Ask Dr. Tony - April 2024
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- čas přidán 8. 04. 2024
- 4/9/2024
Hello, everyone!
Yesterday, Dr. T and I recorded the last official Ask Dr. Tony Program. Sorry for the surprise ending, but as you already know, we're hoping to actual be retired at some point. So together, we decided to hangup our lavalier mics after this filming. Thank you for being such an incredible audience for the last 17 years. You consistently supplied us with challenging questions of life on the spectrum. In fact, in addition to providing the content for the 70+ Ask Dr. Tony Programs, your queries were also the basis for 2 books, my favorite being Been There. Done That. Try This! I also just noticed the Autism Hangout channel has received over 1.7 million views.
Our goal has always been to help us all "Thrive with Autism." Hopefully, someone else might step up and keep the community connected and engaged in this manner. We wish you all well and hope perhaps we will connect again sometime. Thriving with autism IS real. Keep the faith.
Subjects Addressed in this Episode:
The 10 Most Important Autism Discoveries:
1 - The Voice of Autism: Advocacy - 3:53
2 - Adaptations to Autism: Faking it - 5:33
3 - Going Beyond Friendship: Relationships, Family - 8:40
4 - Aging and Autism - 11:33
5 - Employment - 14:30
6 - Neurotypical Damage Control - 18:00
7 - Emotion Regulation - 20:02
8 - Autism is a Different Way of Thinking and Learning - 24:21
9 - The Autistic Community - 27:15
10 - Autism + (plus) - 29:22
Three Coming Positive Developments
1 - Managing Compulsive Behaviors - 31:55
2 - Managing ASD and ADHD - 33:54
3 - Developmental vs mental disorder - 37:01
Don't forget, the AI-assisted search tool at the front of Dr. Attwood's webpage. From it, you can locate excerpts of any subject/topic from the entire Ask Dr. Tony program database. Here's a link: www.searchdrtony.com
As a very late diagnosed autistic person, these videos and Dr Attwood’s work has done an immense amount to help me better understand myself. Thank you, both.
Same here. I was told when I was 22 I had Asperger’s.
Best wishes to you both, and thank you so much for your contributions.
I will miss you both 😔 Wish you all the best 😊
Dear Tony and Craig, when I heard "Dr Tony and I are retiring", my first thought was: are they naïve enough to think one can retire from a special interest? 😀 (Dr Tony answered that question later on in the video!) THANK YOU BOTH so much for this channel! Tony, your constant positivity and optimism, your humour and smiles while treating of serious matters are nowhere else to be found; thank you so much for that, it's so needed and helpful. Wishing you both all the best!
Ha! You're so right. Especially when you're surrounded by it.
I'm a 63-year-old woman who was just diagnosed as autistic and adhd a few months ago, and these chats have been extremely helpful for me to begin to learn about my many layers.
Thank you both. 💜
"Removal of Autism from the DSM-6" AMEN!!!! Well, the outright dismissal of Asperger's from the DSM-5 was at first very upsetting to me; as if we didn't exist and everything thrown into ASD thereby making the formal clinical diagnosis of Asperger's now virtually impossible. In America, the barriers to a medical diagnosis (60+ pages of tests, documentation, etc al) smack of discrimination to me in my professional opinion.Ive known I was different mentally since about age 5, and observing Mr. Spock on Star Trek in 1965 gave me all the validation I needed. Some day, I reasoned, the world would catch up with us. Your life work makes that so! My husband and I are proud Aspies and YES as a retired Vice President of a Fortune 100 company (and a female) Aspies rock! I have hired many with their exquisite talents into our diverse workplace. I am so glad to have found you again Dr. Atwood and am happy to help your efforts in any way possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Bummed about "the last episode" aspect, but thank you so much for your content! I have your book 'Been there, done that, try this!' which has been incredibly helpful for me a non-diagnosed, figured it out at age 48 and have been trying to re-mantle what it has all meant. Much love to you both!
thank you both for all your hard work and everything you have done for the community!! 💖 please enjoy your retirement with healthy and kind days. We'll continue working hard here to learn and share more about the autistic experience for a better understanding, knowledge and acceptance in society 🧠💪✨
Well-deserved retirement.... Thank You both
I discovered I was autistic at age 63. Anxiety has become worse with age because of the accumulation of bad events which are brought back up by various prompts in daily living. Then the reliving of the event and the rumination of how it could have been handled differently starts up again. It usually takes awhile before I realize I am doing it as my anxiety increases. When I finally notice it, I tell myself "you have already had this conversation with yourself so STOP IT NOW". Then I can get on with living again until the next prompt comes along that sends my back into my past.
