Reminds me of a joke I saw on Reddit: Why didn't people during the Great Depression just get over it?

My mother has suggested that I have used my Asperger's diagnosis as an excuse. The problem with this suggestion is that I did not know that I had Asperger's until six months ago, just weeks before my 53rd birthday.

"Aspergers? You can't have that, otherwise you couldn't have coped for over 50 years." Right. Did the person that said that to me, ask me HOW I coped - or better how I failed for over 50 years to lead a fulfilling and happy life? Thank you for your series, which hopefully helps people outside the spectrum to understand.

I admire the level of patience it takes to make a video like this. 4 and a half minutes in and the painfully misinformed comments have already got me on the verge of meltdown. Why is it so hard for NTs to comprehend AS?

Saying someone with a mental issue to stop using it as an excuse is like telling a person with no legs to run a marathon and they tell you they can't and you then say "Omg stop using your lack of legs as an excuse" our brain is a pc simple as that. If your pc only has 40 gb storage you can't force it to download a 55 gb game.

Man I hate this science denial shit so many people insist on. Whether it's evolution or medical diagnoses. All they can do is mock it and act like it's ridiculous instead of looking at the extensive research and evidence that exists or failing that trusting the professionals who have dedicated their lives to studying these things.

I put on the mask of "not having AS" all during my teenagehood. This didn't make it go away, on the contrary i believe. My self esteem only went down and down as I was asking my self "why can't i be normal, why can't i just be sensed as normal? Why do I always feel that my acting to the world falls short?".

My best friend has asperger's. These videos definitely help me understand him even better. Thanks

Some of these people you replied to seem to ignore the fact that Professional Doctors or Psychologist can professionally diagnose someone with Aspergars. It feels like these people will never make it past a community college or military.

Those people are the type to tell others with depression to "just be happy" and to "get over it"

God those comments were cancer, none of the normies want to acknowledge your deferences nor understand it because of their feels, how selfish.

I heard you coming close to melt down responding to some of those very unkind and uninformed posts. Hope it wasn't too rough and kudos on pushing through and doing the video.

The first time I remember hearing the name "Aspergers" as a kid, I immediately thought "Ass Burgers" . And I had already been diagnosed.

I need to watch your series on this. As someone who is on the spectrum it would be nice . Thanks for your work on this

people say the same things about depression, that it's a choice and such - well sometimes it's not that easy to just decide to ignore instabilities in the mind and overcoming them by a single choice, having a perfect self-control is not easy at all for a person even with a healthy brain

You've really inspired me, Max. I saw your first video about AS roughly two weeks ago, and it's explained a lot, from my tendency to drone on about something for hours until I was about 12 (my sister had to tell me how annoying it was), to my inability to make friends, to my immense difficulty starting, focusing on, and answering open-ended homework questions. I've always lived in the shadow of my sister, who graduated high school as first in her class, and I felt like a failure for being unable to perform at her level academically, be it standardized tests or reading speed. I got straight A's all the way up until I got burned out in my second year of high school, and I only did so well until then by literally staying up from dinnertime until 2 or 3 A.M. each school night, just doing homework. For the last 2 or 3 years, I took to self-pity and feeling like a failure for being unable to muster the physical and emotional strength to carry on the way I had been doing before. Finding this video series was probably one of the greatest things to happen to me in years. Finally knowing why I'm different and seeing your can-do attitude has reinvigorated me. I'm currently at a very important part in my life, and I just want you to know that your videos are making a difference somewhere in the world, like you hoped. I'll get all the help I need, and I won't fail myself this time.

Hey, Max! I really liked your videos on Aspergers and as someone with AS myself I can relate to most things you said.. But I think videos like this might not be the best idea. Trolls feed on attention and making a dedicated video to them is exactly what they want. I think the best thing to do is to ignore the obvious trolls and instead make spin-off videos responding to people with genuine questions and concerns. Anyway, thank you for spreading awareness about AS and I'll look forward to the coming videos! Keep up the good work! :) -edit grammar

most of the comments come from "not knowing what is like". People believe they are in control of their actions, when so many of their daily doings are result of them following instincs. The issue come when you dont have those instics, which results in other people finding you weird, or even rude. I had to "learn",how to "act normal", trough observation and imitation, try and error, I have come with a set of "basic rules" for diferent social enviroments, something other people do witouth thinking, is a concient effort for me and others. If I had been diagnosed as a child, I would probably have had more simpathy, and perhaps wouldnt have been so coerced to study people to learn their way. On the other hand, I spent the first 14 years of my life, without knowing I was different, so I just didnt realized that I was missing half of the information people communicate trough non verbal language.

