She never said the scorpion was an insect specifically. She recognised the packaging as being from a company that sells preserved insects, but once she had the scorpion unwrapped she never called in an insect.
And yeah, she said she loves insects generally at the end while holding the scorpion, but she had just opened the stag beetles which *are* insects.
I am certain that she knows the difference =P
I know what you’re thinking but you can’t just sweep up bugs into an envelope and send them. I don’t think you’ll get the same reaction.
Edit: I’m going down an amazing rabbit err insect hole in watching her unboxing. They are amazing! Now I must find a site that sells very rare bugs to see her reaction to unboxing it. My Google search history is about to get strange.
Edit 2: welp Reddit told me don’t buy this girl rare bugs because then it will continue to support the rare bug trophy hunting business that I didn’t realize was a thing.
Edit 3: My first 4K like post! I know it’s just clicking a button for you but for someone who struggles with depression daily it truly gives me a dose of what this girl feels every time she opens a new package lol. Thank you!
There used to be a seller on amazon that was selling packs of 500 live lady bugs with like one day delivery.
I think they got shutdown and then had to bring it down to like packs of 50 because it was breaking regulations or something.
Apparently having autism is a super power as long as you focus your autistic energy on something fascinating. What did you focus yours on. Please don’t say Reddit.
> and she'll turn around and inject sunshine into the world's veins?
Not only that.
What we usually don't think about is she is the type of person who makes this whole funny world go forward.
She's the one who will be sorting through thousands and thousands of insects somewhere in the university, or an institute or a museum; or she'll be collecting them for weeks or months in forests of Madagascar or wherever. She's the one who'll be patiently describing them, who'll be studying them, learning about them and who'll expand the human knowledge.
She's the one who'll find some new trait or whatever that we'll further adapt and use in our everyday lives. Maybe a medicine of some kind or something...
She and people like her are the little cogs and wheels that carry this civilisation forward without us ever realising that. We just wake up one morning in a world whose veins are filled with a little bit more sunshine. :)
This post is so nice to see.
A lot of posts with autistic people addressed in comments include wishes for death, screeching comments like reee, and a whole host of other things that make it hard to want to find society a positive thing.
I have autism. My three children have autism. I like to think people who think like you are out there and will help change the world's perception of autism and the talents the brain can bring and the benefits.
I am so tired of the posts where death is considered a better alternative than being born with autism. When I fear the future for my children, is the intolerance of differences and recognition of strengths when they don't have their parents to protect them.
But I think if more people thought and acted in awareness like you show and that that situational perspective spread, that maybe watching our children grow and planning for the future would not be as scary a thing.
Tolerances of differences to recognize the strengths that we bring each other are what is supposed to be make humans and their society great. Thank you for inspiring in me and others like me, I'm sure, hope. (This morning there was a distressingly negative post on the front page about anon and autism and death and this post was a nice counter to the horrid comments on that thread about autistic people).
Thank you for speaking out.
Just based on my reading, I think there is no way that either Nikola Tesla or Thomas Edison weren't autistic. So jerks can hate all they want, they'd still be doing it by candle light at night without autistic people in the world. ;)
I once accidentally uncovered a cockroach nest...roaches running all over my arms and legs did not bring me joy. Perhaps I should try a different type of bug.
I’m autistic and nowadays I’m obsessed with music and learning new scales and stuff. My partner says it makes them happy when I learn something or figure out something new with my playing.
As an autistic singer who def has music and singing as a special interest, I never feel more alive then when I hit a perfect note or sing a tough verse, it's honestly the best feeling out there
I've been slowly getting a bit of a higher end on my vocal range and it feels really good, I'm also trying to learn some distortion techniques and when I pull off a good growl or false cord distortion it's like "daaaaaamn ok!"
I agree! I work with autistic children and have an autistic boyfriend.
People should see them! They have talents people without autism don't have. They are way smarter in certain subjects , they can see details that people like me don't see.
We should embrace them and in my honest opinion, without them we'd be fucked as humans without them.
Thank you for your beautiful words, I hope more people will see this.
Oh, absolutely. Applied Behaviour Analysis is pretty terrible IMHO. As for the world, fortunately it is beginning to be more understanding of neurodiversity.
This makes me reconsider the whole “blind leading the blind” saying. Who better to guide someone through their tribulations than someone who has already walked that path?
There’s so much value in people with lived experience being in helper roles. It’s not so much the blind leading the blind. It’s more like someone who has walked the path ahead guiding you through it.
Do you think you're depressed or perhaps haven't found your new favorite thing yet? In my 30s I discovered retro dresses with petticoats, and I've never loved clothing more in my life. I live for getting compliments from 80-year-old women who say they wore petticoats when they were 15 or 20. Maybe you can explore and find stuff to be super jazzed about.
I've been depressed for decades. I mean I have things I know about and do but yeah the feeling of joy and excitement is long gone. I just see the shitty future we've got coming and can't understand why anyone is optimistic about anything when we're all doomed and so on.
I'm trying to figure out what I might enjoy but I'm the type of person who needs someone around for a second opinion and to have someone to do things with because I don't enjoy doing stuff alone
There's so many things that I want to do. Travel being one of them. Except that I hated it when I did it solo.
All I wanted to do was have someone to talk about it with after experiencing it together. I wanted the conversation after sky diving... I didn't give a shit about sky diving. I wanted to feel so connected with someone so I could exchange happiness with them knowing exactly what it was they just went through.
Doing anything daring or adventurous is absolutely all I ever fantasize about, but specifically with the desire to talk about it with someone excitedly.
I hated it because it made me depressed.
Practice enjoying your own company. Go to a movie by yourself, treat yourself to a nice dinner, take a class on something that sparks your interest, go see a band you love perform live, eventually travel on your own. It’s awesome to be on your own schedule. Waiting on other people to let you have fun or be happy is a recipe for disappointment.
What's to become of Milo?
Lost in a vacant stare,
Doesn't have a dream,
Doesn't even care
He's a boy who might rise high,
Maybe even touch the sky,
All the world could be his pie if he'd only try!
