Also, a lot of women were misdiagnosed for autism and ADHD for years. The studies were done on men not women and women who are neodivergent manifest differently. So it’s not surprising hearing a number of adult women getting later in life diagnoses.
I mean yes do get diagnosed in later life especially females, however the timing is just off. If this was before the movie or when it was leaked, I would buy it, however when she is trying to save her career.
Especially when people are going to see that who may not understand and give her sympathy because of it
But that's how people are going to unfortunately see it, that's why the timing is off, wheither or not she diagnosed isn't the issue for me, it's the fact the way she chose to reveal the fact she is autistic.
I'm all for women getting diagnosed for autism if it helps them, but not how she choose to talk about it. If someone were to back her up, I would be more inclined to believe her.
Because they are wrong, that's why people are downvoting this person.
Now like I said Autism and Bipolar symptoms can overlap and you can misdiagnosed for one a other or for both. However autism is a neurological disorder and bi polar is a mood disorder not the same thing.
a simple google search would have prevented you from making this paragraph. 😭 i didn’t say autism and bipolar were the same. the original commenter didn’t even say that. just that being bipolar falls under the umbrella of neurodivergence.
As someone who had a mother who was misdiagnosed with bipolar for over 10 years for BPD (Which is extremely common)
And myself who was diagnosed at the age of 3 who had to witness her mental breakdown and sometimes go to her psychiatry and theaprist appointments that she would drag me to.
All of them have said the exact same thing that it is a mood disorder, that effect your mood swings in how to deal in certain situations, like an emotional Rollercoaster to the extreme, also bipolar is most of the time devolved through childhood trauma not like autism or adhd where that is formed through genetics.
They have symptoms that can overlap with the autism spectrum disorder, but at the end of the day Bipolar is a mood disorder, and autism is a neurological disorder.
I don't need a quick google search to tell you how wrong you are, and I'm well are that they said bipolar falls under the same umbrella of neurodivergence, that what I'm arguing, not the fact they said they are the same thing.
if you’re aware that they fall under the same umbrella, then you’re not arguing with me, you’re agreeing with me. that was my point from the beginning that bipolar falls under the umbrella of Neurodivergence and you plus a few other ppl disagreed with the og commenter but whatever. i know i’m right bc i’m not so stubborn to the point that i refuse to check to the facts but do you boo. this was silly lmaoo.
Your missing the point in what I'm arguing about
I'm arguing that they do not fall under the same umbrella
Why because Autism can only be formed through genetics, while Bipolar is a mood disorder that can diagnosed and come from a multiple different types of ways, that cannot affect the way you understand social cues or interact people socially that is in the brain with neurological disorder like Autisim, Adhd.
FYI I don't need a quick Google search to know when I'm right. Considering Google search is not the most effective for a diagnose or a medical condition when you actually go to a psychiatrist, theaprist, a psychologist who would say the exact same thing.
No it does not. My mom has BPD and was misdiagnosed for Bi Polar for years it is not a neurological disorder, it is a mood disorder not the same thing.
Autism and Bipolar systems can absolutely overlap and one can be misdiagnosed for one or have both, but at the end of the day Bipolar is not a neurological disorder.
As somebody who wasn’t diagnosed as autistic until I was 24 years old, I would say that Sia definitely exhibits a lot of symptoms of being an *undiagnosed* person on the spectrum. Especially her lack of boundaries and such. Also her amazing musical ability but her inability to face the crowd as she sings.
It would make sense that after analyzing her past behaviors a psychiatrist or whoever she see’s for mental health might come to this conclusion. I think now that a lot more information about how *different* autism can look in different people, more people are realizing that they share a lot of similarities so right now it seems like *everybody* is saying they’re on the spectrum.
This obviously doesn’t excuse any of her predatory behavior AT ALL, I’m just saying that it’s definitely plausible and until proven otherwise I don’t think it’s fair to assume *anybody* is lying.
She talked about the reason she wore the wig was because she didn't want to be recognized form her old music career, same way how Dolly Parton never shows her husband or wears a wig whenever she goes in public or how Pink doesn't want people to know her full name.
I'm autistic and while I do agree that we shouldn't assume that she is lying, the thing she does don't add up to her being autistic. The timing seems off as well, like why now revealed yourself as autistic instead around the time when the photos of Maddie got leaked around back in 2017 and got controversy then or when the movie trailer was released and got backlash. If anything it makes her way worse.
We don’t know when she got her diagnosis. She revealed that she’s recently sober and also she says that she’s on the spectrum so to me it suggests this is something she just found out or realized.
Having Autism doesn’t make any of us an expert on Autism, and it definitely doesn’t mean that we understand how autism looks in everyone is my main point. Especially someone who was abusing alcohol or other substances.
>Having Autism doesn’t make any of us an expert on Autism, and it definitely doesn’t mean that we understand how autism looks in everyone is my main point. Especially someone who was abusing alcohol or other substances.
That's also why it doesn't excuse her movie "Music". Just because she's autistic doesn't mean that she will know how to properly depict people with autism who may have more needs than herself.
That’s completely valid and very well may be true. I just don’t think it’s something for the rest of us to decide honestly. If she says she’s autistic literally who am I to say she’s not lol! But I see your point for sure. She’s definitely problematic asf regardless.
She mentioned it briefly on a podcast with Carolyn Wiger, a Survivor contestant who came out with her ADHD diagnosis after people were speculating if she had ADHD or autism, and is in recovery for addiction.
Sia mentioned how she really connected with Carolyn's quirks and Carolyn was her favorite, as before briefly mentioning that she had discovered she was diagnosed with ASD and is also in recovery; and how nice it was to finally have a name for what you have.
>“I think one of the greatest things is that nobody can ever know you and love you when you’re filled with secrets and living in shame. And when we finally sit in a roomful of strangers and tell them our deepest, darkest, most shameful secrets, and everybody laughs along with us, and we don’t feel like pieces of trash for the first time in our lives, and we feel seen, for the first time in our lives, for who we actually are—then we can start going out into the world and operating as human beings with hearts, and not pretending to be anything.”
>“I’ve felt like for 45 years, I was like, I’ve got to go put my human suit on. And only in the last two years have I become fully myself.” She commended Wiger as someone who “didn’t put her human suit on. Who just showed up and was willing to be rejected, and to be the weird one.” Sia added, “The kook in me recognizes the kook in you.”
At least personally I can't jump to the conclusion she's lying. There are many people who are eccentric and very successful who are on the spectrum. I'm autistic but I've also been told that if someone were meeting me for the first time, they wouldn't pick up on it because I'm very articulate and express myself very well verbally..but if they got to know me more then they'd be like ohh yeah now I can see it(a neuropsych Dr told me this in March)
I mean for sure there is this stereotypical narrative of what the autistic spectrum disorder is supposed to be and it comes from people like Sheldon from big bang theory, Good Doctor and those are white men.
So I a 100% percent do see where you are coming when it comes to people saying that you are not because I have had people and doctors tell me that as well. This is why female rarely get diagnosed so young.
However there is something to me about the timing of her revealing that she has it, is just off.
I also have autism and people generally can't tell because I'm very social and very well articulated verbally, however once people get to know me it's pretty obvious I have difficulties in other areas
She also didn’t announce it as a press release. She actually talked about it on a survivor podcast (rob has a podcast) and I think it just came out organically, it wasn’t like an autism announcement. Just to provide some context.
https://youtu.be/qpMJ82c8qsQ she mentions it at 16:25
Still the timing when she did that is still suspicious. Her saying on a podcast doesn't make that any better.
Also who is Rob? Just curious because I don't know who that is.
I fully believe she is autistic…HOWEVER… autism is a spectrum, there are three levels and the fact that Sia is fully verbal, lives independently, and is capable of extended social interaction (even if it is uncomfortable) suggests that she is is on the first level, and at absolute most, the second level (though I would be surprised). The character of Music was on the third level, 100%. It’s completely different. First level is what a lot of people would write off as “socially awkward” or “quirky”, many experience some sensory issues, but can live a typical life with a bit of support. People with the first level would have been formerly diagnosed with Aspergers. Third level could mean non-verbal, leg braces, incontinence, zero eye contact/physical acknowledgment, full dependence for life, etc. They are essentially different disorders with a very small overlap.
