The World's Leading Autism Expert - Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen

I am autistic, I can do the piano thing ok buy can't read music. People don't believe I'm autistic because of reasonable I.Q.
It is so sad life of abuse and people think oh you are one of those ladies who just likes bad boys and goes for trouble but that is not true. I try very hard to be a good person but some people believe it is autism because of trauma not real autism. I am tired of it, noise hurts me physically I wrar sunglasses in doors and have gead phones but like to look nice sometimes. No body believes anymore because they think 'woke left wing ideals' and an expanded spectrum paradigm has lead to overdiagnosis.

my little brother can't speak can't function THATS AUTISM THAT ACTUALLY NEEDS HELP AND A CURE DISMISSING IT IS EVIL

My youngest Brother was a special needs child. He was different, special needs in mid 70s covered varied needs. Simon was even as a baby, aware , in ways hard to explain. He was following basic books of large pictures. He’s repeat in a recognisable manner by his vocal cues, my Father dismissed me. I’d sit and he’d follow and reach very awkwardly for the book by 2 months old. That’s when Father took an interest in that. By two years old , he could do basic maths of year one (Uk ). At 15 he entered university in Capetown, where my Father an engineer, worked at a power plant. Simon finished his degree in Nuclear engineering in 18 months. Staggering. He then undertook further studies at night whilst he made a career. At 21 he went to America running nuclear power plants. He undersaw 2 reports in Japan. He was always studying. Always. He loved his job , educating people about the workings of NPS. He speed read. New every single book paper by sentence and could reference it as just as asking what’s one plus one. Every single book. The down side was crippling social anxiety not understood then , from early age he made friends but would nit engage in deeper connections. He felt deeper emotions he tried to explain. I can only repeat what he’d tell me. I look at say, a steel knife I see in a flash the mining of the mineral the production. Designs etc. But to each of tge aspects he thought. He think mining…. Where the mining was what and how it was extracted. The chemicals aspect the entire composition of those chemicals coming together the whole process. Simultaneously, enviormental impact mining producing, human cost in health exploitation. From mining to been sold. In a second. That’s how fast he’d process That was 24 hours a day. He had several breakdowns , as he’d find no rest in sleep. And medicated. Then his own choices to switch
Off. He never did. H was kind only ever asked to be thanked for. What he would do, to schools he voluntary teach simple mathematics in poverty areas. Always finding ways to fund help for them to get on the ladder and find something in yourself no matter what that may be. And find confidence in your life. His mind never ever stopped. I had a very deep connection with him would FaceTime for hours whilst he’d talk relentlessly against humanitarian issues. Something living in Capetown held his conscience captive. He lived modestly didn’t care for materialism. Most his wages went to charities that he’d helped other people form from schooling them and hoping this knock on effect would I
N his words clean society of the scourge of poverty and human exploitation. Sadly. He admitted himself into a clinic In Alabama for treatment during first year of COVID-19. Contracting COVID in the private clinic they discharged him. Anyone knowing what intense therapy is like after a breakdown. It left him at his most vulnerable. 4 hours away from him. His wife was driving with him on the phone. Extremely distressed. His life meant nothing to him at that point. He should never have been discharged. Sadly a few weeks later he’s own passing came. I found it only the smallest comfort he phoned me hung up. And the rest is as it was. Many good happy memories. But geniuses as he was. Struggle. and always will be as so. I worked with two young children with Autisim. I had some idea. But they all are so different. Thankfully now we know more of this umbrella term. For us looking in, is hard them looking out it is far removed from what we think it is. The mind I think will never fully be understood. What one balances the other for most of us. For those outside this , it does not exist in my view and experience with my Brother. And I also have a Son who is of high IQ. A Granddaughter, also. So is there an element of genes. So many questions. Isn’t there. If yiu have taken the time to read, I thank you dearly.

This guy sounds so much like Sasha Baron Cohen i can hardly take him seriously😂

Discussions about ASD continually present it as "different and interesting," offering marvelous advantages. Enhanced focus on specific areas of interest, superior pattern recognition, etc.. The impact of social deficits are understated, minimized or completely overlooked.