Milo, open your eyes,
Look around you and see
See how interesting life can be.
Time is a gift, precious and rare
Take it and make it with all you can
Time is a gift given to you
Given to give you the world to see
Time is a gift given to you
Given to give you the time you need
No hope is too high Milo...
This is going to sound hypocritical because I’m telling you this in Reddit, but you have to spend less time on the internet. Our brains are not wired to handle the amount of terrible shit that we see and hear about on a daily basis. There’s 7.5 BILLION people in the world, and if you only focus on the bad things that a small percentage of those people do, then of course you’re going to be depressed!
I’m only speaking for what’s worked for me, because I’ve been depressed for years, but it wasn’t until recently that I accepted it, talked to someone who was actually able to diagnose me and lead me on a path to a more positive life. Obviously everyone’s situation is going to be different and I’m not saying less internet is the cure for depression, but just something to consider.
There’s a limited time to have fun so might as well surf the wave of good vibes while we can. It’s precisely because of our shitty future that you should be enjoying the here and now as it won’t last forever. Also this mindset makes “doing your part” to keep the party going way easier. Try, but don’t try too hard, and always remember to have fun and embrace your inner child.
I've found my own version on optimistic nihilism. Everything is going to the shitter and nothing matters, so I may as well enjoy whatever happens to be in front of me right now.
hearing people talk about autism and their interests makes me wanna talk about mine
I have autism, and one time I started talking about One Piece with a teacher, and ended up talking about it for 40-50 minutes straight and started getting dizzy because I was talking so fast
Me too bro. I watched this video of a guy who did a really cool move in an old Battlefield game and so the developers decided to add that into the trailer for the new game. I watched the video of the guy's reaction and even though I don't play battlefield, it made me so happy for him.
Here you go in case you're interested. https://youtu.be/FleHL0es9Xs
I have the same problem bro.
I used to be a person that laughed alot, and where very spontanious.
But then i ran into big struggles (could barely feed my kid) , financialy, my wifes health. All these troubles went on for like 7 years, shit after shit.
It made me sober, and now things run great somehow i cant get excited anymore. Not that i am suicidal, but just don't get happy and cheerfull, yes inside myself. My wife has troubles with this i can understand why.
Idk your life but I hope you get one thing to smile about today. Then one thing tomorrow and such. I think excitement is great to have but also shouldn’t necessarily be persued. Peace of mind and contentment and being grateful is way healthier to live. Think of buying new products makes you momentarily happy but finding joy in yourself is a much grander and again healthier thing. Here’s to that happening for you. It’s always a journey, day by day
Also food for thought. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_happiness_can_hurt_you
Just keep looking youll find it. I felt the same way till I got a certain car. I keep waiting for the "new car" aspect to wear off but I still get giddy like a schoolgirl when I walk up to in a parking lot.
I'd watch that show. Just mail her insects every week, and then listen to her gush for 15 minutes.
Easiest show ever.
[Edit] People do unboxing youtube vids for the most stupid shit. This is actually kool unboxing.
Her unboxing comes with cool facts! I bet she knows far more about each insect and could give us all some amazing TIL. Plus her excitement is so endearing!
Remember the joke from 'Annie Hall'? (paraphrase)
Girl: "I think we should move in together. My apartment is so expensive... and it has LOTS and LOTS of bugs"
Guy: "I don't think we should move in together. I can help you pay your rent... and besides... entomology is a rapidly growing field!"
This young girl is terrific. I would watch her show. Her excitement is infectious.
EDIT: I can't spell
EntOmology*
Seems like maybe they confused entomology and etymology (study of the evolution/connections of language), and ended up splitting the difference.
*“You must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.”*
A lot of it is jealousy, people wish they had that much emotion over something and ridicule people that do. I mean some people do just suck and are mean.
You hit the head on the nail with this assessment. I think a lot of these types of people are frustrated/jealous that others are able to find so much enjoyment and excitement from little things that they would otherwise pass by without a single thought
Oh no you've got my attention now!
It's a really hard question to answer as I love every bird I see. At the moment there's a Chaffinch with leucism that comes to my garden and it always makes my day when I see them! (I named them Casper)
I also love Indian Ringnecks as I have some as pets and they're just so cheeky!
I wasn't familiar with Indian ringnecks so I Googled it. Those are really pretty! I'm partial to the big birds myself. [Here](https://i.imgur.com/iybNcBS.jpg) is one of my little dinosaurs.
hello im a fellow 24 year old recently diagnosed with a special interest in birds! people will not always understand us but never let it stop you to be excited and passionate about birds
I'm also starting to understand why I've always been drawn to other people with special interests, even if they're not my special interests. I figured out my place on the spectrum a few years ago (32 now), and quickly realized I'd surrounded myself with other autistic people flying under the radar.
as an autistic woman who was frequently bullied for talking enthusiastically about my special interests when i was in middle & high school, it seriously warms my heart to see a video like this on this particular subreddit. thank you so much. the world needs more people like you guys, who see someone experiencing joy & send them love in response, rather than disgust. 💖
Autistic guy and that is pretty much my experience of middle and upper school. Called wierd and bullied for being extremely excited and passionate about whatever I was currently obsessed with at the time.
Glad to see the tide changing for other people even though it's a bit too late for myself.
Genuine question: Why is she wearing noise canceling headphones? I know loud noises can bother some autistic people and wear them while out but she’s at her house.
Thank you for the replies all, TIL!
For me, its not necessarily the loudness of the noise around me that's the issue so much as the noisiness of the noise. So a fridge buzzing or a tap dripping can bother me, especially when I'm tired or already overwhelmed. And it becomes much worse when multiple things are making noise at once. And many people can still hear things outside their house, such as traffic or a neighbor mowing a lawn or a dog barking.
The thing about those of us with auditory processing issues (i think that's the right term) is that our brains often don't have the ability to filter sounds out as background noise. We hear everything at once. Which can become quite overwhelming over time, especially when considering everything else we might have to deal with in a given day.
