What is Neurodiversity?

[@dyeminadelapena812]

At age 20, I have only JUST heard about the term neurodiversity and have been reading a lot about it recently... I want to get myself tested but I have absolutely no money for it. I want to understand myself more because ALL MY LIFE I've always called myself stupid because I thought differently than others. I called myself a slow learner because I couldn't understand certain things that others understand so easily. I always thought I was different BECAUSE I was stupid. I've always felt that there was something wrong about me that I couldn't pin point what is because other people don't seem to have the same problem, and whenever I try to open up about it, they'd just always shrug it off-- maybe because they think I'm just being dumb. After reading about neurodivergence, my heart felt that need to get myself tested because I've been too hard on myself all these years. I want to understand myself more and find what's best for my mental health and my growth. :(

[@Talentedtadpole]

You don't need to 'get tested' you will know yourself best. Hook up with the #ActuallyAutistic community on twitter & that will help you. Good luck!

[@Chloe-vc4cv]

You have literally just put my feelings into words i never could!

[@CC-bx7bh]

I’m 27 & I’m only learning about this.

[@themoviefan6948]

I feel you so hard. I'm 23 and I feel completely the same. I've always been called weird, as long as I remember myself. I love to spend time by myself just thinking and reflecting on my actions. I've been feeling very unmotivated lately. It's hard to just bring myself to do anything except sleeping or eating.

[@leigholding1397]

@@CC-bx7bh 42 , and divorced, it's all starting to make sense now, poor x wife🤣

[@littlebrights3227]

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments, Im so glad its helped others!! :) Jacinta x

[@dee4174]

I related so much to what you shared. I also binned all my school reports. X

[@user-vc8db4ur2l]

Now I understand. I think differently. my mother called me dyslexic.

[@lukedonnachie6214]

Jacinta,great clip ye put together,I really enjoyed that,thank you

[@themoviefan6948]

When you said that you started to dissociate because it was all too stimulating for you, I started crying because I too started to dissociate when I was at school. I was getting bullied daily and I always cried after school. The only way how I could cope, was having naps whenever I came home from school. I think I might be neurodivergent too.

[@esoligh]

I'm like you. Very different. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing this it is amazing. I had tears when you did cos I know how mean neurotypicals generally are and how they lack understanding and don't care that they do..

[@fook-n-bear]

I can see so clearly now. Myself and others. It IS a gift and now that I know..... it isn't a flaw. This is who I am. I am much more content. Life is so much easier. This interview has also changed my life. There are so many like me. I feel much less lonely. It's as if I can see what troubles others now and try to help. Seeking my seratonin. Thank you.

[@KayMac1]

It's crazy how we can go through the education system and only find out about things like this years down the line. Maybe teachers should be trained what to look out for or possibly test at a young age

[@truereligionfiend738]

They don’t get paid enough

[@TikiMDZ]

The thing is, those of us standing up for those students and better teacher education on the spectrum is that the scientific community itself is still finding its feet and changing definitions every few years. I think the reason why I empathized and became literate about it is because I went through it. Still do. Getting Admin and parents involved is a whole different thing though. It can put your career on the line. So you have to find ways to "shine the light" on it, without Ss being harmed so that parents get on board. Truth is, what you do in your classroom is a pebble compared to the mountains parents can do. I have seen parents destroy the work (Ss) of months with 2 sentences. In other words, don't be so harsh on teachers. It is very hard for us too.

[@newyorkbeautyful]

Thank you for this video! I relate so much to what you shared from your journey but also to the way you speak about it. I’ve been told by my therapist that she finds in interesting how slowly I speak to find the correct words to express my emotions and thoughts. She thought at first it was because I wasn’t opening up to her, but it’s rather been that I felt I needed to thoughtfully communicate with her in order for her to understand me. Typing this while you’re speaking, I have an additional remark to what you’ve explained in the end of the video. I very much relate to the sensing of other peoples’ emotions. I can feel the energy whether it’s just one person or a group of people. It’s very easy for me to detect when something’s wrong, when someone is upset or angry, or even is communicating something that isn’t in line with their feelings.

[@roryoakes6176]

So informative. , Jacinta thank your courageous story.

