I want to reiterate a point Kassondra made in this video. For people who need meds, they can be a great thing. But I also think it’s important to acknowledge that stories like Kassondra’s exist as well. Thank you for sharing your story, Kassondra! For those who are curious, you can check out Kassondra’s fundraiser at gofund.me/d525b3ed . As mentioned in this video, she is also diagnosed with Ehler-Danlos syndrome. Contributions will go to help her medical expenses acquired from this disability.

Please please please keep doing interviews with late diagnosed Autisitc Adults it is helping loads and the more you do it the more it helps. Thank you and God bless 🙏

As a late diagnosed autistic I can't emphasize enough how important videos like this are.

Misdiagnosing someone with Bipolar, who is actually autistic, and then putting them on bipolar medications for ten years is really wild.

I can tell when she starts stimming, she's EXTREMELY anxious because she's afraid of people judging her and hurting her. My god. I just want to give this girl a huge, loving hug 🥺🥺😣

I’m an autistic woman the same age and I resonate with her story so much. Nobody wanted to diagnose me with autism because I didn’t act like a hardly verbal 6 year old boy.. medical care of all kinds for women is abysmal

Chris, my man. I'm not sure you fully understand what an incredible human being you actually are. The way you empathize with the people you interview and how you handle every single detail of it, just blows my mind. Thank you for restoring my faith in humanity every single time and most importantly, for giving a voice to the voiceless.

The way she lit up when her friend started speaking was so freaking adorable. ☺

Girl same. 44 here and just diagnosed at 42. My whole life makes sense now but I feel like I missed out on my entire life because I had to mask. I was misdiagnosed. I had to act “normal”. I never thought about it as having missed out on my life until just now. Kinda really sad. I have only started unmasking and being happy with myself and my brain in the last 2 years and that feels like such a wasted life. If my son wasn’t autistic I probably still would never know about autism/adhd. My son opened up a whole new world and made my entire life finally make sense. So happy this girl is so young and can live the rest of her life knowing who she is.

"I definitely want that bond, but I have trouble forming it." I can relate so much to what she just said.

I was also misdiagnosed in 2019 and took mood stabilizers as well as anti-depressants that I did not need for 4 years. She is not exaggerating on how much it can destroy you. Those meds completely changed my behavior and even thinking and speech patterns for the worse and almost completely destroyed my body and my life. I feel for her. So glad neither of us are taking things we do not need anymore!

I've watched almost every episode of SBSK and I've never resonated so much with someone until this interview. I've been diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive type, Major depressive disorder, and a generalized anxiety with panic. I never really thought Autism could be included until now. I'm SO happy that she found a community that allows her to be herself. I love what her mom told her-"You can't get rid of a problem by pretending it doesn't exist." Thank you so very much for sharing your story. I'm terribly sorry you had to endure so many years but I'm glad that you were willing to share with the rest of the world for those who may be suffering. ❤

there's so much misinformation about autism, especially with women and girls. thank you for sharing your story, you're a lovely person 🖤

3:08 "Can you handle the light and the darnkness inside of me?" I rarely hear a 'normal' person say such deeply meaningful and heart-touching sentence, as this one.

My husband was diagnosed at 60, seven years ago. Totally misdiagnosed his entire life. He's really living now. Ya can't go back, so he's moved forward confidently. Blessings to you!

Late (age 42) diagnosed autistic woman here. I have been through so much; life was truely incredibly hard. Still hard, but I understand myself better now, so I can take better care of me. Great to see this topic come by more often. It is VERY important.

I love how accepting and accomodating Chris is with his guests. And then he asks questions about things like eye contact to genuinely understand. He's able to consider a neurodivergent preference as actually valid. I love watching all of his interviews but this one particularly resonated and i think represents a lot of women on the spectrum... even though every autistic person's experience is different.

I’m a woman in my early 30’s also misdiagnosed with Bipolar as a 13 year-old! Solidarity! So happy you have the right diagnosis. My correct diagnosis saved my life! ❤❤❤

This is what happened to me. Diagnosed with bipolar at 21, and now autism at 38. I can't watch the video, I'm so angry because of so many lost years, money and frustration that I'm already fed up and burned out, I can't get out of it.. I can't stand watching how much I will probably have in common with her and how obvious it is (not for psychiatrists sadly), and how many people had to endure the same frustration.

