Ask Dr. Tony - April 2024

Summary

In this insightful discussion, Dr. Tony reflects on his extensive career studying autism, highlighting 10 key discoveries that have transformed understanding and support for autistic individuals. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity, the evolving advocacy movement, and the diverse capabilities of those on the spectrum. Dr. Tony also shares his wish for future research, particularly in sensory sensitivity and movement disorders, advocating for the removal of autism from the DSM6 as a psychiatric disorder. The conversation, hosted by Craig Evans, underscores the progress made and the need for continued support and acceptance.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The importance of recognizing and accepting the 'voice of autism', emphasizing the advocacy movement and the shift from correcting to understanding autism.
• 🔍 Dr. Tony's 50-year exploration of autism has seen significant changes in perception and understanding, from a disorder to a part of the neurodiverse spectrum.
• 📈 The increase in autism diagnosis rates from 1 in 2500 to 1 in 36 reflects a growing awareness and broader understanding of the autism spectrum.
• 🧩 The concept of 'adaptations to autism', where individuals may suppress their autistic traits to fit in, leading to a loss of authenticity and potential mental health issues.
• 💑 The exploration of relationships and dating for autistic individuals, moving beyond friendship to form romantic connections and the unique challenges therein.
• 👶 The recognition of autism in adulthood, with many individuals seeking help later in life due to the stress of maintaining a 'camouflaged' identity.
• 🎭 The potential for autistic individuals to excel in a variety of careers, including the arts and caring professions, debunking the myth of limited vocational suitability.
• 🤝 The significance of the autistic community for advice and friendship, and the value of mentorship by those who have experienced similar challenges.
• 🌱 The idea of 'autism plus', acknowledging that autism often co-occurs with other conditions like ADHD or anxiety disorders, adding complexity to the individual experience.
• 🏆 The celebration of autistic individuals as heroes for their resilience and coping mechanisms, and the passion for continued exploration and understanding of autism.
• 🔮 A wish for future research to focus on sensory sensitivity, movement disorders, and the removal of autism from the DSM6 to reflect its non-psychiatric nature.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in this video?

The main topic is about the 10 most important discoveries or insights for thriving with autism that Dr. Tony has worked on throughout his career, as well as new developments that are enhancing the lives of people on the autism spectrum.

Why is this the last episode of the 'Ask Dr. Tony' show?

This is the last episode because both Dr. Tony and Craig Evans are retiring. However, they are not completely stepping away and might return for an ad hoc discussion if something important arises.

What is the significance of the advocacy movement in the autism community?

The advocacy movement, with the slogan 'nothing about us without us,' signifies the importance of including autistic voices in research and clinical areas, promoting acceptance and understanding of autism rather than attempting to correct or reject it.

How has the perception of autism changed over the years according to Dr. Tony?

The perception has evolved from viewing autism as a rare disorder associated with significant disability to recognizing it as a part of a continuum, with many individuals having high support needs and others being highly functional with unique strengths and challenges.

What is 'camouflaging' in the context of autism?

Camouflaging refers to the behavior of autistic individuals suppressing their natural autistic traits to fit in socially and avoid being bullied or rejected. This can lead to energy depletion, burnout, and depression.

Why is it important for autistic individuals to understand who they are?

Understanding one's authentic self is crucial for making better decisions regarding career, relationships, and personal well-being. Suppressing one's autism to fit in can be detrimental, so self-acceptance and self-awareness are vital.

What are some of the challenges autistic individuals face in romantic relationships?

Challenges include differences in communication styles, self-disclosure, trust, and emotional support needs. Autistic individuals may find deep self-disclosure uncomfortable and may prefer solitude for emotional recovery rather than the affection often sought by non-autistic partners.

How does Dr. Tony describe the relationship between autism and employment?

Dr. Tony suggests that no career is impossible for an autistic person. He highlights that autistic individuals can excel in various fields, including the arts, sciences, and caring professions, emphasizing the importance of motivation and the right support.

What are some of the misconceptions about autism that Dr. Tony addresses?

Misconceptions include the belief that all autistic individuals have limited career options, such as being engineers or computer specialists, and that they will lead isolated lives without friendships or romantic relationships. Dr. Tony counters these by pointing out the diversity in career paths and relationship capabilities of autistic individuals.

What does Dr. Tony suggest for future research in the autism community?

He suggests focusing on sensory sensitivity, movement disorders, and the removal of autism from the DSM6 as a psychiatric illness. He also emphasizes the need for research that acknowledges the unique combination of conditions often present with autism.

How does Dr. Tony view the role of the autistic community in supporting each other?

Dr. Tony sees the autistic community as a valuable resource for advice and friendship. He highlights the effectiveness of mentorship within the community and the importance of recognizing the wisdom and insights that autistic individuals can offer to one another.

What are Dr. Tony's plans during his retirement?