How can someone claim to have "cured/manage" their Asperger's. Turn around, belittle and shame someone else still suffering from Asperger's. Everyone has a different situation when compared. From their current environment, available resources, and how they were raised. Why do the words "spectrum" and "simptom" get ignored by so many?

I too have Aspergers. It can be very difficult. My obsessions are the worst part.

I got Aspergers myself. And this issue, with people who are so stuck up their own asses, that they don't even want to accept or realize that AS is a reality for some of us, that just gnaws at my nerves. Max! The outside world will N E V E R accept AS or respect people who have it. That's why I'm working on starting an organized movement together with as many Asperger individuals as possible. I live in Sweden and I'm working at a place called "Young Innovation HUB" in Åmål. I just met somebody yesterday who had no clue that he himself had Aspergers. So I adviced him to go get tested. Now this movement I'm working on, doesn't have a name yet. I just came up with the idea a couple of days ago. But I need help to make it grow. And I invite everyone willing to join. If we stand united, we have a much higher chance of actually making a difference. Imagine an international organization, run by "Aspies", looking out for other "Aspies". If there's no place that can accept us as we are, then we're just going to have to make that place ourselves. Let me know what you think. I got a channel too, though I don't upload much.

I like the term aspie because it is nice and short and worked for me. Saying I have high functioning autism is just so much to say, let alone type.

You are awesome and I love that you're spreading awareness of a condition many people do not understand

Thanks for your channel and this particular q&a. Your answers help me as a NT understand ASD so much better. Helping my understanding is always of value. Thanks.

I’m a mother of a wonderful ASPERGER son. He’s now 29 and it’s been very difficult for me to help and support him Your videos are extremely accurate to all of his struggles Your videos have given him and me some real insight. Keep up the good work

I hate how a line from Joker is relevant in the real world: "The worst part about having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don't" And this comments sadly reminded me of it instantly

I hope this whole series goes viral. It's super simplified and very helpful. Can't believe some people didn't want to understand.

Max my friend, I’m really hoping that this was cathartic for you and it helps you deal with shitty comments in the future. As fan these types of videos are difficult to watch. I just end up pissed off at people. That’s not meant as a complaint, only information that you can use as you wish. Interestingly, I found many of the negative comments has kernels of truth in them. Admittedly, they were quite small but it proves that there is value in interaction. It’s just a shame they have to kick you in the balls at the same time. Last thing, I truly believe your skills at writing and research are your calling. That is likely tainted by my love of well written and delivers content. I rank you along with Hannah, which for me is very high praise. Keep going little brother, it may not seem to be going fast enough, but age will bring success. There’s only room for one old Canadian misfit and I have seniority. Lol

As someone who suffers from AS, eye contact is a strange thing, but it has pretty clear lines. If it's a drawing, painting, or something not human, I can look at eyes just fine. If it's a person, no matter if they're right next to me, across the room, or staring at the camera in a video I'm watching, I feel horribly uncomfortable. If real eyes are involved in any capacity, it's uncomfortable. The only real exception is for close friends and family. I have no issue with either of my parents, and there's a small circle of very close friends that I feel comfortable with doing this. It's interesting to note that most of them also happen to be AS sufferers to some degree.

I have liked a number of your videos Max and it helped me understand my own Asperger's. I, too, also having a mixed results in my mid 20's with bad gambles on my push to the Bachelor's graduate and now trying to keep myself standing again. I'm thankful that I was able to watch your Asperger's series. Keep it up.

I love you so much for making these videos. Honestly, thank you ✌️

You are great. Thank you so much for making these videos. I wish I had found your videos sooner. I am neurotypical and I think people should accommodate everyone. There is no right or wrong, just different. I like to learn as much as I can about different diagnoses because I had a diagnosable condition growing up and people blamed me and told me t was choosing to be that way. I never want someone else to go through that on account of me not bothering to understand them. Keep doing you are doing. Thanks so much! You

You're so patient. People are unbelievable.

