What It’s Like to be Autistic

This video explores the personal journey of an individual discovering their autism diagnosis at age 30. It challenges common stereotypes about autism, highlighting the diverse experiences and traits of autistic individuals, such as creativity and empathy. The video also discusses the concept of masking and its impact on mental health.

My whole life changed with five simple words, delivered casually by a relative at a party: "You know you're autistic, right?" Initially, I rejected the idea. I was 30, and my knowledge of autism was based on TV caricatures and digs from people who suggested anyone behaving poorly must be on the spectrum. I thought autistic people were math wizards who lacked empathy and loved trains. Of course, there's no one way to be autistic, and autism can present quite differently in different people. I'm a loudmouth creative with an overactive empathy chip who can barely add two digits together, and I couldn't care less about trains. My story is more common than you'd think. Growing up, my autistic meltdowns, a totally involuntary response to emotional or physical overload, were dismissed as attention-seeking. This was really confusing and scary as I came to believe I was somehow acting out on purpose. Add to that sensory sensitivities, making many lights, noises, smells, textures, and tastes overwhelming and painful, as well as severe aversions to almost all food, and "spoiled brat" was added to the charge sheet. My tendency to simply blurt out uncomfortable truths was misinterpreted by others as manipulative. It seemed that everything I did was misunderstood, and so I began to over-explain myself, a trait others found annoying. By the time I was seven, my self-esteem began to plummet. I tried to hide my difficulties and differences by disguising my obsessive interests or choosing similar ones to the other girls, like boy bands, for example. In my case, Hanson, even if I never did marry Zach. This is called masking, and it's something many autistic girls do to try to blend in. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of masking can cause mental health issues and autistic burnout, an experience lots of autistic people can relate to, where our difficulties are suddenly magnified and it becomes impossible to participate in the world. Autism is often presented as an illness to be cured, when in fact it's just a different way of experiencing the world. While it comes with its downsides, it also has benefits. Contrary to stereotypes, autistic people can be creative, emotional, and highly empathetic, kind while saying exactly what we mean. I care deeply about social justice, I connect with animals, I get untold joy from my intense interests, and when my sensory sensitivities are focused on positive experiences, like music, it can be wonderful. Around one in a hundred people...