Dr. Tony plans to continue contributing to the field of autism through writing, webcasts, and supporting individuals in his family. He also intends to stay connected with the latest research and may act as an advisor for research studies.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Final Episode and Reflections on Autism Insights

In the final episode of the 'Ask Dr. Tony' show, Craig Evans and Dr. Tony discuss the end of their 17-year journey with the program. Dr. Tony shares his reflections on the most important discoveries and insights for thriving with autism from his extensive career. The episode also addresses new developments in the field that aim to enhance the lives of people on the autism spectrum. Dr. Tony emphasizes the evolution of autism understanding from a disorder to a part of the individual's identity, highlighting the importance of advocacy and acceptance.

05:01

🗣️ The Voice of Autism and the Importance of Authenticity

Dr. Tony highlights the importance of the voice of autism, emphasizing the advocacy movement's role in shaping perceptions. He discusses the shift from trying to 'correct' autism to accepting and understanding it as a part of an individual's identity. The paragraph also touches on the increase in autism prevalence and the challenges faced by autistic individuals in social situations, including the tendency to suppress their authentic selves to fit in, which can lead to energy depletion and mental health issues.

10:01

💞 Beyond Friendship: Autistic Relationships and Parenting

This section explores the romantic relationships and parenting aspects of the autism spectrum. Dr. Tony discusses the challenges and strategies for building successful relationships, including communication skills and self-disclosure. The paragraph also addresses the emerging topic of autistic parents, the support they need, and the importance of affirming their efforts in raising their children.

15:02

👵 Aging with Autism: Challenges and Self-Acceptance

The discussion moves to the topic of aging with autism, addressing the misconception that autistic individuals lead isolated lives. Dr. Tony shares his experiences following individuals over 40 years, noting that autism's impact can vary with age. He emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and humor as indicators of successful outcomes, and the need for further research on the relationship between autism and conditions like dementia or Parkinson's disease.

20:03

💼 Employment and the Broad Spectrum of Autistic Capabilities

Dr. Tony challenges the stereotype that all autistic individuals are suited only for specific careers like engineering or computer science. He argues that there is no career that is impossible for an autistic person and highlights the potential for success in the arts, writing, and caring professions. The paragraph underscores the importance of motivation and the ability to overcome autistic characteristics to achieve success in various fields.

25:04

🌐 The Impact of Social Interactions and Emotional Regulation

This section delves into the difficulties autistic individuals face in social interactions and emotional regulation. Dr. Tony discusses the challenges of bullying, rejection, and humiliation, as well as the impact of trauma on sensory sensitivity. He also explores the importance of recognizing and addressing the unique emotional experiences of autistic individuals, including the need for alternative means of communication and self-expression.

30:04

🧠 Different Perceptions and Thinking Patterns in Autism

Dr. Tony describes autism as a different way of perceiving, thinking, learning, and relating, rather than a defective one. He emphasizes the heightened sensory perception and the unique thought processes of autistic individuals, which can be highly productive in problem-solving. The paragraph also addresses the challenges of learning in group settings and the importance of recognizing the different social and learning needs of autistic individuals.

35:06

🤝 The Autistic Community: Support and Mentorship

The paragraph discusses the role of the autistic community in providing advice, friendship, and mentorship. Dr. Tony highlights the value of autistic individuals sharing their experiences and coping strategies, especially in areas like substance abuse and mental health. He also emphasizes the importance of recognizing the authenticity and credibility that autistic mentors bring to supporting others in the community.

40:07

🔗 Autism Plus: The Co-Occurrence of Other Conditions

Dr. Tony addresses the common co-occurrence of autism with other conditions like ADHD, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. He discusses the complexity of these combinations and the importance of understanding each individual's unique set of challenges. The paragraph also touches on the potential for new research into the interactions between autism and these additional conditions.

🚀 Future Directions: Research and Advocacy in Autism

In this final paragraph, Dr. Tony outlines his wish list for future research and advocacy in the field of autism. He emphasizes the need for more understanding of sensory sensitivity, movement disorders, and the importance of redefining autism outside of the mental health disorders in DSM6. Dr. Tony also expresses his passion for continuing to contribute to the field through writing, webcasts, and research, even in retirement.

🙌 Farewell and Gratitude from Dr. Tony and Craig

The video script concludes with a heartfelt thank you from Dr. Tony and Craig to the audience for their engagement and contributions over the years. They reflect on the impact of the 'Ask Dr. Tony' show and express their hopes for the future, encouraging the audience to continue advocating for a better understanding and quality of life for autistic individuals.

Keywords

💡Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. In the video, it is the central theme with discussions around acceptance, advocacy, and the unique experiences of individuals on the spectrum. The script mentions the evolution of views on autism from a disorder to a part of the neurodiverse continuum.

💡Advocacy Movement

The advocacy movement in the context of autism refers to the efforts by autistic individuals and their supporters to promote understanding, acceptance, and rights for those on the autism spectrum. The script highlights the phrase 'nothing about us without us,' indicating the importance of autistic voices in research and clinical practices.

💡Adaptations to Autism

Adaptations to autism are the strategies or behaviors developed by autistic individuals to navigate social situations and mask their autistic traits to fit in with societal expectations. The script discusses how these adaptations can lead to a denial of one's authentic self and the exhaustion that comes with constant suppression of natural behaviors.