There is so much misdiagnosing! It is scary! I was told I was bipolar 2 for nearly a decade. The meds never helped, only harmed. It was horrific! Ultimately, my mood swings were from brain inflammation caused by Multiple Sclerosis. I was drugged to oblivion for NOTHING. I didn't have BP2, afterall. Now, a few years later, a new therapist told me to see someone specifically about autism. My mother took to be screened as a child because I showed certain signs. The doctor I was taken to in the early '90s said, "girls don't have autism." It' all so overwhelming. I am glad the girl in this video is hanging in there with new information and help.

Wow, this woman is so relatable. She is phenomenal at expressing herself. So very well spoken and articulate. I could listen to her speak for hours.

My daughter is 33 and she has lived with me her whole life.im 53. I was told she was bipolar, when she got older she was diagnosed with aspergers. You are a complete mirror to my daughter. She has no real friends and is on her 4th counselor since January. They all are quitting and moving on. It’s making me so mad because all I see are her tears of hurt. I wish there was a way to contact one another, I could see you both being best friends lol. I wish you all the best life can bring to you sweet lady. You are very good handling your anxiety through this video. Thank you so much for your bravery and honesty. Your are beautiful inside and out! 😊❤🦋🙏🏻

As a 30 year old autistic individual, listening to her story definitely made me feel less alone with my struggles ❤

I'm autistic and next year i will be 70 , when i was alot younger i had a bad temper and i heard voices in my head and i saw myself in different places and different situations and i would flap my lips alot and sound like a motorboat people used to make fun of me , sometimes i still experiance it all except i have better control of my irish/Indian temper now , the lord raised me i was at church more than i was home i got saved 9 10 , 1972 , i may have autism but i was Army field Artillery 15 years a landscaper 25 years assistant manager at a condo building 6 years now I'm retired , i hope this helps , that woman in the video is absolutely ADORABLE ! " ❤❤🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹💋💋😗🎶

This was so well done by everyone. It's not easy for people with autism to give an interview like this. It takes a massive amount of courage and vulnerability.

I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder for almost two decades, I had a psychotic break in senior year in highschool due to being over medicated with the wrong medicine. Went to a behavioral health hospital and it was there that I was diagnosed correctly and discovered that I have Asperger's. I can relate to her in many ways.

I'm an autistic man and i appreciate this lady's courage for coming out

She seems so sweet. She’s adorable. I really wish her the best in life!

I resonate so much. I am an autistic woman who was wrongly diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and spent the majority of my early adulthood trying to fight this diagnoses, my family and I never thought it fitted me, but autism was never considered for young women. I went through years of discrimination, mistreatment, inappropriate treatment and lack of access to the proper care due to this incorrect labelling of me. I felt like a bad person with something wrong with me, when in reality, I was autistic and struggling with social norms and overwhelm. Sending love to anyone out there experiencing similar

I’ve known Kassy for most of my life, since I was 5 and now I’m 16. We went to church with her! She is super nice, and very great to socialize with! So surprised to find out just now that she’s on SBSK, I have watched this channel for a quite a bit.

I always say to people when i have a visible reaction to their eye contact: "Sorry, when you came around the corner, our eyes met and for a moment i felt we we were quite nearly one person and your self was pouring into mine, and i became momentarily overwhelmed by the connection. Did any of my soul go into your eyes?" Its half a joke, but thats kind how it feels to me, like in that moment we both have learned something that can't be shared in words. The narrative about Autists not experiencing empathy is so damaging, we feel it differently, and possibly at times even more powerfully than others.

In 2017 I was misdiagnosed bipolar and was wrongfully medicated for 7 years. Antipsychotics ruined my body. I have autism/ADHD and only found out last year that I'm not bipolar. I too, have gone on a journey to love myself for what I am. Hearing this woman tell her story is inspiring. I relate deeply and it brings me joy to see that she's finally reaching a point of self understanding that can bring her peace... ❤ Keep going strong!!