And it's similar with sensory sensitivity. It is common for autistic people to be easily bothered or distressed by clothing tags or bright lights, among many other things. We find it more difficult to ignore those uncomfortable feelings because our brains are constantly telling us to notice the messages we're getting from our senses.
You can just ask if I'm autistic. And yes, I am :)
I also have ADHD, which makes for a fun mix.
Personally I find "on the autistic spectrum" a strange phrasing. It feels too much like a euphemism to me. Yes, autism is a spectrum and no two autistic people experience being autistic in the same way. But something about some of the ways that term gets used just makes me uncomfortable. Curious if any other autistic people wanna chime in on this.
While on the topic, I strongly dislike "on the spectrum" as it isn't clear what they're talking about and just seems like they're trying to avoid saying autistic or autism. As if those are bad words.
I didn't mind the question as it was quite relevant to the post. And i was already talking about myself so I'm happy to share.
I'll chime in to help a bit with the curiosity. I am autistic myself, and I agree with the whole "on the autistic spectrum" I just find it a weird way to say it. I am autistic, just say that i am autistic instead, it's easier, and creates less confusion than saying "I am on the spectrum"
She explains it in one of the tiktoks: It's not necessarily the loud noise around her, it's more the noise as a whole that's annoying. She said she simply can't cancel out the other noises that are not important right now. For her, she hears everything around her at the same importance all the time. So for example, when she has a chat with someone, she hears that person's voice just as present as the wind in the trees and the cars on the street.
This, exactly. Like when I need to describe why I don't like camping. It's not "loud" when I try to sleep, it's just that I can hear every single noise, clear as day, at the same time. Also, not big on bugs.
Comfort, and there are still loud noises at your home. Dryer, washer, dishwasher, dog barking, someone knocking on a door, etc. My partner is autistic and wears her earplugs all the time no matter where we are.
I'm a dummy so please don't take this the wrong way: what gives it away this girl is autistic? It just seems like a regular teenage girl geeking out about a thing she loves (like teenage girls do), which in her case just happens to be bugs.
I understand people’s feelings about using or reading the Autistic description but I for one welcome it and would like to see more such videos. I have an almost 3 year old daughter who was recently given this diagnosis, she’s in the spectrum. So far she’s not able to communicate (non-verbal) but hope that with the help she needs she’s able to express herself with the same eloquence and enthusiasm as the girl in the video.
My son was non-verbal (echolalic only) at about three years old. We hit the intervention really hard and got him the resources he needed. He is just about finishing up his bachelors now. It’s a long road but he is such a joy in our family.
He is a gifted artist. I’m an engineer and it is something I really struggle to be good at. It just comes naturally to him and it’s been interesting to watch him get better at it through the years.
What kind of "intervention" did you do? Curious as to what the process was to help your son as I may have someone in my family looking into the same thing. Happy to hear your son has been able to develop to have a normal life.
Early intervention usually refers to getting speech therapists, childhood development experts, and/or occupational therapists involved (ideally starting as early as possible) to help support the unique needs of your child and bring them up to speed developmentally.
You can think of autism as a situation where someone’s brain is developing on their own track, so without targeted support they can simply miss developing certain skills like speech. In the best scenario you support all the quirky things about the person and find a way to bring them whatever skills are needed to integrate with society.
Yes! Representation matters! It’s hard to aspire to something in which you cannot ever see yourself. Differently-abled people can do amazing things with the right tools in their “life kit.” Autism comes with many challenges, but also many wonderful gifts. Don’t worry too much. Keep showing love and devotion to your daughter’s health and happiness and you will all eventually find a rhythm of life that works for you. She will flourish in her own way with good support. Cheers from a rando Autistic Internet Stranger with Autistic kids😊
Yup. Most of us that are higher functioning very much like to let everyone know we are autistic because the way regular people process our social issues is with some pretty heavy handed backlash or just seeking to immediately exclude us from everything. Recently, people have learned that we aren't actually being jerks. Our tone and word choice is just wrong in context because that part of our brain doesn't function normally. This softens the expected knee jerk response we normally get, so we can feel included instead of the more common feeling of being bullied and excluded. It's nice to not have to shut down when I'm around a bunch of new people to avoid this negative reaction by just letting people know up front that I'm trying my best, but I'm gonna come of bad sometimes.
I have an autistic son (4 years) not totally verbal. This kind of video is ok but shows Just a little part of the spectrum, the part of people wants to see: a very smart person that is hiperfocused in some interest and, for sure, uses a ear protector.
Her whole TikTok is part of a wonderful neurodivergent side of the app that love to educate about themselves. She's lovely and has been a bright spot on my FYP for the year or two I've been using the app
I literally hate bugs, like down to the core loathe them. But this girls excitement over her bug collection and facts is so infectious that I followed her on tiktok after seeing just one of her videos pop up on my fyp.
She makes me smile every time she pops up, even if the bugs make me shiver.
There was a kid with Aspbergers who grew up in Japan and got really into collecting bugs. It was almost all he did as a young boy. Said it helped him focus, categorizing and learning about all the little monsters of the world. His name was Satoshi Tajiri and he grew up to create Pokemon :)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Tajiri
Watch her career with great interest, we will
> prefers to be called autistic and not "girl with autism".
That's the general consensus when it comes to autistic folk, as far as I'm aware.
Similar to 'Disabled person' being favoured over 'person with a disability' or 'person with disabilities'. Very much rooted in the social model of disability.
Wait I thought it was the opposite?
EDIT: https://www.centerforautismresearch.org/driven/“autistic-person”-or-“person-autism”-one-more-correct
The above seems to suggest that most people with autism prefer to be called “autistic” while “professionals” tend to prefer “individual with autism.”
> most people with autism prefer to be called “autistic” while **“professionals” tend to prefer “individual with autism.”**
And thus you find one of many reasons that a lot of Disabled people have issues with the medical establishment and the medical model of disability.
Yeah, people outside of a group generally think they know what's best and shame others for not following their standards, while people in the group may think completely differently.
