The THREE ways we MASK our autistic traits [CAT-Q]
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 чер 2024
- 🐱🐱🐱 Get YOUR Scratching Post Badge:
• 🧡 Announcing The Scrat...
🐱🐱🐱
Let's explore some of the research behind masking - and join me in filling out a CAT-Q on camera! I receive some startling results compared to the last time I did a CAT-Q. Don't forget to share your own CAT-Q results (only if you'd like!) in the comments below.
👩🏫👨🏼🏫🧑🏾🏫 Tea & Tails BOOKCLUB LIVESTREAM
THE LAST BOOK WAS:
UNMASKING AUTISM by DR DEVON PRICE:
🇺🇸 Amazon (US): amzn.to/48jL6LI
🇬🇧 Amazon (UK): amzn.to/3tkKUNg
(these links are affiliate links - and any purchases made through these will support the channel with a small commission. I would prefer viewers to get the book via a library, or from a friend for free! Or support a local bookstore. But if none are available, please consider using these links to support AutisticAF's content).
Bookclub playlist: • Tea & Tails
🔗 Related Links:
* The Problem of Autistic Masking: • The Problem of Autisti...
* The Six HARMFUL Ways Autistics MASK ft. 'Unmasking Autism': • The Six HARMFUL Ways A...
* Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q): pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30361...
* Embrace Autism CAT-Q (FREE): embrace-autism.com/cat-q/
👥 The Comment Section is OPEN!
I welcome all perspectives! Join the conversation in the comments below and share your experiences and thoughts!
📌 Stay Connected:
Stim the notification bell and subscription button to be notified when I release new content.
📸 I'm now on Instagram: / autisticafter40
👩🏼💻 And the web: www.autisticafter40.com
👨⚖️ Disclaimer:
I am not a healthcare professional or psychotherapist. If you are watching this and feel that you need immediate mental health support, please see the list of mental health helplines at [HelpGuide.org](helpguide.org/) here:
www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm
If you have met one autistic (and or ADHD) person, you have met one person. This is a spectrum condition, and many traits may be different, or have alternative explanations for your symptoms. If in doubt, refer to a psychologist, and not a UA-camr.
Self-diagnosis is valid!
- -
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:18 Reprising Masking
02:00 Do the CAT-Q together
16:20 My results and discussion
17:30 More content!
“Monitor myself to make sure I appear relaxed.” That’s an understatement! Life-long struggle
Isn’t it just? It’s so lovely to find community where it’s less likely to be needed - online is great, and so are irl groups of neurodivergent people.
I'm not diagnosed and probably won't ever get one as I don't have the money/insurance and no one takes me seriously in the health field, but I keep finding my way to channels like yours and relating to so much in the videos and in the comments. Today, for instance, I watched this not knowing about the cat-q and now I have a score of 145 (48c | 52m | 45a) so that's fun.
I'm probably late for this realization, but I realize that masking / camouflaging is flat out, the ultimate form of people pleasing and ABAed ourselves. When one realizes how much time, years even, wasted. It's a life changer for sure.
Mike, as always, thank you for your passion and for shating with us.
♾️
Hey NDL! I hope you’ve been well! Yes, it’s pretty much fawning much of the time! It’s as though ND people have to cross 100% over the bridge of misunderstanding rather than NT’s making even half the effort.
Hey, you’re welcome and thank you for being here! 🧡
@@Autistic_AF You bet. Awesomeness!
Thumbnail wins 1000 internets.
🐈Q !
Hehe, I’m glad you like it! You’re the only person to have mentioned it (I know, right!). It was a pun that had to be done. -Mike
Frustratingly, I have discovered that many of these tools contain a definite vision bias. Facial expressions and body language mean little to me as a blind person who may be autistic; and neither do on-screen entities. While I may watch on-screen content it doesn't hold as much value as, say, characters from books. I particularly like the intelligent way you analyse and approach these questions. Very helpful, thank you.
OMG yes, that makes it nearly unpossible to answer those tests!
But it shows in a brilliant way how different another way of perception of the world can make us appear to others.
I just cannot imagine how it is to not see or hear. I mean never had.
I often thought about it.
And how it might feel if You loose one of those senses after You had it once and what different it makes and if You slowly loose it or at once and in which age.
I guess as there is poor knowledge about autism in general in combination with beeing blind there is just no at all.
That is very unfair.
OMG, OMG... "Cat / Q" pun... Q from James Bond always my favorite!!!!
Yay Sarah! Finally! You’re the first person to spot the pun and react to it :)
130
This test was one of the reasons for me to get a diagnosis.
I got a 122 with a masking score of 53. 34 & 35 for assimilation and compensation.