I’m 45, adhd dx at 42, autism at 43. This young lady is absolutely perfect in every respect, and explains the social aspects so accurately. And smiles so much! I wish I had more smiles! Awesome interview, many thanks.

My daughter is autistic and has a lovely squishmallow collection 😊 I was diagnosed as an adult, too, after I saw a video of myself as a small kid and thinking critically about my social obstacles. That was life-changing.

I was misdiagnosed as depressed when I was 8, when I actually have X-Linked Hypogammaglobulinemia, MCAS, and about 30 other severe health issues. If I’d been treated as a child, I probably wouldn’t have cancer now. The years of doctors blaming me, still hurts like hell.

i love watching your interviews, but i am SO grateful to see this one. i had a very similar experience misdiagnosed bipolar and heavily medicated for the wrong things for 20 years. when i talk about it people don’t understand how much it actually effected me negatively. i ended up addicted to drugs, i can’t function anymore. my brain doesn’t function properly and it’s made me dependent on my abusive family. i no longer have any quality of life and the misdiagnoses is where it truly started.

This was incredible, I’m so glad I clicked on this. I started sobbing when she explained selective mutism, I’ve been struggling with that my whole life but it’s never been validated, I’ve never had the words to explain it until now. Thank you so much Kassondra

I'm genuinely sorry the healthcare system failed kassondra on such a detrimental level for such an elongated period of time. She is extremely brave for sharing her story in hopes others in a similar situation don't feel like it's just them

You give a voice to the voiceless. I hope this beautiful woman gets everything she wants in life. Respect to her for being so open so the public can understand.

I'm 35 and I was just diagnosed with ADHD and Autism. My mom was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 59. Women have historically had such a terrible time getting diagnosed with either, but thankfully I live in a part of the world where people tend to care about us(and it STILL took me this long). I'm still not able to have a regular job, but I've been doing a lot better ever since my diagnosis.

This is such a wonderful interview! As a neurodivergent mom of autistic kiddos, it's soooo valuable for me to hear the experiences and perspectives of autistic adults - so a big thank you to Kassondra for being vulnerable and sharing those insights! Of interest - when I was doing my field work in the Peruvian Andes, some of the more rural Quechua communities, especially those that had no real Spanish even being spoken there and only Quechua, eye contact was completely avoided. So I would meet with Quechua folks, with a Spanish translator, and we were talking without looking at each other, and it was a lovely and interesting experience. So eye contact norms can vary a lot in different cultures, which is really neat. Best of luck to you Kassondra, I really appreciated learning more about you :)

My daughter's story is Kassondra's story. Its something that's been on my radar for awhile now, it is horribly misdiagnosed in females especially in the US. We have 4 kiddos, 1 daughter now 23 then 3 boys 16,14 and 13. Our daughter was diagnosed bipolar at 14 and on meds for YEARS, most years spent playing the med game actually. Then after we got an autism diagnosis with our 16 year old, he was alot younger then, they told us to have our daughter come in. I should have never doubted my own intuition. I always wanted my children to march to the beat of their own drum and that is exactly what I got and love it. Kassondra, if you read this you did great!!! You are amazing and keep being you!!! 💙💙💙

crying my eyes out watching this. my psychiatrist and i decided to send the referral for an autism assessment today. i think i'm finally going to get some answers

Kassondra is a beautiful BEAUTIFUL soul. I am so glad you are giving her the platform to share her experience

You're an angel, Chris. The way you treat all different kinds of people exactly the same, with zero judgment and so much patience, is extraordinary, and I envy you. You inspire me.