[@mandlin4602]

8:15 THIS just this. It’s so true. I’m dyslexic, mild dyspraxic have dyscalculia and probable inattentive ADHD (I am on a waiting list for full assessment recommended by a psychotherapist). But I measure on the higher end of “superior” in IQ/reasoning. Only those really close to me or those who see what I do in work in detail could see my difficulties. I use the IQ to hide all of my struggles. I’m always so tired because I have to do mental gymnastics to do “basic” things. Over all people think I’m neuro typical smart but a bit lazy. But I’ve rarely got called stupid, it’s always lazy, so people don’t believe I’m neurodiverse just lazy.

[@steveinspainkap2043]

Thank you Jacinta for sharing your feelings. I have just been discarded from a covert narcissist after 16 years. I'm seeing a psychologist and he's suggested the reason I was so interesting to this disgusting person was my empathy. I remember seeing my great grandmother in the hospital and breaking out in tears. I was very small, but seeing her there, and knowing she did not have long, made me cry. I've always been sensitive, perhaps overly, but how can you deny your true feelings? I struggled through school and like you had horrible report cards. I was a bad kid, I know that, I accept that. I'm very early days with this psychologist but feel like I can finally understand why I've always felt different to everyone else throughout my entire life. I'm 56 and feel a reawakening coming. I've always been called arrogant and I suppose that's true. I do have very little patience, that's true as well. I scored a 144 IQ at 8 years old. I could never understand school, could never accept the drudgery of rote memorization. I used to correct teachers and get sent to the school office for it. I left school at 17 and have thrived on my own terms. Everything I've ever wanted to learn I did, and excelled at. I was sent to psychiatrists and couldn't understand why. I didn't think there was anything wrong. I felt stupid being there, their questions made no sense to me. I'm hoping my current journey will lead me to the peace and strength I need to be me without excusing myself for who or what I am. Peace, love and strength to everyone ☮️

[@johnacord6224]

I don't trust Drs too much, they know what they've been taught, very little independent thinking, unless you get a good one. Good luck.

[@KennethKelly]

Outstanding video, all counsellors and students of counselling should watch this.

[@Tina12121]

Thankyou for the email via C.T

[@susannesonnenschein2878]

This both people are so calming to me . Very sympathic...

[@BRI2020-d8x]

I always hear about the impact of other people rather than how I felt about my son who is yet to be diagnosed with ASD / ADHD

[@itsclemtime2357]

I saw somebody say something about neurodiversity. So sorry if I butchered that. And I was like, this sounds interesting.

[@Tina12121]

Brilliant and thankyou very very much, extremely informative. I've learned something new today 🤗, that I never knew about .Sharing 🥰.... I have always said "Define Normal" .. deeper thinking on another level.. " We, are all very different" 🤗

[@cloudfa1177]

Expecting people to fit into a box that was not made for them for the simple reason that being themselves would make the people in the box uncomfortable is a crime against humanity.

[@steveinspainkap2043]

Exactly, very well said ☮️

[@Joshuani]

Thank you so much for this video. I’m currently going through a psychiatric assessment and so many things Jacinta said resonated with me. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve felt positive about it.

[@jonnyjohnson4839]

I shared the same experience as a child. You are beautiful and brilliant.

[@dreamrabbits5072]

I had the same issue as the lady, from very very young since kindergarten, I just couldn't pay attention at all, I would look at the other kids, I was in another world. In 1st and second grade, I remember I was talking so much and disrupting the class and students, it was so bad that the teacher moved my desk and placed me right beside her so I was away from everyone else and she could keep an eye on me, and I couldn't talk to anyone. In 4th grade my teacher was cruel, she said nasty things to me like how I was a giant failure, and would never succeed (and that's exactly what happened), and she made me get a hearing test because she thought something was wrong with my ears, for some reason they didn't suspect a mental issue, this was in the 90's so I don't know, I feel like back in those days in my city (a small suburban town in Canada it was back then, now it's a big booming city), nobody knew about any childhood mental issues or abuse and trauma because it has happened to other kids too, my sister was sexually abused as a child and the doctor had no clue, she was constantly wetting her bed and acting out, sleep walking etc. Thankfully I wasn't abused, I had a wonderful childhood except school was horrible, I failed every grade but I didn't get held back. Now I'm a 32 year old complete failure who still lives with mom and I'm not sure what my future holds.

