Hi All, this is a re-upload due to the clicking in the previous video. It's not perfect but I've fixed the audio as best I could in premier pro. Thanks for understanding!

I'm Autistic. Aspergers is no longer an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, though a lot of us will still use the term aspie. It's also important to recognise the preference in the autistic community for identity-first language rather than person-first language. That is, we will prefer to say "I'm autistic" rather than "I have autism". I prefer to say "I'm autistic" because it's been an integral part of me since birth. It's my neurotype and affects pretty much most ways in which I experience the world. The term person-first is a little ambiguous because it somewhat implies that with the opposite (identity-first) we are not saying that we are first and foremost a human being. That's not the case. We are just saying that autism isn't something that can be separated from us so that's why we use identity-first langauge. It's not something attached to me. However, it's important to respect whatever language the person uses for themselves; they get to choose and express how they identify. One way isn't wrong/right. They are both valid. Also, these days I tend to use the word allistic to refer to a non-autistic person. I don't assume they are neurotypical because there could be something else like ADHD, OCD, after effects of a stroke etc, that make them neurodivergent. My medical conditions on the other hand are things that I say I "have". I have PL-7 antibody positive Antisynthetase Syndrome (ASS, don't you love that acronym) with Polymyositis, polyarthritis, raynauds, Relapsing Polychondritis (RP), gastric parietal cell antibody positive Pernicious Anaemia, anti-ganglioside GM1 antibody positive neuropathy, Lymphoid-variant Hypereosinophilic Syndrome (L-HES), pudendal neuralgia, chronic migraine, erythromelalgia, adenomyosisis, asthma, and a whole bunch of other things. My body quite frankly sucks. We call it the place of lightning strikes. There is sometimes a bit of OTT-positivity pushback around saying "my disease/s doesn't define me", but honestly, these days it really does shape my experience of the world and relationships to people and my perspective, and I don't think that's a negative thing to say. It's just honest/realistic. Thanks for the videos. I like your focus on being empathetic and a good communicator etc. I just found your channel and I'm looking forward to seeing more! I'm in Australia too.

@DrSyl

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing such an insightful and personal comment. Looking forward to seeing more!

@RafhaelCedeno

11 ай бұрын

100% agree. Only other comment is that dinosaurs are a fairly cliché example and promoting clichés can be harmful as people generalise this to all autistic folks.

@DenGirl12

10 ай бұрын

I am a late diagnosed (February 2023 at the age of 44) autistic woman and I, too, have many medical issues. Is that something that is common with autistic individuals, do you know?

@terranovarubacha5473

9 ай бұрын

@@DenGirl12it’s very common, yes

Great video, thank you! If I have one comment (beyond 'Asperger's not being used anymore), it is that any future discussion of ASD could do more to highlight that autism as a spectrum condition with a whole multitude of different presentations. This means that while the male dinosaur/computer game obsessive or science/maths/engineering genius stereotype may resonate for some, it is a stereotype which occupies a very narrow part of a much wider spectrum and for that reason is reductive and even harmful. In terms of special interests, autistic people are just as likely to choose creative activities such as art or music, or else ways of intellectually compensating for supposed 'deficits' in communication or social understanding (i.e. interests where 'people' can be studied objectively in the form of sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, linguistics etc). Or indeed a mixture of the two (literature, drama, filmmaking, TV series, podcasting, languages etc). Women and men who don't fit the Elon Musk / Bill Gates image of autism are often overlooked in spite of showing a clear and sustained interest in those areas with no external pressure or motivation. By the same token, around round half of all autistic people also have comorbid ADHD, which drastically complicates a lot of the diagnostic criteria you mention (people with both conditions may actively seek change and hate routine for example).

IS it possible for you make video of howa combination of autism, bpd, complex ptsd (with GAD and PDD) and adhd would most likely present?

I was recently diagnosed with Level 2 ASD in August, I enjoy being different to the rest or "Majority" of society I am me, And that's ok. Love your videos Doc.