💡Camouflaging

Camouflaging is a term used to describe the act of autistic individuals hiding their traits to appear more 'neurotypical.' The script explains that camouflaging can be detrimental as it leads to energy depletion and can contribute to mental health issues like burnout and depression.

💡Beyond Friendship

Beyond friendship refers to the exploration of romantic relationships by autistic individuals. The script discusses the challenges and considerations in forming and maintaining romantic relationships, emphasizing that successful relationships are possible with the right support and understanding.

💡Aging and Autism

Aging and autism is a concept that addresses the experiences of autistic individuals as they grow older. The script talks about the changes in the presentation of autism over time, the importance of self-acceptance, and the potential for increased vulnerability to conditions like dementia or Parkinson's disease.

💡Employment

Employment in the context of the video refers to the wide range of career opportunities available to autistic individuals, challenging the stereotype that they are limited to specific fields like engineering or computer science. The script emphasizes the potential for success in various fields, including the arts and caring professions.

💡Emotion Regulation

Emotion regulation in the script refers to the ability of autistic individuals to manage their emotional responses, which can be particularly challenging due to heightened sensitivity and unique experiences of anxiety. The video discusses the importance of developing strategies to cope with intense emotions and the role of therapy in this process.

💡Sensory Sensitivity

Sensory sensitivity is a common trait among autistic individuals, where they experience sensory input more intensely than others. The script highlights the significant impact this can have on an individual's quality of life and the need for greater understanding and research in this area.

💡Autistic Community

The autistic community represents the collective of individuals on the autism spectrum and their supporters. The script discusses the value of this community for advice, friendship, and mentorship, emphasizing the authenticity and credibility that autistic mentors can provide to others facing similar challenges.

💡Autism Plus

Autism plus refers to the co-occurrence of autism with other conditions such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, or addictions. The script notes that it is rare to have 'pure' autism and that recognizing these combinations is important for providing comprehensive support.

Highlights

The importance of understanding and accepting autism rather than attempting to 'correct' it.

The evolution of autism awareness from 1 in 2500 to 1 in 36, indicating a broader understanding and diagnosis.

The role of the autistic community in advocacy and the significance of 'nothing about us without us'.

Adaptations to autism, such as camouflaging, and the impact on mental health and well-being.

The exploration of romantic relationships and the unique challenges faced by autistic individuals.

The potential for autistic individuals to excel in a variety of careers, including the arts and caring professions.

The impact of bullying, teasing, and trauma on the development of autistic individuals.

The challenges of emotion regulation in autism and the importance of developing coping strategies.

The unique sensory experiences of autistic individuals and the need for further research in this area.

The concept of autism as a 'different' way of perceiving, thinking, learning, and relating, rather than a deficit.

The significance of the autistic community providing advice, mentorship, and friendship.

The common co-occurrence of autism with other conditions like ADHD and anxiety disorders.

The need for research into the combination of autism with other conditions to better understand complex cases.

The desire to remove autism from the DSM-6 as a psychiatric disorder and to reframe it as a different way of being.

The importance of recognizing and supporting the unique needs of non-speaking autistic individuals.

The call for more research into the sensory system and movement patterns associated with autism.

The impact of the Ask Dr. Tony show over the years and the legacy of improving life for those on the autism spectrum.

Dr. Tony's reflections on his career and his hopes for the future of autism research and acceptance.