I've made every effort to fit in as well. I don't think people on the spectrum are too lazy to try to fit in. Most try and fail. And try and fail. And trying for us means much more effort than even for a shy NT person. It's not laziness. Jesus.

I like your videos. I'm not sure if I have AS, but I have similar experiences. I find the experiences of AS people so relateable. I hope you keep sharing even though it sucks to talk about things you're not skilled at and bad experiences, and it's hard when so many people leave ignorant or unhelpful comments. Keep up the good work. :)

I think you and your video are amazing! Excellent work and thank you!

I do agree that if you have a disorder of some kind, you shouldn't make it part of your personality. But after recently stumbling across the idea that I might have Aspergers, I was better able to understand myself, and face some issues I've had head on. Two days ago, someone complimented me, saying "most people I know from X profession tend to be lacking in soft skills, they aren't naturals like you". Then yesterday in class, I was complimented by the teacher, because during our presentations, I was the only person in the entire class to introduce myself (and I also introduced my partner, despite the fact she didn't come up to present) Another big thing, is that before I thought I might have Aspergers, the idea of being in a relationship was unthinkable to me. For multiple reasons. While I still don't feel ready to be in a relationship, I can actually see myself entering one in the future now.

Good job, Max! Very informative video and very helpful, especially for me, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at 4 years old and these video absolutely help with describing it to people.

I absolutely love how you responded to the comments!🙃

Thank you for making these videos, they have helped me so much to learn more about what I have and the steps I can take to try to improve it. You approached this issue so well. Keep it up! 😁

I like how these kind of comments are telling that others are being weak, when they are simultaneously making fundamental attribution errors.

Very informative video. Im very glad you interacting with your fans. This video series was a lot of help for understanding ppl with Asperger's condition.

I'm grateful that you're in a place where you can both engage with people who criticise you and produce something of value for the future. Keep up the hard work.

I think part of what people don't understand, is that AS is the neurological equivalent of missing a limb. Can you learn to live life more normally missing an arm or leg? Are there coping strategies? Can you even get augmentation to assist? Yes on all counts. However, none of those things can help replace the limb. You'll never be quite right, and depending on the perception level of those around you, it can have varying degrees of social impact. FWIW, as a 40 y/o living with this forever, yes coping strategies improve with experience. There was basically no diagnosis for this in place when I was young, so that's all many of us had. And when you were growing up, it still wasn't nearly as standard a diagnosis or recognized as now. Early intervention is the key due to developmental limitations on brain plasticity, and in some cases, it's too late by the time diagnosis _is_ made. I'm glad you recognize much of this, and doing what you can to dispel the misconceptions. It's not an excuse, but should be recognized for what it is. I know a guy that has a metal leg, and he walks a bit oddly; those with AS think a bit oddly. That's just life. Understanding your limitations is the first step to working around them, but that doesn't make them go away. Anyone who thinks you're making excuses is missing the bigger picture.

Hello Max, I loved your responses especially the response to the trolls. I appreciate what you are doing with these videos and I know for sure you are making the world a better place for everyone. Thank you

You should keep in mind that when most people think of Autism/Asperger's, they tend to automatically think of Chris Chan (though he's openly professed his hatred for people with Asperger's, like it's taking away attention from Autists like him), who is a genuinely terrible excuse for a human being who uses Autism as an excuse for his degenerate behavior. Unfortunately he's become something of a poster child for people on the Autism spectrum.

