“No, I don’t take idioms literally.” She ate you UP with that 😂😂😂

when she said “ i think i look pretty” the PURENESS. such a sweet little soul

Watching this with my 5 year old son and he said “Olivia! I will be your friend!” 🥺

2:24 Sharing a special interest is a way to express LOVE for an autistic child.

Growing up as a neurodivergent, believe me, finding and keeping friends is never easy. This isn't me being negative, I'm just speaking the truth.

After watching, I thought, a 3D printer for making eye glass frames designed by Olivia would be trendsetting.

Chris, thank you so much for featuring Olivia on your channel. We have spent so many years watching your videos and learning from so many amazing interviews, and we are honored that you are sharing her story to help others. We are lucky to live in a world with you in it!

I just want her to know she isn't alone. ❤❤

Autistic kids are the BEST. So much honesty, kindness, creativity, and fun

As an autistic person, I had the same feeling as Olivia. Dont give up, I believe in You :)

I could see Olivia growing up and becoming a wonderfully compassionate eye doctor! Or whatever she puts her mind to! 💕

That "mhm" is amazing. The tone, the pacing, all of it is really unique and awesome. Olivia is going to make friends like crazy after this. Who wouldn't want to be her best friend? She's well spoken, polite, funny, and obviously very thoughtful about others and especially their eyewear.

She’s too good! “I don’t take idioms literally” was certainly unexpected

As an adult diagnosed late with Autism and OCD (amongst other things) Im glad this sweet little girl has very knowledgeable and caring parents who also care to help her understand her condition, and not to just learn about it themselves so they know how to deal with her. they want her to understand herself just as much. I think thats wonderful.

It would be fantastic if Olivia invited three friends to her house to have a get-together where they could decorate some sunglasses with all kinds of jewels, etc. I think she and them would really love this! Olivia, YOU ROCK!

Daughter looks exactly like dad, and brother looks just like mom. Cute!

the way she says mhm is so cute ❤❤

I am 72 years old. I am absolutely amazed at people who are autistic. I find them to be extremely creative people. Yes sometimes a little shy, yes sometimes a little quiet… But extremely creative and loving and kind people. 😊❤️💙❤️💙

She is gonna be a great ophthalmologist or optometrist one day. Awesome she has such a practical interest

As an autistic adult woman with OCD that also struggled to make a friend, I wish this little lady nothing but the best ❤ it’s like listening to my childhood self that had no idea why I was alone

when i was a kid, i noticed when people didnt have friends and i made an attempt to become their friend no matter what others thought. i would then introduce them to other people i knew to put out there that they arent as weird as people thinkg that are.

My daughter is neurodivergent and I remember her saying the same thing about a bestie. It took her a little while to find her group of friends, but she did and you will too. I believe in you! Some of the best doctors are neurodivergent. My daughter is becoming a behavioral therapist. Young lady, you can do anything you want to if you believe you can. I wish you the absolute best of luck. Mom and Dad, you ROCK! I wish all neurodivergent parents were as awesome as you.

i'm an autistic medical student and she reminds me a lot of myself! it's the best when you see something that reminds you of your special interest and it makes you so happy. my main special interest is the molecular pathology of hematological malignancies. like olivia, i have struggled with friendship and finding a friend group, especially in medical school because i didn't have any pre-existing acquaintances. but now i can happily say that i have finally found a group of friends there! you will find your people, you just have to be patient.

Olivia seems so nice! I’d love to be her best friend. ❤

Growing up as Autistic. I always felt the same way. You are not alone ❤

The way the mum and dad look at their daughter, you can tell they really love her and I can see why. She is such a sweet girl who just needs a few friends in her life, the rest of her is perfect.

Autistic kids are the BEST. So much honesty, kindness, creativity, and fun.

She seems so sweet! I’m sure she’d love photography as well. It’s almost similar to glasses, you’re looking through a viewfinder to see something.

I love her little “mhm”!

I'm autistic too and it has been really hard to make friends as well. I'm not on social media and I don't like what all the cliques like so I'm always alone. Sadly no one at my college likes Barbies, Pokemon cards, cartoons, Disney, and oldies music like I do 😢

Young lady you have made a very strong impression on me. Never ever give up on finding a best friend. One day you will have a best friend.

That "mhm" is just adorable

Olivia, I'm an office manager for an ophthalmology practice in Maryland. If you are near please let me know. I'd love to show you around. I have twins who are autistic. My son was interviewed on this site as well.