Transcripts

uh today we're going to talk about the

10 most important discoveries or

insights for thriving with autism that

you have worked on throughout your

career that's the first thing and then

as a secondary question to that what new

developments are now in the process of

either coming to Market or being

implemented that will continue to

enhance the life of people on the

Spectrum yeah I've got three for that

good hello again everybody this is Craig

Evans of autism hangout and thank you

for tuning in to this the last episode

of the ask Dr Tony show yes I'm afraid

all good things sometimes must come to

an end and this will be the last

scheduled program now Dr Tony and I are

retiring that doesn't mean we're going

away so if something important comes up

we're not against turning on the cameras

for an ad hoc discussion of what that

important thing is but that's probably

down the road for now however it's time

for us to move on we're both retiring Dr

Tony is there anything you'd like to add

to that

sentiment yeah uh I'm retiring really

because I'm physically getting old not

because I'm mentally getting old I still

feel 25 I'm I'm emotionally

immature in many ways uh it it it's it's

my uh recovery time it it's what I can

do Etc so my body is saying slow down

okay so for this last program Dr Tony is

going to be talking about the 10 most

important discoveries or insights for

thriving with autism that he's worked on

throughout his career and also what new

developments are now in the process of

either coming to Market or being

implemented that will enhance the life

of people on the Spectrum what a lovely

task that you've given me there it was a

wonderful one I've had some reflection

and uh what people may not know when we

um started this

pre-recording we've been going for 17

years since

2007 we we were younger

men 70 programs yeah and two books and

and I'm going to do a quick plug this is

the commercial break because what has

happened is we've had some superb

questions from people this wouldn't

exist without those excellent questions

which have been the stimulus for me to

prepare answers yeah and that has been

such a useful resource that yes it's

available on YouTube Etc but also in two

books this was the first one that came

through this was a subsequent one so

that gives you an opportunity to delve

into many of the things we have explored

and I've explained as best I can but I'm

always learning Craig you and I have met

three times actually officially but we

we neat regularly on this but now we

also have a bit of a laugh before we

start the ACT recording which I suppose

in a way I'd better begin with I've been

exploring autism officially for over 50

years and there's been some phenomenal

changes when I began there were certain

views on autism that it is um a disorder

would have been the sort of term that

would have been used often involving

people with very high support needs

often not speaking and so our speech

therapist speech pathologist would be

encouraging speech and we would be

delighted if somebody developed a

vocabulary and basic conversation skills

and this was the form of autism a very

conspicuous disability but then we've

explored the Continuum and what's

happened interestingly is the first of

the 10 is the voice of autism and that

is now The Advocates the advocacy

movement that the the voice is there

nothing about us without us um it's also

the view of uh in many ways explaining

autism rather than correcting or

rejecting autism so some of the work

that I do is to take whatever aspect of

autism that is confusing or abrasive to

others we could teach the skill we could

make sure that you practice it and it's

going to take ages and it it may well

not be successful we can't guarantee it

but what you can do is explain it I'm

the sort of person who tends to look

away when you're talking helps me

concentrate on what you're saying I'm

the sort of person who really loves to

talk about dinosaurs but I know it's not

interesting for everybody if I'm boring

you please tell me and I'll stop so the

approach now is to explain and accept

autism

uh which I think is is delightful that

it's the autistic voices coming through

in research obviously uh but also in the

clinical area within families Etc so I'm

delighted that we now are much more

accepting than correcting of uh autism

so that's my number one actually when I

began autism was one in

2500 it's now 1 in 36 wow so we realize

that the number of atis people there is

much more than we first thought my

number two in this not in order of

priority but in exploring uh this is

more in the last 10 years or so is what

I call adaptations to autism if you're

autistic you know you're different often

when you're four five six years old you

start to feel there's things going on

socially that I'm not part of I I don't

I don't get it uh and there's something

going on here but I try and do what

they're doing but it doesn't seem to

work etc and what has happened is the

one of the adaptations to autism is to

say I'm not very good socially and I

certainly don't want to make make a

mistake and be laughed at um or rejected

so I will watch the part of autism is

being very good with patterns and

systems and so you apply this mindset to

socializing and you understand the rules

and the conventions and so on so you're

great obser of people and so what you

learn to do to fit in often to avoid

being bullied and teased and be part of

the the group is you suppress your

autism now that's a problem because some

of the autistic features like rocking

and S are soothing or pleasurable so

you're denying yourself the soothing and

pleasurable aspects of life to fit in

and you take on a roll or script you

camouflage you have a mask you become a

fake self the authentic self has gone it

means that you're part of the group but

it leads to should we say phenomenal

energy um

depletion uh and sometimes can

contribute to burnout and depression and

so on so it's it's not being the

authentic self and one of the the very

new areas that I want to explore further

is an answer to a simple question and

who are you uh and to have the

vocabulary and the concepts and insight

to explore who you are because then you

can make better decisions in terms of

career relationships and so on but I can

understand the temptation of acting and

acting so well that people don't know

that it's not the real you so it's

camouflaging yes I can understand at

times it can be useful but not as a

lifestyle we're also finding out that um

it's not exclusive to autistic girls and

women as we first thought uh autistic

boys and men will also uh do that too so

it's camouflaging which in part explains

why so many are now being diagnosed

because it may not be until Teenage late

teens or adult years that they say I

can't do this anymore I can't there's

something different about me I need help

and that will p up the number of