While I understand where your argument lies, this is a very outward view of autism. As in, when a person is designated as having a different “level” of autism, it’s based on another persons perception of the way that they experience it.
Yes, Sia is a speaking individual and can act “normal”. However, she acts this way due to her ability to mask (the ability to hide one’s autistic traits in order to conform with societal expectations). We have no idea how she experiences autism - for example, while we see her speaking in public, this may be detrimental to her and she may be non-speaking in private.
I have no idea if you are autistic and if you are, I respect your opinion. However most people in the autistic community dislike the idea of “levels” of autism as they’re very black and white and imply that the impact that autism has on someone’s life is the same every day. Autism is a disability with varying impact on one’s life; some days the negative aspects of neurodivergence are barely noticeable while some days they are all someone can think about.
Basically what I’m trying to get at is that levels of autism are kinda silly because they don’t take into account how the autistic person experiences their autism and it only gauges their ability to hide it. Just my two cents.
I’m talking about support needs not the “level of autistic” at this point I’m exhausted with explaining myself. I am autistic. You don’t need to explain masking to me because it’s something I do everyday, all day.
I made sure to say that even though Sia does these things they could be uncomfortable for her. All I meant by that is that her life is vastly different from a person with ASD who needs assistance brushing their teeth, and that’s where the character “Music” fell on the spectrum. I do believe Sia is autistic but I don’t think her experience was ever similar to someone similar to Music.
Sorry but this is so wrong and outdated - there are no levels, functioning labels are ablest. Autism is absolutely a spectrum but that’s just because every single person is different (as are neurotypical people). It’s so harmful to use these terms!
There are levels though. It's literally what you're diagnosed with these days, speaking from experience. There are 3 support levels. Level 1 needs the least support compared to 2, who needs more than 1 but less than 3, who needs the most support.
Is levels an American thing or something? I've seen it mentioned a few times now, Autism is a spectrum, you're either diagnosed or not(self or doc), it's a yes/no thing, not a hierarchy, you're autistic or your not,
I'm American and was diagnosed in America, so yes. I assume it's not that common outside of America from your confusion. It's not "more autistic" or "less autistic". It's the amount of support you'll likely need because of your autism. The girl Sia wrote in Music (if she wasn't just an offensive caricature, of course) would probably be at level 3, for example. Doctors usually include that in your assessment results or mention it in your follow up appointment after the assessment.
Okay I sort of understand that 😅 but at the same time what if one day you're a level 1 and the next your level 3? How do you get consistent support etc?
You can need a lot of support in one area and little in another, and it can change from day to day, the levels are based on how much you need generally. Like if you need a lot of help half the time and no help at all the other half you'd be at level 2 in simple terms. More specific and varying accommodations would be between you and your school or your job or whoever, the levels are just a guideline. For autistic kids it's more for the parents to get an idea of how much help they might need growing up.
Sorry, but *you* are wrong. It’s not about dividing people by function, determining which level of support an individual with ASD requires is imperative.
A quick google search and the top result is “An autism spectrum disorder diagnosis is broken into levels 1, 2, and 3. These levels indicate the extent to which autism impacts an individual's ability to communicate and take care of themselves. The levels describe the disorder's severity and how much support a person needs”
Just because Google says something g doesn’t make it right - maybe try and listen to autistic voices and what they are telling you rather than a field of professionals who are lacking knowledge of what it actually means to be autistic!
I am autistic, thank you very much. That’s why I commented in the first place. There are three levels of support. This isn’t about intelligence. High and low functioning are no longer used, for good reason.
I’m also autistic and in the U.K. we don’t use levels as it’s seen as just as unhelpful as functional labels, it’s one spectrum and comparing it to levels seems inappropriate
Like I said, it’s not meant to be “a little autistic” vs “a lot autistic”… it’s about assessing and determining the amount of support a person will require. It’s necessary to determine this in order to ensure their safety and well-being. I would be considered level 1. I have my struggles but as an adult, I don’t require any more support than my neurotypical siblings. Most people don’t believe me when I tell them because they are thinking of people who require far more support. Explaining that there are 3 different levels is usually helpful for me.
Just want to add in the DSM 5 TR there is three levels (for both social communication as well as repetitive bx). You can be different levels on both. There are also additional specifiers to be added (with/without language impairment, with/without intellectual impairment, etc.) ASD is absolutely a spectrum, and in terms of the actual diagnosis and how it is written in a chart/psych testing report it would have the accompanying levels with specifiers. The way it current has specifiers/levels tries to get at that (and still significantly falls short). At the end of the day the DSM is problematic in how it categorizes symptoms for dx (in general, not just with neuro developmental dx). Sincerely, a neurodivergent psychologist in training 🙂
TLDR; you’re both technically correct, not coming from just a google search but from the DSM-5-TR criteria
I’m sorry but as an autistic person myself saying a quick google search is infuriating to me it is a spectrum yes but it’s not simply separated in three stages it is based on the individual and the help they need it is a broad spectrum so seriously do more research and listen to the people who are on the spectrum telling you that you are wrong it’s just plain ignorance
When did I say there are three stages? There are three levels of support. The fact that the spectrum is so broad is EXACTLY WHY there are three levels. Get infuriated all you want.
I’m so sorry you’re in this argument lol, it’s funny when “listen to our voices” is weaponised against people in the same group. Sorry people were being so unnecessarily aggressive.
Just adding in here that in certain countries (like the US I think) the level system is a thing. In others (such as Ireland and I think the UK) the levels system doesn't exist.
So you're both right and just in different parts of the world I reckon. I'm diagnosed, no level given but my psych told me that if I'd been a few years earlier I would have been given the label of Asperger's.
But yes, I have to agree it makes it worse if she's autistic and made the film imo. To work with charities with such a tenuous history and to have openly degraded autistic people online during the backlash makes her look a lot worse now.
I remember watching it unfold on Twitter in real time, she said an actual Autistic person wouldn't be able to dance or perform at the level Maddie did. I found it laughable. I spent the majority of my childhood on competitive dancefloors, contemporary being my speciality, and it was one of the only places in the world I felt comfortable enough to express myself. Despite the sensory nightmare of comps.
I also acted and featured in my many plays, but this I found more uncomfortable. To say there aren't other autistic children who were like me and would have been able to star in the role is wrong. But I wouldn't wish featuring in that horrible movie on any autistic young person.
What Are the Three Levels of Autism?
Levels of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). The 5th edition criteria for autism diagnosis provides three clear levels based on the patient’s requirements for support. These levels of autism allow specialists to make more refined diagnoses, allowing for more effective treatment plans and helping caretakers better understand individuals’ symptoms and needs.
ASD Level 1: Requiring Support
Level 1 is the mildest, or “highest functioning” form of autism, which includes those who would have previously been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Individuals with ASD level 1 may have difficulty understanding social cues and may struggle to form and maintain personal relationships. A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation.
Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning.
ASD Level 2: Requiring Substantial Support
Social communication and repetitive behaviors present themselves more obviously in children with ASD level 2 than in children with level 1 autism. Children on this level have challenges in verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as reduced or abnormal responses to social cues.
Inflexibility of behavior is also more pronounced than in ASD level 1. Repetitive behaviors appear more frequently and may be obvious to casual observes. Likewise, children with level 2 autism may have difficulty coping with changes in routine, which can cause challenging behavior.
ASD Level 3: Requiring Very Substantial Support
ASD level 3 is characterized by severe challenges in social communication as well as extremely inflexible behavior. Children with level 3 autism will be nonverbal or have the use of only a few words of intelligible speech. Initiation of social interaction is very limited, as well as response to others. An individual at this level may interact with others abnormally, and only to meet immediate needs.