I just wanted to go out of my way and thank you for making these videos. I was diagnosed with asperger's syndrome many years ago, but honestly nobody was ever able to help me actually understand what that meant. All I took away from it as a kid was that it was a "minor disability," something that barely affected me. I approached it with the same kind of mindset as many of the commenters in this video, that failure to overcome this relatively minor hurdle is just a result of lacking character. That mindset led to years and years of self loathing and doubt. I refused to accept any form of help or special treatment, though my parents often forced them on me anyways, insisting that I needed to be "fixed" and that I wasn't trying hard enough. I felt like everyone above me, my parents and and the therapists they forced me to meet with, were treating me like I couldn't handle people in even the most basic capacity, trying to home in on typical symptoms of autism as if that were the entirety of my being, trying to phrase things in terms of my "special interests" as though those were the only things I could understand. In the end I think it did more harm than good; it was humiliating, and I didn't feel like I needed help at all. I was the victim of some pretty horrific bullying in school (someone I never met before tried to kill me in a parking lot once because of a false rumor someone made up in gym class to make me look like a "creep"), but I considered that more a symptom of the fact that people were disgusting, horrible creatures that I was unfortunate enough to be one of. That was the real problem in my eyes, and I didn't see "fixing" me as a way to actually fix that problem. Anyways, things got a lot harder after school. My parents basically got tired of dealing with my autism and kicked me out of the house. After that I hardly thought about my autism at all, things were hard but I always attributed my difficulties to depression and anxiety; which was partly correct, but I never realized just how much my condition was feeding into those problems. But somehow, one day I came across your videos. You managed to explain to me things that nobody else really could, or really bothered to. Finally I was starting to realize how a lot of what I struggle with are things that most people don't struggle with, or even think about at all. I realized that life isn't this intense or difficult on a daily basis for everyone. In some ways that was crushing, but it also helped me realize that human life isn't just 80 years of hidden suffering that we've just evolved to be okay with. So even if my life is hard, even if it's more suffering than joy, that's okay because I still get to be a part of something beautiful, the greatest spectacle in the entire universe. Furthermore, it expanded my own understanding of why my brain just doesn't work sometimes, which makes it a lot easier for me to (hopefully someday) explain to people that I'm not an idiot, and assure myself that I'm not stupid on the occasion that I struggle with a task that I know should be easy. And it helped me realize that having to push yourself to your limits every single day just to appear almost normal isn't "minor," it's a real struggle and I don't have to feel bad about acknowledging that. I'm at peace with my autism. As you said, it's a neurological anomaly. It doesn't make me inferior, it makes me different. I am only disabled in the context of human society, which I am unfortunate enough to be dependent on for survival. But the curse of needing to push my limits every single day is the blessing of being able to do so when I want to. The curse of not being in tune with the perspective of others is the blessing of being able to see the world in ways nobody else can. I wouldn't be who I am today if I didn't have autism, because my life would be completely different. It's not good, it's not bad, it's just a necessary ingredient in the amalgamation of experiences and ideas that forged my ideals and understanding of the world. Even if being neurotypical might have lead to an easier, happier life, I wouldn't start things over when there's a chance I could end up someone completely different who, say, tries to kill people I've never met because someone said he might have stared at some girl in gym.

I cannot praise you enough for how well you are able to de-construct these arguments while still remaining mature and articulate! That is a very difficult thing to do that takes a lot of collectiveness! You are an inspiration and a very positive example for people with Asperger's to follow-and I say that, having Asperger's myself and also trying to make the best with what I have! (Just as an aside, I personally have never found "Aspie" to be that much of an insult; and even if it was meant to be an islet, I always took it in stride and thought that it might eventually become a colloquial term, the same way "tomboy" and "nerd" are given their context.) I'd like to ask you a few things regarding the fact that you speak French: I speak French too (and have also studied German), and I've often found that while I am rather awkward at times trying to engage in a typical English conversation (mainly because most of the time my brain is trying to wrap around all the social norms I'm trying to follow), I actually take great pleasure in starting a conversation with someone who speaks said different language and can do it without that much worry. Maybe it's because I am comfortable with the knowledge that foreigners appreciate the effort I make to try and communicate with THIER standards, unlike how so many of us Americans take for granted THIER efforts to learn OUR language (which is one of my big pet peeves by the way, as I feel it paints our country in something of a negative light). My two questions for you are: Do you feel that way sometimes, like you have an easier time communicating in a language that isn't your own? And if you ever had the chance to get a good work opportunity in a French speaking-region, do you think you might take it?

