When we examine 100 random teenagers, we would
find that while they all look different, their minds work in very similar ways. 1 to 2 however, have minds that are atypical
in a particular way. They could be diagnosed with autism. This happens to boys four times as much, perhaps
because diagnosing them is easier. Children - and adults - who are on the autism
spectrum experience the world differently because they were born with various degrees
of neurodivergent traits. Most autistic children have
more refined senses
and share a deep desire to bring logic into their surroundings. Some seek repetitive behaviors that follow
specific patterns and many appear to be asocial and avoid eye contact. Autism is not a disease and therefore can
not be cured. Since all our brains are different and there
is an endless range of nuances in their architecture, autism is defined as a spectrum. On one side of the spectrum is the mildest
form of autism, in the past often also referred to as Aspergers. These
children are highly intelligent, and
have extreme abilities and strong interest in specific areas. In the middle are those with average intelligence
and some problems learning new things. On the far end of the spectrum are children
with severe learning disabilities. Children on the spectrum may require various
degrees of support in their daily lives. Timo, a young boy, can help us understand
how living with a neurodivergent mind can be. His mum noticed early on that her boy would
avoid eye conta
ct and that he would often become upset if she hugged him. He never returned smiles and engaging him
in play with friends often ended in a tantrum. His mother suspected something to be wrong,
when Timo still wasn’t speaking more than two or three words at a time even after turning
four years old. She sought help and Timo was diagnosed with
a mild form of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD for short . Timo has an atypical perception. When reading books or watching movies, Timo’s
brain picks up and
organizes the information differently. While his neurotypical peers categorise things
and form schemas - for example, they identify everything with four legs that barks as a
dog. For Timo, each type of dog is unique and categorised
in Timo’s mind individually. His attention to detail and difficulty when
generalizing, makes Timo more objective in his perception of the world and less prone
to a framing bias. However, it also makes all sorts of new experiences
incredibly complex, which is why he lo
ves to follow a rigid daily routine to limit his
sensory input. Timo is highly sensitive. His brain amplifies whatever input it receives
— he hears everything and has a heightened sense of touch. However, this superpower makes situations
where many people speak simultaneously very challenging — Timo hears everyone but understands
nothing. The sensitivity to touch makes eating an intense
experience. If a texture or flavour is too much to handle,
Timo won’t eat it. Also walking barefoot on wet gra
ss or playing
in dirt overwhelms his brain. He has a fascination with logic. Timo naturally looks for patterns that bring
logic into this world. Sometimes he would also try to bring order
into his own behavior and ways of moving his body. When he experiences structured patterns breaking,
he gets upset. It freaks him out when someone counts to 8
but doesn’t continue to 10. Doctors call it an obsessive-compulsive disorder
or OCD, which is a different diagnosis but often goes along with autism. Tim
o experiences social disconnection. He has trouble connecting with others, because
social settings overwhelm his sensitivity and desire for order. Because human emotions are incredibly complex
and don’t follow a set of predictable patterns, Timo often finds himself misreading situations
and upsetting people around him. As a consequence, he avoids people and rarely
makes eye contact. Which doesn’t matter that much to him, since
most of the things other people talk about, are illogical, irrelevant
and boring anyways. For 4 years, his mother had him be treated
by a therapist who would show him images of faces to help him learn to identify feelings. By doing this he got better at identifying
facial expressions and their corresponding emotions. However, personally he is still not very interested
in reading faces or establishing new social contacts. He has two friends who share the same interests
and couldn’t wish for more. Since Timo’s autism is not an illness we
can treat, but rather a dif
ferent way of him experiencing the world, the question remains
whether we should try to change him through therapy or accept him for who he is. So what do you think? Should we treat children with autism with
therapy or celebrate them for who they are? Or perhaps do both? Maybe it’s not their atypical minds, but
our stereotypical way of looking at them that needs correction? To get a 3-dimensional glimpse of how an autistic
girl experiences her own surprise birthday party, or to download this vid
eo without background
music, check the descriptions below or visit sproutsschools.com
Comments
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.
"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?
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.
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
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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.
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!
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.
Social interactions are my biggest puzzles. Even with my closest family members and peers, I have this uncontrollable urge to analyze how I interact. I have to ask myself where my eyes are supposed to go, whether looking away is rude, how close or far I should physically be, etc. I once told my coworker that I prepare a detailed mental script of how I would interact with clients (which includes results, possible facial reactions, questions, etc.). I believed she would do the same thing. Apparently not. I just convinced myself that I'm the greatest introvert, but even my introverted friends don't think like that. My social anxiety has never stopped even after all my attempts to be social. I thought performing in and hosting events would change me but my urge to just hole myself in simply worsened. I don't want this to be confirmation bias at work, but I relate to a lot of autistic symptoms. Looking back on my childhood, the "aha" moments just keep coming and getting reinforced. Being in a country and family that disregards mental illnesses as being weak-minded, I'm inclined to doubt myself everyday. Hopefully, I will have myself diagnosed and learn more about myself.
