'We Think We Can See Autism, But It's Actually Invisible'

Sinar Daily

'We Think We Can See Autism, But It's Actually Invisible'  In this eye-opening episode, consultant pediatrician Dr Zahilah Filzah Zulkifli shares how real understanding of autism must come from listening to autistic voices themselves — not just observations from the outside.  She breaks down common misconceptions such as the meaning of eye contact and explains how autistic individuals process the world differently — often in ways we overlook.  WATCH FULL VIDEO: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sinardaily/videos/1510716419644985  YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq19YPJLXnM&t=121s  #LifeAndStylePodcast #AutismAwareness #Neurodiversity #DrZahilahFilzah #PediatricianPerspective #InclusionMatters #AutismAcceptance #SinarDaily

Transcript

00:00We think we can see autism, but it's actually invisible.

00:04So the only way to understand autism truly must be through the autistic community.

00:10I don't think anyone would understand an autistic unless an autistic themself.

00:17Sometimes it's easy to say, oh, you know, I was trained in this or I parent a child,

00:22you know, and we think we know. We know to a certain extent, right?

00:26But a lot of the things that we know is very from the outside.

00:31It's like from the outside looking in.

00:34That's why I say a lot of the things that we think we can see autism, but it's actually invisible.

00:40So the only way to understand autism truly must be through the autistic community.

00:47That's the biggest change. That's when I realized, oh, my God, there's a lot of misconception

00:51and there's a lot of misunderstanding and it's an injustice.

00:56Right. So if we think about, say you were saying about an eye contact, for example,

01:02for a lay person, when you look at someone who's not having eye contact,

01:07when the rest of us have eye contact, we think that that person is not listening,

01:11being disrespectful, disengaged.

01:14Right. But an eye contact, when we think about eye contact,

01:19when we ask the autistic community, why is it that they,

01:23it's hard for them to give an eye contact.

01:24And sometimes, just to be clear, it's not always not having eye contact,

01:28it's a variation in how the eye contact is,

01:31because for some autistic, it is an intense eye contact.

01:35Right. So this is because, especially those who do not have,

01:40you know, do not give you eye contact, it's they're listening.

01:44And in fact, they listen so much better when they're not looking at you.

01:48Because you've got to understand the way they experience the world,

01:50it's not like us. You know, as we are speaking now, Dr. Hamiza, right,

01:55you hear my voice, and I am very aware of my voice too.

01:57Right. But there are, if we take a moment of silence,

02:00there are other sound in this room.

02:02And to them, it is all at the same volume, for many of them.

02:07And if they were to have to process that, and at the same time, have to look at you,

02:12and when they look at you, they see so many things, right?

02:15There's so many things that have to be processed at the same time.

02:18So the best way is to avert their eye, so they don't have to process this visual,

02:24but so that they can just give you that attention,

02:26and try to understand what you're trying to say.

02:28Right. So imagine someone who is struggling with that,

02:31and we say, look at me, look at me.

02:34And they're already struggling.

02:35They try to focus on what you're saying.

02:37And then here you are, trying to make it more difficult.

02:40But I understand, for many people, it's well-meaning.

02:42Because they think that you need to have eye contact.

02:45But eye contact is not just about autism.

02:47There's a lot of other cultures out there.

02:49Some African cultures, Afghans, you know, Afghans,

02:52who do not give eye contact. Right? Yeah.

02:58There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:00There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:01There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:02There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:03There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:04There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:05There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:06There's a lot of other cultures out there.

03:07There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:08There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:09There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:10There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:11There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:12There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:13There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:14There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:15There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:16There's a lot of cultures out there.

03:17There's a lot of cultures out there.

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