Top 10 Tips for Life with Autism or Aspergers

You've spoken to my deepest desires as an autistic person - get rich, acquire chicken nuggets. Thank you so much for sharing and being open about your diagnosis. I was diagnosed a few years ago and am working to be as open and accepting of it as you are. Great video!

Dave, I'm an autistic young man and I want to thank you for this

24:12 - Totally relate to this focus struggle! I swing from being super absorbed in something (to the point of accidentally ignoring people, oops) to getting lost in distractions when I don't know where to direct my energy. Loss of focus makes me feel lazy... I have realised It's not about being lazy; it's more like getting swamped by too many options, especially with simple stuff like tidying a desk. What seems straightforward ends up feeling like a mountain of tasks, and it's overwhelming. I have ADHD but i wouldn't change it even if i could. Its a mixed bag but I choose to love the positives of that and accept the negatives as an equal cost.

Got diagnosed at 24. I definitely agree with much of what you mentioned. I also emulate and start speaking like people I spend time with. My daughter changes her way depending on who she is currently watching on YouTube so maybe she has got it as well. I tend to go down rabbit holes a lot in that I get super focused on a subject and can’t stop thinking about it. It’s hard to try to sleep and I just have to look up something on my phone because I HAVE to know something I’m thinking about. Yet I didn’t do well at collage because I quickly lost interest if a subject wasn’t interesting to me. I can watch videos about things on YouTube all day long but learning stuff in school was so boring.

I took special note of your mention of ASD groups being somewhat “dark” in nature in various places online and couldn’t agree more. Your videos and book have been a much more positive influence for me, and I thank you for that. We’re around the same age too, so it helps with familiarity.

I was diagnosed with Asperger's when I was around 50 and my whole life suddenly fell into place. I suddenly understood why my life turned out the way it did. And although it was a nice feeling, I wish I had been diagnosed earlier so that I could have avoided many of the problems that I can easily deal with today, because I have now proven myself about how I function in relation to other people

Dave, great video and thanks for sharing. My son is on spectrum and received his diagnosis fairly young. You are correct that now there are great resources available to help him adjust and learn how society expects him to behave. For example, instead of parallel play he now will join in and play with other kids. He used to think kids were mean because he would stand there staring and they wouldn't invite him to play. He has now learned how to approach and join in. It isn't easy for him and it does tire him out. We have to keep an eye on him and remove him from playing while it is still a positive experience for everyone before he "tips" and does something that no one understands and makes kids mad. As he as aged the period of time he can play as increased greatly.

I was diagnosed with Autism 13 years ago at 13, it took til 26 and reading your book to more fully understand how to drive my brain. Now I'm about to turn 27 and I hope to follow in your footsteps, along with the many other ND thinkers that have shaped our world. Thank you.

OMG, "How to win friends..." was a huge help for me. I just needed someone to give me a rule book for how to deal with people. I always felt I was absent from school the day they taught how to get along with people. My life has been an exercise in frustration trying to emulate the wrong people. I could never (and still don't) understand why some people are allowed to do certain things, and others can't get away with it and end up getting attacked for doing the same things. Being alone has been the best way to just avoid those situations. Working from home has helped, but that's not always been possible.

That was an excellent insight, Dave. Many thanks to you for sharing your experiences in life and to Joelle for her interviewing skills.

I found your channel via a link to your C++ videos and then I was hooked. I know people who have been diagnosed as being on the spectrum, but had never considered that it could possibly apply to myself until I identified quite strongly with some of the behaviours and situations that you describe. Whether I am on the spectrum or not [*], thank you for being open about your own diagnosis, and for describing it in your book. And thanks for all the Dave's Garage videos: both as a cock-a-snook to your own diagnosis, and because most of them appeal to something inside me. [*] My friend found a 30+ question self-test on-line, and as a result I was "probably" on the spectrum, and when my wife answered for me in round two, she didn't hold back and I was "definitely" on the spectrum, but without a face-to-face professional diagnosis, we will never know for certain. PS. BTW, Still looking forward to Part2 of the Cicada 3301 video. Did I miss it?

Thanks so much for this Dave. 48, just diagnosed, still coming to terms with how badly it's affected me and seeing the past with new eyes, not good with books, didn't like the look of the Facebook groups etc. This has been the most helpful thing for me personally as I can actually relate to it. Thanks thanks thanks.

Dave, you are a gem. I'm glad I discovered your channel for the tech but mostly for you. You are genuine, interesting, funny and entirely relatable because I experience most of what you describe. I don't have a diagnosis, but I don't need one and I don't care. Your sharing helps me understand my feelings/behaviors better and makes me feel...not 'normal' (god forbid) but less odd. Please keep the channel going my dude! I've shared it with friends who just love you also. Peace out my fellow propeller head! 😀

I am 68 and live 'in the spectrum'. I was diagnosed late in life. Have learned by observation how to act 'normal' when needed. I can appreciate your open discussion as it just re-enforces what I have learned and why I have had to learn how to cope. Thank you

Im 26 with aspergers. I also work in tech(cybersecurity) AND have 2 classic cars (69 buick and 83 lincoln)! I feel I can relate to your videos more than anyone else Ive ever seen previously. Thank you for all you do.

Dave you are truly inspirational. I admire your courage for taking on life challenges in such a positive way.

I just want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing. All I can say is that our stories are similar and what you say resonates and gives me a lot to think about, everyday.

I’ve really enjoyed hearing about your experiences both before and after diagnosis. It’s been a big motivation for me to seek confirmation of what I’ve always suspected about myself and allow me to embrace my idiosyncrasies. I’m 54’this year and it’s been a life changing 9 months for me. Thanks.

After following Dave's channel for a while I went and did an ASD test that he linked under one of his videos. Came out 95%. I think I might just be ASD in addition to ADHD and dyslexic. Which flips my self perception a lot from what is broken about me to what can I do to better manage this. At least with ADHD we have stimulant drugs which 'fix' us. With ASD and dyslexia not so much. I no longer take ritalin. I find that Buddhist mindfulness meditation helps me to control the chatter and focus better. As far as bullying I experienced a lot of it, being a strange standoffish nerd kid. Then one day I remembered that I took martial arts for a year and a half and was good at it. I had just been holding it back because our sensei told us to never use martial arts in public on regular people. Certainly Sensei Lee wouldn't object to me blocking a punch? So I spent 15 minutes after school one day making a fool out of a bully trying to punch me. I didn't punch him once. It really is true that if you capitulate to bullies they keep coming back. If you stand up to them they go bully someone else. The only enjoy intimidating people, not actually struggling for control of the situation.

Bless you Dave. Thanks for making these things clear, and not always a negative condition.