Ask Dr. Tony - April 2024
Summary
TLDRIn 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
📚 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.
🗣️ 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.
💞 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.
👵 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.
💼 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.
🌐 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.
🧠 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.
🤝 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.
🔗 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Autism
💡Advocacy Movement
💡Adaptations to Autism
💡Camouflaging
💡Beyond Friendship
💡Aging and Autism
💡Employment
💡Emotion Regulation
💡Sensory Sensitivity
💡Autistic Community
💡Autism Plus
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
浏览更多相关视频
I’m Always Wearing a Mask
An Autistic Man who will Always Need Support and his Loving Parents
What Does it Feel Like to Have Autism? | Autism Awareness | Operation Ouch | Nugget
Dyspraxia: Is Being Clumsy an Autistic Trait?
Diferenças entre Autismo e Síndrome de Asperger [CÉREBRO, SINTOMAS E TRATAMENTOS]
Aquí y Ahora. #Autismo en primera persona #PANAACEA
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)