To understand
NEURODIVERSITY
Doctor Alexandre Valverde, Psychiatrist & Neurodivergent, talks about the late diagnosis of autism, the importance of understanding the characteristics of this condition, and the need for more narratives to represent and identify this community.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE,
AND BELONGING IS NOT
A DISTANT DREAM
CRM 107.660 - SP
HIGH ABILITIES
NOT ALL AUTISTIC IS GIFTED, AND NOT ALL GIFTED PERSON IS AUTISTIC.
AUTISM & MOTHERHOOD
PREGNANCY AND MOTHERHOOD ARE EXPERIENCED BY NEURODIVERGENT VERY DIFFERENTLY FROM NEUROTYPICALS.
LATE DIAGNOSIS
VERY OFTEN RELIEF IS MENTIONED AFTER LATE DIAGNOSIS BY AUTISTICS: "FOR THE FIRST TIME, EVERYTHING MADE SENSE"
WHAT IS NEURODIVERSITY?
For being so misunderstood and constantly exposed to overload situations due to their sensory, cognitive or emotional hypersensitivity, neurodivergent people face much more stress in their daily lives than neurotypicals.
Firstly, neurodivergence is not a disease – it is a condition. Generally speaking, it is a natural variation in brain development in which some functions can become overdeveloped (more than the standard considered typical) or underdeveloped (less than normally occurs). The word speaks for itself: it's a different kind of brain.
Under the neurodivergent umbrella is the spectrum of autism, ADHD, ADD, OCD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Tourette Syndrome. There is a genetic component to this, although some neuroscientists, such as Doctor Gabor Maté, argue that neurodivergence is an adaptive neurobiological response linked to parental stress and unresolved transgenerational trauma. We will return to this theory later.
Neurodivergent individuals may present significant differences in sensory, cognitive, emotional and social processing, which alters how they process communication, feel and react to stimuli. Because they are grossly misunderstood and constantly exposed to situations that are overwhelming due to their hypersensitivity, neurodivergent individuals face much more stress in their daily lives than neurotypicals.
The levels of rejection and criticism they constantly experience are also high, making co-occurrences such as depression, panic disorder and social phobia very common. Since it is not a disease, there is no cure for it -- although many individuals may benefit from medication to help with the psychiatric symptoms they develop due to their sensory, cognitive, and emotional struggles.
COMMON
FEATURES
Their challenges and strengths vary enormously, and each person's experiences are unique. However, some common characteristics are atypical communication, sensory sensitivities, intense interests, differences in executive functioning, heightened emotional responses, and pattern recognition.
It can be said that neurodivergent people have an original way of thinking and are highly creative. His contributions to various fields of society are valuable and innovative. They form a heterogeneous group with very diverse challenges and talents, but with some characteristics in common: atypical communication, hypersensitivity to stimuli (noise, lights, smells, touch and textures), differences in executive functioning, increased emotional responses and pattern recognition.
Showing intense interest, enthusiasm and depth of knowledge in some topics or activities is a common trait of neurodivergent people. Many have exceptional skills in various areas, and an extremely attentive eye for detail. Regarding executive functioning – the cognitive processes that allow us to plan, organize, initiate and complete tasks – neurodivergent people may have difficulty with organization, time management and impulse control.
Social interactions and relationships can also be a source of anxiety due to the difficulty in understanding social norms, interpreting non-verbal language or maintaining reciprocal conversations - it is common for us to talk non-stop, without giving the other person a chance to respond or comment, or else the opposite, when we remain completely silent, not knowing what to say in social interactions.
Motor self-stimulation behaviours such as stimming (rhythmic and repeated movements of parts of the body, the whole body or made with small objects such as pens, elastic bands, rings, etc.), fidgeting (small and often involuntary movements that demonstrate restlessness) and echolalia (repeating sounds, words, phrases of people, films or music, out loud or in your head) are efficient sensory or emotional self-regulation strategies that are very common in neurodivergent people.
AUTISM & GIFTEDNESS
There is significant variation in how autism and giftedness manifest in different people. The task of identifying and supporting them requires an in-depth understanding of their strengths, challenges and needs.
Many studies suggest that there may be an overlap between autism and giftedness, with common characteristics such as hyperfocus, attention to detail and high abilities in specific areas. Contrary to popular belief, however, these abilities are observed not only in mathematics, technology or science but also manifest themselves in areas such as sports, music and the arts, in which these people excel greatly.
It is essential to remember that the autism spectrum is highly diverse and no two individuals are identical, whether in autism, dyslexia, ADHD or giftedness. Both the strengths and difficulties of each condition vary greatly from person to person, this is also the case for gifted people or people with high abilities.
Not all autistic people are gifted and not all gifted individuals are autistic. However, more and more studies suggest that a high proportion of autistic people may have giftedness or exceptional abilities in some areas. On the other hand, some gifted individuals may also present characteristics associated with autism, such as social difficulties, sensory sensitivities or atypical communication patterns.
Having exceptional abilities is not necessarily linked to a higher IQ (intelligence quotient), since this test only measures logical-mathematical reasoning, without considering artistic or sporting ability.