I’m glad this channel exists ❤ I don’t feel so alone

they are so many different dynamics of Autism, ive met verbal, low functioning, Asperger's, i have a 6 year old whos tall and non verbal, and he is a love muffin, hugs, movies, characters,. hes currently untestable for school. but we are working with him. this girl here is sweet also and looks just like her dad.

Growing up not being able to connect unless it’s related to your special interest really isolates you! I relate to her so much, I’m Audhd with OCD

Omg she’s a doll 🥰 And so smart! She’s a special person; thank you for introducing us to her.

As a person with a visual impairment, I would gladly want Olivia as my eye doctor! Great interview, keep up the good work! Edit: if Olivia’s reading this, since she’s interested in eyes, I might as well explain more about my eyes. I have R.O.P (retnaopithy of prematurity) I don’t think I spelled that right, but I digress, which means that when I was a baby my retina detached (thankfully it’s alright now) but my retina detaching caused my legally blindness, as for my glasses, they’re thick with a real big prescription and without my glasses I wouldn’t be seeing much. Not sure if numbers will help, but my right eye is my better eye with 20/200 and my left (worse) eye is 20/100. So I fully encourage your interest in eyes and glasses, because who knows? Maybe you’ll be the one who makes this world more accessible, that’s all I have, adieu

As a fellow autistic, the one message you wanna send being “hi I’m Olivia and my interests are…” is SO relatable! Sharing my special interests is a way I communicate with/show appreciation for others. Olivia you seem really awesome and I bet you have thousands of people watching who want to be your best friend! 🥰

I hope Olivia makes many many best friends soon.

She sounds intellectually gifted as well and has a very good level of self-awareness.

As a late-diagnosed autistic woman, this brings so much joy and peace to my inner child, who struggled for so many years with being “different” and having no answers. Thank you for sharing 💙

I really hope she finds a best friend she really deserves it .

Wow Chris 11:16 talking to her about your eye sight glasses and contacts is so cute of you ❤ loved that conversation!

She melts my heart. I too have an autistic son with big dreams of lots of friends. It was vital for us to get him involved in groups of neurodivergent kids like him. It has been life-changing for him. I hope she has those opportunities where she lives. ❤

"And I don't accept NO!" Same girl! Me either!!!

Early! 💗 I’m autistic too Olivia also you look so nice to be best friends with 🫶🏻 I struggle w things like friends and etc but I’m the same way connecting too 💗 just got my new glasses today! (got honeycomb lens in which is really cool) ⭐️✨

She already knows what “idioms” are wow. Such a smart gal. And an angel. I am rooting for her!

Oh look at her face when he is telling the story! Totally engaged! My 6 yr old granddaughter is the same but still nonverbal though we do get the odd word that is not mimicking. She is beautiful, funny and enchanting. She is addicted to foreign languages!

I would love to be her friend, I wish I had a friend like her. She seems like a really nice and genuine person.

I’ve got Autism & OCD as well!

Im autistic and she reminds me so much of myself as a kid. I hope she never stops being confident and 100% herself. She has a wonderful personality and deserves all the friends in the world.

I also have autism and OCD. I know all too well how it feels to struggle making friends. I wish Olivia happiness and peace. She's lucky to have such a great understanding family. Don't give up and you'll find the greatest friends!

Hi Olivia! My name is Rosabelle, and I’m in college. I used to think I had autism, but I have found out that I more likely have a mild case of a similar disorder called NVLD. I also have OCD. Growing up with NVLD & OCD, I often struggled to make friends or had difficulty maintaining my friendships because my various neurodivergent ways of thinking could be difficult for my ‘NT’ peers to relate to or understand why I might have acted certain ways. It has been a long journey of self-discovery, but I am proud to say I now have multiple friendships that are very strong and healthy, both with other neurodivergent people and with neurotypical people. I am excited for the days in the near future when you can look back and be proud of all the strong relationships you have built. I know you are capable of finding people who get you, just like you will get them. I hope you enjoyed this experience sharing your story, and I would like you to know that it meant a lot you me to hear it. I also wanted to tell you that I wear glasses every day because I am nearsighted and struggle with seeing things past my arm’s length. I love colorful glasses and in the 10 or so years I have had glasses I have had purple, blue, turquoise, pink, clear, and yellow ones! I have only ever worn contacts a few times because I struggle with allergies and am someone who cries often, both affecting my eyes’ comfort with contacts. Plus, I like getting to have the ease of putting glasses on over my face instead of directly into my eyes. I hope you enjoy reading this, if you ever see it! Sending joy to you and your family!