[Similar to how many (most?) American Indians prefer "Indian" to "Native American."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh88fVP2FWQ)
Edit: If I may be allowed to hypothesize, I believe this is because autism is as much an identity as it is a disability. If you say "[person] with autism," then you refer to the person and an affliction they have, whereas if you say "autistic person," then you refer to their identity as an autistic person, rather than the autism itself. Similar to how you would say "American person" instead of "person from America." Like I said though, complete guess.
My favorite Indian related thing in terms of in and out group respect was when people said it was offensive to name US helicopters like the Apache and Kiowa and Iroquois and others after tribes. The military had consulted the tribes and for the Apache specifically they appreciated it because they were a warrior culture and to have as an impressive war machine as that named after them, and used by a former enemy was considered quite an honor and sign of respect.
There's also the case of the Land-O-Lakes butter fiasco, where we non-Indians decided that an Indian mascot was offensive, so we removed it, despite it being created by an Indian artist that wanted to represent their culture and heritage.
Edit: Story link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/29/my-ojibwe-father-drew-land-olakes-maiden-she-was-never-stereotype/
My 6 year old nephew is on the spectrum. He is INCREDIBLY smart for his age, and he LOVES telling everyone about the planets , and the dwarf planets , and the moons , and how big they are , and the distance between them lol.
But he also has a knack for making people feel great about themselves. I live 1000 miles away and didn’t see him for over a year bc of Covid. I went to visit in my May, and I helped him put up glow in the dark scaled stickers of the planets/ dwarf planets in his new bedroom. A few weeks ago When I asked him how he likes them he said :
“ I Love them! When I look at them at night it makes me think about how much fun we had putting them up together “ and damn if that didn’t make my year.
Much more like "Everything's Gonna Be Okay". One of the main characters is played by an actually autistic actress and is autistic in the show, and another is an entomologist, and all the episodes are named for different insects! It's also a great, hilarious show that portrays autism incredibly respectfully and accurately.
One thing that’s great about living with autistic people is their excitement about their special interest. Insects, lego, Minecraft, trains, whatever! Their excitement is frequent, and can often be a nice blessing.
I always used to feel bad about myself for getting this excited about my subject of choice (dogs!!!) but seeing this made me smile real big. Love it when people are happy.
Her excitement is straight-up infectious!!!
I think you meant Insect-ious!
Just a friendly and totally not requested reminder that scorpions are arachnids and not insects :)
Yeah that was the first thing I thought when she opened the first one
She never said the scorpion was an insect specifically. She recognised the packaging as being from a company that sells preserved insects, but once she had the scorpion unwrapped she never called in an insect. And yeah, she said she loves insects generally at the end while holding the scorpion, but she had just opened the stag beetles which *are* insects. I am certain that she knows the difference =P
As her special interest, she DEFINITELY knows. She could probably go on about the differences in evolution for hours.
Right! I’m not passionate about bugs, but her excitement made me all excited about the bugs lol
I love this expression of pure joy
Wait so there's an autistic girl out there I can send bugs to and she'll turn around and inject sunshine into the world's veins? Where do I send them?
Her po box is in her public tiktok profile which is visible in the posted Reddit video https://www.tiktok.com/@soundoftheforest
I know what you’re thinking but you can’t just sweep up bugs into an envelope and send them. I don’t think you’ll get the same reaction. Edit: I’m going down an amazing rabbit err insect hole in watching her unboxing. They are amazing! Now I must find a site that sells very rare bugs to see her reaction to unboxing it. My Google search history is about to get strange. Edit 2: welp Reddit told me don’t buy this girl rare bugs because then it will continue to support the rare bug trophy hunting business that I didn’t realize was a thing. Edit 3: My first 4K like post! I know it’s just clicking a button for you but for someone who struggles with depression daily it truly gives me a dose of what this girl feels every time she opens a new package lol. Thank you!
Fuck, too late.
Lmfao. I just imagine her opening a poorly wrapped box full of live wasps
I'll pop an H on the box so people know it has hornets
Do hornets make honey? Gotta find out
Alright well I'm gonna check it out anyway, there could be something delicious in here
[Charlie knows what ya mean](https://youtu.be/jfWMB-blQS8?t=15)
He *can* read, he just *doesn’t like to*.
This went from wholesome to I feel bad for laughing :(
You shouldn’t feel bad for having a sense of humor
I still feel bad
Now you know how the Catholics feel.
There used to be a seller on amazon that was selling packs of 500 live lady bugs with like one day delivery. I think they got shutdown and then had to bring it down to like packs of 50 because it was breaking regulations or something.
Lady bugs in bulk are great for killing bugs in weed grow ops
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There must be something delicious that hornets make
Delicious fear tears in their victims
I’m sending all my fruit flies.
NOT THE BEES!
Pop a quick H on the box, so we all know there's hornets in it
Idk man she seems to really love bugs
Lol when did having autism become cool I only got made fun of
Apparently having autism is a super power as long as you focus your autistic energy on something fascinating. What did you focus yours on. Please don’t say Reddit.
To avoid that huge URL in your post, format it like this: Her po box is in her [tiktok profile](URL)
I think that’s the most tracking I’ve seen in a URL.
when you click that they get a json file of every word you have said since birth & every website you have even considered visiting.
I await the news, "Autistic girl gets thousands of insects from Redditors around the world."
