Thursday Ramble: Neurodiversity

A dear friend of mine is changing jobs, in part due to a lack of understanding and accomodation by her firm. The response to a request for software to manage distractions, to help accommodate ADHD, was met with, "try harder." If she is going to pay for the software, she is going to pay for it in her own office. A real disappointment in that this makes it clear the organization does not recognize how to accommodate valuable talented colleagues, or the clients they serve.  The H part of her brain, makes her incredibly productive, capable of doing things others can't.  And a scream to visit a museum with, she may be faster than I am in the been there seen that category. 

We have a couple of neighbors who are high functioning autistic.  I think both of them are talented mathematicians, there is something about the way their brain works, that makes them especially talented in complex mathematical relationships. They see things differently than 99% of the people and that enables them to do things the rest of us can't do.  They just shy away from crowds and strangers.  

Some Pacific Islander cultures see dementia in later life as the person entering a higher level of consciousness.  The person is no longer distracted by the past, no longer haunted by memories, and sometimes no longer constrained by societal expectations.  The Person has entered into a state of being able to concentrate on being, a talent few of us develop.  

Collin, of the YouTube channel Foxes Afloat has posted a couple of times about his life with Autism and ADHD.  His openness and honesty about his life experience are enlightening.  He has learned to recognize the triggers that cause him to melt down.  He has been slower to acknowledge what an incredibly talented content creator he is.  He writes most of the content, does much of the filming and editing.  The way his brain works, empowers him to do things many people can't do. 

The older I get the more I understand how different people, think and process information differently. What works for others, does not work for me, because of the quirky way my brain is wired.  What works for others, does not always work for me.  And that is okay, I try to leverage what I am best at, and work on trying to expand the spectrum of my ability. 

I try hard to not impose on others, my way of processing information, I try to learn from how they see the world in ways that are different than mine.