About my February 6th blog
Today, February 6th, I have been doing more research on ADHD. Some people call us neurodivergent. So how is it defined? Well this is my blog on February 6th.
The terms neurodivergent and neurodiverse refer to people whose thought patterns, behaviors, or learning styles fall outside of what is considered “normal,” or neurotypical. Neurodivergence embraces the idea that differences in the human brain are natural and, in many cases, can lead to meaningful and positive insights and abilities. The concept of neurodiversity is gaining traction as both neurodiverse and neurotypical people are finding that differences are not necessarily disabilities. Some differences can be real strengths. So who started this idea? The term neurodiversity was first used in 1997 by Judy Singer, a sociologist in this paper Singer J. Neurodiversity: The Birth of an Idea. J. Singer; 2017. When I was coming along in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the school systems were not prepared for us. Dyslexia was first described in the 1850’s by a Scottish doctor. Since then more has come out.
Making Sense of the Terms
- Neurodivergent: A noun referring to the diversity or variation of cognitive functioning in all people
- Neurodiverse: An adjective typically used to describe neurodivergent people
- Neurodivergence: A noun referring to cognitive functioning which is not considered typical or “normal”
- Neurodivergent: An adjective describing people who have a neurodivergence
- Neurotypical: An adjective describing people whose cognitive and social behaviors fall within traditional norms
The neurodiverse population includes people with specific diagnoses that are considered developmental disorders (as opposed to intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses). These include but are not limited to:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A neurodevelopmental disorder that includes features of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Note – more ADHD people have the inattention than the hyperactivity behavior. So we go undiagnosed!
- Various learning disabilities such as dyslexia (difficulty with language skills, especially reading). We can read out of mirrors backwards. Our eyes don’t track well across a page reading.
Why Neurodiversity Is Important
The concept of neurodiversity has become increasingly attractive to people who consider themselves neurodivergent and those who write about, speak about, and work directly with neurodivergent individuals. There are several reasons for this, including:
- Neurodivergent self-advocates have become strong supporters of the concept of neurodiversity and are working hard to establish a sense of pride in neurodiverse ways of thinking and behaving.
- Educators are discovering that a large portion of their student population is neurodivergent. They don’t like it. rather than diagnosis.
- Many employers and members of the general population see real adaptive benefits to neurodivergence. In fact, the Harvard Business Review specifically touts neurodiversity as a competitive advantage because it often imparts many strengths and positive traits.
A bit of history
First, the physicians like Dr Morgan wrote with a clarity and organization about dyslexia. Second, they focused their attention on children. Third, these physicians wrote numerous case reports on word blindness, which resulted in an accumulation of information about this enigma.’ William Morgan and Hinshelwood’s associated dyslexia with high intelligence in their papers.
We don’t think like other people
In summary, because we are not Neurotypical, we suffer bias. I got mistreated in school and in work situations. So I spend time dealing with past rejection currently. We worry about future rejection. Gentle readers, I hope this helps you on your journey. While getting my second master degree in counseling, dealing with issues like ADHD were not taught. My first doctor who got me medication and diagnosed my ADHD, later decided to not treat ADHD with medicine. So I left his practice. It did help me a great deal!