I very much enjoy your series. I myself have been diagnosed with autism when I was around 5 but since I obviously didn't have much understanding of it back then my mom brought it up to me when I was 13. Since then I've become a lot more self aware of my actions and was able to understand more about myself through research. Recently I've been going through a rough time, I've lost a lot of motivation and really the only thing I felt I'de any energy to do was just draw. I was supposed to have an appointment with my therapist but I haven't heard any thing from him in a while and really all I could ever think of is everything I wanted to say to him. I'm 15 now, I'm still young and there's still so much I need to learn. I've had trouble controlling my emotions, and several times I'de break down crying because my class mates were being too loud. Ive been going through a lot of existential confusion, and unfortunately I really don't think I've yet to find the right people to really accept me and not see me as any different once finding out that there's a name for why I do what I do. I remember one time I was called to the principal office because I happened to have a mental breakdown in our Tech Graph ( technical graphics ) classroom. They ended up telling me that my autism can no longer be used as an excuse and that if I wanted to be treated like a normal student then I'de have to be given black marks just like anyone else who disrupted the class and be kicked out of Tech Graph. But the thing is: I WANT to be treated like a normal person in the sense that I DONT want my autism to define me. What I DONT want on the other end is to be treated in the sense that I should be treated like I've a " normal " functioning brain. I can't control my mental breakdowns, this kind of shit isn't just a walk in the park and can sometimes end up with me either harming myself or others. Throughout my life I've become extremely used to being on my own, at home it's easier when I have a mental breakdown because I am allowed to be given the time and space to sit down in my room and have a cry to myself before being able to calm down and tell myself wether the situation is really worth crying over. However, in places like school it's near impossible to have some time to myself. My teachers suggested just letting everyone know about my autism so people can understand but I'de nearly go into another mental breakdown just from the thought what several -18 people would do with that kind of information. When I came across your videos it basically felt like I'de just found myself a miracle that I've been needing my whole life. Watching your series has really taught me a lot and really helped me to learn not to be ashamed of my autism and that I'm not the only one facing the same problem. Watching your videos was the first time I've ever cried tears of actual joy. Thank you so much, for everything you've done so far. I really sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking your time to give the rest of us a pat of the shoulder that we all needed. You've been really helpful so far and I hope you find this comment just to know how much you're really appreciated. *Now onto the salt:* *Iwish I was lying when I say there's fewer things I dispise more than people who think it's alright to have the mentality that they somehow have the privilege to talk to others with aspergers as if we're aliens. Autism isn't just some fucking illness like the flu you can easily recover from. It's something that ranges in many different types of severities with several variations of symptoms that has affected many people and how they copy with their daily lives. I am DISGUSTED by the mindset of some people who think they have the RIGHT and AUDACITY to talk to someone as if they're below them just because they have a disorder. Absolutely NO BODY deserves to feel like their anxiety, depression or really ANY of their problems shouldn't be seen as seriously as they actually are just because some idiots don't know how to do research and basically think it's alright to stereotype people like us. EVERYONE deserves to be treated equally but I have absolutely no respect for people who don't know what the fuck they're talking about treating disorders like it's just some label used as an " excuse " without actually BOTHERING to proof check wether it's real and the affects it has on people.*

I’ve watched a lot of your videos, thank you for helping increase awareness of the realities of ASD

Don't let the idiots get to you. I wouldn't even bother responding to their trolling comments. I don't know whether or not I'm on the spectrum but many things you said in your previous videos related to me on a personal level and encouraged me to do more research on the topic. Thank you and please continue making these videos.

I think you are doing excellent work, keep it up. Thank You.

You are really strong, i want to congrats you to step to the front and talk about something that's affecting your life. Wish You the best and don't listen to stupid people, they love to talk about things they don't get

Max, A lot of what you write deeply resonates with me. For the longest time I feel that nobody really understands how AS as a syndrome operates. This video series will definitely help with reaching out to these people who don't understand through no fault of their own. Living with AS for me is a constant struggle of living in a body I don't understand. The thing is I am pretty self-aware even though AS can't show that easily when observed from outside. Also, the way my body behaves to certain stimuli is irritatingly heightened. I feel emotions more intensely, my senses are overstimulated constantly, and I can't relate to peoples feelings at all unless it's straight obvious. Its not a good cocktail of quirks and vices to have. I am graduating from college this week; recently got a new job. yet i dont feel fully assimilated in society, and I use the term assimilated in jest because it sure feels as such. I get attention from people all the time yet I cant reach back out. It's hard to develop healthy relationships because I cant interact with people effectively. Perhaps this is the last piece to my puzzle, communicating effectively with social investment. But whoever I ask says communicating and being social is hard, even for neurotypicals. The more I think about this stuff, the more I wish I could just give up. Yet nobody will ever know I struggled if I don't succeed.