[@graveraider1029]

Thanks for sharing your experience! For boys in schools it's especially hard for them to sit still and listen compared to girls so this already puts that at a learning disadvantage. All my life is school I was always behind and a slow learner and it got pretty bad in high school where I just didn't care anymore and had no energy and getting 4 hours of sleep a night. I would also look around the class and feel like everyone was doing just well and I wasn't. I would take way longer than the other kids with tests and always need more time to finish all my assignments. I would get really bad testing anxiety sometimes I just gave up and didn't finish test or guessed all the answers. The issue is that so many kids like us fall through the cracks of the public school systems because they cannot pay attention to us or just think we are stupid. My mom was too busy to pay attention or ask questions and she still doesn't believe me when I know I have ADHD.

[@graveraider1029]

I think having a society that is meant to only work for neurotypical people fails for people like us who can't seem to be like the others. It's be different If we lived in the days where we had villages or tribes where it was more simple and everyone had their place and meaning and didn't have to do everything themselves.

[@whotelakecity2001]

What do you mean a complete failure?

[@courtneyamberger8998]

Thank you, Jacinta for sharing your story.

[@Simon2952]

I feel like this lady is descibing me. I can totally relate to the experiences she talks about. Im empathic more then anybody i knw. So im really respectful when im around people. So when anyone disrespects me it really hurts and ill overthink about that for abit. I was so shy also growing up one time i turned 6 or 7 years old and unexpectedly everyone started singing happy birthday and the feeling of wanting to hide was so intence i can still feel that today in my 40s but its funny remembering

[@Sythorize]

Stop believing this bs, neurodivergence is heavily under studied in psychology and has no real telltale signs of it unlike autism or asbergers. It’s new and made up so people can have an excuse to have fuck all manners.

[@sarcodonblue2876]

I have autism and learning disabilities and it is absolutely a problem for me. I have working memory problems which effects everything I do and I had to work very hard just to do things others take for granted like driving a car. I struggle with simple things like reading and writing even though I am very creative and intelligent in other ways. There is no advantage here at all and it means I can only do a few things at once and I can't live away from my family and hold down employment. It also means that people will not feel the need to develop skills and improve on their weaknesses and like it or not we have to fit in to society to some degree just to survive. Neuro is brainwashing people into not truing to develop strategies and way to make life better and is something therapists like to tell people when they actually can't help people and should just admit it is beyond their training.

[@leigholding1397]

Not autistic enough to be diagnosed as... not normal enough, soo where do I fit? Neurodivergent 😚 Yay I've finally found my out of place place in the world

[@nikkijulia2054]

I feel her pain!!!! 😭😭😭

[@TheMiist]

Kanye taught me this 😊

[@blankoutcast]

as a neuro divergent i made it 2 minutes and listened 30 seconds

[@erin4321]

I'm at 4:36 and needing to speed it up.. ots painful to listen this slow

[@lizm9863]

Encouraging and positive... Jacinta you are truly lovely 😍

[@jackrock3978]

You know that cartoon show The owl House the main character also has that disability

[@kimling7132]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@davidnikey6119]

5:15 and if you got good attitude and can fit in you probly don have good grades

[@melliecrann-gaoth4789]

🙏

[@Bozewani]

انا اتكلام في عربيو我说六语联和国isawsixunlanguagesjeparlessixunlanguagesязнаювсешестиязыкоонyoseferechoshumanos

[@СофияСойко]

Neurodiversity neurodiversite

[@whatshisname3304]

interesting. perhaps everyone is neuro-Atypical. Average is a myth.

[@Jaxbeth]

I believe that this is so.

