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Neurodivergent: think different.

(10 minute read.)

'Neuro... what? No, I'd never heard of it either.'

I've added this page(s) because it helps me to better understand myself, and so therefore I consider it appropriate to include on-site.

It's poorly written, due an edit, and is incomplete.

More importantly, it's not here as an excuse. I'm lucky—there's an enormous difference between being 'a bit Asperger's' (me) and those who face real difficulties in daily life, and to whom I wish the very best.

I've a young grandson whom I love dearly, and who's profoundly autistic. I hope he'll thrive, and that he may not literally brings me to tears of immemse grief. Were it possible, I'd willingly give him every bit of life I have and stop breathing right now.

For much my life I've often not fitted-in with many others—by comparison with whom I seem often eccentric, at times iconoclastic.

I haven't really understood it—rarely even tried—just accepted I'm a bit different and perhaps odd; good in some ways, bad in others.

For several years I've realised that along with traits which I've subsequently learned to be 'Asperger's stuff', I've also had characteristics of ADHD and OCD.

And I've often struggled with it… why am I like this, why can't I be more normal and fit-in better, etcetera?

Then a few years ago I discovered Asperger's, and immediately became aware of how those behavioural traits fitted much of my character throughout my life. I found it quite liberating, in terms of freeing me from some of the feelings of deficiency and inadequacy that I'd had.

More recently, In trying to better understand my autistic youngest grandchild, I stumbled across 'neurodivergent'… a term for when someone's brain processes, learns, and/or behaves differently from what is considered neurotypical—and includes a variety of conditions including Asperger's, ADHD, OCD, OCPD, etcetera.

It makes even more sense of my character, and to no small degree is genuinely encouraging; it might just help me to better accept myself—'celebrate' my strengths and more willingly accept my deficiencies.

It helps me to reframe things, as positive and strengths, some of what I'd previously considered negatives and weakness. And to better tolerate and perhaps excuse the other parts of me. I do genuinely feel a whole lot better about myself.

So yeah, a big yaaaaaay to 'neurodivergent'.

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