Just a note, "late stage" diagnosis would typically refer to a terminal illness with distinct stages like cancer and dementia. It's just "late diagnosis" of autism. I also have a late diagnosis!! My bipolar was diagnosed at 25, and my autism was diagnosed at 31 after psychologist testing. My psychologist was surprised that the bipolar was affirmed on the testing as he thought I was misdiagnosed as bipolar. It does happen a lot. But I happen to have both! Thanks for doing this, loved watching it! ❤

I was misdiagnosed with BPD and the medication they gave was so strong for me they made me feel like a souless robot. I do struggle with severe depression but being diagnosed helped me to be more kind to myself. I got diagnosed as autistic at 30 y/o. I cant put in words how it changed my life for good. I feel this kind of relief but also all the bad life I had because I was misdiagnosed broke my spirit. Chris, I say this everytime you make a video: thanks for doing this. I love you

I LOVE her relationship with her friend. So beautiful to see how they interact and connect

I'm a late diagnosis person as well and was diagnosed with hEDS the same year :( stories like hers are so important, thank you for sharing 💕

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I’m not autistic, but have other mental disorders. And have been quickly misdiagnosed w/ a one particular medication, which I won’t name | However, I know my own body & knew it was not right. After stopping the medication I felt 100% better. Sending ❤ your way girl! Thank you for sharing…

Man i'm so happy that i'm represented in this interview!!! just seeing her say how she stims when no one is around got me stimming myself! I have real difficulty accepting that I stim, because my father was a rageful normalist, so you can imagine how much i'm repressing myself all the time!!! it's so difficult, you know, being ourselves? we get judged and bullied so much, we tend to hide!!! and then we become avoiders or people pleasers and it is soul crushing!!! it's too easy to disappear, so thank you Kassondra, for being extra visible for all of us!!! it was a brave choice, it was the right choice!!! you are STRAUNG!!!!!!

I am late life diagnosed autistic with adhd. lots of autictic people have chronic illness. I relate to her story. it is very difficult having been misdiagnosed for many years. I lost a sense of who I am because I was making for years. I understand her story.

As a 58-yr old with almost identical sociological challenges - minus the eye contact difficulty - I am so thankful that Kassandra (and others in her age bracket) FINALLY have the resources to get the proper treatment for the correct diagnosis. In days gone by, we suffered under the stigma of ‘flighty’, ‘wishy-washy’, ‘has potential but…’, ‘needs to focus on her studies during classroom time’, etc. As an ‘80’s kid - born in the 60’s and raised by 18-yr olds - I became the following: 1) a chameleon; 2) a people pleaser; 3) angry, confused, flawed, frustrated, hopeless, judged, misunderstood/misdiagnosed, labeled, lost, pathetic, unforgiven, etc.; 4) a ‘non-me’ made up of multiple external identities with no cohesive identity. Like Kassandra, the complication of having autoimmune disease (in my case multiple and not diagnosed until mid-thirties), makes EVERYTHING worse! I have gone on too long, but my heart goes out to this young lady…I feel her struggle - the down-in-the trenches kind that only poetry, art, (safe) self-expression can ease. The need to ‘gear-up’ for ANY outside activity and the necessity for decompression time afterwards are things that affect me on a daily basis. And over the years, it has perplexed me as to why the medical profession distinguishes between ‘mental’ health concerns and ‘physical’ health concerns - last I checked, our brain was part of the rest of my body…⚓️🙏🫶🏼🕊️

If you look between people's eyes... they can't tell the difference, but you don't feel the weirdness.

I relate to so much of this. I have phone anxiety and I have for as long as I can remember. When I found out I had autism, I researched about it to see how common it was, and I found out that a lot of autistic people have phone anxiety. It makes me so nervous to talk on the phone, especially to someone I don't really know but also my own family and friends. When it came to talking to someone I didn't really know, I would sometimes overthink about it all day, until I had to talk to the person. I would feel like I needed to write down what I wanted to say, so I completely understand lol I find it so funny and ridiculous, but I legitimately can't help it. In regards to being in person, you wouldn't think I was nervous to talk at all but what I'm feeling internally is much different than what I portray outwardly. There's something within me that loves to connect with people but I'm actually very introverted and I have no problem being alone. People have a very difficult time actually getting close to me because I'm very selective with whom I allow into my life.

I have cptsd adhd and was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. So I get it. The medication is not for people that do not have bipolar disorder. ❤ glad you figured out what the drs misdiagnosed. My daughter 12 yrs old has autism. Much love sweetheart!!! Xo

Always saddening me to see cases like this. I relate so hard as a woman on the spectrum that had to discover it on her own. Glad this channel uplifts voices so they can be heard.

this is one of the most beautiful souls I've ever been lucky enough to witness. Thank you for this episode!