@DrSyl

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing!! And thanks for the lovely comment :D

Great video Dr Syl! 👍🏻

I've asked my psychiatrist to refer me to a team to screen me for ASD. I at first didn't understand how it presents itself and rejected it, it was also hard to understand how people with such different experiences could be affected by the same thing. Despite the denial, several of my friends which tended to be my favorite individuals were autistic and very relatable and did suspect me to be autistic too (in some cases, it was the first impression I gave) so I eventually learned everything I could about it, read the DSM, the ICD, watched autistic youtubers, psychiatrists and psychologist youtubers too, I read a ton of studies too because I love science. Kept being in denial as I have social anxiety, abnormal stuff that I have didn't seem abnormal to me, I always struggled a lot to make friends but was almost always included by others albeit considered both like a nerd and a creepy idiot. But I had friends, so I thought I wasn't autistic. That all of my disorders + being a nerd made autism relatable. Also always being puzzled by other people's emotional reactions and their "codes", values, why they did things the way they do, why they're so loud and love being so physically close and can get intimate so easily even though the way they expressed romantic love never made sense to me. I always felt like other people were NPCs (because their behaviors and interests made no sense to me), solipsism kinda, but also that I was the one being treated as a background character. Appreciated by some but they'd only care to interact when other people were absent. Even some of the people I used to consider my best friends, they'd actually never hang out with me, and I tried to get their attention, but it didn't work. I'm still 2 months away from getting the results. By the way, I was at first being suspected of being schizophrenic/schizoaffective, current psychiatrist noted psychotic traits, another psychiatrist noted schizotypal PD which I thought was very much wrong because I was misinfomred about this one and didn't understand the difference with schizophrenia at the time. Now I know a lot about ASD and SSD. I understand that it's actually incredibly similar and the phenotypes might be linked??? I don't know which one it will be, I think I probably have schizotypal PD, I have illusions and hallucinations + negative psychosis symptoms and a thought disorder that is very didabling at times, so SSD makes sense. But I also have aspects which seem much more clearly autistic or are atypical of schizotypal PD, my speech is very rigid as in I try to express my thoughts in very concise and precise ways and I need people to not speak too vaguely, no open questions, limit the metaphors too. While SPD is known to be overly metaphorical and elaborate. I also have no esoteric beliefs common in SPD, but I do have magic thinking and sometimes am under the impression people can read my mind... My relationship with people tends to be very goal focused, I need them to share my interests and to be willing to discuss them or partake in them otherwise I have absolutely no interest in other individuals. I also tend to get quasi-encyclopedic knowledge on my interests since I spend hours everyday learning. However, my father is schizophrenic and I can read facial expressions very well (29-30 on RME) even though I don't look at faces. Only thing I struggle with are neutral expressions which I interpret as hostile, but I interpret joyful expressions as mockery too and I tend to be convinced people are faking their emotions, that I can read through that, at this point, idk if it's true. I know you seemed fake to me on your Glauckomflecken video, I'm sure you like him a lot and felt honoured but your expression seemed off and fake/very exaggerated to me. I can't understand why a neurotypical (AFAIK) psychiatrist would see a point in faking emotions to his audience so idk what to think, but to me, it's like everyone is emulating movies. No reactions or emotions expressed by other people seem genuine to me. I genuinely feel like people are copying what they see on TV and use it as a way to behave IRL. It's also ver hard for me to relate to other people through empatjy if I haven't had very similar experiences, therefore I until very recently in my adulthood, I have realized things that are obviously horrifying to others are actually horrifying etc... And if I can't relate to someone sad I get very irritable and need to leave because I can't stand them because I can't make sense of their sadness. Also my autistic acquaintances and my friend told me when I described my experience in high detail that I suffer from sensory overload, that's interesting. It feels like I'm right in the middle between ASD and SSD.