I know you made this a while ago but I watch /listen thinking that I am with you, Max. WIth you in finding the capacity in you to answer these questions, which, to me, largely infuriating. Getting a lot from your videos, thank you.

Max I want to thank you very much for these video's. I was just recently diagnosed as having Asperger's syndrome or high functioning autism if you will. The funny part is when I was diagnosed to me it explained so much about why social interaction was always so difficult for me. I rushed to tell my wife who was like "yeah I knew the first time we dated" It seems I was fortunate enough to fall in with a lovely woman and a group of people who accept my awkwardness and occasional rudeness when I make inappropriate or ill timed comments. I wish more people had this kind of support. And for those who might read this and wonder if they should bother getting diagnosed. Yes you should. I was referred to a practice that specializes in Autism. There are medications that while they won't get rid of the problem do help make some things easier. The therapy also has improved communication with my family as they know have an inkling of how I see the world and why I am like I am. Thank you Max Keep up the good work

I have both Aspergers and HDHD so it’s damn near impossible to focus on anything that’s not interesting or without a motivation. I am very interested in what you have to say about this symptom. Keep up the good work!

That mirror one, I actually can not. I thought it was normal.

thanks for making this series... my little brother is on the spectrum and he's really struggling through school right now. your series is helping me understand him better since he doesn't like to explain how he feels, or he's just incapable of saying it.

Oooh I love how you dealt with the criticism. You are very patient. Kudos to you for keeping your head cool. I wouldn't have been able to do that.

keep making these vids man i don't have autism. but i like learning about it you make it fun and educational and you make me see asperger's in a new light and now that i'm a bit more educated on the subject i can now be more sensitive and more understanding to others.

I admire most of your positivity in reaction to these ignorant critics you got. You stated very clearly why you make these video's. I met someone with asp and this really helps me. Thank you for sharing, really thank you :)

Don't know why but i feel like liking the videos moment i see are uploaded or are liked by you, though i go through other videos, i still feel it was trusting you giving best content without even hearing. i even recommend your videos to friends and i am happy, that i find such great videos worth sharing

It is very noble for you to take the time to address these comments, many of which are either naive or insensitive. At any rate, kudos to you for trying to educate neurotypicals. God bless you Max.

This is a great video. I wish I had seen the other videos prior, but this is the first one I've seen. I found your channel through your Silent Hill videos, but I see that like me, your channel is rather varied. Definitely glad I subbed, I'll be watching both The Truth About AS, as well as Wired Differently all the way through. Thank you for being brave enough to make these videos. I've not yet been diagnosed, but I plan on having a doctor check me out, so I can know for sure. I've had suspicions since I was a kid in early elementary that I was different from other kids, and not just for my interests. Again, thank you. ✌🙂

I just want to tell you I absolutely LOVE your responses to these criticisms. There are a lot of real jerks out there and you just rose above them all. I'm so sorry you have to deal with these insensitive baboons. Your videos are really opening my eyes to the struggles someone very close to me has that I believe may be due to them having undiagnosed Aspergers. Keep up the good work! It's appreciated.

I have Asperger’s Syndrome(or high-functioning autism, whichever you prefer to call it), and regarding the eye contact, I’ve found that while I can’t look people in the eyes in the conventional sense, I can look at the white of one of their eyes, and it is enough to make people think I’m making eye contact. I know that it’s a spectrum, and it might not work for everyone, but I’m just sharing what I’ve done that helps me integrate. I’d also like to thank you for starting your series on Asperger’s Syndrome. It helped me explain it to my two friends, and helped them understand what goes through my head. Since then, they’ve been trying to help me get better at integrating, and help me calm down when I have a meltdown(typically they keep other students away while I’m experiencing it, and calm me down when the meltdown has run it’s course, and I’m trying to regain my composure.

This video was absolutely amazing!! But unfortunately a lot of people will always call us selfish children because they don’t understand what we go through...

Wow...you go through all this effort, explaining the finer details of AS and how it effects the lives of those with it as well as those around them, and the best some can do is to insult, troll, bully and even outright deny the truth of the syndrome and those who have it? That's actually sad and pathetic on their part! Thanks for this series and everything else you do...btw, miss you on BBN, looking forward to seeing how your solo channel continues to grow!