We're already suffering elevated levels of social isolation, disconnection, chronic loneliness, diminished cohesion and elevated polarization, anxiety, depression, and often just general social malaise. Social belonging, social skills and strong, healthy, frequent social interactions are vitally important, not just pleasant and nice to have while we get on with "important" business.

85% are unemployed? Where is that study, and how were the variables controlled?

I’m an Aspie, and I could care less about the guy. If the medical science is good… are we throwing out every good thing terrible people do? Duh.

Prime woke! You don’t want to prevent autism because in your own mind it’s like the holocaust! Caucasians shouldn’t preserve their culture or heritage because it’s racist! Demanding surrender under the guise of tolerance.

When he used the "assigned at birth" phrase he slumped in my estimation. Ideology does not help science.

Is there more autism than there used to be? If so its likely to be an environmental reason rather than a genetic one?

Autistic traits do seem to track male traits.

I fully understand the focus on autism when there’s an autism researcher on, but to not hear ADHD and the way it is often correlated with autism (the AuDHD spectrum) mentioned once is absolutely bizarre. There is enormous overlap between the two conditions and lots of people who exhibit signs of both.

What he calls lumping is pathetic.
I wonder if it is really the same condition...people who are a bit different and peopke who are totally disabled

I can't even finish this interview because he is so delusional. Autism sucks and it is hard on the people who have it and hard on the people around them. We should try to find the cause and a cure.

Knowledgeable yet also deluded and/or ignorant? Or infected with the woke virus? I am high-functioning autistic (so is my mum) and I would NOT wish this upon anyone. We can have extreme social difficulties, can get overwhelmed, emotionally unregulated, misinterpret or miss entirely social cues...we are often the bullied, we can be manipulated quite easily...it goes on and on. I'm sorry but if a 'cure' is found and parents can do something to ensure their children are extremely unlikely to grow up autistic, absolutely go for it. The strengths are not worth the social difficulties - just my opinion I'm sorry.

20:58 I know it was just a joke shared between them but i love his resposne of thinking for a split second he thought he literally ment stupid questions.
theres always that slight delay with autism. I'll hear something take it literally at its meaning. then filter it through my own experiences and realize they are joking to lighten the mood. heh

yes of course i have autism. why else would i be 21 minutes deep into an autism video? I have worked 7 years and have bachelor degrees under my belt yet im unempolyed because autism scares hiring places.

I'm reading Steve Silberman's "Neurotribes" right now. There are a lot of stories about people seeking cures for their babies who present with autistic traits and this has led to exploitation by an industry of experts with products and treatments based on very questionable research. When one of the hosts asked Dr. Baron-Cohen about what parents can do to prevent autism, this might have been a good cue to caution people about experimental for-profit solutions.

I have a neurological disorder that I would have very much liked to avoid if it had been possible. No one knows why I began to have seizures when I was 6-7 yo. I am 47 yo. now and have never spent a day since my epilepsy diagnosis without taking a fist full of medication.
I do not suffer or want pity and I am very independent. On the other hand I have a Learning Disability somehow related to my epilepsy. I am also an excellent student A's and B's when I am given a few minor supports. I am a mother and a wife, I have a career working with children who are struggling in school. I take pride in helping children succeed including children with autism and many other neurodiverse difficulties.

I live in Canada in a Vancouver Suburb, I know of a business that makes pies and other baked goods who employ a high volume of individuals who are on the autism spectrum.

I want to be kind so please know that I’m autistic…however, I see so many comments by genuinely heartbroken parents of autistic kids who make this difference about the negative things. Being different is always going to be a struggle and I’m sorry that you’re going through this but please turn inward and reflect on how your child’s autism has been a blessing to you. It’s made you more selfless and caring, more empathetic and generous. It’s made you a better human. I feel so much pain by hearing these parents tell me about how their children have essentially ruined their lives and it makes me feel like my parents would have done anything to make me a different person, negating who God made me to be. I have been bullied all my life and I can finally accept myself and love myself. It is out of love that I beg you to reconsider your perspective. Your beautiful child may be nonverbal and have incredible special needs but that’s not the problem. The real problem is that you resent your own flesh and blood. You want your kid to be “normal” but your job is to love them now and stop wishing they were just like you. Maybe the fact that they’ll never be like you is a good thing.

