HUGE and goes from highly functioning "genius-savants" all the way to nonverbal, delayed, self-injurious, totally dependent individuals. It is truly unfair to say simply, accept them the "way they are, " without considering those who have severe difficulty coping with life due to the "way they are." Those who need help with communication, socialization, activities of daily living, even simple self-care like brushing teeth and bathrooming, should be tended to, taught and cared for with compassion, and practical training. I've noticed that as ASD has become more recognized in recent years, people tend to think of those mildly or moderately affected with this condition. My sibling who had ASD needed constant care, training and attention without which he would have never had the quality of life he deserved.

[Trey_]

Because I'm autistic:
1. I find the world very confusing
2. I think very literally and logically
3. I have trouble with understanding facial expressions
4. I have poor social skills (and I can't just “learn”)
5. I sometimes have trouble expressing my emotions
6. I can get very concerned about “little” things
7. I can't for the life of me take a hint
8. I get agitated easily and get more agitated when pushed
9. I know firearms inside and outside, forward and backwards, and upside down (I can put together a pump action shotgun like Forrest Gump putting together an M14)
10. I have basic common sense in a world that barely has any left

[octopusje]

The worst part of ASD in my experience is:

-being alone and because of that quite misrable, having a hard time making contact and maintaining those contacts.
-getting out of you comfortzone is energy draining, the stress it generates, trying to predict every possible scenario cuz I'm scared of the unknown.

i wish i were 'normal'.