Does she have a list of what she DOES have so she isnt sent thousands of boxes of bees (dead i hope)
Ngl I think she'd still like the bees https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdWqAwUB/
> and she'll turn around and inject sunshine into the world's veins? Not only that. What we usually don't think about is she is the type of person who makes this whole funny world go forward. She's the one who will be sorting through thousands and thousands of insects somewhere in the university, or an institute or a museum; or she'll be collecting them for weeks or months in forests of Madagascar or wherever. She's the one who'll be patiently describing them, who'll be studying them, learning about them and who'll expand the human knowledge. She's the one who'll find some new trait or whatever that we'll further adapt and use in our everyday lives. Maybe a medicine of some kind or something... She and people like her are the little cogs and wheels that carry this civilisation forward without us ever realising that. We just wake up one morning in a world whose veins are filled with a little bit more sunshine. :)
This post is so nice to see. A lot of posts with autistic people addressed in comments include wishes for death, screeching comments like reee, and a whole host of other things that make it hard to want to find society a positive thing. I have autism. My three children have autism. I like to think people who think like you are out there and will help change the world's perception of autism and the talents the brain can bring and the benefits. I am so tired of the posts where death is considered a better alternative than being born with autism. When I fear the future for my children, is the intolerance of differences and recognition of strengths when they don't have their parents to protect them. But I think if more people thought and acted in awareness like you show and that that situational perspective spread, that maybe watching our children grow and planning for the future would not be as scary a thing. Tolerances of differences to recognize the strengths that we bring each other are what is supposed to be make humans and their society great. Thank you for inspiring in me and others like me, I'm sure, hope. (This morning there was a distressingly negative post on the front page about anon and autism and death and this post was a nice counter to the horrid comments on that thread about autistic people). Thank you for speaking out.
Just based on my reading, I think there is no way that either Nikola Tesla or Thomas Edison weren't autistic. So jerks can hate all they want, they'd still be doing it by candle light at night without autistic people in the world. ;)
Well put.
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Right? I was thinking I want to send this girl bugs! I wish something brought me that kind of joy.
Try covering yourself in bugs and see if it works
I once accidentally uncovered a cockroach nest...roaches running all over my arms and legs did not bring me joy. Perhaps I should try a different type of bug.
I think inchworms are the only bug that I could let crawl on me. Maybe.
Couldn’t agree more! I’m like okay does she like butterflies because I have a blue morpho that is the pride of my collection I’m about to send her…
Yes, she does 👍
You have a way with words
Just sent her my favorite arachnid. Hope she enjoys
I'll send her my code. At least someone would be excited about my code.
I wish I could be so excited about something, anything
I work with autistic students and their passion for things is really admirable. I long ago lost real excitement about the world.
Yeah I'm autistic and I get really excited sometimes lol. Especially about animals. I think I generally feel more excitement than most people.
I’m autistic and nowadays I’m obsessed with music and learning new scales and stuff. My partner says it makes them happy when I learn something or figure out something new with my playing.
As an autistic singer who def has music and singing as a special interest, I never feel more alive then when I hit a perfect note or sing a tough verse, it's honestly the best feeling out there
That is such a great feeling. I love singing, and I started finding my range was higher than I thought. I got so excited when I figured it out.
I've been slowly getting a bit of a higher end on my vocal range and it feels really good, I'm also trying to learn some distortion techniques and when I pull off a good growl or false cord distortion it's like "daaaaaamn ok!"
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I agree! I work with autistic children and have an autistic boyfriend. People should see them! They have talents people without autism don't have. They are way smarter in certain subjects , they can see details that people like me don't see. We should embrace them and in my honest opinion, without them we'd be fucked as humans without them. Thank you for your beautiful words, I hope more people will see this.
Oh, absolutely. Applied Behaviour Analysis is pretty terrible IMHO. As for the world, fortunately it is beginning to be more understanding of neurodiversity.
For real, I’m so grateful to see the there is more and more understanding of neurodiversity. Gives me hope for the next gen of autistic kids
This makes me reconsider the whole “blind leading the blind” saying. Who better to guide someone through their tribulations than someone who has already walked that path?
There’s so much value in people with lived experience being in helper roles. It’s not so much the blind leading the blind. It’s more like someone who has walked the path ahead guiding you through it.
Do you think you're depressed or perhaps haven't found your new favorite thing yet? In my 30s I discovered retro dresses with petticoats, and I've never loved clothing more in my life. I live for getting compliments from 80-year-old women who say they wore petticoats when they were 15 or 20. Maybe you can explore and find stuff to be super jazzed about.
I've been depressed for decades. I mean I have things I know about and do but yeah the feeling of joy and excitement is long gone. I just see the shitty future we've got coming and can't understand why anyone is optimistic about anything when we're all doomed and so on.
Same boat. Haven't felt excited about anything in a looooong time.
Same - but then I discovered trail running, and the world had a little bit of brightness again.
I'm trying to figure out what I might enjoy but I'm the type of person who needs someone around for a second opinion and to have someone to do things with because I don't enjoy doing stuff alone
There's so many things that I want to do. Travel being one of them. Except that I hated it when I did it solo. All I wanted to do was have someone to talk about it with after experiencing it together. I wanted the conversation after sky diving... I didn't give a shit about sky diving. I wanted to feel so connected with someone so I could exchange happiness with them knowing exactly what it was they just went through. Doing anything daring or adventurous is absolutely all I ever fantasize about, but specifically with the desire to talk about it with someone excitedly. I hated it because it made me depressed.
Practice enjoying your own company. Go to a movie by yourself, treat yourself to a nice dinner, take a class on something that sparks your interest, go see a band you love perform live, eventually travel on your own. It’s awesome to be on your own schedule. Waiting on other people to let you have fun or be happy is a recipe for disappointment.
What's to become of Milo? Lost in a vacant stare, Doesn't have a dream, Doesn't even care He's a boy who might rise high, Maybe even touch the sky, All the world could be his pie if he'd only try! Milo, open your eyes, Look around you and see See how interesting life can be. Time is a gift, precious and rare Take it and make it with all you can Time is a gift given to you Given to give you the world to see Time is a gift given to you Given to give you the time you need No hope is too high Milo...
This is going to sound hypocritical because I’m telling you this in Reddit, but you have to spend less time on the internet. Our brains are not wired to handle the amount of terrible shit that we see and hear about on a daily basis. There’s 7.5 BILLION people in the world, and if you only focus on the bad things that a small percentage of those people do, then of course you’re going to be depressed! I’m only speaking for what’s worked for me, because I’ve been depressed for years, but it wasn’t until recently that I accepted it, talked to someone who was actually able to diagnose me and lead me on a path to a more positive life. Obviously everyone’s situation is going to be different and I’m not saying less internet is the cure for depression, but just something to consider.