I like to quote an autistic friend, whichs motto I live by: "We socialize efficiently. We communicate when it serves a purpose: transfer of practical information. Neurotypicals communicate just for the sake of communication (like small talk). They're creating work for the sake of work. They are the disabled ones, not us." After watching, studying people since the beginning of my life I got a hand of how things are done by neurotypical people. As a woman I was praised for being quiet and still, even tho I was completely overloaded with senses which made me freeze rather than throwing a tantrum. As a child I didn't break down or showed much emotions that turn into an extrem because "that's not how a lady behaves". When I would behave too much out of the norm it ended in violence, extreme isolation or exert confrontation... It was important that once I found things that I find interesting are connected to a social aspect, like horses or being in a fandom of a boyband. I can only explain it by how cis women are raised that we find those obsessions that connects to other people. Because on the opposite you have mostly autistic men that peak out hobbies that are more isolated. But having somewhat social hobbies, help in a way to learn more about how the mind of a neurotypical works. But I spent all this work into understanding everything of a neurotypical and yet not many try to even accept the being of an autistic.. The perception of us does really depend on where one is on the spectrum, how they were raised and their gender.. You could say that we are all different to one another just like neurotypicals.
“We are different, not less.” - Temple Grandin
Have 2 siblings both part of the spectrum... Both different but also similar in different ways. As they are my younger siblings, I can't help but have affection for them as they are my blood. But it does feel lonely in not having the more normal experience, especially when hearing what peers would say about their experiences with their siblings. It took a long while to accept both of them, as it would since I was very young when I was told of their condition. As I grew up I realised more and more how dealing with them changed me, I don't think of behaviours outside the norm as weird as it's my own normal to see. I instinctively try to assess everyone's behavioural patterns and classify them so I can deal with them differently to achieve mutually beneficial relationships. My parents were fair in giving attention as they age the amount we needed, but me obviously needing less still meant I got less. It gave a false impression of being less tended to. I used to get mixed feelings about my own achievements as my siblings received similar praise for much less, although they might have had to do more effort for that. It's tough because the full picture is only understood taking their condition into account, and skimming the surface as I'd do with everyone else gives false impressions. Between the both of them, I tend to respond to each as I'm responded to. So I end up being more affectionate with the youngest as she's affectionate herself. The other one is more introverted and speaks less, and doesn't know how to show affection, so there's less warmth and more neutrality in our relationship. It's never not going to be tough with them, and the misconceptions will never end either, but I wouldn't trade then for anyone.
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.
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.
I'm neurotypical, but I'm a HUGE medical and science dork! I'm taking this as something to keep in mind for any potential future interactions or future children I may have. The last thing I want to do is upset or overwhelm someone unintentionally! Thanks for the insight!
My 3.5 year old son was diagnosed with ASD and started ABA therapy at age 2. His beautiful and unique personality has not changed as a result of therapy, but rather, we have seen him blossom! His differences no longer hold him back, but he is able to communicate and play with peers, including his 3 siblings and friends. We foster his intense interests, but his new adaptability has also helped him be able to enjoy other activities, too! For us, it was the right choice and we are grateful to have the opportunity. Also worth noting- he was in full time therapy for just under a year and is already transitioning to a regular preschool classroom!
I'm 70 years old. Difficulty with personal relationships has always been my biggest challenge. People generally get along so well with one another it still makes me feel rejected even at the age of 70. Isolation seems to be my best option, but loneliness is depressing. For most of my life, there have been people who have tried to help. I could never consider them as friends, however. Rejection for being different was too much. My safe place was holding them off at arms length. A large number of people viewed that as arrogant. Meditation is something I've tried lately. Mindfulness rather than mindlessness as the book I had read on this says, makes a great deal of sense. There you have it. Good luck to all of you.
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!
Crazy that I went 15 years undiagnosed. So many years of struggling in school and never having an educator or administrative body side with my mother on her gut feeling. I never got the help I truly needed all throughout my elementary and middle school years, it got a little better in later high school, but it was never what I needed. I hope Autism, along with all learning disabilities, are given more coverage, studied more, and more accepted by the masses to prevent situations like mine and those similar. Thanks for this video.
As someone with Autism I think it would have helped me massively to know from a young age the reason WHY establishing social connections is important, instead of being told that I should want to be around people and have lots of friends because it's 'nice' or 'fun' to hang out with a big group of people. (logic). Socialising in large groups is borderline debilitating at times, because the effort that it takes to mask uses up so much mental energy. I have to think about every single thing before I say it, remind myself constantly to look people in the eye, smile, nod, pretend to be listening and interested, etc. Doing all this while 3 people are talking behind me, there's a group in the corner having another conversation, and my own brain is trying to think about something else it would rather be doing is exhausting. I think that destigmatising the way that autistic people naturally communicate (not making eye contact, fidgeting, talking in narratives or in excited bursts but then being nonverbal when upset) would be great, I know for me it would mean that I could finally exist and interact with the social world without constantly feeling like I have to 'put on a show' or hide who I actually am in order to make everyone else comfortable.