Big Thank You! Kassondra for being so open and "unmasked" helping me understand. Also for both: being so nice, making such a friendly atmosphere. A lovely interview!

SNAP!!! Just over a minute in and already like for like, albeit I was a lot older before my BP diagnosis was given… thankfully for me I am intolerant of ALOT of medications and so refused to take antipsychotics…!! I have been diagnosed as ASD, ADHD, OCD & CPTSD….!! Sending love from the UK 💋

The eye contact & exhaustion. I figured out I had Asperger's when a top model shared her story. It clicked for me.

Beautiful humans there. Thank you so much for your content and the love you put in it ❤

This is such an important issue, late diagnosed autistic adults. Thank you both for covering it.

I was diagnosed at 41 in 2016. No one could diagnose me with anything but depression and anxiety but then I had a doctor that was thorough but I have been extremely socially inadequate my whole life and couldn't seem to change it. I didn't have many friends because they thought I was "shy". But I know now what it is and I am masking less and want to be non apologetic and transparent. I wear earplugs around loud places and when I sleep. Eye contact is difficult and sometimes selective.

I was put on an antipsychotic medication for anxiety and panic disorder before getting diagnosed with ADHD when I was 31. The antipsychotic made me gain weight like crazy and I felt like a zombie 24/7. I'm now on a stimulant meficstion and have never been better. My anxiety was a symptom of ADHD. Being misdiagnosed, especially as a woman, is so common unfortunately.

Thank you Kossondra, you helped me realise I'm not alone. I'm someone with severe ADHD who was first misdiagnosed and medicated as bipolar. This is the first time in my life that I've heard someone else went through it too. Thank you so much, I feel so much more free!

This was an amazing interview, so many teachers parents’normal’ people need to see this. Thank you for sharing! ❤❤❤

I am a late diagnosed woman, I was diagnosed six years ago, as a woman in my 40s know I can relate how important this is

Beautiful young woman! Thanks for sharing your story. You're never alone. We are all out here to support you.

great video! Thanks, Kassondra! You are not alone!

Another wonderful interview, thanks Kassandra for trusting Chris and sharing your story. You are lovely!

Poor girl, being wrongfully diagnosed with the wrong disorder and having to take the wrong medication sucks, it must have impacted her life a lot :( she's so beautiful!!!! oml❤❤❤ she seems so kind I love her stuffies they look so soft!😊❤

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Oh I just love her. Absolutely resonated with her story. Beautiful girl proud of your strength in sharing your journey

Outstanding interview, very educational and thank you both for putting this out there. Being direct is always the best way to be.

What a beautiful smile. A warm, funny, creative young woman. Thank you for sharing your story, my dear. A little thing about dogs. They are much more attuned to your thoughts and how you feel about them than most people are. When your dog stares at you, he's staring at you with love. I've had dogs for over 60 years! Many were my best friends!

This channel is truly beautiful. I'm a person with Mild Intellectual disability. I got the diagnosis as a child but didn't accept it before i was around 25, because of the stigma it brings with it. I also have been struggling with depression from a very early age and that's something that made it very hard to be social as I isolated myself (something I do, but to a much lesser extent today). For me antidepressants was a huge help to become more social, but it's not a magic pill and I still do have very heavy depressions.. My issue with my diagnosis is that it's very hard for people to actually tell that I'm "different", and that might sound like a relief but in reality it's very hard on me because it also meant that I felt like I was hiding who I really was.. This week I finally got an internship at a store and it was very big relief since I've been out of a job for years at this point and I hope to be able to get a job out of this internship. I've seen a few videos of this channel and I just have to thank you Chris Ulmer for these videos. It's really good to see and hear other people with different diagnosis talk about it. It's such a stigma in society about disabilities and you help make it more approachable!

Kassondra, thank you for sharing your story you educated me so much. You can express yourself and journey far better than most people by far. You communicate very well. I find that most people are incapable of expressing anything intelligent these days.

