Mythological Bunjil the Eagle (by Heesco Rhosnaran, Footscray – Photo, Michelle Earle,14/04/2023)
During the past decade or so there has been a near-revolution occurring in our understanding about Neurodivergence.
Neurodivergence describes a range of brain-based differences in the way some people process certain types of information, regulate attention/emotion/impulses/activity-levels, and understand and engage in relationships. It is part of their unique makeup from birth. Certain kinds of Learning Disorders, Speech and Language Disorders, and Sensory-Processing Disorders fall under are this banner, as does Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The near-revolution in Neurodivergence has been driven from within the Neurodivergent-community by children, adults and their significant others, telling their stories about what it is like to be Neurodivergent in a non-Neurodivergent world. Their voices have powerfully described the experience of being ‘othered’ in society because they sometimes think, feel and handle experiences differently from the non-Neurodivergent majority. This can lead society to wrongly infer negative intentions behind some of the behaviour of Neurodivergent people. For example, the Neurodivergent child is often inaccurately seen as “disruptive”, “attention-seeking” ,“making bad choices” or “not making an effort”., while the adult is often seen as “weird”, “inappropriate” or “disorganised” . These inaccurate and harsh inferences about behaviour affect the sense of self and the relationships of the Neurodivergent person in highly negative ways. The Neurodivergent community have described how these experiences can lead them to feel excessive guilt, shame and anxiety; to see themselves as lacking and of low worth, to expect criticism and rejection from others, and to either avoid relationships, be in perpetual relationship conflict or to mask their true selves in order to other’s condemnations.
Our sense of self and the quality of our relationships are foundational features of social and emotional (mental) health. When these are secure, generally affirming and positive, they buffer us against life’s demands, promote adaptive coping, increase our resilience and help us realise our unique human potential. When our sense of self and the quality of our relationships is insecure, invalidating and negative, we are more likely to cope with stress in ways which cause secondary problems (eg substances, ‘people pleasing’), are more prone to toxic stress and mental ill-health, and the pursuit of our potential is subsumed beneath basic survival needs. It is no wonder that most Neurodivergent children and adults experience at least 1 co-occurring mental health condition, and that this creates significant secondary trauma and suffering.
In 2022 new national guidelines for the treatment of ADHD were published which were greatly informed by many voices from within the ADHD Neurodivergent community. They attest to the devastating secondary effects of ‘other-ing’ upon Neurodivergent people and emphasise the importance of addressing these secondary harms for longer-term health and wellbeing.
As a Clinical Psychologist, Principal of Hobart ADHD Consultants and a woman with ADHD, Dr. Maddi Derrick served as a member of the ADHD National Guideline Committee. A proud advocate for Neurodivergent-affirming health-care, Maddi emphasises the many strengths of Neurodivergent people and ways in which society is enriched by them, including that Neurodivergent people can often see the world differently, generate novel ideas, focus intensely upon particular passions or goals, have a strong personal drive and empathy for others. To address the secondary harms arising from inaccurate interpretation and negative labelling of the behaviour of people with ADHD, Maddi advocates that support for people with ADHD should be strengths-focused, trauma-informed and built upon a social and human-rights model of health. In this model ‘dis-ability’ is understood as the result of a poor fit between the unique qualities of the individual and the environments in which they live.
Just like non-Neurodivergent people, Neurodivergent people can gain much from individual, relationship and family-based therapies which help them better understand how their brains work, maximise their unique strengths and buffer their vulnerabilities, to change lifestyle habits to support brain health, and to create a more positive self-view and experience of relationships. Critical to improving the health and wellbeing of Neurodivergent people however, is changing the environments in which they live to be more informed, accommodating and embracing of individual differences.
In other words, creating a Neuroaffirming world. Something we can all do (including Psychologists!) is to notice when we are about to label someone’s behaviour negatively because we assume we ‘know’ their intentions and instead be humble, curious and non-judgmental, so we can truly learn more about their unique humanity. We at MindEcology embrace and celebrate diversity, and we are a proudly Neuroaffirming practice.
Sources
ADHD Guideline Development Group. (2022). Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for ADHD. Melbourne: Australian ADHD Professionals Association.
Derrick, M. (2023). Evidence-based Psychological Intervention for Adults with ADHD. Melbourne.
Holmes, J. (2014). John Bowlby & Attachment Theory, 2nd Ed. Routledge.