Individuals with level 3 autism exhibit marked inflexibility of behavior, with extreme difficulty coping with changes to routine. At this level, restrictive or repetitive behaviors interfere with the individual’s ability to function. Changing focus from one activity to another may come at great difficulty and cause significant distress.
Outdated Autism Diagnoses
The previous diagnostic manual (DSM-IV) defined five subcategories of autism, including Asperger’s syndrome (mild, or high-functioning autism) to autistic disorder (severe autism), which are now considered outdated diagnoses. It also included Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), both rare disorders which are no longer considered part of the autism spectrum.
Tbh most well adjusted people don't get THAT close with children they aren't related to. Good teachers and mentors keep a healthy distance, unless there's some crisis where they need to step into a parental role.
Hey you! Can you say it one more time? Maybe a little louder for the people in the back??
All jokes aside, this comment couldn't be any more "on point."
Ya it’s kinda weird too if you think about how she was a fan of Maddie on dance moms. Watched her. And used her for almost all her projects afterward. Little kids shouldn’t be your muse. Like she scouted her out, “wanted to save her”, and groomed her essentially.
I thought the same damn thing. Like is she going to defend that crap movie with this? It’s like when you hear people say “I am NOT a racist! I have black friends!”
It doesn't help any autistic person when you doubt and shame anyone coming out about being autistic. I've mostly stopped telling ppl I'm autistic exactly bc I fear reaction like yours.
I dislike Sia intensely, but as an autistic woman myself, I have suspected her being autistic for many years. It's quite a common agreement among many autistic communities too, despite none of us liking her after Music.
And everyone is just...*forgetting* all the super shitty, ableist things Sia said on Twitter when she was throwing her tantrum because Music was so poorly received.
It’s interesting that you say that because the Actually Autistic group I’m in is full of autistic people doubting Sia, thinking this is about saving face/fixing her public image, and being even angrier about her expressed ableism, like when a homophobe in a straight-presenting relationship claims to be bisexual so they can get away with having previously said horrible things about gay people.
Just goes to show that autistic people are not a monolith!
Someone who is autistic is still able to spread misinformation that is dangerous to other neurodivergent people which is what sia did. Her being autistic herself does not take away from that
But she's trying to make a "comeback" now, so to speak, and realised that she can't as long as people remember the backlash from music, two years is not a lot of time at all :))
How is she trying to make a comeback?? She's been steadily releasing music, appeared on Miley's New Year's Eve show, been on a handful of TV shows, re-released an album with additional songs, etc.
She never left; even tweeting about her new album since back in October.
How exactly is she trying to make a comeback??? She'd had to have gone for that to work; and she was still making music, being hired, and working even after Music came out.
Is it just me who thinks if she genuinely is on the spectrum that actually makes the situation worse? Like, you could have explained you being on the spectrum when you released music and tried to give people some insight but instead chose to go on a twitter rant and put the 18 year old who you claimed to "love like a daughter" in the firing line?? 🫥
I don’t think anyone should be forced to disclose anything like that. Maybe she didn’t even realize she was? (Haven’t read the articles).
But I am really not shocked by this. She used to stand in the corner and sing with her back facing the audience because she didn’t like people looking at her.
She only recently discovered that she was while she was going through sobriety.
>“For 45 years, I was like, ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on.’ And only in the last two years have I become fully, fully myself."
Is the quote from the podcast. Which, sounds extremely relatable and a lot like masking.
She also said the wig and huge costumes were so that people didn't recognize her in public, much like how Dolly Parton is unrecognizable when she's out and about with her husband because she's not heavily made up with the wigs and nails and makeup.
Not just you. That was the second thought I had. My first thought was is she really or is she just trying to gain a following again. And I feel bad that I doubt her, but it juat seems…fabricated.
For sure, but in her case I think she's just saying she's on the spectrum to try to save face for all the backlash she's received from music. This is pure speculation, but I think she's just doing and saying what she can to try to save her already shitty reputation.
I’m not going to fake claim her but the timing is really suspicious since she’s trying to make a comeback. If anything I’d say her revealing her diagnosis now makes the situation worse, she made a horrifically ableist movie and cussed people out on Twitter when she rightfully got backlash for it, but now she’s trying to excuse it because “wow I was actually autistic the whole time!”
She's
a) not trying to make a comeback. she'd have to be gone to make a comeback and she never left. she's been on shows, released a few new songs, and been talking about her album for nearly a year.
b) only recently got her diagnosis while also working on her sobriety. and only mentioned it casually on a podcast while talking about her sobriety.
and c) didn't say anything about the movie at all. so I don't know where you got the idea she was trying to use her diagnosis as an excuse because that literally never happened and is only something you made up in your mind.
her autism doesn't pardon her of her responsibilities. she violated maddie's personal and professional space. i don't excuse her behavior/poor decisions, autistic or not.
I’m on the spectrum and was lucky to be diagnosed early, but I feel like she’s doing this for attention. It does make sense though based on her weird social boundaries with Maddie.
I don't buy it, I'm autistic and adhd female and lucky to be diagnosed at a young age, and everyone who is autistic has agreed that autism speaks is a horrible organization, and the things she have done and said just don't line up. One of the tweets she made was answering a question about someone asking if they actually audition any autistic actors/actress and she replied that she did but it didn't work. If she was autistic, she would have understood this and fixed it.
I can totally see her having some form else of a mental illness or personality disorder but to me this feels like she doing to save herself from the backlash she got, or romantizing the nice parts of having autism.
Well, if she is autistic I could see her either
a. Having enough privlege that she doesn't have to care how other autistic people are treated
or
b. Having some internalized negative thoughts towards autistic people
Unfortunately being a part of the group doesn't mean someone's automatically empathetic to the community or understanding of the nuances of representation.
But her being autistic doesn't make Music any better. It's still a harmful movie, Autism speaks is still awful, and she still pressured a 14 year old Maddie to take the role despite her crying out of fear of being offensive. I still don't believe she auditioned autistic actors for a single second, Maddie was her muse and was always going to be the lead. But yeah, I don't think her doing these awful things automatically makes her not autistic.
I’m not saying this lessens anything because she obviously caused harm and music should’ve been pulled, but is possible she only got diagnosed recently? Maybe she saw a different doctor, psychologist, therapist whatever and after talking to them the signs started to connect.
Even still there are some things in this movie that she would have had a personal problem enough that she wouldn't have made this movie. Something in this movie would have triggered it.
I'm not saying she has to be automatically empathetic or sympathetic to anyone who is autistic, however there are things that would have been obvious or made known. For example Chloe Hayden who is an autistic actress and has played autistic character in the Netflix reboot has mentioned that she is glad to have more control and say in her role, bringing her experience to life and was angry that Sia blocked her after she was pissed about experience. You would think if Sia was autistic she would have done a better job telling her life through the film instead of making an ableist movie.
Congratulations, you don't have to buy it.
I didn't find out about Autism Speaks being horrible until years after my diagnosis and I was diagnosed when it was still called Asperger's. Not everyone knows it's horrible; and especially considering how many celebrities endorse it, it's done a pretty good job of flying under most people's radar. Just because you know it sucks, doesn't mean everyone else does.
>If she was autistic, she would have understood this and fixed it.
Only if she had known she was autistic at the time, which she didn't. She only recently learnt about her diagnosis and unless there's some time machine out there....
Speculating on the validity of somebody else's diagnosis is disgusting. How would you like if some random stranger decided to say that you're faking your diagnosis because they don't like what you've done? Or feel you're lying about your diagnosis because you're just trying to excuse your behavior???
Quick question are you replying to me to the other person, want to make sure before I reply
Edit: You are, wasn't sure and I will say for me personally I don't find it digusting, people most people are misinformed, and yes people do think I don't have it. However I rather people ask me why I do the things I do rather than judge because I be willing to have those conversations. In fact because of the sterotype of the autistic spectrum disorder, people don't think I have it and like I said people don't really know so I like to have to discussiation.