Masking to me is purposefully keeping quiet... And unmasking is SAYING EVERY THOUGHT THAT POPS IN MY HEAD. I get into lots of trouble if I'm being too me haha
Yeah gotta work on that inner monologue becoming an outie! ☺️
Not with us ❤ (in trouble I mean)
OMG so accurate how you said "if I'm being too me" 😭
I am glad for communities like this where we can generally share surprise thoughts and info dumps and chew on all these social nuances and rules together.
Y'all are genuinely helping me build a sense of self and confidence and it's 🎵 a whole new world 🎵
Thanks! 🎉 ☺️
"Open Mike!" :D I scored very high on the CatQ when I took it. Master masker here.
Join the club! Oh wait…. You have! :D
I did this quiz last year while we were waiting for the girls to be assessed, I can't find those results now, but I've just taken the test again and mybscore this time are 146, 43, 51, 52
Now I understand why I hadn’t heard of this one before you mentioned it a while ago; I was diagnosed before this test came out. I’m gonna take it tomorrow (my head is full now after having to talk - and even socialize 😱 - with a new healthcare provider today.)
Ahh that makes sense, the test was launched in 2019. One of the few tests to have also included non binary peeps. 🏳️⚧️
I hope your energy returns soon!
Thanks for the help with my unpacking. Started the diagnostic process last week. At 62 its a fresh start, your videos are spot on. Thanks
Thank you, Karen! I’m glad you have found my content useful, thanks for being here!
When i did the test a month ago i got total 118 points (35, 37, 46)
That’s good your assimilation score is higher than the other scores from what I read… as far as mental health goes, I mena
@@VanessaDayleRaeWaggoner thx I guess? 😅 to be honest I barely knows what it means but I just searched it up but im still not 100% sure (English is my third language)
I did this same quiz when i was prepping for my autism diagnosis. I scored 118, 48, 37, 43. It's possible i would score differently now. There are still things i'm learning on what is camouflaging and what isn't. I'm about to be 48, so to a certain degree i'm hiding it a lot less, and at the same time i care a lot less what other people think about me. I do tend to be hyper-aware when i'm around people that i don't know, or that i don't share interests with. When i'm in my comfort zones and around people i'm comfortable with, i don't hide myself as much. In public, i'm quiet and there is usually a lot of selective mutism until i grow comfortable with a situation. I hardly ever make eye contact. I don't do small talk, preferring to stick within my interests. I also constantly people watch. Back when i used to draw, people were my main focus, and now i look at it as a way that i was trying to understand them. Taking on the mannerisms of others is something i've always done.
I adore your videos Mike. Could listen to you all day.! Thank you.
Awh, Tanwen, thank you! ☺️ 🧡
@@Autistic_AF And I fully appreciate the use of the orange heart, unusual choice.
Had to go through my notes to find my score because I didn't feel like taking the questionnaire again.
CAT-Q score:
Total: 147
Compensation subtotal: 47
Masking subtotal: 52
Assimilation subtotal: 48
Very similar to me! 🙌
I saw kitties and stuck around for the autistic person. I stopped masking and now I get home from work and don't immediately fall asleep on the couch while recovering.
I did it last year and I got 161 (63,48,50) before being diagnosed, not that I'm more aware and trying to mask less I wonder if the number is lower
My results were: 156 - 59 / 43 / 54. The average for my grouping is 122 so I'm trying to read through the literature to figure out what that means 🤔. I feel like on some level I have been meta-gaming it because it was a test and I wanted to score favorably (academia test-taking moment), and there may be some +/- range for accuracy considering I may have misunderstood some questions- though I would still place myself around ~140.
Either way, I find this channel to be a great resource for discovering myself and I greatly appreciate all that you do! 😁
>100 = Relevant demographic (i.e. indications of autism). Thank you for your kind words, and that you’ve found my channel helpful. I couldn’t be happier to have helped a fellow person on their journey. ☺️
I just got my late autism diagnosis on the 22nd of may 2024. Just 8 days ago. I'm 43 years old. I'm forever grateful for autistic youtubers like you. It means the world to me. Thank you. 🏆🧡
When I had my private diagnosis earlier in the year for myself and my two children, they asked us to do the cat-q as part of a number of different questionnaires in the run up to the actual consultation. I scored 159, my daughter got 156 and my son got 124.
T:134,C:44,M:43,A:47. Self identified/Undiagnosed 40 NB.
Fascinating. I scored 122, made up from 41/33/48. I was wondering whether my age (66) and late diagnosis may have had an impact on the results, as since diagnosis I have become a lot more aware of myself and what I am doing in relating to other people. Would I have scored differently pre-diagnosis? Maybe, as I was totally unaware that my 'mental script' to get through/endure social situations was anything unusual. And thanks for all the links.