The link between autism and giftedness is a topic of ongoing research and debate. We know that both are complex and multifaceted abstract concepts and that each individual is unique. There is significant variability in how they manifest in different people, and the task of identifying and supporting giftedness in autistic people requires an in-depth understanding of their strengths, difficulties and needs. More research is needed to explore this connection and its implications for identifying, assessing, and supporting those who are autistic and gifted.
AUTISM & MOTHERHOOD
Being an autistic pregnant woman meant experiencing too much everything: from nauseating smells, absurd bloating, uncontrollable drowsiness, postpartum sweats, cracked nipples and caesarean seam allergies, to rampant anxiety, catastrophic thoughts and crippling depression. And, to my despair,horrible loneliness.
Por Kika Salvi
Autistic people may face unique challenges in pregnancy, such as increased sensory sensitivities, differences in pain tolerance, feeling misunderstood or judged by healthcare professionals, and uncomfortable asking questions. The care they receive is insufficient for their needs, and anxiety about disclosing their autism is high due to potential stigma. This can all further increase the stress of the sensory, emotional and cognitive overload of pregnancy, increasing the chances of having meltdowns, shutdowns, premature births and low birth weight babies. Health professionals fail to recognize the physical and emotional needs of pregnant autistic women.
As with many other circumstances in life, pregnancy and motherhood are experienced by autistic people very differently compared to neurotypicals. Pregnancy can be especially complicated due to sensory hypersensitivity, motor deficits, interoceptive difficulties, sleep and affective disorders, as well as extreme attachment to routines. Pregnancy and the transition to parenthood are marked by significant biopsychosocial changes, representing a critical period in the trajectory of adult health, with the emergence of risk factors that will influence health throughout life.
As an autistic woman, pregnancy and postpartum meant, in my case, feeling everything intensely: from nauseating smells, absurd bloating, uncontrollable drowsiness, cracked nipples, night sweats and allergies to the cesarean section, to unbridled anxiety, catastrophic thoughts and crippling depression. And to my despair, horrible loneliness.
I didn't feel that the medical team actually answered my questions, at least not in detail or with the objectivity I needed, nor did they take my physical and emotional suffering seriously. “It’s postpartum depression,” they said, dismissively. Even though I planned the pregnancy and felt totally in love with my babies, I was ashamed of myself and others for not being happy. Far from it: I felt so unhappy and hopeless that my thoughts were constantly suicidal. The greatest feeling of all? Fault. So I pretended, as best I could, that everything was fine.
Not being able to sleep, no longer having my sacred silence and the constant lack of privacy (since your life is invaded by visitors from the first day after giving birth -- which is insane!) were the most exhausting part for me. But since no one had mentioned how difficult motherhood could be, I didn't complain. For over a year, I silently lived through one of the worst depressions of my life.
We survived that storm that lasted more than a year, my daughters and I, at the time of each of their births. But not without some consequences for everyone. The everyday experiences of motherhood are too important to ignore, and today we know they are critical to physical and mental health. These early-life interactions have lasting impacts on the child's development, couple dynamics, and the emotional atmosphere of the family as a whole. All this needs to be said. We need to be educated about neurodivergence. So many of us go through such traumatic experiences without support and guidance. We need accessible and quality Psychoeducation, which anticipates and prepares our body and mind for the profound changes of motherhood; so that such a sacred experience is not lost in confusion and suffering, and can be lived fully.
LATE
DIAGNOSIS
As with so many topics in Psychoeducation, we would have the opportunity to live much better if we learned to identify traits of autism from an early age. Nowadays, more and more adults receive a late diagnosis, which causes contradictory feelings that range from sadness at what has been lost due to misinformation, to understanding who we are and self-acceptance. The feeling most cited by late-diagnosed autistic people is relief: for the first time in their lives, it seems like everything makes sense.
Late diagnosis is always liberating. It illuminates many of the difficulties that undiagnosed autistic people face throughout their lives in terms of intense feelings, unusual behaviours, perceptions and reactions different from what would be expected in a neurotypical world. It is a moment of validation of life experiences, as the diagnosis helps to explain the embarrassment in social interactions, atypical communication, extreme emotional burden, sensory hypersensitivities and so many aspects of the experience as an autistic person. This understanding reduces feelings of confusion, shame, guilt and failure.
“I always felt like I didn’t belong,” say most autistic adults. In addition to clarity, diagnosis also brings the opportunity to find a community of peers, with similar challenges and stories. This connection promotes a sense of belonging, understanding and mutual support -- so rare for people on the spectrum. It also allows access to services, therapies and resources, such as behavioural interventions, social skills training, occupational therapy and speech therapy, besides educational and work adaptations when necessary. This may include modifications to learning environments, additional time for assignments or testing, sensory adaptations, and workplace adjustments to promote well-being and enable professional and academic success.
The diagnosis helps with life reinvention and self-acceptance, promotes understanding of past and current difficulties, and reduces feelings of confusion, shame, guilt or failure.
Newly diagnosed autistic individuals and their families can access information to understand the condition, training services, therapies and the different interventions available today. In other words: even though a late diagnosis can cause contradictory and intense feelings, it can also provide clarity, validation, access to specialized services, opportunities for growth and human connection.