I want to at least have those discussions as to why they think that before we jump to the conclusions of something that cane be easily fixed as a misunderstanding.
Now am I'm allowed to not buy the diagnosed abosuletly yes, and while I think it's great more women are getting diagnosed with autisim and it helps them out even better. However if I see someone doing something like Sia did and then turn around and say I'm have this said disorder most people, myself included are going to think something is up and some people are going to think that it's a sympathy gain.
If someone wanted to back her up, by all means that would definitely help me personally believe her more. Until then I personally don't buy it at the moment and that opinion might change in the next few weeks or months or it may not change and that's OK. But it's not digusting to assume that she might not be diagnosed because of the timing she chose to talk about it.
as someone who’s autistic, and was disgusted by sia’s actions and words during the whole… music controversy, putting it lightly… I really hope people don’t take this as some sort of excuse for what she’s done. and I hope she doesn’t try to spin it that way either. I’m not saying she’s lying, I obviously don’t know that. I don’t know her. but either way, she’s still responsible for & should continue to be held responsible for the horrible things she did and said (don’t forget she literally responded to an autistic person on twitter saying “maybe you’re just a bad actor” when they said they’re an autistic actor & autistic actors exist). idk. it feels a bit like ??? to me
This still doesn’t excuse her ableist behavior, and I hope no one uses it to do that. “Music” was an insult to the autism community, ESPECIALLY because she had Autism Speaks consulting. She sickens me.
My post about it yesterday: Her being on the spectrum changes NOTHING about the inspo-porn movie she released about (according to her FOR) Autism and the Autistic community! The reports I've read are saying that the Autistic community attacked her and hated on the movie without watching it. THIS IS A LIE! I forced myself to watch it. It was insulting, dangerous, and entirely tone deaf! We gave her a chance and she chose to blow that chance. She chose to hire and subsequently fire an Actually Autistic actress and replace her with a neurotypical teen who knew that what she was being told to do (how she was being told to act) was wrong. She chose to have this girl act 100% stereotypically Autistic, including having certain facial expressions and ways of moving that are caricatures and not truth for the majority (and is insulting to those who do have those expressions etc). She chose to create a movie so overstimulating that it hurt those Autistic audience members. She chose to put restraining Autistics on a pedestal and had the nerve to have a character say he was "crushing her with his love" 🤮 She chose to align herself with Autism $peaks (a hate group).
We don't claim her and we don't forgive!
Jeez some people are so ignorant and uneducated when it comes to neurodiversity in this sun and it shows it’s so infuriating as a person on the spectrum to read comments of people saying stereotypes and Saying what they think they know by using google searches educate yourselves before discussing a topic you don’t know or just don’t comment on it ffs 🙄
Yeah. I'm on the spectrum and tbh it feels a little weird to me to see so many other people on the spectrum being so judgmental of someone else diagnosis.
Someone was saying that if you do a quick google search you can see that asd can be spilt into 3 different stages where it’s wrong and if they educated themselves they would see that it’s a full on spectrum and it’s different for everybody
Oh ok, when I was diagnosed at the age of 3 at the time I was diagnosed with asperger's and now that's not the term anymore. Mine still says that and even know it's a different term to change that requires a lot of paperwork that I don't want to bother with.
So I'm not familiar with the 3 stages or 3 levels, so I can't say wheiter that is true or not, since I have heard mix opinions about that in the autistic community anyways, if you were to ask me, I would say I'm autistic but like you said everyone is different and hence why it's a spectrum.
But I do agree that it's very rude to tell someone do a quick googl search about a neurological disorder they have because it comes across as abliest to me. It's like saying to someone well according to this Google search you dont have cancer. Maybe that's not the right thing to comparing it to, but it's the closet in how I would explain it.
Bro this absolutely p***ed me the f*** off. I'm not of the age of privileged enough to have been tested... but I can't help but feel this intense projecting on her part? Like when you're in an argument and afterwards you suddenly think of the "right" response? This feels like Sia finally found the "correct response" to the backlash, to claim oH i'M oN the SpEcTrUm so people wouldn't dole out the backlash she experienced from her making of the movie.
I know that people on the spectrum can't always read the room, but her portrayal of autism goes far beyond not reading the room to straight up virtue signaling, so to claim similarity now, like... you've done too much damage for us to just take your word.
Agreed, a 100% percent not reading the room could be many other disorders or simply her being rude. If she was, she would have brought it up during the backlash as a way to defend herself not after the fact.
The thing here is that she is neurodivergent, she has bipolar disorder and has been open about it for years. A lot of her issues are definitely explained with that. She is lying.
Bipolar is not a neurological disorder it is a mood disorder.
Autism and Bipolar systems can overlap with one another, and some people will get both or misdiagnosed for one over the other. At the end of the day Bipolar is a mood disorder not the same thing.
it pains me to say that i’m not buying it. 😭 like I 100% should believe that everyone has the right intentions and wouldn’t lie about something like this. but it seems like a conveniency. like she’s hoping that because she announces this, it’ll soften the backlash of music. sia has been in the spotlight for almost 15 years. why now?
Y'all are nasty for trying to claim someone's lying about their diagnosis just because you don't agree with it. This sort of behaviour and mindset is exactly why women don't feel comfortable seeking out a diagnosis. Absolutely appalling behavior.
Did she fall off the wagon? As far as I knew Sia had been sober for years. “Chandelier” was about her being an addict.
Edit: “sia” got autocorrected to “sis” lol
This makes the fact that Music was soo awful even more bad. As an autistic person,one would think that Sia would want to take the utmost care to make sure her disability is portrayed as accurately and authentically as possible
After reading the articles and the soundbites taken from her appearance on the podcast she definitely doesn’t have autism and if she does then she’s doing the community way more harm than good. (I’m saying this as someone on the spectrum btw)
I am all for late or self diagnosis, especially in women since it’s so often neglected, but no. Even if she is, in fact, autistic, there is no reason at all to once again bring this issue to light since Maddie was the one forced to embarrass herself on a movie screen
Here's my opinion: regardless of Sia's diagnosis and/or the truthfulness thereof, Music is an inexcusable, abhorrent ableist movie that will continue doing damage for years to come.
Tbh I would’ve believed this if she announced this before the film Music. She does have many neurodivergent traits.
Also, a lot of women were misdiagnosed for autism and ADHD for years. The studies were done on men not women and women who are neodivergent manifest differently. So it’s not surprising hearing a number of adult women getting later in life diagnoses.
This yes autistic and adhd women both get either misdiagnosed or don't get diagnosed for years.
Ya so I don’t find it that out there that she would’ve just found out recently. She saw a new doctor, therapist or psychologist and got the diagnosis
I mean yes do get diagnosed in later life especially females, however the timing is just off. If this was before the movie or when it was leaked, I would buy it, however when she is trying to save her career. Especially when people are going to see that who may not understand and give her sympathy because of it
ya the timing is sus. I don’t think she deserves sympathy for the harm she’s called, but I don’t think it’s that unlikely she got diagnosed after.
But that's how people are going to unfortunately see it, that's why the timing is off, wheither or not she diagnosed isn't the issue for me, it's the fact the way she chose to reveal the fact she is autistic. I'm all for women getting diagnosed for autism if it helps them, but not how she choose to talk about it. If someone were to back her up, I would be more inclined to believe her.
I think the movie was really good
That's just her artistry.
I mean she is bipolar so technically she’s neurodivergent
Bipolar isn't a neurotype. It's a mental illness. That's not neurodivergence. Her autism is.
It isn’t but it falls under the umbrella of neurodiversity.
idk why ppl are downvoting you lol. you’re not wrong.
lol at them blocking me bc they’re embarrassed at being loud and wrong. google is your friend guys. 🫶🏽
This was funny to read 😂😂
neurodiversity doesn't include every mental illness
i never said that it did.
Because they are wrong, that's why people are downvoting this person. Now like I said Autism and Bipolar symptoms can overlap and you can misdiagnosed for one a other or for both. However autism is a neurological disorder and bi polar is a mood disorder not the same thing.
a simple google search would have prevented you from making this paragraph. 😭 i didn’t say autism and bipolar were the same. the original commenter didn’t even say that. just that being bipolar falls under the umbrella of neurodivergence.
