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Neurodiversity and me
Aug. 2nd, 2022 04:35 pmI mentioned in my about me that I'm neurodivergent, with adhd, autism and dyscalculia, so I wanted to take a moment to talk about what that is and what it means for me.
Neurodiversity is the idea that it's normal and acceptable for people to have brains that function differently from one another. Rather than thinking there is something wrong or problematic when some people don't operate similarly to others, neurodiversity embraces all differences. The concept of neurodiversity recognizes that both brain function and behavioral traits are simply indicators of how diverse the human population is.
Neurodivergence is the term for when someone's brain processes, learns, and/or behaves differently from what is considered "typical."
There are many different ways that neurodivergence manifests, ranging from very mild ways that most people would never notice to more obvious ways that lead to a person behaving differently than is standard in our society.
Autism is known as a "spectrum disorder" because cases range from mild to severe. It previously had many subtypes, such as Asperger's and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), but now they are all classified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD can affect someone's behavior and emotions.
Autism is a broad set of conditions that may include challenges with socializing and social skills, repetitive behaviors, and speech difficulties that can lead people to communicate only nonverbally.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an executive function dysregulation disorder, which means individuals may have difficulties managing their thoughts, attention, behaviors, and emotions.
People with ADHD may have difficulty with organization, be restless, seem disinterested or zoned out, and show inappropriate behavior when experiencing strong emotions.
For me, this means I have difficulty with organisation, memory and concentration. I'm very easily distracted - unless I'm hyperfocused, and then I'll forget to eat or drink or sleep. I can be really impulsive, and I have no sense of time. I'm not great at understanding social rules, although I've 'learned' a lot of them by rote and mimic, I still don't get them. I'm clumsy and have no spatial awareness. I have a bunch of sensory issues and get overwhelmed and do have meltdowns. I stim and tic - but don't have coprolalia, though I do have echolalia and palilalia. I have special interests but I'm not a genius savant. Just another Millennial/Gen Z trying to survive life!
Neurodiversity is the idea that it's normal and acceptable for people to have brains that function differently from one another. Rather than thinking there is something wrong or problematic when some people don't operate similarly to others, neurodiversity embraces all differences. The concept of neurodiversity recognizes that both brain function and behavioral traits are simply indicators of how diverse the human population is.
Neurodivergence is the term for when someone's brain processes, learns, and/or behaves differently from what is considered "typical."
There are many different ways that neurodivergence manifests, ranging from very mild ways that most people would never notice to more obvious ways that lead to a person behaving differently than is standard in our society.
Autism is known as a "spectrum disorder" because cases range from mild to severe. It previously had many subtypes, such as Asperger's and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), but now they are all classified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD can affect someone's behavior and emotions.
Autism is a broad set of conditions that may include challenges with socializing and social skills, repetitive behaviors, and speech difficulties that can lead people to communicate only nonverbally.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an executive function dysregulation disorder, which means individuals may have difficulties managing their thoughts, attention, behaviors, and emotions.
People with ADHD may have difficulty with organization, be restless, seem disinterested or zoned out, and show inappropriate behavior when experiencing strong emotions.
For me, this means I have difficulty with organisation, memory and concentration. I'm very easily distracted - unless I'm hyperfocused, and then I'll forget to eat or drink or sleep. I can be really impulsive, and I have no sense of time. I'm not great at understanding social rules, although I've 'learned' a lot of them by rote and mimic, I still don't get them. I'm clumsy and have no spatial awareness. I have a bunch of sensory issues and get overwhelmed and do have meltdowns. I stim and tic - but don't have coprolalia, though I do have echolalia and palilalia. I have special interests but I'm not a genius savant. Just another Millennial/Gen Z trying to survive life!
