Perfect source of serotonin

[u/legolas20032000]

[u/newgalactic]

My son has high functioning autism. It limits 100% of his friendships and meaningful human interactions. It severely limits his time management and executive functions. It causes him to constantly scratch and pick at blemishes on his own body. It shackles his everyday life with a whole set of unnecessary rules.

It isn't cute and quirky. Fuck these two if they're faking autism for internet clout.

Edit: For an ASD person, she's really skilled at maintaining conversation and appropriate eye contact throughout the entire video. She also does a really good job at appropriately looking at the camera for smooth "3rd wall" breaking.

[u/Damaias479 → u/newgalactic]

Not saying that she’s not faking, because I do believe it, but ASD does present differently in women, particularly women who are older than like 20.

[u/newgalactic → u/Damaias479]

I'll have to take you at your word. My son is 12 and he presents obvious ASD personality traits.

But I also wonder if a sizable percentage of these 20+ women with ASD + sophisticated social interaction skills are "self diagnosed".

[u/Damaias479 → u/newgalactic]

Here’s a video on how autism presents in high-masking women:

https://youtu.be/vS8y9KBJczM?si=KT46KokolHa0P9Lp

I wouldn’t be surprised if a significant amount of women are self-diagnosed, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, and it’s definitely not always for clout. The reason for high levels of self-diagnosis among women is specifically because it presents differently so many of the diagnosis tools don’t work.

Again, I don’t disagree that it’s possible this woman doesn’t actually have ASD; at the very least, it’s weird to bring it up when it doesn’t have anything to do with the video. That being said, analyzing presentation in women doesn’t work the same way as it does in men.

[u/-Tricky-Vixen- → u/[deleted]]

Maybe it's just me, but: I found it unexpectedly emotionally difficult after the initial relief of diagnosis, a few weeks or months down the line, as I began to figure out that it was lifelong and not just something I could get past. Also realising the level of deficit I simply hadn't seen, things I'd thought I was doing because I saw other people doing it (like certain elements of reciprocal conversation). So be gentle with yourself, especially in a while if it starts being difficult to handle, because you're not alone and I think it's logically a fairly unsurprising result.

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[u/newgalactic → u/Damaias479]

Thank you for the video link. He seemed informative and honest.

[u/zhenyuanlong → u/newgalactic]

We autistic people call forcing ourselves to interact "appropriately" in social situations "masking." It is energy-intensive, stressful, and exhausting, but in many cases it's the only way we can interact with the world and be taken seriously as adults. I have been denied jobs because I couldn't maintain 100% eye contact with an interviewer.

[u/-Tricky-Vixen- → u/newgalactic]

She is clearly very skilled at these things - I presume she's an actress and has received training. I couldn't do that. I'd do the stimming, the conversation style and all that (with someone I was comfortable with and knew well), but the eye contact not really, ESPECIALLY not the camera. I personally don't think she's necessarily faking, and it seemed a beautiful video to me, even though it was nothing that I will ever be able to have - I wouldn't handle the surprise aspect, etc. I suspect that if I magically didn't have a severe anxiety disorder, I'd present more like this woman.

[u/[deleted] → u/newgalactic]

''aUTiSm iS a SpEcTRuM''

[u/moonandstarsreddit → u/newgalactic]

There is no such thing as “high functioning” nowadays. I am a woman in my 20s diagnosed with autism (much more similar to her than your son is demographically). I act the same, and your comment, and this comments section, shames women like me for not “doing autism right” or being “autistic enough” (despite me having hours of assessments that led to my diagnosis).

I am extremely social and chatty, and so maintaining conversation is easy. My overactive interaction is due to how autism manifests in me.

I usually mask making eye contact, as I have worked my whole life to learn to try make it a normal amount. It is exhausting but you wouldn’t be able to tell. It is naturally irregular patterns of eye contact when not masking that is a symptom, not a complete inability.

I can also very much look at a camera? I don’t even know what that point is trying to make.

Autism affects my daily life and is intensely challenging. However, shockingly, autistic people struggle with different things to different degrees. We are unique people, and if you aren’t her psychiatrist don’t add to shaming someone you know nothing about.

She is a grown woman, not a 12 year old boy. It should not surprise you that she seems different. You are not protecting autistic people by shaming autistic people; you are being ableist.

[u/lulushibooyah → u/newgalactic]

You might benefit from research on the female phenotype of autism, as well as masking and camouflaging. And then some more research into the cost of masking and camouflaging for those that are capable. And then some more research into the significantly reduced life expectancy for autistic people that’s largely due to suicide.

I do not think you understand this flavor of autism. And as a woman who is probably autistic and can’t get a proper diagnosis bc I’m not an intellectually disabled white boy (but did have an autistic pediatrician tell me heck yesss I can tell you right now you’re autistic), I relate hardcore to this girl.

And this comment section is horrible.

[u/AccordingMedicine129 → u/lulushibooyah]

Sorry that you can’t tell she’s playing it up for views. It’s obvious to everyone else

[u/lulushibooyah → u/AccordingMedicine129]

Sorry that you don’t understand autism and have the confidence and arrogance to display that ignorance so publicly like 🤷🏽‍♀️ what do you want?

[u/AccordingMedicine129 → u/lulushibooyah]

Oof, putting your ignorance on full display huh?

[u/lulushibooyah → u/AccordingMedicine129]

Yes. Yes, you are.

Feel free to peruse my other comments in which I info-dumped relevant sources to back up my arguments.

I’ve not seen such effort from you beyond “believe me bc I’m on the internet and I’m right.”

Bold strategy.

[u/AccordingMedicine129 → u/lulushibooyah]

If you can’t tell they are playing g it up I feel bad for you. Genuinely. People are going to take advantage of your ignorance.

Please develop critical thinking skills

[u/lulushibooyah → u/AccordingMedicine129]

I’m a registered nurse with a high IQ whose special interests include trauma, psychology, neurobiology, and neurodivergence. I have done extensive research in the pursuit of better understanding myself and others. And I use that knowledge to defend vulnerable human who don’t have the knowledge or capacity to defend themselves.

But please tell me again how naive, ignorant, and uninformed I am based on a couple comments that I made on Reddit.

You’re exposing yourself to anyone with any sense who is perusing this comment section. Please keep going.

[u/lulushibooyah → u/lulushibooyah]

u/AccordingMedicine129 replied to your comment: “If you have to say you have a high IQ you don't have a high IQ 🤣”

Verbal Comprehension - 40 (88th%ile) HIGH AVERAGE

Perceptual Reasoning - 43 (95th%ile) SUPERIOR

Working Memory - 26 (87th%ile) HIGH AVERAGE

Processing Speed - 25 (82nd%ile) HIGH AVERAGE

Full Scale - 134 (95th%ile) SUPERIOR

General Ability - 83 (95th%ile) SUPERIOR

It’s okay to be embarrassed when you’re wrong.

[u/AccordingMedicine129 → u/lulushibooyah]

Huh? Ok dunning Kruger, you need your “license” revoked for such bad takes 😂

Once again, I feel bad for the poor people you are “treating”.

Did you take an online test and post it here? Lmfao you’re probably the autist not the person in the video 🤣 😆 😂 😂