Hello Dr Syl, thank you for the great content, when i start watching, its hard to stop:) I am Celina, from Romania. I would also like to hear about NPD. Good luck with this channel.

Excellent video. Thanks Dr S. P.s . That's a huge tree behind you. Julie

Thank you so much for the sensitive and nuanced video. I was diagnosed with aspergers/asd level one, adhd and dyspraxia as a 41 year old. I appreciate you saying that aspies can be social. I've been described a social butterfly before, I think partly because I'd have lots of acquaintances and so would have been seen moving between different social groups. However, I wouldn't really be a fully accepted member of any group. I wouldn't make that transition from acquaintance to friend, like you explain it so well as that difficulty clicking. Also I attempted suicide when I was 16. Sometimes I still have thoughts that way and I was referred to 6 week counselling programme but the counsellor, while lovely, didn't really understand. First of all he didn't really believe I did have aspergers as in the first session he told me we are all a little bit autistic. Also he thought it was about changing my thought patterns, that I must have anxiety and that I needed to learn to accept myself. On reflection I don't think those were the problem. My problem was not so much a lack of self acceptance or self love, it was that no matter how much I love and accept myself it is still hard to ever see a place for myself in the world due to not being accepted or understood by the world at large. Also, it was a misunderstanding that sensory overwhelm is caused by anxiety, at least in my experience, as it can easily be caused by things I enjoy too. I think sensory overwhelm is different from anxiety overwhelm

@CD-qr7ec

11 ай бұрын

P. S. I love cats and linguistics 🐱

@terranovarubacha5473

9 ай бұрын

@@CD-qr7ecexceptionally well said

If you have the time, I would love to see a video on hyperosmia. I'm curious about the association between Autism and the "disorder". I'd also love to know how many other people with hyperosmia have the ABCC,11 variant gene that leaves you with little to no body scent scent of your own.

@mtbstarr

5 күн бұрын

I have this too

Do you do one on one consultations ? I am having trouble finding a psychiatrist that could help me in Australia. Even an online consultation would be helpful ( regarding ASD / Aspergers )

You said in personality test video video you're having problem with finding the right people for like X-ray and stuff. Perhaps there is a code book or pages pages to memorize. Or Internet info to help . direction of finding places like x-ray in the hospital. Landmarks create little map book for yourself the places you may need to know in the hospital for memorization. You could also use the information to help someone else find their way.

hi doctor! thank you for this very well explained video. I was wondering if i as a woman can have it to, i relate to a lot of the things in the criteria but i´ve usually seen that is more common in males, what do you think about that? (sorry for my english, i´m still learning)

@onetrue3256

2 жыл бұрын

Of coarse women can have ASD but they are not as diagnosed as males. Because they tend to fly under the rader because they are so great at masking. If you think you are Autistic no harm in getting assesed 😁

@circleofleaves2676

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Edda. Yes absolutely women can be and are autistic/have autism. I am autistic and I was diagnosed as an adult. As OneTruePhoe said below, women/girls often fly under the radar because of the different ways it can present in us. Some great content to check out on youtube is the channel Amythest Schaber, a young Canadian autistic woman (her series 'Ask an Autistic' on the channel is particularly good), and any videos with Tony Attwood (psychologist specialising in ASD), particularly the ones in which he's talking about ASD in women/girls. I was diagnosed by someone who works closely with Tony here in Brisbane, Australia.

Aspergers is no longer a diagnosis. It's not even in the DSM-5

@johannilsson29

2 жыл бұрын

depends on where you live though

@rahbeeuh

2 жыл бұрын

@@johannilsson29 doesn't matter. Why would anyone wanna associate themselves with a n@z! doctor?

@johannilsson29

2 жыл бұрын

@@rahbeeuh all I ment was while the DSM-5 and the US dont have aspergers as a diagnosis many countries does. Did not say what I wanted or not but I live in Sweden and was just diagnosed with aspergers a couple months ago. Will it be changed from aspergers to autism 1 very soon sure and am I fine with that absolutely. But people who have identified with aspergers for most of their lives who gives you the right to judge them for that.