I've been following Baron-Cohen's works for many years. It's really sad to see a brilliant mind destroyed by the woke virus.

"Leading expert"? Baron-Cohen is a lying charlatan criminal of the highest order.

I'm self-diagnosed autistic adult...I'm an artist... "Monetizing" autistic talents, skills, pattern recognition etc would be quite simple if we would have a really free market. Even renting spaces for exhibition, or investing in prints - all of that sucks money... You need true investment to get any profit.... Governments can easly create really free markets where You would not have to pay for showing You skills, artworks etc. All You need is a physical space - market, gallery etc. The same with the internet - first years of the internet were truly democratic and social - everyone was more or less visibile in the same way. Now You are paying for visibility. Governments can easly create truly social platforms where algorithms are making everyone equaly visible so people with skills and talents can be easly found. Now - only corporations are truly visible. So monetization of anything it's a systematic problem. If You don't have social skills it's really problematic to gain that visibility. And visibility can solve a lot of the economical problems, not only of the neurodivergent people...

All the autistic people that I know have extremely narrow sphere of interest. They give ZERO care for anything else.
Autistic colleague at work knows war history and everything about airplanes but has no basic knowledge about computers even after working at the desktop for 30 years.
Calling autism a superpower is an absolute insanity.

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Very interesting- up until “gender assigned at birth “ 🙄
Sex observed at birth- or in rare cases determined by DNA testing- which problems of this kind are picked up on scans, so often known before birth in developed countries
Also- once you book an appointment and pay for an assessment- you’ll likely see an increase in diagnosis

@59:09 -- "Should we really be using that word 'autism' if he doesn't have any recognizable disability...?"

I'd beg to differ. If we use the "idiot-savant" framing for autism, then clearly Elon Musk is a genius-level 'savant' in the realm of science and engineering, not to mention he's pretty successful in business too. But when it comes to politics, that's when his 'idiot' side takes over... which makes sense, because politics is all about humans interacting with each other, and autists are famously 'impaired' in their understanding of human emotions and communication.

I'm one of the weirdos who read two of the professor's books before I ever heard of his more famous cousin, Sacha Baron-Cohen (ie: Borat, Ali-G, etc). Btw, yes, I am on the spectrum... LOL! ;-)

As someone with asperger simesteshia and schizotipy....he blame the so called "nazis" while short time after that accepting that autism is biological determined by genes....... Pure contradiction. If autistuc traits are genetical then why to deny the IQ and aggressivity are genetical? Yeah, because the regime impose it as censorship. Whike pretending democracy and freedom of speech.

Fantastic explanation. Thank you very much for this podcast.

hahahahahaha so intellectual so smart. its environment almost entirely, same as adhd, stress reaction at or before birth and with actual not bs tick box compassion, actual compassion, can easily be made your so called normal. western psychology is now a toddler

id love to know in what other way Autism could thrive other than families?

Who is this clown? He's done more to destroy the lives of those on the spectrum in this single interview than a thousand Rain Man movies. A psychologist advocating against finding a cure for a mental illness is insane. Imagine if he said the same thing about bipolar or schizophrenia. Those too have special talents and powers. Let's forget about treatment and just let those people embrace their mental illness and the talents and powers that come with them. They don't really suffer. Bipolar are able to experience life at both extremes, living complex emotional lives. Schizophrenics have extremely vivid imaginations and live in a world of their own, away from the horrible realities of today's world. "Experts" have really outed themselves since 2020.

Tens of years ago a software engineer did a program using VENN diagrams to carry out different tasks within the overall program.
He and the independent engineer could not get it to work for one ish weeks. I went away on a break and said I hope its not still here when I get back.
I walked in the door and they could not get it to work. I took the piss and got a bent ear, smart arse, you come and sort it out. I walked over and asked how it had been programmed as described above. I looked and said it was running anywhere in the overall system program and it would stop because the way the common programs were set up in each VENN circle.
The programmer said why did I not see that. It was resolved in less than 3 minutes.
I have done that numerous times over the years, and take it as just the way my brain works.

Autism is hormonal disruption