Life With ASD (Adam Yeager, Australia, 2023) offers a personal, thoughtful exploration of autism and the ways children and teenagers experience perception and coping. Rather than outlining a fixed plot, the short film invites audiences to listen and observe sensory and cognitive differences linked to ASD. It reflects on challenges and individual strengths, showing how viewpoint and processing shape everyday life. Gentle and direct, this piece sits comfortably within the Focus on Ability programme, highlighting diverse abilities and the real-life concerns of young people with cognitive processing differences. A respectful, concise film that opens space for conversation and greater understanding.
Have you ever woken up, and those first few seconds, everything is blurry? It takes a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the world around you, and then everything makes sense. Or have you ever come out of a shower, and not all the water has drained from your ear? Everything goes strange and distorted, until the water goes away. But what if you couldn't? What if, every day, the way you understand the world is blurry and distorted? What if your own feelings and emotions were unclear and confusing? From the outside, everything would seem fine, and then the world would go on without anyone really noticing. But deep down, you know that the outside world and your inside world don't make a lot of sense, and there isn't much you can do about it. I guess that's why they call autism a hidden disability. My name's Bryce, and I am autistic. For me, my autism isn't about communicating with people. I have lots of friends, and we have a great time together. For me, autism isn't about making sense of my emotions, or of the emotions I have, and trying to find my place in the world. Some days are fine, but some aren't. Some days, it feels like I'm not really me. I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense, tell me about it. Some days, I bounce around and have lots of fun. Those days are good days. I love to cook and travel, and I watch way too much YouTube. My parents tell me I need to get out more, but I like what I like. But some days are harder. Some days are bad. Some days, there are more tears than smiles. Some days, I feel so much it's overwhelming, and there are no words to describe to my family how I feel. The emotions get too much, and then I feel like my own worst enemy, that I shouldn't exist anymore. It's just easy to hide in my room, because at least there, I feel in control. Hiding under a blanket can do wonders sometimes. That's the thing, sometimes. Sometimes that's what makes me feel better, yesterday, but only makes me feel angry today. It doesn't make a lot of sense, neither do I some days. So how do I cope? How do I manage? What are my strategies? Showers help. A lot of autistic people like being near water. There's something soothing about it, and the sound of the water overwhelms the feelings and helps me focus. But the best thing that helps me make sense through the world is a camera. Life makes more sense through a lens. I don't know why, but when I'm behind a camera, I'm in control. I can see the world everyone else does, and all of a sudden, I have a way to share my inner world, and I have a voice. Most days. If I'm being honest, I'll say that I hate homework. I don't mean hate homework, the way most kids mean it. When I often talk about homework, I HATE HOMEWORK. And often, I end up in tears. But this one time, I had to make a video for my year 4 homework. It was a cooking video with my dad, and it was amazing. This is how I communicate. And I got to eat some good food. For me, video makes the world make sense. That is why I watch so much YouTube. It helps me make sense of the world. My YouTube channel may seem like a bunch of random gaming videos and weird things I do with my brother. But for me, it is much more than that. It is my voice. It's how I can let the world know what is going on inside of me when the feelings are too much. So when I saw an advertisement for a film festival about disability, I was in. 100%. Who knows where this video goes, or who will see it. It doesn't matter, because this is me, and this is how I see the world, and how everything comes into focus. And I am fine with that. My name is Bryce. I'm autistic. And this is me.
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Adam Yeager is the filmmaker behind this entry.
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Life With ASD by Adam Yeager (2023)
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