It’s so interesting what you said about anxiety being more intense for autistic people. 👍
I'm a relatively recent arrival to this channel, having started my autism journey in 2020 before being diagnosed in February 2022, just 1 month short of my 50th birthday. I'd like to add my sincere thanks for all of the hard work you have both put in to this channel for 17 years. The depth and breadth of knowledge contained in these videos is a goldmine, and presented in a straightforward, easily understandable manner and positive manner. I cannot put into words how much this has helped me to accept my diagnosis and to be more accepting of who I am.
My best wishes to you both for a long and happy retirement 🙂(don't be shy about making a comeback if you get bored!)
About autism and the DSM and people thinking one is mad in some manner, or ascribing much of it to willfulness (the behavior modification crowd): I've come to believe my mother was also autistic, but during her lifetime I thought she was deeply narcissistic and sometimes borderline. But it's taken my own diagnosis to reevaluate that and consider that between her high IQ (136), education, a crash and burnout in her long expected career, an unimaginative and very average IQ husband, extremely poor social perceptiveness, physical illnesses, etc., etc., she was probably just in a deep state of confusion and frustration for her entire life. She Became narcissistic and angry with the years, it was not a moral failure or inborn rage. As more adult women get diagnosed and hopefully accept the truth of it, I wonder if the curves for diagnoses of NPD and BPD will change.
How coming of you. I applaud your perspective. I can tell it has taken a lot of reflection and understanding to get to this point, so from a stranger on the internet - great work
I saw my mother through a very different lens after being diagnosed with autism and realizing that she was probably also autistic and not borderline. I wonder if abusive autistic people are often seen by their children as having personality disorders instead of being unhealthy autistics.
I've been following your lectures for several years. Nearly everything you said is true for me. I'm 53 and have yet to find a practitioner to help me. What I've found is that after a year, when I stopped working as a manager, just thinking about returning to something similar gets me into one of the highest states of anxiety. A repulsion. I've repaired Black Forest clocks, love research, numbers, and mazes, have played the violin since childhood, and have many more hobbies. You're so right about many of us observing in early childhood, leading to a deep interest in psychology. Love all sorts of science, especially neuroscience. During my management stent, I wrote contract proposals. I liked the detail and procedural aspects of it. But now I write fiction with two novels completed and love it since I can propel myself to the worlds I create. But it doesn't pay the bills. I could help autistic people having difficulty navigating in the business/corporate world. Ones they feel they cannot leave, at least not right away. I wish I could find a practitioner that understands female autism more. I love how enthusiastic you always are!
Dear Tony -Thank you so much for all your videos in this long and informative series. Naturally I am very sad that you are retiring but can fully understand your decision and your considerable workload. This particular video I really enjoyed watching. Especially the bit about autistic jobs and caring industry. Then also autism and ageing. I have long felt that early life trauma, combined with age and autistic comorbidities all conspire to exacerbate our traits and make ageing challenging. Tony - Having met you in person at the Oxford UK conference I can say what a wonderful experience it was, and your kind and supportive words empowered me to work harder in my advocacy and believe in myself.
Thank you again and wishing you all the best for the future.
Brian - Autism Support Community. 29:40
Thank you so much for these videos over the years. They've helped me so much to recognize and accept my late diagnosis, every question so well chosen and every answer thoughtfully answered has helped me integrate the autism reality. I tend to try to go back to better masking as my goal, but having these videos has comforted me that I can indeed accept and cope with life best while keeping the reality of autism in mind. Enjoy retired life, I'm loving every minute of it myself!