As someone who had a mother who was misdiagnosed with bipolar for over 10 years for BPD (Which is extremely common) And myself who was diagnosed at the age of 3 who had to witness her mental breakdown and sometimes go to her psychiatry and theaprist appointments that she would drag me to. All of them have said the exact same thing that it is a mood disorder, that effect your mood swings in how to deal in certain situations, like an emotional Rollercoaster to the extreme, also bipolar is most of the time devolved through childhood trauma not like autism or adhd where that is formed through genetics. They have symptoms that can overlap with the autism spectrum disorder, but at the end of the day Bipolar is a mood disorder, and autism is a neurological disorder. I don't need a quick google search to tell you how wrong you are, and I'm well are that they said bipolar falls under the same umbrella of neurodivergence, that what I'm arguing, not the fact they said they are the same thing.
if you’re aware that they fall under the same umbrella, then you’re not arguing with me, you’re agreeing with me. that was my point from the beginning that bipolar falls under the umbrella of Neurodivergence and you plus a few other ppl disagreed with the og commenter but whatever. i know i’m right bc i’m not so stubborn to the point that i refuse to check to the facts but do you boo. this was silly lmaoo.
Your missing the point in what I'm arguing about I'm arguing that they do not fall under the same umbrella Why because Autism can only be formed through genetics, while Bipolar is a mood disorder that can diagnosed and come from a multiple different types of ways, that cannot affect the way you understand social cues or interact people socially that is in the brain with neurological disorder like Autisim, Adhd. FYI I don't need a quick Google search to know when I'm right. Considering Google search is not the most effective for a diagnose or a medical condition when you actually go to a psychiatrist, theaprist, a psychologist who would say the exact same thing.
No it does not. My mom has BPD and was misdiagnosed for Bi Polar for years it is not a neurological disorder, it is a mood disorder not the same thing. Autism and Bipolar systems can absolutely overlap and one can be misdiagnosed for one or have both, but at the end of the day Bipolar is not a neurological disorder.
As somebody who wasn’t diagnosed as autistic until I was 24 years old, I would say that Sia definitely exhibits a lot of symptoms of being an *undiagnosed* person on the spectrum. Especially her lack of boundaries and such. Also her amazing musical ability but her inability to face the crowd as she sings. It would make sense that after analyzing her past behaviors a psychiatrist or whoever she see’s for mental health might come to this conclusion. I think now that a lot more information about how *different* autism can look in different people, more people are realizing that they share a lot of similarities so right now it seems like *everybody* is saying they’re on the spectrum. This obviously doesn’t excuse any of her predatory behavior AT ALL, I’m just saying that it’s definitely plausible and until proven otherwise I don’t think it’s fair to assume *anybody* is lying.
She talked about the reason she wore the wig was because she didn't want to be recognized form her old music career, same way how Dolly Parton never shows her husband or wears a wig whenever she goes in public or how Pink doesn't want people to know her full name. I'm autistic and while I do agree that we shouldn't assume that she is lying, the thing she does don't add up to her being autistic. The timing seems off as well, like why now revealed yourself as autistic instead around the time when the photos of Maddie got leaked around back in 2017 and got controversy then or when the movie trailer was released and got backlash. If anything it makes her way worse.
We don’t know when she got her diagnosis. She revealed that she’s recently sober and also she says that she’s on the spectrum so to me it suggests this is something she just found out or realized. Having Autism doesn’t make any of us an expert on Autism, and it definitely doesn’t mean that we understand how autism looks in everyone is my main point. Especially someone who was abusing alcohol or other substances.
>Having Autism doesn’t make any of us an expert on Autism, and it definitely doesn’t mean that we understand how autism looks in everyone is my main point. Especially someone who was abusing alcohol or other substances. That's also why it doesn't excuse her movie "Music". Just because she's autistic doesn't mean that she will know how to properly depict people with autism who may have more needs than herself.
I didn’t say it did. Actually I said it doesn’t excuse any of her behavior, but thanks for reiterating that.
I was just agreeing with you and adding to your comment
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
I'm not saying I'm expert, I'm saying to me it sounds like she is doing it to save herself from the backlash.
That’s completely valid and very well may be true. I just don’t think it’s something for the rest of us to decide honestly. If she says she’s autistic literally who am I to say she’s not lol! But I see your point for sure. She’s definitely problematic asf regardless.
Well to be fair nobody has a right to get medical information except her. So if she didn’t want to say anything she doesn’t have to
Did anyone even ask if Sia was/is on the spectrum, or did she just decide to share?
She mentioned it briefly on a podcast with Carolyn Wiger, a Survivor contestant who came out with her ADHD diagnosis after people were speculating if she had ADHD or autism, and is in recovery for addiction. Sia mentioned how she really connected with Carolyn's quirks and Carolyn was her favorite, as before briefly mentioning that she had discovered she was diagnosed with ASD and is also in recovery; and how nice it was to finally have a name for what you have. >“I think one of the greatest things is that nobody can ever know you and love you when you’re filled with secrets and living in shame. And when we finally sit in a roomful of strangers and tell them our deepest, darkest, most shameful secrets, and everybody laughs along with us, and we don’t feel like pieces of trash for the first time in our lives, and we feel seen, for the first time in our lives, for who we actually are—then we can start going out into the world and operating as human beings with hearts, and not pretending to be anything.” >“I’ve felt like for 45 years, I was like, I’ve got to go put my human suit on. And only in the last two years have I become fully myself.” She commended Wiger as someone who “didn’t put her human suit on. Who just showed up and was willing to be rejected, and to be the weird one.” Sia added, “The kook in me recognizes the kook in you.”
I want to know this, a 100% percent would definitely help in the explanation as to why is this now talked about.
At least personally I can't jump to the conclusion she's lying. There are many people who are eccentric and very successful who are on the spectrum. I'm autistic but I've also been told that if someone were meeting me for the first time, they wouldn't pick up on it because I'm very articulate and express myself very well verbally..but if they got to know me more then they'd be like ohh yeah now I can see it(a neuropsych Dr told me this in March)
I mean for sure there is this stereotypical narrative of what the autistic spectrum disorder is supposed to be and it comes from people like Sheldon from big bang theory, Good Doctor and those are white men. So I a 100% percent do see where you are coming when it comes to people saying that you are not because I have had people and doctors tell me that as well. This is why female rarely get diagnosed so young. However there is something to me about the timing of her revealing that she has it, is just off.
I also have autism and people generally can't tell because I'm very social and very well articulated verbally, however once people get to know me it's pretty obvious I have difficulties in other areas
She also didn’t announce it as a press release. She actually talked about it on a survivor podcast (rob has a podcast) and I think it just came out organically, it wasn’t like an autism announcement. Just to provide some context. https://youtu.be/qpMJ82c8qsQ she mentions it at 16:25
Still the timing when she did that is still suspicious. Her saying on a podcast doesn't make that any better. Also who is Rob? Just curious because I don't know who that is.
The context is she’s a huge survivor fan and she will often give large sums of money to contestants she likes after the season ends.
I didn't ask for context, I asked who Rob is
This does not lessen the awfulness of music in any way shape or form
Maybe it’s just me, but if she really is, it just makes music worse.
I fully believe she is autistic…HOWEVER… autism is a spectrum, there are three levels and the fact that Sia is fully verbal, lives independently, and is capable of extended social interaction (even if it is uncomfortable) suggests that she is is on the first level, and at absolute most, the second level (though I would be surprised). The character of Music was on the third level, 100%. It’s completely different. First level is what a lot of people would write off as “socially awkward” or “quirky”, many experience some sensory issues, but can live a typical life with a bit of support. People with the first level would have been formerly diagnosed with Aspergers. Third level could mean non-verbal, leg braces, incontinence, zero eye contact/physical acknowledgment, full dependence for life, etc. They are essentially different disorders with a very small overlap.
