Neurodiversity in a Neurotypical World

When most people think about neurodiversity, they automatically think autism. What people doing realize is there are conditions that can lead to neurodiversity. I am neurodiverse and just beginning to embrace it and what it means. While, I never qualified for an autism diagnosis, I have several neurophysiological evaluations that show I am not neurotypical. 

It is hard living being neurodiverse in a neurotypical world. Things that come naturally to others do not come naturally to me. It is very hard for me to mingle in with the neurotypical environment that is unstructured. Things like knowing how to enter a conversation and initiating a conversation are really hard for me. I can do it but it is not my favorite thing to do. When socializing, I prefer a structured setting where it is easy to know what the expectations are and when I know someone will be there I can trust. I thrive best in environments where things seldom change. When I know what I will be doing and what is expected of me, I thrive! 

There are a lot of neat things about being neurodiverse and it gives me a lot of strengths. One of the strengths it's given me is a love for words! I am tested as verbally gifted and using "big words" really gives me a leg up in the workplace, interviews, and general social settings. Words are a safety net for me because I am so short. When words come out of my mouth, people are more prone to respect me as an adult. 

I am very good with movie quotes. I can remember movie lines to line! This is really fun and sometimes I need to curb it back a little because it becomes a safety net I use too much in conversation! 

I have a lot of empathy for people who are misunderstood and it gives me a unique strength to conversing 

with them and understanding them. 

I see things in a different way than some people may. If people give me a chance, I may be able to help them fix something in a way they didn't think about! 

While being neurodiverse comes with challenges, I wouldn’t be me otherwise. Despite the challenges there is so much beauty!