So why it is so difficoult to get a diagnosis by a psychiatrist unless he has a special traing in ASD?

Are you wearing noise cancelling headphones?

I'm a 30 year old autie (or aspie). 😊 And yes. I hate change but I Loooove change!!! (I'm a coin collector ;) )

@RatsPicklesandMusic

11 ай бұрын

I do also have anxiety but luckily not depression.

@DrSyl

11 ай бұрын

Haha that actually made me laugh out loud!!

I was diagnosed with ADHD 1&2 and ASD in my 30s. Concerta & venifluxatine works wonderfully for me. I've always been very grateful for the help I've received from psychiatrists. They are super powered doctors with the skill, experience & prescribing chutzpah to make a real Difference.

@dilettaliverani

4 ай бұрын

You were lucky. I was diagnosed at 50 (and by myself at first), after 30 years of psychiatrists and psychotherapists

If someone relates to all the signs and thinks they have aspergers or autism as an adult, do you think it’s important to get formally diagnosed?

@circleofleaves2676

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Regina. I know this question was probably meant for the doc but I hope it's ok if I jump in here. I'm Autistic and I was formally diagnosed at age 36 (I'm female) by a clinical psychologist who specialises in ASD and works closely with Tony Attwood. A formal diagnosis can be good for many things. Firstly it can help to validate your experiences and provide context to why you act/react/experience things the way you do. I know that it helped me to cut myself some slack around certain things. It can help you gather the tools/strategies you need to address challenges (e.g around things like executive function/dysfunction). It can give you a language in which to communicate when you need to advocate for yourself, set boundaries, or seek accommodations (in the workplace, medical world as a patient, relationships, study etc). It can also help to have formal documentation for certain things like social security or disability support schemes. The cost of a formal diagnosis can be quite prohibitive in some countries. I'm fortunate that here in Australia, my psychologist's charges were much lower than other quotes I've seen. It's also important to see a psychologist who does specialise in ASD, particularly in women, because unfortunately there are still quite a few dinosaurs out there who are not up to date with recent models and who don't have a healthy view of autism (also steer clear of sources leaning towards cure-culture).

@shishi2776

Жыл бұрын

only if you want.

I'm autistic and so is my son thanks for this great video I use these to understand myself and understand what my son also might be dealing with

I had farted in the car with someone with aspies they started vomiting

I'm a Mother that has Asperger's Syndrome that has three sons. One is Level three autistic and the two younger ones are likely on the spectrum. Those neurotypicals, the paediatric team in Bundaberg, have refused to treat our children. Theyhave used child safety to rip our family apart. Now Child Safety are claiming the parents are incapable of caring for the medical needs of the children so they are refusing to give the child back because they are autistic. What can I do with these people?

@shishi2776

Жыл бұрын

why did you had children knowing that autism can be passed by generations?

@dilettaliverani

4 ай бұрын

​@@shishi2776are you serious?

For the the love of god PLEASE go edit the title of this video to only Autism or ASD. The community absolutely hates Aspergers being used(with good reason)😡. Please google it if you’re not educated on the name. I absolutely love your channel but this title is offensive and I’m honestly so surprised you haven’t changed it. When we know better we do better. I know this is a year old but you can edit the title at any time.

@germanwithstephie916

9 ай бұрын

Could you please tell me what is offensive about it? My brother has autism and as I've been his main caregiver for a while I've been slowly educating myself and learning how to properly help him. What I've noticed while reading up about it, is that they tend to only focus on positive details and paint autism as this sort of super power with basically no downsides. This has honestly made it a bit hard and demotivating to properly educate myself on how to be there for my brother

@Sara-vv4lw

4 ай бұрын

You can’t speak for the whole community. I am ok with the word Asperger’s as a diagnosis and so are a lot of others with the diagnosis