Olivia seems to have so many qualities to become an excellent friend. Perhaps trying to befriend kids her own age is more difficult because no one knows themselves that good or what they want or need when they're younger... but when you get older and go out into the world somewhat more you'll find the people who will appreciate you more, and you appreciate them more. Asking questions and listening is such a good quality to have, to be willing to share someone elses interest is a huge one too. I have no doubt whatsoever that she will find what she is looking for in some shape of form. P.s. I've gotten the autism diagnoses waaay later in my life, though I do definitely recognise many things & traits described in the video. But to have a family around you to help you navigate your life better is invaluable.

I'm crying. I was like this with horses. And then one sleepover when I was fifteen I overheard my friends saying I'd be fine if I only stopped talking about horses so much so I stopped. I'm now 33 and don't tell people about horses anymore. And, no, I never got to take lessons. The closest I got was when a horse I was riding eloped and cantered me back to their barn. I was over the moon I didn't fall.

She is such a sweetheart...I couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to be her friend. 😊

My name is Olivia and I also have OCD and wear glasses! I am also looking to make friends, and it can feel difficult, but it’s something I really hope to do and am learning to do. I felt really excited seeing the title of this video, and I know 100% there are people out there who are meant to be Olivia’s friends! This video made me happy 💗😊

“I dont take idioms literally.” -interview over. She wins. 😩🥰🖤

Jeeze, she‘s such a loveable person. Love her. So authentic. I feel her.

Growing up, I had an undiagnosed neurodivergency and it made socializing with other kids really difficult--especially since I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I hope Olivia will learn that it will get better one day, especially if she decides to go to college and pursue her interests. While I am not an eye person, I am going after my own special interest in medicine, and it has allowed me to meet many amazing people (and even a few best friends!)

She’s so precious. The innocence is just so pure.

I feel so overwhelmed and touched by her story because she is so relatable.

What an absolute sweetheart 😊 I hope she finds MANY best friends asap.

I love what you do for all the kids/people by bringing light understanding and education to society about things that people don't understand, which ultimately causes negative stigma around many of the diagnosis and deficits that you essentially bring light to. As a mom to a little one with special needs, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy resulting in cerebral palsy and several other secondary diagnosis... I am exponentially grateful for your channel

Making friends is hard for me, too. I think anyone would be lucky to have you as their best friend. Your interest in ophthalmology is so cool!

Olivia you have such a big heart and you will find many best friends in the world because of your beautiful spirit ❤

Her "Umhmmm" MELTS me. I could listen to it all day long.

What a beautiful little girl. God bless her and her mom.

She’s so sweet! ❤ I wish there was a way for our autistic girlies to become friends! ❤

Olivia looks so much like a person that I would love to be best friends with!

Tell her the story of my sister. When she was a teenager she couldn’t see her eye drop bottle very well and she accidentally put superglue in her eye and it glued her eyelids shut. She had to go to the ER . I don’t know how they treated her but she had a patch on her eye for a while. What a sweet girl. So smart

Sweet kid, I am sure she will have many best friends in the near future.

2:57, I also do the same, it's called Rocking. And Yes, most autistic people do it, it does feel good, calming and sometimes helps get rid of Anxiety.

Kids can be very rude if someone is different. But getting older it becomes better and easier to make friends when you are different. And often these friendships last a lifetime.

Olivia is such a sweet and brilliant kid! And eyes are SO COOL! ❤️👀👓

I hope this girl and her family live a long and happy life. It's especially important to teach kids like her how to be safe online and with technology in general. People may/will take advantage if parents aren't careful. I wouldn't put a kid with Autism+OCD out there like this, to be on the safe side. Speaking from experience, with love.

SWEETEST KID!! Wish her all the best in life

I feel the same way, you’re not alone!

What a delightful human! Once, at the eye doctor, the doctor told me a story about a 23 year old who came in for an eye test. They couldn’t even make out the big E at the top because their vision was so bad. The patient had no idea it was even possible to see better! Thankfully, the patient got help, probably glasses!