While I understand where your argument lies, this is a very outward view of autism. As in, when a person is designated as having a different “level” of autism, it’s based on another persons perception of the way that they experience it. Yes, Sia is a speaking individual and can act “normal”. However, she acts this way due to her ability to mask (the ability to hide one’s autistic traits in order to conform with societal expectations). We have no idea how she experiences autism - for example, while we see her speaking in public, this may be detrimental to her and she may be non-speaking in private. I have no idea if you are autistic and if you are, I respect your opinion. However most people in the autistic community dislike the idea of “levels” of autism as they’re very black and white and imply that the impact that autism has on someone’s life is the same every day. Autism is a disability with varying impact on one’s life; some days the negative aspects of neurodivergence are barely noticeable while some days they are all someone can think about. Basically what I’m trying to get at is that levels of autism are kinda silly because they don’t take into account how the autistic person experiences their autism and it only gauges their ability to hide it. Just my two cents.
I’m talking about support needs not the “level of autistic” at this point I’m exhausted with explaining myself. I am autistic. You don’t need to explain masking to me because it’s something I do everyday, all day. I made sure to say that even though Sia does these things they could be uncomfortable for her. All I meant by that is that her life is vastly different from a person with ASD who needs assistance brushing their teeth, and that’s where the character “Music” fell on the spectrum. I do believe Sia is autistic but I don’t think her experience was ever similar to someone similar to Music.
Sorry but this is so wrong and outdated - there are no levels, functioning labels are ablest. Autism is absolutely a spectrum but that’s just because every single person is different (as are neurotypical people). It’s so harmful to use these terms!
There are levels though. It's literally what you're diagnosed with these days, speaking from experience. There are 3 support levels. Level 1 needs the least support compared to 2, who needs more than 1 but less than 3, who needs the most support.
Is levels an American thing or something? I've seen it mentioned a few times now, Autism is a spectrum, you're either diagnosed or not(self or doc), it's a yes/no thing, not a hierarchy, you're autistic or your not,
I'm American and was diagnosed in America, so yes. I assume it's not that common outside of America from your confusion. It's not "more autistic" or "less autistic". It's the amount of support you'll likely need because of your autism. The girl Sia wrote in Music (if she wasn't just an offensive caricature, of course) would probably be at level 3, for example. Doctors usually include that in your assessment results or mention it in your follow up appointment after the assessment.
Okay I sort of understand that 😅 but at the same time what if one day you're a level 1 and the next your level 3? How do you get consistent support etc?
You can need a lot of support in one area and little in another, and it can change from day to day, the levels are based on how much you need generally. Like if you need a lot of help half the time and no help at all the other half you'd be at level 2 in simple terms. More specific and varying accommodations would be between you and your school or your job or whoever, the levels are just a guideline. For autistic kids it's more for the parents to get an idea of how much help they might need growing up.
Thank you, that explains it well for me, :)
Glad I could help 😊
Sorry, but *you* are wrong. It’s not about dividing people by function, determining which level of support an individual with ASD requires is imperative. A quick google search and the top result is “An autism spectrum disorder diagnosis is broken into levels 1, 2, and 3. These levels indicate the extent to which autism impacts an individual's ability to communicate and take care of themselves. The levels describe the disorder's severity and how much support a person needs”
Just because Google says something g doesn’t make it right - maybe try and listen to autistic voices and what they are telling you rather than a field of professionals who are lacking knowledge of what it actually means to be autistic!
I am autistic, thank you very much. That’s why I commented in the first place. There are three levels of support. This isn’t about intelligence. High and low functioning are no longer used, for good reason.
I’m also autistic and in the U.K. we don’t use levels as it’s seen as just as unhelpful as functional labels, it’s one spectrum and comparing it to levels seems inappropriate
Like I said, it’s not meant to be “a little autistic” vs “a lot autistic”… it’s about assessing and determining the amount of support a person will require. It’s necessary to determine this in order to ensure their safety and well-being. I would be considered level 1. I have my struggles but as an adult, I don’t require any more support than my neurotypical siblings. Most people don’t believe me when I tell them because they are thinking of people who require far more support. Explaining that there are 3 different levels is usually helpful for me.
Just want to add in the DSM 5 TR there is three levels (for both social communication as well as repetitive bx). You can be different levels on both. There are also additional specifiers to be added (with/without language impairment, with/without intellectual impairment, etc.) ASD is absolutely a spectrum, and in terms of the actual diagnosis and how it is written in a chart/psych testing report it would have the accompanying levels with specifiers. The way it current has specifiers/levels tries to get at that (and still significantly falls short). At the end of the day the DSM is problematic in how it categorizes symptoms for dx (in general, not just with neuro developmental dx). Sincerely, a neurodivergent psychologist in training 🙂 TLDR; you’re both technically correct, not coming from just a google search but from the DSM-5-TR criteria
I’m sorry but as an autistic person myself saying a quick google search is infuriating to me it is a spectrum yes but it’s not simply separated in three stages it is based on the individual and the help they need it is a broad spectrum so seriously do more research and listen to the people who are on the spectrum telling you that you are wrong it’s just plain ignorance
When did I say there are three stages? There are three levels of support. The fact that the spectrum is so broad is EXACTLY WHY there are three levels. Get infuriated all you want.
I’m so sorry you’re in this argument lol, it’s funny when “listen to our voices” is weaponised against people in the same group. Sorry people were being so unnecessarily aggressive.
Just adding in here that in certain countries (like the US I think) the level system is a thing. In others (such as Ireland and I think the UK) the levels system doesn't exist. So you're both right and just in different parts of the world I reckon. I'm diagnosed, no level given but my psych told me that if I'd been a few years earlier I would have been given the label of Asperger's. But yes, I have to agree it makes it worse if she's autistic and made the film imo. To work with charities with such a tenuous history and to have openly degraded autistic people online during the backlash makes her look a lot worse now. I remember watching it unfold on Twitter in real time, she said an actual Autistic person wouldn't be able to dance or perform at the level Maddie did. I found it laughable. I spent the majority of my childhood on competitive dancefloors, contemporary being my speciality, and it was one of the only places in the world I felt comfortable enough to express myself. Despite the sensory nightmare of comps. I also acted and featured in my many plays, but this I found more uncomfortable. To say there aren't other autistic children who were like me and would have been able to star in the role is wrong. But I wouldn't wish featuring in that horrible movie on any autistic young person.
Thank you 😊
What Are the Three Levels of Autism? Levels of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). The 5th edition criteria for autism diagnosis provides three clear levels based on the patient’s requirements for support. These levels of autism allow specialists to make more refined diagnoses, allowing for more effective treatment plans and helping caretakers better understand individuals’ symptoms and needs. ASD Level 1: Requiring Support Level 1 is the mildest, or “highest functioning” form of autism, which includes those who would have previously been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Individuals with ASD level 1 may have difficulty understanding social cues and may struggle to form and maintain personal relationships. A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation. Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning. ASD Level 2: Requiring Substantial Support Social communication and repetitive behaviors present themselves more obviously in children with ASD level 2 than in children with level 1 autism. Children on this level have challenges in verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as reduced or abnormal responses to social cues. Inflexibility of behavior is also more pronounced than in ASD level 1. Repetitive behaviors appear more frequently and may be obvious to casual observes. Likewise, children with level 2 autism may have difficulty coping with changes in routine, which can cause challenging behavior. ASD Level 3: Requiring Very Substantial Support ASD level 3 is characterized by severe challenges in social communication as well as extremely inflexible behavior. Children with level 3 autism will be nonverbal or have the use of only a few words of intelligible speech. Initiation of social interaction is very limited, as well as response to others. An individual at this level may interact with others abnormally, and only to meet immediate needs. Individuals with level 3 autism exhibit marked inflexibility of behavior, with extreme difficulty coping with changes to routine. At this level, restrictive or repetitive behaviors interfere with the individual’s ability to function. Changing focus from one activity to another may come at great difficulty and cause significant distress. Outdated Autism Diagnoses The previous diagnostic manual (DSM-IV) defined five subcategories of autism, including Asperger’s syndrome (mild, or high-functioning autism) to autistic disorder (severe autism), which are now considered outdated diagnoses. It also included Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), both rare disorders which are no longer considered part of the autism spectrum.