[@beazrichz973]

Neuroatypical is still very different than being neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is being born with a different brain wiring type than the general population, and it’s life long. Neuroatypical on the other hand is NOT lifelong and nobody is born with anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, bipolar, ocd etc, they’re caused by terrible events, or environmental causes. ADHD, autism, tourettes, and dyslexia, are different biological brain functions from the “norm”. “Everyone is a little autistic”, nope, biologically speaking, that is false. Google aspergers brain scan vs “normal” brain scan pictures, and you can see that is even aspergers which is the mildest type of autism, is still drastically different brain wiring than the “normal” brain wiring. You might as well say that “Everyone is a little gay/bi” by that saying. No, there is still a drastic difference between foot tapping, being shy, and awkward, and talking at the minimum age of a child which is age 16 months. Autistics don’t say their first word until they’re 3 years old or at age 12 years old even. Some autistics will never be able to talk at all. They can still have a regular IQ, and communicate by computer, or sign language. Some nonverbal autistics are nonverbal and also have an EXTREME intellectual disability which means that that autistic won’t be able to know how to go to the bathroom get past wearing diapers, and will have to be cared for 24/7. Those problems are from the extreme intellectual disability itself not from being autistic itself. Extreme intellectual disabilities also exist in non-autistics too you know. Autism has notable visible traits. 1. Stimming 2. Lack of eye contact 3. Can’t speak at 16 months, when “normal” children start speaking, didn’t start speaking till they were age 3/4 yrs at a minimum, or will even be nonverbal forever (they’re a minority). Most autistics start speaking at the end of their first 3 years of existence, or as late as age 12 yrs. 4. Hate large crowds. 5. Hate loud sounds. 6. Have limited interests. 7. Higher likelihood to not identify as straight. If you’re not all those, then you’re not autistic. If you’re not SEXUALLY attracted to the same sex, then you’re NOT gay/bisexual. Aesthetic attraction towards the same sex doesn’t mean you’re gay/bisexual. Like autistics, gays/bisexuals don’t have a look to them. However, they still have a few notable traits that are distinct from straights. 1. Some gay men/bisexual men have that obvious feminine like voice, 2. Some Lesbian/bisexual women have buzz cut hair styles, dress in a masculine like clothing fashion. That’s all the notable traits that I know of, though some gay men/bisexual men don’t have a feminine voice, and some lesbian women/bisexual women don’t have buzz cut hair styles, and don’t dress in a masculine clothing fashion all the time.

[@osricsbruk]

@@beazrichz973 'if you're not all of those then you're not autistic' I see your point but that isn't correct. Not everyone who is autistic has difficulty with eye contact, I know several autistic people who love concerts and don't mind crowds. The saying 'if you've met one person with autism then you've met one person with autism' is very true. Neurodiverse people are all different and unique just as neurotypical people are all different and unique.

[@leroyalberts2870]

Neurodiversity implies that significant differences and extremes shouldn't matter and that everybody else is just inconsiderate. It suggests that we would stop generalising in the scientitfic sense. That is tirannical, fascist and of doesn't help anyone on what spectrum whatsoever. It's a horrible idea.

[@Talentedtadpole]

You don't understand the idea. Recommend that you learn about it rather than making incorrect & nasty comments about people who have faced considerable disadvantage because of ignorance & discrimination.

[@leroyalberts2870]

@@Talentedtadpole thank you for proving my point

[@booboobunny5655]

“Tyrannical and fascist”? What the hell dude? Is it wrong to advocate for ourselves to be accepted like black and lgbt people?

[@leroyalberts2870]

@@Talentedtadpole implying that the people you're refering to, are still widely not accepted in the west, again, proves my point.

[@booboobunny5655]

@@leroyalberts2870 Are you replying to me? No, that doesn’t prove your point. Self advocacy is not fascism, the discrimination that we face (especially me as a BLACK AND DISABLED WOMAN) is fascism of the privileged neurotypical white upperclass. Neurotypical and rich white people are the true fascist oppressors, especially that idiot Trump.

[@Talentedtadpole]

People have difficulty grasping that neurodiversity = ALL HUMAN BEINGS. Stephen Munt is not up to speed with certain things - the idea of a spectrum or a scale is now not considered helpful. Bell curve analogies are problematic given the some of the dodgy pseudosience around race & intelligence that has arisen from the far right. Also, autistic people do not like the expression "with autism". Hopefully inquiry will continue. It is strange hearing more ppl adopt these terms without properly understanding, presumption of authority too often trumps genuine respect, knowledge & concern.