Sooooo good! This discussion is a wonderful service to humanity, the world. Thank you all!

Kassondra has such a kind and sweet soul. Her experience really resonates with me . I’ve always felt so different from my peers. Watching this video has given me the strength to find out if I’m neurodivergent. I certainly feel like I’m masking in almost every social situation 😢

She's a beautiful soul

Kassondra seems like someone I could be friends with! She seems so genuine and real!

I can relate to her more than I expected too. Bless her heart she's wonderful. and the guy interviewing is very good at communicating.

My 25 year old son has Aspergers and I always described it to people like this: imagine most of the world is like Windows, it’s the predominant operating system on most computers, and having Aspergers is like using iOS or other operating system. There isn’t anything wrong they just operate differently. Also, being direct about your diagnosis and needs with neurotypical people is helpful, in my opinion, because then I can try to accommodate your needs in order to make and maintain a connection with you. I find Autistic people to be the most interesting and truly genuine people.

What a great analogy about the missing leg as being misdiagnosed and treated for bipolar. It's like they're trying to fit you for a prosthetic leg when you have a leg right there, but they don't know that. So you say, oh okay well you're the expert, the adult, the parent, so you must know best. Oh, really, it's MORE difficult to walk now that I'm trying to work with 3 legs? What about my missing arm, over here? Can we get a prosthetic for the thing that's actually wrong? No? Okay, I'll wait 10 years for everyone, myself included, to make this 3rd flippin' leg work and pretend like this unnecessary and inappropriate solution is making me normal. How frustrating, how debilitating. I also get the "here's a wall of text instead of a concise sentence because I have to say EVERYTHING, so I end up saying nothing at all." Just please sit there while I explore every corner of this idea because I don't know how to get to the heart of it so we can all move on.

This is such an insightful look into the feelings and difficulties felt by people with this diagnosis. It is amazing to hear the internal struggles many have, but cannot explain to others. Thank you for this, it is truly interesting and illuminating. She is an amazing human being, especially for having the courage and strength to open up like this.

Thank you, Kassondra, for sharing your story and for helping bring visibility to this sort of occurrence. These stories help me feel not so alone in my experience, and helps me understand and reflect on some aspects of my experience. Again, thank you so much

Thank you so much for sharing. I also have autism, but was misdiagnosed and treated for borderline for 10 years, before they discovered that I don't have borderline, but I have autism. I'm still on medication which helps, and things are starting to make more sense with the autism diagnosis. It's scary how easy it is to diagnose someone from one test and not doing a full on investigation. I'm 30 years old and got the autism diagnosis two years ago. It has really been a struggle...

OMGGG, finally someone I can relate to! I was diagnosed with BPD and medicated wrongly for a decade too!

You are doing such a service to the world with these interviews. Coming from a late diagnosed Neurodivergent family that has been life changing for my children, me and my family. You are providing an education for all steeped in sincerity and wrapped in genuine compassion

Kassondra you did a great job in your interview. I appreciate what you had to share. I’m so happy you were able to get a proper diagnosis! I watched my brother fight the battle with meds and all their side effects, he went through something, was taken off if so many meds, and became such a different person, so I can imagine what you went through. ❤

I am 54 and learned I am autistic at 51. I also was treated for the wrong thing. I think you explained Autism very well. Don't worry you did great. Thank you for bringing this to everyone. It helps so much to explain it when I have examples to show people and to verify that I am ok. Thanks again

i'm in my 50s and didn't know i had autism till doctors said my son had it and i started reading books on it. I realized it described me too. so not diagnosed till my 40s

Thank you for your share and insight. People will learn very much from your openness.

Thank you for this video & thank you Kassondra for sharing your story!!

Holistic care is so important. Bless this woman.

Another wonderful interview! I'm obsessed with animals in nature in general, that axolotl and starfish bit was wonderful! Her "No, that's amazing" was perfect! Haha

You are a great interviewer. Thank you for continuing your project. You are capturing so many snapshots of humanity. It’s beautiful.

I would love to sit for a whole day and listen to Kassondra's story. She seems lovely to hang out with.