Masking can be very stressful and often leads to burnout/depression. Be kind to yourself
I've never actually masked or no more so than a neuronormative person would as everyone does this to a degree (that's not to belittle peoples experiences). I'm a female Aspie btw. Perhaps I'm lucky as I'm known as an Fe dom in CPT & thus it's difficult to detect autism in Fe dominant types (of which Tony Attwood is one; not that I think he's on the spectrum but rather we share some cognitive similarities with being on the FeTi axis; it just goes to show there's plenty of crossover with none autistic individuals as well). For me, as the current diagnostic criteria stands despite being diagnosed at 36 (I know how to pass them tests as an MH professional familiar with the screening process) I don't think id meet the criteria as I don't have problems with social understanding indeed I've now surpassed many of my peers. Such is the life of being an FeSe convergent type). Be yourself and be kind to yourself. Ha I feel I fit in this grey zone: I'm not quite with the neurodiverse crowd but I'm not neurotypical either! I think I've overcome my difficulties on account of the neuroplascity of the brain. Yes it's still there but not to the degree it was but has still very much informed my life experience.
@@Tified967 without a doubt TA is autistic
thank you both for all your work and passion
Thank you both. I am 49, diagnosed a year ago and your videos have been useful.
I am extremely anxious often for no reason. I do see a lot of anxiety in some other autistic people I know as well.
Although it breaks my heart, I'm also excited for Craig and Tony to focus on their retirement. This was and still is the only content on YT that I relate to and gain help from for ASD. I'm so grateful that you've both left this wealth of information and material available for people across the globe. I hope more people continue to share, teach and learn from all your valuable work. Thank you both so much from the bottom of my heart. Be well!
It's been a wonderful journey and I'm sad to hear it's ending, but you've created a compendium of information that can last for a long time. Congrats on your entry into the wonderful world of retirement!
Thank you so much to both of you .
Wish you the very best:)
Thank you 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
That went by far too quickly! I wish you both a very happy retirement and thank you so much for all the wonderful research and insights you've given us. It's been a life-changer for me to understand why I and my son have both had such difficulties with life and I'm most grateful for the help you've given. Retirement's great; you just might find that you'll be busier than ever, lol. :)
I have alexithymia - but I doodle/paint and it all is there on paper - I cant translate it but the paper knows all my feelings ♥️
Being creative expresses our emotions far more eloquently than trying to explain to people music, art; singing, dance, acting etc
Happy retirement, you both deserve it and thank you for all you have done for all in the autism spectrum.❤
Very sad and very grateful... This is how I feel, knowing this would be the last episode.
❤ I will miss you both ❤. Your knowledge and your educational approach is outstanding.
Craig Evans and Dr. Tony, I wish you a great time in retirement. You are my heroes 🙋🏻♀️💐. Thank you SO much.
Edit: I think there is a connection between autism and connective tissue disorders (like Ehlers-Danlos-Syndrome). More research would be really interesting!
Yes! I agree.
I think what a lot of people get wrong is that we actually want and need to socialize, just in a way that is slightly different but seems to matter a lot.
Dear Dr Tony, your legacy is incredible and invaluable and thank you both for your dedicated work in helping Autistic people; the resources in Ask Dr Tony series have been (and will continue to be) very useful, insightful, inspiring, and powerful and delivered with wonderful passion. Wishing you both a wonderful retirement, filled with joy, family, recovery and abundance 🖖🙂💜🤲
Enjoy your respective retirements, and hopefully you'll both return for a special episode at some point in the future. I found Ask Dr Tony a few years ago after many years of various struggles with AS, and it has by far been one of the best resources on the internet. Thanks for your efforts in making the programme :).
Best wishes to you in your retirement. I can’t thank you both enough. This video literally brought tears to my eyes!
Thank you kindly for all of your commitment, example and contribution! Inspirational and life-saving! Be well! 🙏🏻🔆🌿🖖🏼
Thank you for the wonderful information given! We love your insight and clarity on autism and I am so very grateful. ❤❤
Dr tony attwood you been true inspiration to all x
Hi,
I’ve been watching for eight years. I am very happy to have met you. You guys were a lifeline when I felt overwhelmed. I wish you a happy retirement.