As long as I know myself and the concept of awards, I’ve been awarding myself the Oscar award for best actress in reality. It’s exhausting and I get paid zero! So unfair! 😢
I know what you mean! But on the flip side, the autistic actor Anthony Hopkins must be making a small fortune so there’s always that! 🥇
@@Autistic_AF I do hope he shares his fortune with the less fortunate cats in the world (heard he was a feline fan too!)🙏😻
I got 115. I have scored lower in the past. The people at my autism assessment said that I didn't mask. I think that I do mask some but not a lot. I think the problem is that I can't get a good picture of how other people see me. So I don't know how to change myself to please them. I do copy body language and tone of voice (and accents without meaning to). I try to appear more relaxed. But I am not exactly sure how they see me so I can't mask more heavily. The cons are people see me as very weird. The pros are I don't get as tired from social interactions and I don't lose my sense of self.
Learning from observing and imitating characters, .. how do you know : I
Hi Mike 👋 Thanks for another awesome video. Love the puns, love the visual gags! I do wonder if they have got it a bit wrong with this questionnaire .... hmmm .... CAT -Q , it must be a bit like IQ for cats? Let's see now 1) has heightened ability to find the warmest, most comfortable place to sleep and evict any other creature from that space. 2) Ability to wave floofy tail in humans face - extra points for accuracy and timing eg in a critical part of a livestream. 3) ability to start a livestream single-pawedly. 4) ability to stare with implied malign intent until cat treats are produced. 5) maximal self-esteem.
What have I missed???? Please help me write an accurate CAT-Q. I think this will be a revolutionary measurement tool in feline psychology! 🐈 😼💛
Cat-Q scores qualify one for cat handling certificates. Bronze, Gold or Diamond level! Hahahaha
@@Autistic_AF Awesome! When does my certificate come in the mail?
😅
The mirroring is normal, imitating people ot copy their tone or so, can be an asset.
The thing is really to get the awareness to, realize that. But its a normal thing people do, just autistic flavour makes maybe a bit more intense which , people might fing "unnerving" which is fine, Its just, yeah its an asset when figured out when its just, why not or even helpful, and when its good to not because it kinda can become on a level unnerving, on a level, usualy, really its just usual, people do it all the time. ?!
Ok mirroring is just a human thing,
Dolly Parton once said "People have no idea how much money it costs to look this cheap". I recently rephrased that for myself as: "People have no idea how much stress it gives me to look this relaxed". This video is exactly about that.
That’s a great example, thank you for sharing. Yes, this is all about that.
I scored a 129 on a CAT-Q. I really think it could have asked some better questions. Which would probably only make my score go up. I've Heard lots of people say that they feel like they're actors or acting. Some of them, have even taken acting classes in high school or college.
I was listening to another UA-camr talke about this (acting) and it triggered a memory I had about watching, the more intellectual / adult spy movies. The ones where the agents are coached about how you disguise to fit in for your safety. Things like body language how you hold your fork and knife how you hold your cigarettes. I was fascinated that other people could even figure this out. And as a kid I watched lots of those spy movies and decided that that's kind of what I needed to do FOR My SAFTY. I needed to figure out how the other kids dressed and kind of how they acted . although I was I'm still terrible at body language and reading it even though I've gotten books on body language.
Hi Mike, I got 122 with compensation at the highest. I found this video titled "Autistic Adults in Japan" by The Japan Reporter the other day and it surprised me in a lot of ways (especially the culture), the interviewer asked really good questions and it shows a lot of career adaptation and people dedicating themselves for ND community.
BTW cat-Q? Q from Star Trek Next Generation IS a cat.
I’ll look for that video, thank you :)
Okay. Found a german translated version.
All: 139
Compensation: 56
Masking: 38
"Anpassung" (adaption?): 45
But I am not sure about those questions. I mean, I don't have a mirror tho check my face and bpdy-language IN social interactions.
Total: 156 (53, 48, 55). Yep, I'm high masking alright!!
I got through about 1/2 quiz, it's not really useful for me. In that now i get why my wife say I'm terrible at masking. So do mask, I'm terrible at it. This quiz really high lights.
Masking is weird to me because I have no sense of body language which includes my own and that of others, so any question about copying body language is just incomprehensible to me. I have no idea what my body or face is doing in social interactions, so when people say you appear such and such, it always surprises me because I had no idea. I think I heavily compensate by being generally great at reading tone of voice. For me, masking is more about paying attention to what I say and how I say it. I've often been accused for coming across as negative, critical or hostile in the past, so I've had to work hard to change how I communicate so people don't take offense.
Exactly! Same here. I can't mimic people's body language because I don't see it. After the fact in replaying the encounter I can apply the what I noticed as body language but to me feels more like dream interpretation.