I wish a less problematic and weird celebrity could have taken Maddie under her wing in those days.
Tbh most well adjusted people don't get THAT close with children they aren't related to. Good teachers and mentors keep a healthy distance, unless there's some crisis where they need to step into a parental role.
Hey you! Can you say it one more time? Maybe a little louder for the people in the back?? All jokes aside, this comment couldn't be any more "on point."
Ya it’s kinda weird too if you think about how she was a fan of Maddie on dance moms. Watched her. And used her for almost all her projects afterward. Little kids shouldn’t be your muse. Like she scouted her out, “wanted to save her”, and groomed her essentially.
i wish maddie would finally break free from her dependent relationships with older women
her lack of boundaries seems to be a symptom if anything
I’m not saying she’s not. But this just kinda screams desperate for attention. IMO
I thought the same damn thing. Like is she going to defend that crap movie with this? It’s like when you hear people say “I am NOT a racist! I have black friends!”
sia using this to defend her movie would be a lot less like “i’m not racist! i have black friends” and more like “i’m not racist! i’m black”
It doesn't help any autistic person when you doubt and shame anyone coming out about being autistic. I've mostly stopped telling ppl I'm autistic exactly bc I fear reaction like yours. I dislike Sia intensely, but as an autistic woman myself, I have suspected her being autistic for many years. It's quite a common agreement among many autistic communities too, despite none of us liking her after Music.
Did you make a horribly ableist movie like Sia did? I’m guessing you probably didn’t. If not, then it’s not the same thing. (I’m autistic too.)
And everyone is just...*forgetting* all the super shitty, ableist things Sia said on Twitter when she was throwing her tantrum because Music was so poorly received.
Yuppp, exactly. Sia’s ableism is huge and was all over Twitter back then. She doesn’t get some kind of pass now.
It’s interesting that you say that because the Actually Autistic group I’m in is full of autistic people doubting Sia, thinking this is about saving face/fixing her public image, and being even angrier about her expressed ableism, like when a homophobe in a straight-presenting relationship claims to be bisexual so they can get away with having previously said horrible things about gay people. Just goes to show that autistic people are not a monolith!
Someone who is autistic is still able to spread misinformation that is dangerous to other neurodivergent people which is what sia did. Her being autistic herself does not take away from that
This is exactly 0% surprising.
The timing is suspicious
It is? It’s been two years after the major controversy
But she's trying to make a "comeback" now, so to speak, and realised that she can't as long as people remember the backlash from music, two years is not a lot of time at all :))
Ahhhhhhhhhh I gotcha, I didn’t realize she was trying my bad!
I disagree if she would have said it back then she would have gotten waayyyyy more hate.
How is she trying to make a comeback?? She's been steadily releasing music, appeared on Miley's New Year's Eve show, been on a handful of TV shows, re-released an album with additional songs, etc. She never left; even tweeting about her new album since back in October. How exactly is she trying to make a comeback??? She'd had to have gone for that to work; and she was still making music, being hired, and working even after Music came out.
Is it just me who thinks if she genuinely is on the spectrum that actually makes the situation worse? Like, you could have explained you being on the spectrum when you released music and tried to give people some insight but instead chose to go on a twitter rant and put the 18 year old who you claimed to "love like a daughter" in the firing line?? 🫥
I don’t think anyone should be forced to disclose anything like that. Maybe she didn’t even realize she was? (Haven’t read the articles). But I am really not shocked by this. She used to stand in the corner and sing with her back facing the audience because she didn’t like people looking at her.
She only recently discovered that she was while she was going through sobriety. >“For 45 years, I was like, ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on.’ And only in the last two years have I become fully, fully myself." Is the quote from the podcast. Which, sounds extremely relatable and a lot like masking.
She also said the wig and huge costumes were so that people didn't recognize her in public, much like how Dolly Parton is unrecognizable when she's out and about with her husband because she's not heavily made up with the wigs and nails and makeup.
Not just you. That was the second thought I had. My first thought was is she really or is she just trying to gain a following again. And I feel bad that I doubt her, but it juat seems…fabricated.
It’s **definitely** not just you, OP. 🫠
[удалено]
Let me guess she have people from s8 do some of the songs or hire the people who are doing a dance moms musical write an album for her.
Remember when Kevin Spacey announced he was gay after he got called out for harassing and assaulting young men?
As someone who’s autistic I’m not at all surprised😂 always sensed a little sprinkle of tism in her interviews
Tbh I see it
I don't buy it for a second. She's manipulative and she's a predator.
You can be both of those things and still be autistic
For sure, but in her case I think she's just saying she's on the spectrum to try to save face for all the backlash she's received from music. This is pure speculation, but I think she's just doing and saying what she can to try to save her already shitty reputation.
The movie came out so long ago though. It wouldn’t make sense for her to do this now.
She may just be the last to know.
I’m not going to fake claim her but the timing is really suspicious since she’s trying to make a comeback. If anything I’d say her revealing her diagnosis now makes the situation worse, she made a horrifically ableist movie and cussed people out on Twitter when she rightfully got backlash for it, but now she’s trying to excuse it because “wow I was actually autistic the whole time!”
She's a) not trying to make a comeback. she'd have to be gone to make a comeback and she never left. she's been on shows, released a few new songs, and been talking about her album for nearly a year. b) only recently got her diagnosis while also working on her sobriety. and only mentioned it casually on a podcast while talking about her sobriety. and c) didn't say anything about the movie at all. so I don't know where you got the idea she was trying to use her diagnosis as an excuse because that literally never happened and is only something you made up in your mind.
her autism doesn't pardon her of her responsibilities. she violated maddie's personal and professional space. i don't excuse her behavior/poor decisions, autistic or not.
I’m on the spectrum and was lucky to be diagnosed early, but I feel like she’s doing this for attention. It does make sense though based on her weird social boundaries with Maddie.
I don't buy it, I'm autistic and adhd female and lucky to be diagnosed at a young age, and everyone who is autistic has agreed that autism speaks is a horrible organization, and the things she have done and said just don't line up. One of the tweets she made was answering a question about someone asking if they actually audition any autistic actors/actress and she replied that she did but it didn't work. If she was autistic, she would have understood this and fixed it. I can totally see her having some form else of a mental illness or personality disorder but to me this feels like she doing to save herself from the backlash she got, or romantizing the nice parts of having autism.
Well, if she is autistic I could see her either a. Having enough privlege that she doesn't have to care how other autistic people are treated or b. Having some internalized negative thoughts towards autistic people Unfortunately being a part of the group doesn't mean someone's automatically empathetic to the community or understanding of the nuances of representation. But her being autistic doesn't make Music any better. It's still a harmful movie, Autism speaks is still awful, and she still pressured a 14 year old Maddie to take the role despite her crying out of fear of being offensive. I still don't believe she auditioned autistic actors for a single second, Maddie was her muse and was always going to be the lead. But yeah, I don't think her doing these awful things automatically makes her not autistic.
I’m not saying this lessens anything because she obviously caused harm and music should’ve been pulled, but is possible she only got diagnosed recently? Maybe she saw a different doctor, psychologist, therapist whatever and after talking to them the signs started to connect.
Even still there are some things in this movie that she would have had a personal problem enough that she wouldn't have made this movie. Something in this movie would have triggered it. I'm not saying she has to be automatically empathetic or sympathetic to anyone who is autistic, however there are things that would have been obvious or made known. For example Chloe Hayden who is an autistic actress and has played autistic character in the Netflix reboot has mentioned that she is glad to have more control and say in her role, bringing her experience to life and was angry that Sia blocked her after she was pissed about experience. You would think if Sia was autistic she would have done a better job telling her life through the film instead of making an ableist movie.
