I'm trying out a higher dose of my #ADHD medication.
Yesterday, I took it at 8:30am, finished my cup of tea, sneezed, then glanced over at the clock again and saw that it was suddenly 4:45pm.
And instead of doing the work I was supposed to have done, I appear to have re-created 'Potato Jesus' as a stained-glass window. #audhd#neurodivergent@actuallyadhd @actuallyaudhd
Throughout the entire human history before modern medicine, each culture had their own version of a witch doctor, or shaman.
Regardless of which culture they appear in, these people were generally some kind of social outcast. Kept at arms length due to their utility for the communities.
Generally regarded with an apprehensive respect, they are the source of story tropes such as the wise hermit people went to for advice, or the old lady herbalist, with a temper as bitter as the concoctions she made.
These people served many functions as observers of nature, healers, keepers of calendars, and even psychotherapists of an ancient kind.
Many theories attribute the characteristics of these people, common across many quite diverse cultures, to certain neurodivergences, and some go as far as claiming they were mostly autistics.
One common thing found in almost all shamanic cultures are methods (masks, curtains, reflective surfaces etc) to make it possible for the shaman (healer, herbalist...) to talk to their patient and study their face and body without making eye contact.
The point I'm trying to make here is NOT that autistic people had important roles in communities throughout history (though this could certainly be true) but the need for people in stressful situations to avoid eye contact having been identified and accommodated long ago.
Think of the confessional box with the lattice in between the booths. What purpose does it serve other than to take the pressure off of both the priest and the penitent to make it easier for them to focus on the conversation at hand and communicate?
A part of me thinks that we are going backwards in our understanding and accommodations of vulnerable people in certain situations.
On World Mental Health Day, don't forget that I have a short and (I'm told) interesting podcast episode on neurodivergence and mental health.
Take a look if you've got 12 minutes to spare to build your understanding of how mental health can show up for different brains, and to reflect on what you want and need.
Hey neurodivergent friends - we've got a lot of good places to discuss across fedi and I've been thinking that we don't always have a place the share with each other across groups for specific conditions. Maybe there is and I just haven't found it yet 😅
At any rate, I made a group for us: @neurodivergents
I like that they have basic moderation, which can help conversations. I'm not trying to impose my own will on anyone, and I envision it as a self-governing community group
Reflecting this morning on the specific ways growing up undiagnosed autistic can lead to distrust of other humans. It's incredibly confusing to have so many demands/expectations of both your peers and people you're supposed to look up to lead to pain and discomfort, and even more alienating when you can't communicate about it in a way that those people would be able to understand because they don't experience life in the same way.
If this resonates with you, my inner child would like to offer your inner child a hug - no pressure or expectations. ❤️🩹
Institutionalised parent carer blame is rife within services that are supposed to support neurodivergent children. A lot of this is because there is too much focus on safeguarding, and little to no understanding of the nuances of disability, how to assess need, or resources to meet those needs.
The research found that kids with ASD and ADHD couldn't clear out BPA and another similar compound called Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) with as much efficiency as other kids, potentially leading to longer exposure to their toxic effects.
IF these compounds are more prevalent recently, and IF the toxic effects are what cause the ADHD symptoms, THEN we might end up with newly ADHD and autistic adults who don't get diagnosed as such because there is no childhood history of such.
We have to stop holding Autistic children 100% responsible for a world that bombardment them with hostility, and professionals that not only don't know how to support them, but don't care that they don't know.
Transcripts of the #Spectrum10K webinars held in May have been published. Not that you would know by looking at the HVM or spectrum10k websites. Thankfully Liam O'Dell is keeping a (sharper than mine) eye on this.
Philosophy and Madness a combination that makes me smile!!! #MadLiterature
Too mad to be true II - The promises and perils of the first-person perspective
The second Too Mad To Be True conference that was dedicated to exploring the various links between philosophy and madness. The atmosphere was vibrant and it initiated new ways of thinking and communicating around issues of madness and philosophy. The central theme was both relevant to philosophical and mad theories and practices: ' The promises and perils of the first-person perspective'. The conference was hybrid: both in person, in Ghent, Belgium, as well as online.
A friend who vlogs about solo travel noticed a sign about sensory sensitivity aboard a #Carvinal cruise ship today. Has anyone had experience with their "sensory inclusivity" program or #KultureCity?
The single best way to support neurodivergent people, in the workplace and in life, is to educate yourself about the different forms of neurodivergence.
Learn about the needs, strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, perspectives, and, most importantly, lived experiences of neurodivergent people.
The right way to do this is to listen to neurodivergent people. Follow us on social media. Read our blogs. Get to know us IRL. If you aren't listening to us, you aren't learning about us; you are only learning other people's opinions about us.
As with any minority group, learning about neurodivergent people will force you to reassess many assumptions about people and society that you don't even realize you hold. You will grow as a person. And that is exactly what we need from you.
Accommodation Or Abuse: The False Choice Managers Have With #Neurospicy Employees
Do you want to be a leader or manager who actually works with your neurodivergent employees, or do you want to create a hostile, toxic, and inefficient work environment because of the fragility of your ego?
my girlfriend found this, and it's ... indescribable, what this means to me. my Hebrew name is Yonah, bc I felt so drawn to him as a biblical character, and yet I wasn't fully able to put my connection to him into words, until this article
"We know why Jonah runs because the prophet himself tells us at the end of the text. Jonah objects that God spares the Assyrians the consequences of their actions. They have done evil and they do not deserve to retain their status as the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Jonah is not particularly impressed with the fasting and the public repentance; but he knows that God finds such behavior acceptable and averts their doom. If Jonah knows that there will be no real change and that Nineveh’s might and cruelty will ride roughshod over his people, why should he prophecize to them? Why do they not deserve justice?"
the idea of my namesake as an autistic dude who has no interest in participating in the absolution of bullies and abusers, who is "grieved unto death" over the loss of a giant plant, who struggled with haShem and is RIGHT ... it makes my name and my identity fit me more than I knew when I first chose them