NeuroDivergent people’s differences are cognitive, often invisible, and impact how we interpret the world, process information, and interact with others.

In NeuroDivergent-led groups and circles, we often talk about the types of neurological/brain diversity people are born with (such as neuro-developmental differences like some of the ones I mentioned earlier). However, we MUST go deeper for true inclusion of all brain types. 

Human brains are complicated and amazingly adaptive but can also be quite fragile.

The brains of people (and likely other animals as well) can be altered based on experiences that occur in our lives (such as trauma, abuse, and injuries). 

People who grow up in environments where they are nurtured, experiencing minimal trauma, develop very different brains from those of us who grew up in broken homes or abusive and traumatic situations.

Even as adults, one’s brain can be forever (or temporarily altered), causing one’s perception of their emotions, the world around them, or communication abilities to change (PTSD, TBI, Anxiety, and Depression all are acquired conditions that can majorly alter the way a person experiences life – long or short-term).

Additionally, when someone is NeuroDivergent, they are often NeuroDivergent in multiple ways. 

Many of us have layers to our NeuroDivergence (or multiple NeuroTypes).

For example, Autism and ADHD co-occur so frequently that Autistic ADHDers online have coined the term AuDHD to describe the experience of being both Autistic and ADHD at once.

Autism and ADHD are both forms of NeuroDivergence I was born with (that influence my perception of the world and communication). 

I also have an anxiety disorder (that I developed from living in a world where people were cruel and unkind to me due to my undiagnosed Autism, ADHD, and Hyperlexia – the NeuroTypes I was born with).

Anxiety and trauma are conditions I have acquired since birth (that significantly influence my thoughts, actions, motivations, and life).

Regardless of whether someone’s brain differences are ones that they are born with or are acquired later in life, permanent or temporary, the more layers they have, the further they diverge from what is considered “average,” AND the more support they will need to thrive in systems that were designed by and for the NeuroTypical average or “norm.” 

I’ve dedicated my life to asking people to consider this human spectrum of differences.

Unfortunately, society’s systems set up by the NeuroMajority (NeuroTypical people) are often harmful (because those in the majority fail to include input from members of various NeuroMinorities) when developing these systems.

Instead of included, we’ve been pathologized, told we were broken and asked to try harder to fit in instead of flexing the systems (so that we may find solutions that work well for everyone and may create truly inclusive systems and spaces). 

I entered the workforce in my teens, first working for the family business, then moving on to working in fast food, then retail, and eventually corporate, HR, operations, and business consulting.

Most of my professional career was spent not knowing that I was NeuroDivergent because these differences in how our minds work are invisible. This meant I was not adequately accommodated in many workspaces I entered.

I’ve met people discovering their NeuroDivergence in their forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and beyond.

When you are a NeuroDivergent Person living in a world of NeuroTypical people (even if you don’t have words for what makes you different), you KNOW you are different.

You feel yourself struggling to do things other people don’t struggle with, and you don’t know why “simple tasks” (I put that in air quotes because simple is relative) are so challenging for you.

I was struggling. Surviving, not thriving (but I didn’t know any better because just surviving was my normal). I had no frame of reference for what thriving could look like.

Neurodiversity gave me a new way of looking at myself and my relation to the world and other people in it.

I no longer perceive myself as a broken, NeuroTypical person. I’m simply NeuroDivergent.

Now that I know the truth, I’ve been working to unlearn old, unhealthy habits. I’ve even begun to view myself with more self-compassion and stopped looking at myself as if I am “the problem.”

I’ve even changed how I show up in workplaces and other spaces because of this new information.

NeuroDivergent people’s differences are cognitive and invisible and impact how we interpret the world, process information, and interact with others.

Our differences also impact our strengths and weaknesses, what tasks and environments will drain us, and what tasks and environments will invigorate us.

A career or skills mismatch can lead NeuroDivergent humans to breakdowns and burnouts.

Some NeuroDivergent People have a “talent” for pushing themselves past where they should push themselves. 

I am one of those Autistic People who has repeatedly experienced Autistic Burnout in their lives.

Autistic burnout “is the intense physical, mental or emotional exhaustion, often accompanied by a loss of skills, that some Autistic people experience. Many autistic people say it results mainly from the cumulative effect of having to navigate a world that is designed for neurotypical people. 

These burnouts tend to be caused by stressors in an Autistic person’s environment and often include sensory distress and other sensory-related triggers. 

Until learning I was Autistic at 29, I had been in an endless cycle of burning myself out because I didn’t understand that my pace could and should be different from the pace of people around me. 

I didn’t appreciate my differences, how to speak up for them, or that I might need to tweak my career path slightly to succeed. 

The Goal: Finding a career that I love that also recharges and doesn’t drain me is crucial for my health and success. 

Now that I know I’m NeuroDivergent, I have been learning what I need, how my mind works, and ways to work with my mind instead of against it.

The goal is to build a career that utilizes our strengths and skills to find work that will energize and recharge us (instead of getting stuck in jobs that wear us down or are poorly suited to our individual needs).

Because each and every Autistic/NeuroDivergent Person is an individual, this can vary significantly from person to person. 

What’s right for me may not work for the next NeuroDivergent (or even Autistic) Person.

You can read MORE of this post for free on Substack.

I’m creating a new community outside of social media on Substack (where I can have more control over my space), and I hope you’ll join me as a free member (but I also have paid subscriptions if you want access to bonus content).

In addition to Substack (because I STRONGLY believe educational resources should be affordable), I also offer subscriptions on Patreon, where I always offer a pay-what-you-can subscription (starting at $1 a month – less when you subscribe annually).

The NeuroDivergent Rebel Blog is a reader-supported publication. Without the help of my readers, free resources LIKE THIS ONE wouldn’t be possible.

To receive new posts (like this one) and support my work, I ask that you please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber on Patreon or Substack.

If you’re low on funds, you can also help support my work by sharing this post.

It would mean a lot to me,

– Lyric