Thanks for the great content Max. I hope the world will become more accepting of people who are not "neurotypical"; I believe it will, and that you are helping make that happen. Thank you again Max

Good job on this video Max. I've known someone who was autistic and I never let it bother me. Whenever we messed around he would instinctively tense and strike out. I knew he didn't mean any harm, and he knew I didn't. Some people will accept you for however much progress you've made. If you're lucky, they will stand by and help you grow.

i bow to your patience. even i dont have AS but i am learning to understand more about AS, those thick heads are the reason humanity will never advance . ignoring decades of science, neurobiology research, and instead putting their own opinion and assumption first.

I have AS an anything with eyes upsets me. I tend to not have things like that around, but I also tend to for whatever reason give way too much personifaction to way too many objects. So it might just be my combination.

I am showing these to my sister so she can better understand me as we clash on many occasions on ocount of something I can't control thank you so so much

Yea my partner is the only person I can reliably make eye contact with and even then he sometimes calls me out on "talking to the wall instead of him" (lovingly of course)

Hello, fellow Asperger here. :) I really appreciate these videos. Something I've noticed with some others with AS is that they expect people to automatically to understand them without explaining anything; being ignorant doesn't mean you're being horrible, they just don't understand because they do not have it, so it is up to us to help them so they can empathise. Hopefully, that will help change the minds of people who think we're just being childish or attention seeking etc. I actually remember being friends with a guy (who self-diagnosed himself with AS...) who pulled me to one side one day and told me to stop openly admitting I have Aspergers because it was nothing to be proud of. Needless to say, I haven't spoken to him in years. xD The way I see it, without AS I wouldn't be who I am today. Yes, school was hell and life is still hard but it's brought me to where I am today and I wouldn't have it any other way. :) You can only get better so long as you keep an open mind and are willing to learn and help others to understand. At least that's how I see it. So thank you for the videos. I've been sharing them. ^-^ Also, aww I think the word aspie is cute. xD

"You deserve to be happy." I might have to steal that one. That's actually a good send off.

thank you for addressing these comments. It’s something I can go back to when I need a reply to some nasty comments. Comments and bullying like this is why I don’t tell people I got AS. I’d rather be called a bitch than get bullied for having AS. Thank you for all of your videos. Keep it up!

As someone with AS, I've had discomfort in my childhood with eyes even on inanimate objects. I couldn't watch shows like Dora the Explorer because characters would just drop everything to gaze into your soul, and to this day I still find it unnerving. Until my mid teens, I couldn't sleep unless toys and action figures were facing against the wall. Might just be me, with a slight fear of being watched, but worth noting. I was diagnosed in Kinder/Prep school, as my teacher then had worked with those with AS and knew straight off the bat, so I've had time to get a grip on the concept of being an "Aspergian", and try to work on some of the disruptive symptoms. I don't have meltdowns as often as I did in my childhood, only rarely, and while I'm extremely obsessive-compulsive and have paranoid social anxiety regarding crowds and strangers, I've managed to finish high school and have kept a local job for little over 2 years now. I even tried my hand at making KZfaq videos of my own to practice talking to people. My boss says I've made a lot of progress being social in the time she's known me, so it's a good start.

Eye contact seems to be a BIG thing. Maybe the problem is not that some people don't like eye contact. Maybe the problem is that we live in a culture that values eye contact so highly. We have an "eye contact fetish". It is after all unnatural and threatening and so aspies may in fact be more in touch with their deeper animal selves than most of us.

If you think about the problem of looking people in the eye could be related to animalistic behaviors as animals see looking someone in the eye as a challenge and become combative. Which in someone with aspergers looks someone in the eye the instinctual part of the brain screams that doing that is bad and they look away as they do not wish to fight the person.

When I look people in the eye, they are scared.

A good friend of mine, one of my best friends, has Aspergers and ADHD, I like to watch videos like this to see if I can recognize some symptoms and understand him better, I also have read abit about it and I know its a spectrum so not everyone has the same problems like, 2 people with Aspergers have can completely different problems and so on. I have noticed a lot of improvements over the years for him which makes me really happy.

10:03 this is a repeating thing. People seem to think that, since the condition is in your mind, you could "cure" yourself just by thinking the right thoughts.

Speaking as someone who has dealt with both, autism is like depression, in that you can't simply "get over it" but you can work to better yourself, and find things that work for you, to make your life more manageable.