To share a little bit, last year, I held my first employment as a teacher, and had I not known that I was autistic, I would not have known how to develop self-care for my neurodivergent mind. I love what I did, and I think I was helpful to my team because I knew myself. The information I learned in the interviews translated into how I looked after my students.
You helped me build my esteem; thank you for everything.
Dr Tony So thankful to run into these online talks. Sad 😢to read and hear of the retirement, and hoping Dr Tony Attwood will appear to say hi to us with some wisdom now and then. Thank you.
Sad to see this is the final episode, but I am very grateful for all the videos and wish you both the very best for the future.
You have helped me so much - you cemented my beliefs in my own autism and was a source of valuable information throughout my own assessment process.
Thank you so much.
Thank you both so much for all you have done over the years, you have changed countless lives for the better and I for one am very very greatful. May Gods Blessing be with you both. Thank you
Thank you Dr. Attwood, you are a true hero and have helped me understand my life and possibly saved my life. Please enjoy your retirement. Just one question, if they removed Autism from the DSM what would happen to those with educational challenges and need accommodations whether in school or work, and need medical health benefits? Thank you!
❤
Will miss Ask Dr. Tony tremendously! Thank you both so much for this great format that helped so many ❤❤❤ Best wishes and many healthy years to come!
Dr. Attwood, In your article "Autism over the age of 50," I think this is the correct reference "A Life Lived in the Shadows: Social and Emotional Functioning in Older Autistic Adults and the Potential for Successful Ageing", Berthine Ommensen Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Psychology. A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2023 School of Psychology. I'm one year younger than you and discovered I am very autistic (Asperger's) around 2016, when I started researching the subject because I suspected my then, 23 year old daughter might be autistic. Very mind-altering experience when reviewing a lifetime of experiences, and saying to myself, 'So that's why I did that', and so on. Have done a lot of research and reading and although I don't feel any better about myself, at least I have some basis of understanding myself a lot more!
congratulations on retirement Tony and thank you so much for all your valuable work.
Although I have never seen this channel, I think of you guys as legends. I will have to review your videos. Congratulations on your retirement. Thank you for all your work.
Thank you so much for all your videos🙏.
I will miss you both. I know nothing lasts forever, yet it makes me sad.
I wish you the best, both of you.
Merci encore et profitez bien de la retraite 🌼
Just stumbled upon this channel. Wish I have found you before. Late discovered autism/ADHD. Anxiety.Three aspects in myself constantly at war within me.
So sad to see but you both go but all the best your future. Thank you for all the help.
Although it's terribly sad, I am so thankful and grateful for both you Greg and Tony. You have both provided stability and understanding to me at times that have been unimaginably painful. All the best with your retirements - a forever fan
Learnt so much from this channel Thankyou for understanding on such a deep level I wish you a relaxing retirement and look forward to the new books.
You have both helped me 100%. I am sad to see you go. But I know family and quality time is most important to your happiness. Enjoy you years ahead. To you both from me. Jill UK.
Totally agree with movement
THANK YOU 🙏💗
Thank you both for all your videos, insights and compassion towards those of us who are Autistic. I will never forget how you empowered me by addressing my question last November. I am the lady from Isle of Man, though originally I'm Mancunian. I now have a formal diagnosis of moderate/ level 2 ADHD and Autism, with Social Anxiety Disorder and Depression.
You're right we have few resources or professionals who specialise in Autism for children and young people and even less for us adults, which is not existent unless you go privately and this is very expensive.
What I didn't say in my original question is that I am a Registered Children’s Nurse of 23 years and I have decided to be the change I want to see in the world by trying to catch lives one family at a time.
I do still struggle with caring too much but I'm trying each day to let go of the bullying and toxicity which is my current place of work. I suffer with bullying, rejection, humiliation and complex-trauma and my value system says that I want to make sure that nobody else, even my worst enemy, has to go through what I've been through, at least, not alone.
So incredibly happy for your... and proud of you! Live your amazing life. And STAY PRESENT. Other's will witness your satisfaction/joy/fulfillment. Yes!