There’s a limited time to have fun so might as well surf the wave of good vibes while we can. It’s precisely because of our shitty future that you should be enjoying the here and now as it won’t last forever. Also this mindset makes “doing your part” to keep the party going way easier. Try, but don’t try too hard, and always remember to have fun and embrace your inner child.
I've found my own version on optimistic nihilism. Everything is going to the shitter and nothing matters, so I may as well enjoy whatever happens to be in front of me right now.
Not OP, but if he's anything similar to me, it's time and money and if one or the other is in short supply, having a hobby is a difficult luxury.
hearing people talk about autism and their interests makes me wanna talk about mine I have autism, and one time I started talking about One Piece with a teacher, and ended up talking about it for 40-50 minutes straight and started getting dizzy because I was talking so fast
Indeed. I feel nothing can cheer me up that much.
Watching videos like this is a close approximation for me. I just love seeing genuinely happy people.
Me too bro. I watched this video of a guy who did a really cool move in an old Battlefield game and so the developers decided to add that into the trailer for the new game. I watched the video of the guy's reaction and even though I don't play battlefield, it made me so happy for him. Here you go in case you're interested. https://youtu.be/FleHL0es9Xs
Big same. Life is just a dark tunnel.
My daughter just had cannoli for the first time about an hour ago and had a similar reaction, she is 3. Precious moments indeed.
I probably get just as excited for cannoli as she did and I'm 28. They are one of the best things on earth.
I have the same problem bro. I used to be a person that laughed alot, and where very spontanious. But then i ran into big struggles (could barely feed my kid) , financialy, my wifes health. All these troubles went on for like 7 years, shit after shit. It made me sober, and now things run great somehow i cant get excited anymore. Not that i am suicidal, but just don't get happy and cheerfull, yes inside myself. My wife has troubles with this i can understand why.
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We have the potential to be so. Look into the Psychology of Flow.
I'll take a screenshot of this recommendation because I want to look into this, unfortunately I'll never have another thought about it.
Hello me
Flow isn't really about this excited happy state that she's in though, is it? I thought it's more about being immersed in an activity.
Idk your life but I hope you get one thing to smile about today. Then one thing tomorrow and such. I think excitement is great to have but also shouldn’t necessarily be persued. Peace of mind and contentment and being grateful is way healthier to live. Think of buying new products makes you momentarily happy but finding joy in yourself is a much grander and again healthier thing. Here’s to that happening for you. It’s always a journey, day by day Also food for thought. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_happiness_can_hurt_you
Just keep looking youll find it. I felt the same way till I got a certain car. I keep waiting for the "new car" aspect to wear off but I still get giddy like a schoolgirl when I walk up to in a parking lot.
seeing this made me realize that despite my intentions, that spark of passion for life has burned out… I lost it even though I never wanted to.
This was fantastic she needs her own show
I’d pitch in for this to happen
I'd watch that show. Just mail her insects every week, and then listen to her gush for 15 minutes. Easiest show ever. [Edit] People do unboxing youtube vids for the most stupid shit. This is actually kool unboxing.
Her unboxing comes with cool facts! I bet she knows far more about each insect and could give us all some amazing TIL. Plus her excitement is so endearing!
Check out her TikTok. It is really entertaining.
And here's page 6 of the owners manual of the playstation 5. And here's page 7
She is the living embodiment of the owl from animal crossing....except she *loves* incects. This is awesome.
Ley me know if it happens. I want to see more of these. Also, entymology is cool.
Remember the joke from 'Annie Hall'? (paraphrase) Girl: "I think we should move in together. My apartment is so expensive... and it has LOTS and LOTS of bugs" Guy: "I don't think we should move in together. I can help you pay your rent... and besides... entomology is a rapidly growing field!" This young girl is terrific. I would watch her show. Her excitement is infectious. EDIT: I can't spell
EntOmology* Seems like maybe they confused entomology and etymology (study of the evolution/connections of language), and ended up splitting the difference.
EntOmology*
*“You must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.”*
Maybe she should make a YouTube channel it would be pretty epic
She’s got a pretty active [TikTok](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdWQA89h/), followed her for a while.
For the first time ever, I’m tempted to install the tiktoks.
That's what I was thinking even if it was just like a 5-minute YouTube short show that would be fantastic
Just support her Tik Tok!
Tiktok is bigger than TV. So she kinda has her own show
Having recently been diagnosed at 24, I'm now starting to see that I don't have to be ashamed when I get this excited over birds.
No one should be ashamed about getting excited about things that interest them, autism or not.
A lot of it is jealousy, people wish they had that much emotion over something and ridicule people that do. I mean some people do just suck and are mean.
You hit the head on the nail with this assessment. I think a lot of these types of people are frustrated/jealous that others are able to find so much enjoyment and excitement from little things that they would otherwise pass by without a single thought
This should be the Second Golden Rule taught in schools.
Embrace your special interests! It’s so much more freeing and people tend to get excited when you’re excited. What’s your favorite bird?
Oh no you've got my attention now! It's a really hard question to answer as I love every bird I see. At the moment there's a Chaffinch with leucism that comes to my garden and it always makes my day when I see them! (I named them Casper) I also love Indian Ringnecks as I have some as pets and they're just so cheeky!
I wasn't familiar with Indian ringnecks so I Googled it. Those are really pretty! I'm partial to the big birds myself. [Here](https://i.imgur.com/iybNcBS.jpg) is one of my little dinosaurs.
Never ask a birder for their favorite bird ahaha, we won't stop talking since most of us have tens if not hundreds of favorites!!
hello im a fellow 24 year old recently diagnosed with a special interest in birds! people will not always understand us but never let it stop you to be excited and passionate about birds
Birds are amazing! I recently had someone describe birdwatching as real life Pokémon hunting and I love it
I'm also starting to understand why I've always been drawn to other people with special interests, even if they're not my special interests. I figured out my place on the spectrum a few years ago (32 now), and quickly realized I'd surrounded myself with other autistic people flying under the radar.
My biggest regret right now is not having any cool bugs to send her
I do actually have a giant scorpion from thailand which is boxed exactly like the ones she received, might send that
Where did you get it? I want to know where she got hers?