referrals so in my clinical work um I'm

getting a lot of adults who are saying I

faked it but I can't do it anymore now

the next one at number three The View

was many years ago that autistic

individuals will lead an isolated life

um not really involved in friendships

and so which is not true and there are

autistic uh dating relationship uh

aspects that are currently being

explored and that is

um it's what I call going Beyond

friendship it's finding someone who you

want a romantic relationship with and

may indeed have a long-term relationship

so I sometimes work with couples where

one or both are autistic and the

challenges that can occur it can be a

successful relationship but there are

issues that need to be addressed things

like communication skills for an

autistic person the the style

communicating your inner thoughts and

feelings is not look at me and tell me

your life story they find that very

uncomfortable uh can type it for example

but talking in song can be not the way

of expressing inner thoughts and

feelings so self-disclosure because in a

relationship you're expected to go

deeper and deeper and deeper um and the

autistic person may feel very

uncomfortable this isue of do I trust

you with that information I've had some

bad experiences in my life many which

are traumatic and so on which will

affect the relationship but it's also

emotional support and both Partners

having perhaps different emotional

support the non-autistic person wants

affection compassion and uh should we

say um supportive in a variety of ways

often involving touch and uh affection

whereas for the autistic individuals

sometimes their best emotional repair is

to be on their own and I have to say to

the uh non-autistic person this isn't

rejection your partner isn't rejecting

you it's they need recovery but their

best way of recovery on their own or

involved in their special interest but

there's another dimension that has only

just being started that's being an

autistic parent absolutely and what are

the issues in being an autistic mom or

dad and often having great skills but

may not have the confidence or trust

their intuition in in what to do so

often the support is to affirm what

they're doing and I do find that an

autistic individual when motivated will

be superb at it so autistic individ read

all the books are being a good parent

and they analyze them and so and say

right that's what I need to do so they

see okay I'm not good at this I will

become expert at it by exploring

everything on the internet in books and

and those sorts of things and be

successful next one in a way is linked

that's aging and autism there's recent

magazine articles mainly on Leo cana's

first descriptions of autism of 11

children in the

1940s and at that stage autism was very

conspicuous in terms of young children

not speaking being very isolated and so

and then following them up and and and

what happened in my own experience I

followed up uh individuals

over well over 40 years for some

individuals and and what happens um does

autism get greater does it get less and

so on and I was sort of very

apprehensive as to what are the arups

actually much better than we first

thought discovering strategies for

emotion regulation U um just having one

friend not necessarily wanting to be

popular but just having one friend and a

major component has been self-acceptance

not that I'm defective or I need to

become like everyone else but I accept

myself for who I am but one of the

things that's come through because I've

been supporting research in this area

that's been one of the best indicators

of successful outcome is humor

and to laugh at yourself otherwise in

autism you can be incredibly

self-critical you can have expectations

of yourself far more than anyone else

has uh but it can be that you accept

yourself for who you are that

self-acceptance of give myself some

slack actually I'm I'm a hero I'm very

brave I'm amazing what I've done and so

on so we do find that some of the social

character itics can't diminish over time

because you you crack the code it's not

necessarily an eternal absence it may be

a developmental delay but also that many

autistic mature adults say yeah autism

yeah that was a big problem in childhood

adolescence early but my biggest problem

is I tend to get depressed or my

anxiety uh and so it's really focusing

on those components but overall uh we're

now starting to explore if you're

autistic are you more vulnerable to

conditions like Dementia or Parkinson's

disease and things like that now

research is starting on that we're not

sure if that's going to be the case

there is a should we say a lot of

research being done on Aging but so far

seems to be positive now that's number

one 2 3 4 that's number four on our top

10

list uh number five

employment oh yes uh this is I found

this amazing because the misconception

of autism is you're going to be an

engineer you're going to be a computer

specialist uh and you're going to be

good at coding or an accountant uh or a

scientist in the laboratory yes oh

absolutely that is a career

option but I've not found a career

that's impossible for an autistic person

person now that includes the Arts

because you express yourself and your

emotions through your artwork through

your music through your fine art through

a variety of artistic Expressions you

convey who you are at your thoughts and

feelings and so with remarkable practice

and success it can also be in the area

of writing fiction and the view was oh

just facts it's it's got to be fact fact

fact fact no because in autism you

escape into your imagination you've

always done that it's a one way of of

getting out of here you can't run out

the classroom what you can do is escape

into your imagination you really enjoy

it and you're great at it and then you

start feeling well yeah I'd like to make

a story it's okay science fiction may be

the theme but it can be all sorts of

situations so the Arts and I I really

enjoy

appreciating some of the uh artistic

individuals I've known through the

decades and their successful artistic

opera singing uh Le guitar for examp

drumming uh all sorts of things the

artwork the use of color perspective

it's extraordinary but also the caring

professions oh

yes uh Anita leco who helped in our

original uh book there was originally a

nurse and people will say I if you're

autistic you you can't be in the careing

professions yes you can especially

psychology and Psychiatry because you've

been studying people since you are four

years old in fact you have an honorary

degree in Psychology when you're 10

because you are looking at patterns and

systems and all those sorts of things

but you

care uh sometimes you care too much

because you take on board other people's

uh problems as a child with maturity and

training you can detach yourself rather

than being the sponge that absorbs it