Amazing work tracy. All the best. I am a 4th year psych student and have gone through some terribly painful experiences too. I wish you well and just know that I will be trying my best to help others too
@imthinkingthoughts definitely and same to you. The more ND professionals the better for our children an adults.
All the best to you both for your retirement! May you enjoy your new phase in life! Well deserved and earned! Thank you for all you have done for us! Hugs, dear Prof and dear Craig!
Totally agree with dsm removal
Thank you both so much for all your videos! So helpful for so many! 🙏
thank you Tony
I think you are onto something about the movement disorder. When I have a particularly bad shutdown, I am unable to speak. I also know sign language, so in my mind, I was also trying to make myself communicate with sign language instead. I was completely frozen. I could NOT make myself communicate in any form, not even gestures or nodding, though I knew how. I very rarely get to this state, but I was shocked when I had problem solved away around it and even that was unusable. I was literally frozen, and could not do anything.
Thankyou both! I do hope there will be an out of retirement queations next year 😢
Have a great retirement Tony, you have done amazing work here in New Zealand
I'm going to miss you guys...but I understand that you want to enjoy your retirements. Best wishes!💐🌸🌹🏵💮🥀🌺🌻🌼🌷
Wow, well I am sad to see you both retire because your videos and content have been incredibly helpful for me on my journey through recognizing that my challenges(& strengths) have a basis in un-diagnosed ASD and OCPD [which I only became aware of in my 30s and am still exploring :)]. However I am also incredibly happy for you both as well, as I know just how important self care and time away from the expectations of others is, so I wish you both all the best in your future endeavors! Thank you so much for both of your immense contributions to this field, and I am sure that all your videos and content will be relevant and watched for many years/decades to come even if you are no longer adding new ones :).
I'm very sad to hear that this is coming to an end! I've been watching your videos in the early 2010s, shortly after I was reassessed with Asperger's in my early 30s. (I was initially diagnosed at age 12 in the late 1980s, when the psychologist knew enough to recognize my Asperger's but lacked the insights to treat me other than to suggest that I be institutionalized. Thankfully that never happened.) I hope Dr. Tony will periodically come out of retirement and make the occasional Autism Hangout video; his insights are valuable. And I will attest to his insight that many people with autism are able to communicate much better in writing. I see it in the comments throughout your channel. But speaking firsthand, I make a really good living as a writer. The fact that I get to write all about engineering--which is apparently a haven for those with autism--is probably appropriate.
Dr tony i born with speech but it changed now i have very unique language but i still know i am x i feel that having adhd and autisum helped me xx❤
Thank you, Dr Tony for continuing to reach out to us and advocate for us.
I cannot thank you enough for your great work and efforts. I have been educated by you for 23 years. Thank you 🙏
As a middle aged autistic/adhd (and anxious, thus pda 😄) woman who also has autistic son and who've heard god knows how many speeches/talks on autism, I'de sign everything that dr Attwood said here. This is the best speech to share with neurotypicals that I ever came across. He really said it all in only half an hour. He didn't go into the details with all of it but that's even better. They wouldn't get it anyway and broadening the story would only make it confusing. I know that dr has a lot of experience but this sounds like he's actually autistic. There are others with experience but they don't seem like they really get it regardless.
70 programms amd only just come across videos wow 😊
🤔 opinion: it isn’t a psychiatric mental disorder however support and accommodation is needed for the difference that contributes to some overwhelm. If removed as disorder, how can help be received.
Thanks to both of you for your work and support for people on the spectrum. I’ve learned so much.
Enjoy your retirement. I’ll miss you.
Removing autism from DSM 6 may affect disability benefit and accommodations, no?
Hey don't forget use music videos dancing dealing with emotions 😊
I have been wondering whether a diagnosis of autism is useful. I gather you think it's not. I'm autistic, but in practice that just mean I have a few varieties of weirdness. There is no general help I need for autism, but I certainly needed help with some of my disabling weird traits. Today we have talent scouts looking for the next great cricketer, Olympian etc. We have none looking for the next great mathematician, scientist. How did we let Terry Tao escape? Are Trevor and Nigel in the best jobs for Australia?
I have speculated that I can sometimes spot an autistic. My Google results from searching you suggest I can.
Not everyone needs an official verification. It's a choice.