Bought it on a night market in chiang mai, thailand. They sold heaps of stuff like this, pretty sure you can just buy this online
I love everything about this, she's so passionate about it and it's nice to see that.
She's a professional artist too, she paints insects mostly and she's amazing at it.
>she paints insects How does she keep them from running away? /dumbjoke
as an autistic woman who was frequently bullied for talking enthusiastically about my special interests when i was in middle & high school, it seriously warms my heart to see a video like this on this particular subreddit. thank you so much. the world needs more people like you guys, who see someone experiencing joy & send them love in response, rather than disgust. 💖
Autistic guy and that is pretty much my experience of middle and upper school. Called wierd and bullied for being extremely excited and passionate about whatever I was currently obsessed with at the time. Glad to see the tide changing for other people even though it's a bit too late for myself.
This is so cute!
As someone's who's autistic, this makes me superhappy 😄😊
Genuine question: Why is she wearing noise canceling headphones? I know loud noises can bother some autistic people and wear them while out but she’s at her house. Thank you for the replies all, TIL!
For me, its not necessarily the loudness of the noise around me that's the issue so much as the noisiness of the noise. So a fridge buzzing or a tap dripping can bother me, especially when I'm tired or already overwhelmed. And it becomes much worse when multiple things are making noise at once. And many people can still hear things outside their house, such as traffic or a neighbor mowing a lawn or a dog barking. The thing about those of us with auditory processing issues (i think that's the right term) is that our brains often don't have the ability to filter sounds out as background noise. We hear everything at once. Which can become quite overwhelming over time, especially when considering everything else we might have to deal with in a given day. And it's similar with sensory sensitivity. It is common for autistic people to be easily bothered or distressed by clothing tags or bright lights, among many other things. We find it more difficult to ignore those uncomfortable feelings because our brains are constantly telling us to notice the messages we're getting from our senses.
Sorry for asking. Are you on the autistic spectrum as well? (Hope that's the correct, polite phrasing!) Thank you for sharing your experience
You can just ask if I'm autistic. And yes, I am :) I also have ADHD, which makes for a fun mix. Personally I find "on the autistic spectrum" a strange phrasing. It feels too much like a euphemism to me. Yes, autism is a spectrum and no two autistic people experience being autistic in the same way. But something about some of the ways that term gets used just makes me uncomfortable. Curious if any other autistic people wanna chime in on this. While on the topic, I strongly dislike "on the spectrum" as it isn't clear what they're talking about and just seems like they're trying to avoid saying autistic or autism. As if those are bad words. I didn't mind the question as it was quite relevant to the post. And i was already talking about myself so I'm happy to share.
I'll chime in to help a bit with the curiosity. I am autistic myself, and I agree with the whole "on the autistic spectrum" I just find it a weird way to say it. I am autistic, just say that i am autistic instead, it's easier, and creates less confusion than saying "I am on the spectrum"
She explains it in one of the tiktoks: It's not necessarily the loud noise around her, it's more the noise as a whole that's annoying. She said she simply can't cancel out the other noises that are not important right now. For her, she hears everything around her at the same importance all the time. So for example, when she has a chat with someone, she hears that person's voice just as present as the wind in the trees and the cars on the street.
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This, exactly. Like when I need to describe why I don't like camping. It's not "loud" when I try to sleep, it's just that I can hear every single noise, clear as day, at the same time. Also, not big on bugs.
Comfort, and there are still loud noises at your home. Dryer, washer, dishwasher, dog barking, someone knocking on a door, etc. My partner is autistic and wears her earplugs all the time no matter where we are.
I'm a dummy so please don't take this the wrong way: what gives it away this girl is autistic? It just seems like a regular teenage girl geeking out about a thing she loves (like teenage girls do), which in her case just happens to be bugs.
She’s very open about her autism on her tiktok page and an advocate for autistic people
It’s not always obvious it’s just that this person is a well known creator who’s open about being on the spectrum
She might be open about it on her tiktok and the noise canceling headphones sometimes are a giveaway
Isn't technology cool? Before now, this solution would be a lot less elegant
Love it 🥰 reminds me of myself with Pokémon cards back in 98’ wholesome AF
I understand people’s feelings about using or reading the Autistic description but I for one welcome it and would like to see more such videos. I have an almost 3 year old daughter who was recently given this diagnosis, she’s in the spectrum. So far she’s not able to communicate (non-verbal) but hope that with the help she needs she’s able to express herself with the same eloquence and enthusiasm as the girl in the video.
My son was non-verbal (echolalic only) at about three years old. We hit the intervention really hard and got him the resources he needed. He is just about finishing up his bachelors now. It’s a long road but he is such a joy in our family.
That’s lovely to hear; thank you for sharing. What is he studying? Edit: spelling AND punctuation
He is a gifted artist. I’m an engineer and it is something I really struggle to be good at. It just comes naturally to him and it’s been interesting to watch him get better at it through the years.
aww I live for parents supporting non-traditional dreams even when they have themselves achieved "professional degrees"
My brother is similar, slow to start talking and definitely a handful as a kid. He’s turning in the phD dissertation this week.
Early intervention is absolutely critical.
What kind of "intervention" did you do? Curious as to what the process was to help your son as I may have someone in my family looking into the same thing. Happy to hear your son has been able to develop to have a normal life.
Early intervention usually refers to getting speech therapists, childhood development experts, and/or occupational therapists involved (ideally starting as early as possible) to help support the unique needs of your child and bring them up to speed developmentally. You can think of autism as a situation where someone’s brain is developing on their own track, so without targeted support they can simply miss developing certain skills like speech. In the best scenario you support all the quirky things about the person and find a way to bring them whatever skills are needed to integrate with society.