you can recognize and I think one of the

main ways is by helping people you are

much more able to cope with absorbing

those emotions so a number of my

colleagues Michelle Garnet for example

who I've worked with for over 30 years

uh recently was diagnosed as autistic

and she's a brilliant uh psychologist I

work well we're colleagues peers in many

ways and and she's amazing her autism

actually was only diagnosed about a year

ago so uh I do think uh we also need to

look at the caring

professions um and so it can be anything

and I think if an autistic person wants

to do something then they they will if

they need to they will overcome some of

their autistic characteristics because

of the motivation to be successful so

imployment now I'm a clinician

and I often spend a lot of clinical time

repairing the Damage Done by

non-autistic people it's difficult

enough being autistic and not being

understood and accepted but it's not

that they just don't accept you they're

horrible to you they reject you in cruel

ways and you think why would you enjoy

being mean I I'm not hurt you what what

have I done to upset you unfortunately

my concern is not necessarily autism

it's other people and and especially

during the school and high school years

how they can damage the evolving

personality of the autistic person so

it's bullying and teasing yes absolutely

but there's two more and that's

rejection which is incredibly hurtful

for somebody who's trying to connect and

hum ilation it's being laughed at but

there's also trauma now some of these

instants are traumatic but we're now

starting to explore trauma and autism

and how it may amplify many autistic

characteristics the debate is about

whether trauma can cause autism not too

sure about that but many autistic

individuals as you go back through their

developmental history have incidents

that can be the usual considerations of

abuse and so on that may occur but it

also can be trauma in terms of sensory

sensitivity which is incredibly painful

so it's traumatic to have that shock and

it is very painful so regularly and

people say well just get over it don't

just forget it and you can't and

repeated exposure doesn't reduce the

reaction so your traumatized by we need

to be aware of that another topic the

next one is emotion

regulation we are now discovering that

in autism there are a number of problems

first of all interception that is the

ability to pick up the signals in your

body that indicate emotions are

increasing now that can be increasing

heart rate and breathing which indicate

that you are anxious or agitated and

often the autistic person isn't

consciously aware it's like a Mind Body

division the tense muscles the uh

signals that indicate you are becoming

increasingly anxious or agitated and so

on it then reaches a point of power that

is devastating for the individual and

you have a meltdown they're overloaded

often with many factors uh frustration

failure sensory sensitivity too much

socializing you you blow the fuse in

away but it's not just interception of

picking up the internal signals and we

now are starting to get therapy to help

on that but it's also alyia which is the

ability to convert thought in Emotion to

speech having the vocabulary the inside

that is the you can identify the feeling

early on find the word that precisely

describes it and then tell someone who

because of that Precision knows more

accurately what to do rather than

confused and potentially making the

situation worse so what I do find that

many autistic individuals can express

their inner world of thoughts and

feelings not by speech but by

typing uh it can be typing or a scene

from a movie or a piece of music and and

this is where the Music Arts abilities

come in very well so it's really finding

another way then look at me and tell me

how you're feeling and that is a very

psychological uh urge that you get from

psychologists and psychiatrist is how do

you and relationship counsel how do you

feel and the autistic person say I don't

know come on you're being difficult

you're not taking this seriously how do

you feel you're a smart person not

stupid how do you feel you're being

evasive you're not helping and it no

it's a genuine problem the person finds

it difficult face to face find the words

not easy so they need compassion and she

we say alternative means of describing

your thoughts and Ops send me an email

and I often find with the clients that I

see they will send me an email I'm going

to see them I say okay can you make a

list of topics you want to go through

when I next see you the eloquence and

insight is quite remarkable but by time

because when you said something you

can't unsay it but if you're typing you

can say no no no that's not right delete

delete delete this way Ah that's the way

and then go on to the next sentence so

you have an opportunity to moderate what

you're going to convey so emotion

regulation and linking into aging Etc

many autistic individuals say that

anxiety is their greater concern and I'm

increasingly of the clinical

opinion that autistic

anxiety is far more powerful than

conventional anxiety I think autistic

individuals experience anxiety at a much

more deep and powerful level and a lot

of the intense anxiety drives many

autistic

behaviors as a coping mechanism in many

ways and I do think our conventional

Psychotherapy and medication is helpful

oh yes it's helpful but it doesn't

effectively reduce it to a bearable

level I want research to find find out

what's going on here uh right from early

on uh but especially with the onset of

puberty when anxiety doesn't come in in

a way it comes in in a tsunami it is so

powerful uh whether it's the

Endocrinology of uh autism needs to be

explored but autistic anxiety is

something else now another one number

eight my own description of autism is

it's a different not defective it's a

different way of perceiving thinking

learning and relating different way of

perceiving you notice sounds colors uh

detail uh specks of dust in the air your

visual accurity is phenomenal your

ability to hear somebody using a vacuum

cleaner two houses away for example so

it's a different form of perception and

you notice patterns and systems and

errors in particular but it's also a a

different way of thinking autistic

people think socially they have an inner

conversation and if it's a problem who

can help me now in autism conversations

and other people is not the first thing

on your mind you've got to try and solve

it yourself and so there may not be an

inner conversation to try and resolve it

or the first thought oh I'm not good at

this who can help me I must solve this

myself it's a different way of thinking

but it is also thinking outside the box

and can be incredibly productive in

terms of problem solving and that can be

a talent that you're employed for that

you can analyze a situation and come up

with a solution that nobody else has