Morning fellow aspies
I think you wood have found me interesting when first changes my speech was American x
If you remove autism from DSM, how would a diagnosis take place?
From a physician or neurologist. ⚕️
@@Sensei_Sean The serotonin deficit are not only applied to depression but also autism when I read about the origins of autism on psychiatric pages. So that would be the same for depression, is it really a psychiatric illness? And what does a neurologist know about the lack of social function in autism? Rather from what I find a neurologist is only able to exclude other problems, thus making autism the diagnosis from that exclusion.
You can't just take away something unless there is an alternative prepared.
I still we're a way off from not perceiving autism as some condition primarily of socially inept people. Personally, and I know many autistic individuals, who are socially and always have been very proficient. We diverge cognitively greatly as a group as do none autistic individuals & theres degrees of overlap with the general population. I've been assessed as being on the spectrum by a psychiatrist who shared the same sentiments & also assessed by a psychologist as not having any difficulties with understanding social nuance & subtext in fact quite to the contrary. I've spoken to a fellow CPT enthusiast who rather had some great insights about autism & access to the unconscious which may be worth exploring (I will) at some point. This is not to belittle anyone in any way or their difficulties but more neurotypical people mask & camouflage as well for the sake of social proprietary whether that be in their professional life and so worth - we all do it to some degree. I hope going forward research looks at us as a heterogeneous community as opposed to postulating a one size fits all approach especially in the social domain. My sensitivity to nuance on account of my cognitive type is actually better than most individuals; yes I understand completely what your saying, why & implying. If social understanding was so great we wouldn't have wars and so forth. I think we'll eventually find that under the umbrella of autism is a number of distinct neurodivergence's that are aietiologically distinct in nature. You're truly an ESFJ inspiration from a fellow Fe dom ENFJ! I'm actually a mental health practitioner & qualified therapist with three degrees; I work with both autistic and neuronormative clients. Apologies this seems like a negative rant I'm just an Aspie realist about where we find ourselves at the moment from a conceptual perspective which is where I shine; I've never understood the tropes of us being literal and concrete when I thrive in the abstract domain. Both your work over the years is greatly inspiring as is your dedication to the field & painting us from a positive perspective, thank you 😊❤. Amen to taking autism out of the DSM I might have bipolar but my autism is a difference not a deficit!
Movement problems is def
Sensory senersentivity what does it not do well it never switches off does it x
Hello I was just wondering who likes emine the rapper 8 mile I zinc personally will attwood tony son is good example respect man x
Question: Dear Doctor Tony, I am noticing people around me with what looks to me like autistic traits. Could there be a time in the future when the tables are turned and the neurotypicals are Aspies and the neurodiverse are what we at the moment class as normal people? Could it be that Aspies will eventually outnumber typicals?
29:55 autism + anxiety +ADHD = PDA
noooooooooooooooooooo not the last episode noooo
😢
can i ask a question pls? can you tell me how autistic peoples endocrine system differs from NT? i have an endo apt in less than a week and i want to relay that to the doctor so he doesn't miss my condition. (my condition is a killer so it's super important and urgent)
I'm not sure of Dr. Tony's source, but if you Google "Is the "endocrine" system of a person with autism the same as that of a neurotypical person?" many papers come up. Good luck.
@@autismhangout tk u!.
if anyone can add a summary of findings here i would really appreciate it, i am not good at reading this type of stuff at all. 💗
@@princessadora you can ask AI for summaries, for example bing copilot
@@aroneurodiver I appreciate that but I am not tech minded at all and very poor at this type of stuff (medical research, legal documents etc) I could spend days trying to work it out and I never would. (I have severe autism)
How do you submit a formal objection to these proposed retirements?
Down Syndrome should be removed from the DSM as well then. And ADHD.
What about the studies about a loop of 60 genes that are involved in autism, ADHD, bipolar, and schizophrenia?
Autism may have more ties to mental illness after all.
The writing of notes that one of you are doing is KILLING me.... If you do a podcast for autistic people, you shouldnt be making extra noice when others are speaking. Sorry bout the rant...
TERRIBLE EDITING THO lmao
❤