Max I like your Videos, I hope you will find happiness in the everyday things, greetings from MEXICO

Already get you at your first two response criticisms MaxD, I’m not diagnosed with anything of the sort despite me attributing most of the more minor symptoms you describe such as the maintains of eye contact, the inability to animate myself or just down right social awkwardness, personally I’ve been ostracized many of time form almost every community I’ve been apart of n by pretty much most all my friends & family say for 2(2 friends, 2 siblings)& it honestly pains me to hear that most normies see it as an excuse and not a detriment, thanks for being a voice for the ones that struggle to stand up or speak up for them selves cuz believe me, IDK what’s wrong with me anymore & the only thing I feel anymore is fear & sadness, there’s times I wish I wasn’t me so didn’t have to deal with it or that I just wish I didn’t exist not even mentioning the amount of self deleting thoughts that comes with so… Mad Respect MaxDerrat👍🏽

I can make eye contact but it is uncomfortable to maintain, also when conversation become complex or stressful I have to break eye contact to think, concentrate, or recall things,which can make people think I am being dishonest.

the comment from frost hit a sore spot with me. my whole entire life i have tried to fit in socially even though i have no clue how to do so. my childhood consisted of me trying to mold my self into what others wanted me to be and how i could be most excepted, and yet i was constantly being yelled at by people who where saying things like" you need to start chaning your self to make others happy" and "dont you ever think about how others feel" and it was completely frustrating because here i am trying to fit in, trying to stay out of the way of others, and constantly worrying about what others think and yet i see others all around me refusing to listen to what i say, care about me , or even try and change their selves for their friends. to me it was 100% double standard and when ever i brought this up to people they would look at me like i was stupid and had no clue what i was saying well long barely comprehensible rant short, i have given up on caring what others want and honestly i feel alot better about my self and ironically seem to fit in better with people (i am still highly socially akword though)

I listened to the whole video.

15:37 😂😂😂 Yeah! I remember when I first learned about it as a child. Thinking it was actually spelled that way, I changed the name to "Donkey Burgers" when referring to it around my family, and even a few friends... I was smol child, okay?! 😂

Great responses back to these ignorant, narrow minded people that left their unthought out opinions, that have proved exactly why you are trying to raise awareness in the first place, to these un-empathic rigid thinkers. Your content is really good. I’ve watched lots of videos on You tube about ASD and yours by far, is the best, in offering real life, concise examples of peoples experiences with ASD. Keep doing what you do 👍

I only have dyslexia and Irlan Syndrome and had a life of my parents and teachers telling me how lazy I was, instead of thinking 'hang-on... lets look in to this. Why can't he read?' And that was soul destroying enough. But reading and hearing so many comments that say that was the same mentality of their parents and teachers is heartbreaking. Being on the spectrum affects so much of your social lives and development and having that 'type' of support... no wonder suicide thoughts are so common. Hopefully channels like this will help to expand peoples mentality. P.S. Max man, you should consider getting a side job as a you-tube voice actor. Your very good.

I thought, and was kinda hoping to be honest, this video was about how to get past criticism. This video is good and helpful, I was just hoping it would be advice that I could use to not take the comments of other people on the internet so personally, something I definitely struggle with, especially since one of the hardest parts of being an aspie for me is the lack of clear communication (in my mind). BTW, the amount of people that believe they have the answers to these questions simply because they self diagnosed themselves as an aspie, and then self determined they have now "fixed" themselves, is kind of horrifying and really shows how little the common population knows about mental health.

Also not knowing you have autism or aspergers in this case doesn’t stop you from showing symptoms I wasn’t diagnosed TIL I was 18 so I didn’t really know I had it but I still had symptoms regardless so knowing about it doesn’t make it worse or better it’s just better to know.

Thanks for giving these corrections to responses. I personally was diagnosed with AS at 11 years old, and thankfully through many therapies, it’s now manageable. 13:43 and I felt all of that, as I want to overcome all that. Edit: Timestamp

Max love ya vids mate, keep it up buddy

You did amazing, Max. 👍👍

I think you have level, sensible responses here. Good work. :)

The funny part about the trolls it that they are "normal people" with "healthy brains", yet they are the ones looking like the need a fix...