I See NeuroDivergent People... I want to tell them they are NeuroDivergent... because I don't think they know.

"What recommendations do you have for someone who thinks themselves/their colleagues could possibly be neurodivergent but has never gone for an official diagnosis?"

I've not been online as much because I've been working more in my "day job" recently.

My "day job" is teaching organizations about NeuroDiversity. Often after I do a workshop the attendees will have fantastic questions, that I answer real time or later via email.

Today I answered a question that I felt would be good to share with you as well:

"What recommendations do you have for someone who thinks themselves/their colleagues could possibly be neurodivergent but has never gone for an official diagnosis?"

First and foremost, it is important to remember WHY people may not share their NeuroDivergence with others (assuming they even know they are NeuroDivergent) - because doing so is risky, since it can change how people treat and see you forever.

Many of us have told people in the past, and had it backfire, so we become hesitant to share with people unless we know it's safe (if at all).

Some of us may have decided many years ago that sharing this fact about ourselves isn't worth the risk/hassle so we keep it to ourselves, because the world isn't safe.

Also, something I wish I knew earlier is that telling someone you think they may be NeuroDivergent (Autistic, ADHD, OCD, etc.) often won't go well because when you tell someone this (due to the many negative stereotypes and stigmas around NeuroDivergence), they will think you're telling them you believe something is "wrong with them" which can cause people to bristle up and push you away.

As a Queer Person, I can say outing a NeuroDivergent Person who's not ready to be out yet, can have similar results to outing a Queer Person who's not ready/willing to be out. Many of us aren't "out" because we don't feel it's safe (and it truly may NOT be safe) for us to do so.

If you want to help NeuroDivergent People: LEARN ABOUT NEURODIVERSITY

NeuroDiversity includes ALL brains. NeuroDivergent and NeuroTypical People together create groups that are NeuroDiverse.

If you are NeuroDivergent yourself, you can talk about how you are NeuroDivergent, to show that you're a safe person to have this discussion with.

If you are NeuroTypical, but see a specific area of support a colleague could use help with, you could ask if they need support or offer your support in that area.

If you think YOU could be NeuroDivergent, I would recommend reading more about NeuroDiversity. (I want everyone to learn more about NeuroDiversity). Read books by and learn from others who you feel have similar brain types to yours (if you think you may be Dyslexic, check out resources created by Dyslexic People, if you think you may be ADHD, learn from ADHDers about how they live, and if you are Autistic, seek out Autistic created books and content and resources to learn more).

Lastly, if YOU think you may be NeuroDivergent, and are considering a medical diagnosis, there are many online screening assessments for some NeuroDivergenceis (not all), these don't diagnose you but IF you score highly on them it may be worth considering a medical assessment.

Photo of me typing on the ipad.

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