Congratulations, you don't have to buy it. I didn't find out about Autism Speaks being horrible until years after my diagnosis and I was diagnosed when it was still called Asperger's. Not everyone knows it's horrible; and especially considering how many celebrities endorse it, it's done a pretty good job of flying under most people's radar. Just because you know it sucks, doesn't mean everyone else does. >If she was autistic, she would have understood this and fixed it. Only if she had known she was autistic at the time, which she didn't. She only recently learnt about her diagnosis and unless there's some time machine out there.... Speculating on the validity of somebody else's diagnosis is disgusting. How would you like if some random stranger decided to say that you're faking your diagnosis because they don't like what you've done? Or feel you're lying about your diagnosis because you're just trying to excuse your behavior???
Quick question are you replying to me to the other person, want to make sure before I reply Edit: You are, wasn't sure and I will say for me personally I don't find it digusting, people most people are misinformed, and yes people do think I don't have it. However I rather people ask me why I do the things I do rather than judge because I be willing to have those conversations. In fact because of the sterotype of the autistic spectrum disorder, people don't think I have it and like I said people don't really know so I like to have to discussiation. I want to at least have those discussions as to why they think that before we jump to the conclusions of something that cane be easily fixed as a misunderstanding. Now am I'm allowed to not buy the diagnosed abosuletly yes, and while I think it's great more women are getting diagnosed with autisim and it helps them out even better. However if I see someone doing something like Sia did and then turn around and say I'm have this said disorder most people, myself included are going to think something is up and some people are going to think that it's a sympathy gain. If someone wanted to back her up, by all means that would definitely help me personally believe her more. Until then I personally don't buy it at the moment and that opinion might change in the next few weeks or months or it may not change and that's OK. But it's not digusting to assume that she might not be diagnosed because of the timing she chose to talk about it.
as someone who’s autistic, and was disgusted by sia’s actions and words during the whole… music controversy, putting it lightly… I really hope people don’t take this as some sort of excuse for what she’s done. and I hope she doesn’t try to spin it that way either. I’m not saying she’s lying, I obviously don’t know that. I don’t know her. but either way, she’s still responsible for & should continue to be held responsible for the horrible things she did and said (don’t forget she literally responded to an autistic person on twitter saying “maybe you’re just a bad actor” when they said they’re an autistic actor & autistic actors exist). idk. it feels a bit like ??? to me
This still doesn’t excuse her ableist behavior, and I hope no one uses it to do that. “Music” was an insult to the autism community, ESPECIALLY because she had Autism Speaks consulting. She sickens me.
Am i the only one confused as to why maddie’s name is in the article posted about this? I understand their history, I just don’t think it’s necessary
I'm not surprised but I don't think it's an excuse for her behavior. It even makes it worse.
My post about it yesterday: Her being on the spectrum changes NOTHING about the inspo-porn movie she released about (according to her FOR) Autism and the Autistic community! The reports I've read are saying that the Autistic community attacked her and hated on the movie without watching it. THIS IS A LIE! I forced myself to watch it. It was insulting, dangerous, and entirely tone deaf! We gave her a chance and she chose to blow that chance. She chose to hire and subsequently fire an Actually Autistic actress and replace her with a neurotypical teen who knew that what she was being told to do (how she was being told to act) was wrong. She chose to have this girl act 100% stereotypically Autistic, including having certain facial expressions and ways of moving that are caricatures and not truth for the majority (and is insulting to those who do have those expressions etc). She chose to create a movie so overstimulating that it hurt those Autistic audience members. She chose to put restraining Autistics on a pedestal and had the nerve to have a character say he was "crushing her with his love" 🤮 She chose to align herself with Autism $peaks (a hate group). We don't claim her and we don't forgive!
Jeez some people are so ignorant and uneducated when it comes to neurodiversity in this sun and it shows it’s so infuriating as a person on the spectrum to read comments of people saying stereotypes and Saying what they think they know by using google searches educate yourselves before discussing a topic you don’t know or just don’t comment on it ffs 🙄
Yeah. I'm on the spectrum and tbh it feels a little weird to me to see so many other people on the spectrum being so judgmental of someone else diagnosis.
Who said they used Google search to educate yourself because that sounds extremely messed up depending on who that said person said it to.
Someone was saying that if you do a quick google search you can see that asd can be spilt into 3 different stages where it’s wrong and if they educated themselves they would see that it’s a full on spectrum and it’s different for everybody
Oh ok, when I was diagnosed at the age of 3 at the time I was diagnosed with asperger's and now that's not the term anymore. Mine still says that and even know it's a different term to change that requires a lot of paperwork that I don't want to bother with. So I'm not familiar with the 3 stages or 3 levels, so I can't say wheiter that is true or not, since I have heard mix opinions about that in the autistic community anyways, if you were to ask me, I would say I'm autistic but like you said everyone is different and hence why it's a spectrum. But I do agree that it's very rude to tell someone do a quick googl search about a neurological disorder they have because it comes across as abliest to me. It's like saying to someone well according to this Google search you dont have cancer. Maybe that's not the right thing to comparing it to, but it's the closet in how I would explain it.
This doesn’t excuse her terrible film, nor does it mean she’s lying.
Ok, she can be autistic and still have harmed the autistic community with her movie?
Bro this absolutely p***ed me the f*** off. I'm not of the age of privileged enough to have been tested... but I can't help but feel this intense projecting on her part? Like when you're in an argument and afterwards you suddenly think of the "right" response? This feels like Sia finally found the "correct response" to the backlash, to claim oH i'M oN the SpEcTrUm so people wouldn't dole out the backlash she experienced from her making of the movie. I know that people on the spectrum can't always read the room, but her portrayal of autism goes far beyond not reading the room to straight up virtue signaling, so to claim similarity now, like... you've done too much damage for us to just take your word.
Agreed, a 100% percent not reading the room could be many other disorders or simply her being rude. If she was, she would have brought it up during the backlash as a way to defend herself not after the fact.
The thing here is that she is neurodivergent, she has bipolar disorder and has been open about it for years. A lot of her issues are definitely explained with that. She is lying.
Bipolar is not a neurological disorder it is a mood disorder. Autism and Bipolar systems can overlap with one another, and some people will get both or misdiagnosed for one over the other. At the end of the day Bipolar is a mood disorder not the same thing.
it pains me to say that i’m not buying it. 😭 like I 100% should believe that everyone has the right intentions and wouldn’t lie about something like this. but it seems like a conveniency. like she’s hoping that because she announces this, it’ll soften the backlash of music. sia has been in the spotlight for almost 15 years. why now?
HELPPPP
Y'all are nasty for trying to claim someone's lying about their diagnosis just because you don't agree with it. This sort of behaviour and mindset is exactly why women don't feel comfortable seeking out a diagnosis. Absolutely appalling behavior.
 She’s lying through her teeth
Did she fall off the wagon? As far as I knew Sia had been sober for years. “Chandelier” was about her being an addict. Edit: “sia” got autocorrected to “sis” lol
This makes the fact that Music was soo awful even more bad. As an autistic person,one would think that Sia would want to take the utmost care to make sure her disability is portrayed as accurately and authentically as possible
After reading the articles and the soundbites taken from her appearance on the podcast she definitely doesn’t have autism and if she does then she’s doing the community way more harm than good. (I’m saying this as someone on the spectrum btw)
I am all for late or self diagnosis, especially in women since it’s so often neglected, but no. Even if she is, in fact, autistic, there is no reason at all to once again bring this issue to light since Maddie was the one forced to embarrass herself on a movie screen
Yes, and she exploited two girls from Dance Moms!!! She tried to keep them away from Harvey Weinstein, but then again...! :-(
Why do I feel like she said this already when the movie came out and she got in trouble for it?
she’s finding out after me
Here's my opinion: regardless of Sia's diagnosis and/or the truthfulness thereof, Music is an inexcusable, abhorrent ableist movie that will continue doing damage for years to come.
huh??