Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan

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.

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.

And it also isn't as straightforward as to say you can't help that. Part of maturing is learning to adapt. You know, I was a very shy child. You would never imagine that I would be sitting here in the future. What if my shyness had been pathologized? Yeah. It disincentivizes people from trying to overcome their difficulties.

And it also isn't as straightforward as to say you can't help that. Part of maturing is learning to adapt. You know, I was a very shy child. You would never imagine that I would be sitting here in the future. What if my shyness had been pathologized? Yeah. It disincentivizes people from trying to overcome their difficulties.

And it also isn't as straightforward as to say you can't help that. Part of maturing is learning to adapt. You know, I was a very shy child. You would never imagine that I would be sitting here in the future. What if my shyness had been pathologized? Yeah. It disincentivizes people from trying to overcome their difficulties.

It reinforces symptoms instead of helping people to kind of get over their problems. And I know that you're saying if someone tells you that they're autistic, you think, OK, well, I understand you a little better now. But I don't think that's everybody's attitude. I think there's also people who...

It reinforces symptoms instead of helping people to kind of get over their problems. And I know that you're saying if someone tells you that they're autistic, you think, OK, well, I understand you a little better now. But I don't think that's everybody's attitude. I think there's also people who...

It reinforces symptoms instead of helping people to kind of get over their problems. And I know that you're saying if someone tells you that they're autistic, you think, OK, well, I understand you a little better now. But I don't think that's everybody's attitude. I think there's also people who...

If they hear that someone's autistic in the mild range, I should say that when I'm talking about this, I'm really talking about people who are in that borderline zone. There's always value to being diagnosed if you have significant problems. I'm talking about the value of being diagnosed if you're in that borderline zone.

If they hear that someone's autistic in the mild range, I should say that when I'm talking about this, I'm really talking about people who are in that borderline zone. There's always value to being diagnosed if you have significant problems. I'm talking about the value of being diagnosed if you're in that borderline zone.

If they hear that someone's autistic in the mild range, I should say that when I'm talking about this, I'm really talking about people who are in that borderline zone. There's always value to being diagnosed if you have significant problems. I'm talking about the value of being diagnosed if you're in that borderline zone.

Some people might be understanding, but other people will be quite judgmental of that. It's also very worrying that the milder and milder the diagnosis get, the more we're trivializing this disorder for people who are really disabled by it. People with mild autism, again, this very borderline area of autism, have very loud voices now.

Some people might be understanding, but other people will be quite judgmental of that. It's also very worrying that the milder and milder the diagnosis get, the more we're trivializing this disorder for people who are really disabled by it. People with mild autism, again, this very borderline area of autism, have very loud voices now.

Some people might be understanding, but other people will be quite judgmental of that. It's also very worrying that the milder and milder the diagnosis get, the more we're trivializing this disorder for people who are really disabled by it. People with mild autism, again, this very borderline area of autism, have very loud voices now.

Because we see there's a lot of people in the public eye who have these diagnoses and it gives people the idea that they know what these things are. I doubt they've seen many people who have what I would call significant moderate to severe autism because they don't get to be on telly and they don't get to be on podcasts.

Because we see there's a lot of people in the public eye who have these diagnoses and it gives people the idea that they know what these things are. I doubt they've seen many people who have what I would call significant moderate to severe autism because they don't get to be on telly and they don't get to be on podcasts.

Because we see there's a lot of people in the public eye who have these diagnoses and it gives people the idea that they know what these things are. I doubt they've seen many people who have what I would call significant moderate to severe autism because they don't get to be on telly and they don't get to be on podcasts.

That's what it meant. And the sort of tone of conversation sometimes can be quite difficult for people in that severe category because there is a sort of conversation that says it's okay to have these mild autistic traits. You shouldn't overcome them. You should embrace them. Be your most authentic autistic self. But I've talked to the families of people with severe autism.

That's what it meant. And the sort of tone of conversation sometimes can be quite difficult for people in that severe category because there is a sort of conversation that says it's okay to have these mild autistic traits. You shouldn't overcome them. You should embrace them. Be your most authentic autistic self. But I've talked to the families of people with severe autism.

That's what it meant. And the sort of tone of conversation sometimes can be quite difficult for people in that severe category because there is a sort of conversation that says it's okay to have these mild autistic traits. You shouldn't overcome them. You should embrace them. Be your most authentic autistic self. But I've talked to the families of people with severe autism.