because it's a different way of thinking

the the non-autistic social

conversational way of thinking is fine

for some situations but not all

different way of learning often learning

out of a social group get rid of the

other students in other words I learn

from a computer screen or reading a book

as long as I have to socialize and have

a conversation it doesn't have to

entertain me I can just focus all my

mental energy on what I need to know so

it's a different way of learning and of

course schools are getting worse for

autistic kids because it's much more

group learning and you're on a big table

all together cuz you've got to learn to

socialize and work in a group and the

teacher entertains you and you're

thinking no that's confusing it doesn't

give Clarity it's confusing so I'm

afraid that that some of the learning

environments may not be autism friendly

but it's also a different way of uh

relating it it's not relating to group

settings in groups of friendships

particularly in the teenage years it may

be relating on a onetoone basis and not

needing as much Social contact as others

so uh it's a different learning Prof far

we've been exploring that for several

decades and unfortunately a lot of

autistic individuals

underachieve and they know that they

know I'm smart but I'm just not getting

the grades and that's a problem now a

number nine on my uh list here MH is the

autistic Community for advice and

friendship and we're now doing a bit of

uh social engineering and professional

engineering and I'm delighted that

autistic individuals are being mentors

for example if we look at alcohol and

drug dependency the use of a mentor has

been around for decades but we're also

looking that if you are autistic and you

have

um in many ways a substance abuser

concerned for that then another autistic

person who has been down the same path

may have more credibility and ability to

support

than a nonautistic

person and so what's happening on the

internet in social media at conferences

all those sorts of things and now

professionally of being doubly qualified

that is qualified in whatever area that

they choose to to work in helping people

but also in terms of I know it from the

inside uh and having that authenticity

that is so powerful and sometimes come

up and some might best

strategies uh came from autistic

individuals and I thought wow that's

good that's not in any textbook that's

not a theoretical model of autism or

whatever is like that that comes from

Pure irrationality and insight so it's

recognizing and this is what in many

ways we did we've been there done that

try this we did a a survey over 300

people what are your biggest problems

and then asked artistic individuals temp

grandon and others uh how do you cope

with this what do you do what's your

secret how have you adapted to that if

need be and then we got a number of

autistic authors and and I contributed

as a professional at the end of each one

to tie all the loose ends together um

but this book is really the basis of

autistic wisdom and that's what we need

to to focus on more now the final one of

the 10 autism plus autism comes with

friends

but those friends are ADHD anxiety

disorder eating disorder addiction Etc

it is very

unusual to have autism pure it's often

autism plus ADHD or an anxiety disorder

an eating disorder or U addiction for

example um and that is something we need

to recognize because the combination for

example we suspect that the combination

of autism ADHD and Powerful anxiety

leads to a condition called pathological

demand avoidance bit of confusion about

whether that term is appropriate to use

but if you have all three your coping

mechanism can create a number of

problems and in other words when we're

helping an autistic individual uh in

many ways yes there's the effects of

autism in their daily life but also the

ADHD anxiety and their C mechanisms so

that's a a new area is the complexity of

combinations that each autistic

individual is unique because they will

have fragments if not the full

confirmation of other conditions so

those are some of

the uh should we say my 10 areas of

exploration over 50 years oh my gosh I

wish we would been able to spend more

time

and go down through these things because

where you frankly you wrote the original

book on asger syndrome this is what it

is in listening to you over the past 20

minutes uh you've literally put together

a manual on being autistic what it's

like you've added more thought more

feeling um I hope you do a book on this

I can see a second book coming out

now uh I'll come back to that a bit bit

later yes but it it's something that is

still uh my passion autism has always

been my passion yeah and I'm always

exploring more and autistic individuals

my heroes for how they cope and the more

I understand the challenges they face I

go

wow uh people need to recognize that now

the next topic we're going go through in

a moment is new areas that I would like

to see more focus on so should I go

through that yes please okay now new

developments a wish list I suppose

another if I had had Bill

Gates's assets uh and could um should we

say use that for research studies I know

he's doing this very much to help the

world really for a number of medical

issues and so on but if I had uh if I

was a a billionaire and my legacy is

going to be helping autistic individual

it's research first of all in sensory

sensitivity why CU it's hell to live

with and not autistic people just don't

get it because okay they have a few

sounds they don't like but it's easy to

cope with but for an autistic individual

they can't understand what does everyone

else do that means it's okay for them

what's wrong with me that it is so

powerful for me and I live in constant

fear of when this is going to occur it's

really painful and it really has

inhibited my life in in many ways so we

need to explore sensory system so

usually autism has been The Preserve of

psychology Psychiatry and so on and

sweet pathology now increasingly

occupational therapy and other uh

specializations come into autism but I'd

like to see research in exactly what's

going on cuz I think sensory sensitivity

is probably there at Birth with the

startle reaction to touch and sounds

does it Tri autism is it associated with

autism um how does the brain what we do

know is as far as we are aware it's not

the actual sensory organ itself like the

ears or the eyes it's more the brain's

processing what does it do or not do

that makes it so unbearable for autistic

individual so sensory sensitivity mhm

the next one is is movement disorders

and I would love the movement specialist

because from my view as a clinician is

there are signature movement patterns

that indicate autism even in infants you

can spot the movement patterns sometimes

I can spot an autistic individual by

their movements as much as by

conversation interest and all those