My name is Olivia and I also am autistic and have OCD and look similar to her so I see my inner child in her 🥺 I know how hard it is to make friends being neurodivergent, I can never keep or make friends. If I could tell her anything I would say to keep being herself and you will find your people 🫶

I’m a 20-year-old with ADHD, OCD, and suspected autism. Hearing Olivia’s story was wonderful and I would absolutely be her friend! I understand the struggles of being neurodivergent and navigating a world that wasn’t built for us. Sending love to Olivia

Olivia could easily become an opthalmologist in light of her deep interest and she would shine in that field because she is so sweet and caring

Olivia, I'm nearsighted and I can tell you have Polycarbonate lenses, I do too! I was very similar to you when I was a kid and you make me so full of joy. Follow whatever you love wholeheartedly, and it's ok if it changes, you will never stop growing!

I have autism, anxiety, and OCD. She’s not alone at all.

Olivia. You are amazing. I am 35 and was diagnosed only a few years ago. You are the first person that reminds me of me. I don't feel alone thanks to you

My two adult sons were a lot like Olivia when they were young. They used to tell the dates of memories as well as what toy aisle they found this and that, and could quote movies they've only seen once. I thought it was adorable! But, like Olivia, they struggled making friends as well, and I feel so badly Olivia has no "best friend." It's hard being the parent of an "Aspie" as my sons struggle to date and make solid friendships. It's hard when nondivergent women/men/children struggle with friendships and dating in an NT world as they they think these kids/adults are weird and awkward, but they're brilliantly witty and funny and know so much about so many things. I hope after this interview, Olivia will have tons of strong friendships and a beloved "best friend" forever!

What a wonderful, sweet kid. May she become the world’s greatest ophthalmologist and find true friends that share her interests! 🙂

I'm new to this channel, but this interviewer is fantastic. I have never seen an individual so in tune with the person he's talking to. As a parent of a child with autism, I am definitely taking notes from him on how to better interact with my son.

Olivia and her dad are so precious waahhhhh. so much love in that family and such a sweet attentive child :’)

Olivia, guess what? I wear glasses AND contacts at the same time! The contacts are called “bandage lenses” which means they do not have any vision correction. I wear them to help smooth out the surface of my eye (without them, the surface of my eye is a little rough: which means light bounces off in different directions when it come in my eyes… that makes it very hard to see!) Then I wear my corrective glasses on top of the contacts to correct my near-sightedness! It can be tough to make friends sometimes. Keep going and growing and learning! Stay curious and practice being a good friend to yourself, too. 🫶🏼

What a wonderful young lady! For me, I started to cry when mom talked about the social skills group. I have the same diagnosis’ as Olivia but I was her age 20 years ago and my parents just didn’t understand how to help me. I’m so happy she has this support ❤

This video touched my heart. It's so important to show the challenges and desires of those with autism and OCD. Thank you for sharing this powerful story. Let's spread awareness and acceptance for individuals like the child in this video. Everyone can get their need for connection met, sometimes a "best" friend is a fantasy we hope for but having friendly relationships and interactions like the one in this video can be enough. I chanced on this video after wanting to learn about OCD and autism at a deeper level. Reach out, connect, and make a difference

What an amazing, sweet and special girl!! I hope she finds lots and lots of friends cause those friends of hers would be lucky to have such a nice and genuine friend in their life!!! I hope Olivia realizes how much sunshine she brings into this world and that it is a better world with her in it!

As an autistic 31 year old I can relate to this very much. As I grew up I leant how to be, act and feel and now I think I act and feel normal. I know it's not an illness or bad it's what make me, me. This video really made me smile :). Such a sweet girl.

As an adult with ADHD and OCD, I LOVE learning new things about medical stuff! I love Hello Kitty, I used to have a Hello Kitty backpack when I was Olivia's age. (I still wear it from time to time- and nobody can tell me otherwise!) I wear glasses. I'm a little near sighted. My glasses are really simple in design, but I like them that way! I love answering questions, and there are SOOOO many people who do! Your guessing game was very nostalgic to hear about. You SEE, I played the same game with my siblings! Olivia is such a fun kid, and nobody could tell me otherwise! Have a nice day :)

Her laugh is the best, what a sweet girl! And Chris, you are so kind and do such a good job to help make kids feel at ease to be themselves what a gift❤️

My nephew was non verbal until about 5. But in preschool he rarely spoke. I took him with everywhere to research stuff for company i was developing. His mom picked him up and asked what he did today. His reply " market research for aunt ninas sweets and treat". So non verbal doesnt mean they arent listening and soaking everything up

Those are great glasses Olivia chose. Her brilliance is so evident. I believe these children who are blessed with families like hers will have amazing lives making many contributions to society. But most of all I wish them a happy life with many friends❤❤❤❤❤

She is such an intelligent child and her glasses are so cool.