Why are some autistic traits exact opposites?

Why are some autistic traits exact opposites? Here's my summary of my (rather hazy) understanding of what the science currently suggests.

[g.m.]

The thing with hearing in noisy environments may also be a 'filter' setting, where i hear all the people speak in a crowded room and can't filter out the conversation i'm supposed to be part of, looking at them helps as i can see the lips move and then correlate that with the appropriate voice.

[dlollard]

I don't know much about synthesizers or sound design, but the algorithm knew I would like this, so now I'm catching up on your neurodivergence videos. Fascinating and relatable. Thank you so much for sharing.

[jona]

damn youtube really is suggesting the good stuff today. explaining autism with a modular setup. amazing video.

[Errzman]

I wouldnt call that a hazy explanation at all! Made sense to me. I'm really glad you made this video. I've recently been diagnosed level 1 after living most my life thinking i've only had severe adhd, and learning more about the nuances of autism really helps me figure things out!

[zoevioletlebeau]

I never realized light sensitivity might be related to my autism! I just thought having blue eyes made me ridiculously sensitive (and yes, the blackout curtains help a lot!)

[patrickw]

Thank you. Wow. I never heard of 'Auditory processing disorder'. I did some simple tests online and I really struggled to make out what people were saying. I couldn't answer the simplest of questions about what was described in the audio. I've been like this my whole life - I just thought it was 'one of those things'. If I'm in a noisy place, I can't hear what people are saying, and yet everyone else seems to have no problem with conversations. I can hear every detail in music without any problems.

[tttooooni]

this was very helpful. i've read about this before, but this explanation made it "click" into place and now i *get* it :)

[jojogape]

This is easily the most satisfying explanation I've come across thus far. I've wondered at times whether I'm autistic myself, and I definitely have some traits (possibly APD, used to have trouble with hidden meanings "why don't you just say what you mean!?", was The Weird Kid at class, feel my emotions too strongly at times, used to be scared of loud sounds, get really deeply into my interests) but I always feel like I'm only halfway there, you know? Oh, and synesthesia too but I don't know how relevant that is. Still, great video and loved the analogy with the dials. ♥

[alexforjaz]

this is a beautiful description of something I've struggled to describe for a long time. thank you! :)

[CoolGutrun]

Wheezing at this only for the fact I am also trans and autistic and have attempted to use modular synthesis to explain how autism feels to a friend lmao. I've described it like you're trying to use uninsulated cables and so the cables making contact causes interference and I am very bad at cable management so trying to reroute a cable means a lot of things are going to bump and cause wayward mental reactions I guess is a way to phrase it. I have the same hypersensitivity to sound you are describing so it's weird I ended up with music production as a hobby but maybe it's beneficial too. I think your analogy works very well, great vid!

[JohnsDough]

As a fellow musician on the spectrum, that was a truly evocative explanation!

[johnappleseed]

just wanna say, very cool how you are using your modular as a way to better example what you are saying!

[jaygregory]

My partner just recently discovered that she was autistic. I showed her your video and she that it was spot on! Thanks for taking the time to make this, it helped me understand the autistic brain much better <3

[jayunito]

This is amazing. Thank you so much sharing. As a fellow synth player and programmer I appreciate the analogy.

[cold_fashioned]

That was quite interesting and well illustrated. Thank you for sharing. It gives me quite a bit of insight with some of the relationships I have.

[thb-music]

5:25 - oh my goodness that's so much of what I suffer when out in even slightly noisy social situations. I can't help but feel the trade off is an acute enjoyment of sounds and music. That's just pure speculation though.

[connyc.]

You explained it beautifully, thank you for this! My husband now has a better understanding of how the world is for me.
I have sensitive hearing, vision and the sun is my enemy.
Hearing when talking to someone, it needs to be quiet otherwise I get too distracted by the sounds around me. I also dislike chaotic music, no structure, no lyrics, it will be just 'noise' to me and it will drive me nuts. Also the sound that is repeated over and over again (like a car alarm etc or the bass of a song) will ultimately make me cry if I can't cancel it out.
If there is too much going on visually I will need to close my eyes for a moment and breathe in and out, like on the bus when someone is moving in front me constantly (shifting their body, hand gestures, fiddle with their hair etc), and when it is too bright, I always have my sunglasses even on a cloudy day (that is sometimes too bright as well, I put them on when I notice that I squint).

Thank you for explaining how we feel and how we perceive the environment around us. Well done. 😊

[wishbonebrewery]

Interesting, I went to college with people that wore ear protection all the time when outside. So maybe I know why now. Thanks

[morgan]

i definitely relate to this. i’m sure i had some connections set wrong from birth but the most noticeable ones have been the ones that changed later in life. sensitivity to cold among other things is a seizure trigger, like noise between areas of the brain, i gained conscious control over part of the visual system related to smoothing out where you look, which lets me look around without moving my eyes, and some bit of perception of cells around blood vessels got turned on and while idk if i can feel pressure, i can feel magnetism (with varying sensitivity depending on how long it’s been). but also more common autism stuff like food texture.

[robertmkorte]

That was very very helpful 💛 Thank you 😊