sorts of things and I go yes that's that

signature movement and it can be very

young kids that will have those

characteristics but I think and this is

my personal opinion and I hope I'm

proved right but I'd like people to do

research in this I began with

non-speaking autistic individuals that's

all we knew and I had a

feeling that although the person

couldn't speak their

intellect was not associated with their

lack of speech in fact their intellect

was Far higher and I had a feeling that

inner language was developing but they

couldn't connect their brain to their

mouth to talk one of the things that

occurs that's interesting in autism is

that when you have a non-speaking

autistic child they don't replace the

lack of speech with gesture as deaf

children will do and deaf children will

have a phenomenally eloquent poetic

gestures to convey um their thoughts and

feelings but in autism there's almost a

mindbody disc

connect and

I feel often that the autistic person is

far more intellectually able than their

lack of speech would suggest but I can't

prove it because if you're doing an IQ

test you've either got to give an answer

uh or uh you got to move move things you

know put all the puzzles in the right

place and if you got to move it's like

cereal posy was years ago uh and and oh

you're assumed to be stupid and now with

uh alternative and orative communic

iation systems we've confirmed that

people with zable poy can have very high

IQ it's a movement problem not an

intellectual problem and I think when we

look at autism we look at social

emotional uh linguistic cognitive

sensory but I would also say there's

motor and in some individuals it's a

movement problem and I would love to be

able to overcome that and for uh

non-speaking autistic individuals to

have a voice whether they could speak I

don't know uh it'd be great if they

could uh if we could make the

connections whatever is uh possible that

then uh there is literally a voice but a

form of communication that's

authenticated because I think they have

phenomenal stories to

tell and I I would say the the

nonspeaking group have been relatively

neglected in terms of of research is

where we all began and we need to go

back to it yeah my third one here for

new developments I would like autism to

be taken out of

dsm6 in other words it's not a

psychiatric illness it's just historical

error because the view was oh we're

exploring in the 1940s uh Etc and before

we're exploring schizophrenia what is it

and and how common is it and and and

we've got these adults who could it what

could it be like in a child ah we have

someone here who's obviously

schizophrenic they're withdrawn they're

isolated like occurs in schizophrenia so

it is a psychosis and when I began in

the early ' 70s it wasn't um autism

spectrum disorders and song as we now

use it it was childhood schizophrenia or

childhood

psychosis so the descriptions were in a

manual of mental disorders and a

psychiatric Pres

deserve and I think that's caused a lot

of problems and negative associations

for people I would like to see uh as

suddenly we need descriptions whether

it's diagnostic criteria is a debatable

point but we need descriptions because

we need understanding and help um but I

would like to see it removed from

mental health I don't want it to be

viewed as a mental disorder and as one

autistic kid

me a while what do you mean I've got a

mental disorder I'm very ordered how

dare

you yeah very true I think you're going

to have a lot of political advocates in

that regard to to remove it from the

dsm6 I can understand at the time in

their lack of knowledge there was a

superficial similarity but in the late'

60s '70s it became clear that uh

schizophrenic people weren't autistic

when they were young and autistic people

don't develop into schizophrenia right

uh so uh I I would say it's a an

historical anomaly mhm Dr T that was a

wonderful list of things to wish for

under the Christmas tree I hope they

happen within our

lifetimes and speaking of lifetimes what

do you intend to do in your

retirement not

retire I I think that's your personality

but this is my passion and this is my

energy this is my life's work I and what

I'm doing is I'm doing less as time goes

by and what I'm finding is if I'm going

to be of value then it is for example

writing and webcasts and and and things

like that there are still some

individuals that I'm supporting

supporting individuals in my own family

my son and two grandchildren MH and of

course that keeps me up to date with

some of the latest developments and so

on but I want to pass on that

information and that's where I'm

currently contributing to three books

one is uh on autistic girls and women uh

another is on um relationships and

helping with that and another is on

energy accounting all three Jessica

Kingsley Publishers going to publish

with Michelle garet we we have what's

called Atwood and Garnet events once a

month we will do uh a webcast the one

coming up in a few weeks is going to be

on um autism in schools making an Autism

friendly School environment there's

about nearly 30 webcasts now in the

library yeah so um there's lots of

things that I'm excited about and I

still avidly read the research journals

M uh Journal of autism and developmental

disorders I've been I've subscribed to

that since

1971 wow yeah so uh I I try and keep but

I obviously help with uh research

studies uh as a should we say an advisor

for for research I I I hope Dr T that

you continue to stay connected and

motivate people I hope there's another

10 uh future Dr Tony Atwoods watching

this that are going to to to come with

more information about how to be a

better autistic person yes be a first

grade autistic person than a second rate

nonautistic person yeah okay I'll get

off my horse now but I've just in

listening to you you just you motivate

me so is there anything you'd like to

say to the Audience by the way autism

hangout has had over a million views I

don't remember what it is I haven't been

keeping track but you folks made these

interactive conversations possible your

questions to Dr Tony have allowed him

and Michelle to continue coming up with

more content that helps all of us make

the world better for people on the

autism spectrum so is there anything

else You' like to add to that I'd like

to say thank you for the people who have

tuned in uh over the years because

they've had some great questions what

I've learned I pass on my intention is

to make the quality of life of an

autistic person better that's been my

eternal goal MH thriving with autism and

we all know it's possible yeah folks

again thank you for watching we do wish

you all well and so from Dr Tony and me

it's it's best wishes always be strong

be kind and please be present stay

present Advocate Craig you're absolutely

right be kind to yourself okay thank you

again folks and good

night