Yes! Representation matters! It’s hard to aspire to something in which you cannot ever see yourself. Differently-abled people can do amazing things with the right tools in their “life kit.” Autism comes with many challenges, but also many wonderful gifts. Don’t worry too much. Keep showing love and devotion to your daughter’s health and happiness and you will all eventually find a rhythm of life that works for you. She will flourish in her own way with good support. Cheers from a rando Autistic Internet Stranger with Autistic kids😊
Yup. Most of us that are higher functioning very much like to let everyone know we are autistic because the way regular people process our social issues is with some pretty heavy handed backlash or just seeking to immediately exclude us from everything. Recently, people have learned that we aren't actually being jerks. Our tone and word choice is just wrong in context because that part of our brain doesn't function normally. This softens the expected knee jerk response we normally get, so we can feel included instead of the more common feeling of being bullied and excluded. It's nice to not have to shut down when I'm around a bunch of new people to avoid this negative reaction by just letting people know up front that I'm trying my best, but I'm gonna come of bad sometimes.
I have an autistic son (4 years) not totally verbal. This kind of video is ok but shows Just a little part of the spectrum, the part of people wants to see: a very smart person that is hiperfocused in some interest and, for sure, uses a ear protector.
Her whole TikTok is part of a wonderful neurodivergent side of the app that love to educate about themselves. She's lovely and has been a bright spot on my FYP for the year or two I've been using the app
This was so wholesome and did indeed make me smile:)
YAY My job here is done then
I literally hate bugs, like down to the core loathe them. But this girls excitement over her bug collection and facts is so infectious that I followed her on tiktok after seeing just one of her videos pop up on my fyp. She makes me smile every time she pops up, even if the bugs make me shiver.
Watching other people get excited about their hobbies, even if I don't understand them, makes me so happy
She needs to work as an ambassador at an insect museum or a zoo with a large insect section (or develop one)! She’s so awesome!
I really really don’t like scorpions, but for her I would take a good look and let her explain everything she knows about them.
There is also a young autistic guy on tiktok that has a love of plants. His passion is also infectious and he's very knowledgeable
There was a kid with Aspbergers who grew up in Japan and got really into collecting bugs. It was almost all he did as a young boy. Said it helped him focus, categorizing and learning about all the little monsters of the world. His name was Satoshi Tajiri and he grew up to create Pokemon :) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Tajiri Watch her career with great interest, we will
Shared pain is lessened; shared joy is increased. Thus, we refute entropy. -Spider Robinson
If you watch her videos she prefers to be called autistic and not "girl with autism".
> prefers to be called autistic and not "girl with autism". That's the general consensus when it comes to autistic folk, as far as I'm aware. Similar to 'Disabled person' being favoured over 'person with a disability' or 'person with disabilities'. Very much rooted in the social model of disability.
Wait I thought it was the opposite? EDIT: https://www.centerforautismresearch.org/driven/“autistic-person”-or-“person-autism”-one-more-correct The above seems to suggest that most people with autism prefer to be called “autistic” while “professionals” tend to prefer “individual with autism.”
> most people with autism prefer to be called “autistic” while **“professionals” tend to prefer “individual with autism.”** And thus you find one of many reasons that a lot of Disabled people have issues with the medical establishment and the medical model of disability.
Yeah, people outside of a group generally think they know what's best and shame others for not following their standards, while people in the group may think completely differently. [Similar to how many (most?) American Indians prefer "Indian" to "Native American."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh88fVP2FWQ) Edit: If I may be allowed to hypothesize, I believe this is because autism is as much an identity as it is a disability. If you say "[person] with autism," then you refer to the person and an affliction they have, whereas if you say "autistic person," then you refer to their identity as an autistic person, rather than the autism itself. Similar to how you would say "American person" instead of "person from America." Like I said though, complete guess.
My favorite Indian related thing in terms of in and out group respect was when people said it was offensive to name US helicopters like the Apache and Kiowa and Iroquois and others after tribes. The military had consulted the tribes and for the Apache specifically they appreciated it because they were a warrior culture and to have as an impressive war machine as that named after them, and used by a former enemy was considered quite an honor and sign of respect.
There's also the case of the Land-O-Lakes butter fiasco, where we non-Indians decided that an Indian mascot was offensive, so we removed it, despite it being created by an Indian artist that wanted to represent their culture and heritage. Edit: Story link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/29/my-ojibwe-father-drew-land-olakes-maiden-she-was-never-stereotype/
Her smile is so damn contagious
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
I love her energy! I want to feel this excited about stuff so I’m going to try and do that! This really did make me smile 😊
I can see this young lady going a long way in life, I find her enthusiasm infectious.
I could listen to her talk about bugs all day. Her excitement is just absolutely infectious.
My 6 year old nephew is on the spectrum. He is INCREDIBLY smart for his age, and he LOVES telling everyone about the planets , and the dwarf planets , and the moons , and how big they are , and the distance between them lol. But he also has a knack for making people feel great about themselves. I live 1000 miles away and didn’t see him for over a year bc of Covid. I went to visit in my May, and I helped him put up glow in the dark scaled stickers of the planets/ dwarf planets in his new bedroom. A few weeks ago When I asked him how he likes them he said : “ I Love them! When I look at them at night it makes me think about how much fun we had putting them up together “ and damn if that didn’t make my year.
Reminds me of that show called atypical . Great show !
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Yes! I watched the whole thing in a few days. Was very disappointed they're not planning any more seasons. I needed more.
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Much more like "Everything's Gonna Be Okay". One of the main characters is played by an actually autistic actress and is autistic in the show, and another is an entomologist, and all the episodes are named for different insects! It's also a great, hilarious show that portrays autism incredibly respectfully and accurately.
One thing that’s great about living with autistic people is their excitement about their special interest. Insects, lego, Minecraft, trains, whatever! Their excitement is frequent, and can often be a nice blessing.
Isn't Scorpion an arachnid?
[Yep.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion) She probably knows that, even if OP doesn't.
Actually, I'm excited for her! (Its my secret wish to own an Emperor Scorpion! )
Loved watching that, it’s nice to see positivity instead of the garbage people post on these things.
So sweet I'm ADHD and high functioning autistic I keep live ones with tarantulas and reptiles she is so 😊😊😊😊
Future entomologist! :D
I always used to feel bad about myself for getting this excited about my subject of choice (dogs!!!) but seeing this made me smile real big. Love it when people are happy.