'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
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
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NewsTranscript
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.