Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan

There's really lovely examples of masking in that where you kind of see that the people are being taught when you go on this date, have back and forth conversations. You can see them masking in the sense that they're learning the social rules and applying them. But it doesn't really look completely natural ever. The masking is obvious.

That's sort of masking or camouflaging.

That's sort of masking or camouflaging.

That's sort of masking or camouflaging.

Yes, that's learning the social rules and applying them. But often it's hard to sustain. It can be exhausting for people who have autism and it often is very difficult. But these concepts like masking have been taken to the point now where someone can be masked all the time so that they never look like they have social communication problems. And that still qualifies as a diagnosis.

Yes, that's learning the social rules and applying them. But often it's hard to sustain. It can be exhausting for people who have autism and it often is very difficult. But these concepts like masking have been taken to the point now where someone can be masked all the time so that they never look like they have social communication problems. And that still qualifies as a diagnosis.

Yes, that's learning the social rules and applying them. But often it's hard to sustain. It can be exhausting for people who have autism and it often is very difficult. But these concepts like masking have been taken to the point now where someone can be masked all the time so that they never look like they have social communication problems. And that still qualifies as a diagnosis.

So we're being asked to make diagnosis in people who don't show the typical features of autism, but the self-reporting of it. Yes, more people needed to be diagnosed for sure. And there were children who needed help who were not getting help and who benefited from the relaxing of the diagnostic criteria.

So we're being asked to make diagnosis in people who don't show the typical features of autism, but the self-reporting of it. Yes, more people needed to be diagnosed for sure. And there were children who needed help who were not getting help and who benefited from the relaxing of the diagnostic criteria.

So we're being asked to make diagnosis in people who don't show the typical features of autism, but the self-reporting of it. Yes, more people needed to be diagnosed for sure. And there were children who needed help who were not getting help and who benefited from the relaxing of the diagnostic criteria.

But now the diagnostic criteria are relaxed to a point that it's not fair to the very, very mild people who are being labeled. I'm not worried about Bill Gates at all. He seems to be doing fine for himself.

But now the diagnostic criteria are relaxed to a point that it's not fair to the very, very mild people who are being labeled. I'm not worried about Bill Gates at all. He seems to be doing fine for himself.

But now the diagnostic criteria are relaxed to a point that it's not fair to the very, very mild people who are being labeled. I'm not worried about Bill Gates at all. He seems to be doing fine for himself.

I'm worried about children. So you got a 16 year old child who perhaps has some social communication problems, but they're quite mild and they're able to compensate and they're able to mask to the degree that they can function normally, albeit maybe they're nervous and they don't enjoy things and they're exhausted afterwards, but they can function.

I'm worried about children. So you got a 16 year old child who perhaps has some social communication problems, but they're quite mild and they're able to compensate and they're able to mask to the degree that they can function normally, albeit maybe they're nervous and they don't enjoy things and they're exhausted afterwards, but they can function.

I'm worried about children. So you got a 16 year old child who perhaps has some social communication problems, but they're quite mild and they're able to compensate and they're able to mask to the degree that they can function normally, albeit maybe they're nervous and they don't enjoy things and they're exhausted afterwards, but they can function.

What happens to a person like that when you tell them that they have autism? You're essentially telling them that they're neurodevelopmentally abnormal. that there are things they can't do because their brain's not normal. That is a self-fulfilling prophecy for a child. We've all gone through those difficult periods and we've had to learn to overcome our shortcomings.

What happens to a person like that when you tell them that they have autism? You're essentially telling them that they're neurodevelopmentally abnormal. that there are things they can't do because their brain's not normal. That is a self-fulfilling prophecy for a child. We've all gone through those difficult periods and we've had to learn to overcome our shortcomings.

What happens to a person like that when you tell them that they have autism? You're essentially telling them that they're neurodevelopmentally abnormal. that there are things they can't do because their brain's not normal. That is a self-fulfilling prophecy for a child. We've all gone through those difficult periods and we've had to learn to overcome our shortcomings.

But if you tell a child that they have a neurodevelopmentally abnormal brain, you're really running the risk that you have this labeling effect where you concentrate on the things you can't do. You become the thing that you've been labeled as.