I scored overall 175 on the CAT-Q. Is it a surprise I’ve been in perpetual burnout my whole life? No. Does my family believe that I’m constantly suffering from autistic burnout and can’t actually work full time because of it? No. Do I gaslight myself and feel guilty because maybe my family is right and I should just get more exercise and that will solve my problems? Yes. The joys of lifelong high masking.
Oh no 😟
I took this test a while back, and when I found out my score (151) I felt like: "No wonder life has always seemed so hard!"
There's a meme about autism masking with these two Chewbacca cakes. The comments when I read it seemed to be on two extremes.
One group, seems to think that they're masking really well only to find out that everybody knows.
The other group, is masking really well and not aware of it and therefore has wondered why everybody around them doesn't see that they're autistic.
I lost count of the times I was thinking/ nodding along 'Yes me too' . I redid the test and scored 136,48,40 and 48. On a personal preference note I found the music too loud/distracting and wondered whether it was even needed???
holidays yes
Thank you for this video I took the test a few months ago, almost to what now feels like a way to prove I didn't have autism (seems silly now). Well, the results scared me which feels stupid saying at 30 years old, oh and I cried so that was fun 😑 (fyi: I haven't cried in years over actual feelings other than anger).
Results
Total: 147
Compensation: 48
Masking: 45
Assimilation: 54
Mini(ish) monologue warning of a small section of my current thoughts!
I also now feel like I was even masking to myself when answering the questions the first time (still had that wall up of "no I don't do that") and now I'm scared to take it again as if it will somehow further confirm what I'm 90% sure of (still need to cross-examine some other possible explanations, excluding physical causes as I sadly don't have access to a pathology lab etc.).
I will attempt to try and discuss this further in the discord 🤞I'm still lurking and it's an amazing group of people, I really want to connect with everyone but for now it feels easier to randomly leave comments on YT vids. It feels more like I'm talking into a void so I feel like less of a burden and I don't take it as bad if I feel rejected.
Hey 🦄, thank you for supporting me - on YT and also on Patreon. I appreciate your support. I also understand some of what you felt; fearing that you could be autistic - it’s a strange time for sure. You are more than welcome to leave comments on YT or participate in the scratching post discord as much or as little as you like. Take your time, we’re not going anywhere! 🧡 -Mike
Happy to support you and the channel 💯even when I'm doing it silently 😶🌫
p.s: caught the live stream earlier and loved the game choice ❤nice chill game to watch after a stressful week. Also, hope you feel better soon!
Thank you! ☺️ 🧡
I took the test about 18 months ago, when I'd just started learning about autism - should do it again to see if it's different now - higher? lower?? At that time i scored 125 (c:42, m:41, a:42). - f, 44 years old and not diagnosed yet.
same score as you, mike 🎭
High five! 🙌
@@Autistic_AF if 5 is high, then what is 149?! lol
@@aonain09 haha! 😜
Thanks for another insightful and interesting video. Also my cats were not interested in my CatQ score at all. They're very myopic when it comes to human socialization but hey, their brains are only the size of a walnut, I can't expect them to support every struggle.
Hehehe :-)
Question 1 is moot for me. I don't do that. Reason I don't is I struggle to even recognize body language as language.I literally don't notice it. So I really can't copy something I don't even see.
Also, is that the uncanny valley effect? The lag between understanding what's required and rearranging the face into the appropriate shapes? Explains a lot. The more I notice someone responding to this the worse it gets as I take seconds to understand and perform and look even wierder. Yikes
Oh, and here's my serious comment. Why, oh, why can't we get these testing questionnaires reviewed by actually autistic people before they are published???? I hate them. They have such ambiguous questions, which we all have to make educated guesses about what they mean. Then they lump 2 disparate concepts like monitoring/copying body language and facial expressions into 1 question the data ends up imprecise. I hate doing these questionnaires because I never know what the questions MEAN. They are too ambiguous. Then you ask the person giving the test what they mean and they say "I can't tell you" or just go with the most obvious meaning. What, there's an obvious meaning, no 5 or so equally obvious possibilities????Grrrr ... my fur is standing up on end!!!!
Oh and for the record, I got a whopping great 164 when I first did the test. No wonder my mental health is a mess. I am hanging in there folks with good support these days. Thanks autisticats 💜
I agree, fully agree.
Also agree!
I think its unfair to use akward dinner as good example? Yeah ther its kinda forced, for pretty everyone, i am sure most people ther eforce to keep going. Its just an extreme, same as a business or official meeting, that is forrced.
Family dinner are just a stress zone for a lot of people autistic or not, its rather an extreme. I like to see if ther are people easy to talk to i know and trustand stick to them.
ohhhhh you got see the northern lights
Yes!!!! Best night ever!!!!
I feel attacked and exposed
Thanks Mike - this video was brought to us by the aurora borealis we saw over the weekend. ❤️💚💜🩵
(Catch the party on the livestream.)