What They Did
The researchers screened over 4000 articles across 21
counseling journals published from 2013 through 2022, looking for articles
related to neurodiversity. They found 33, distributed over 14 of the journals,
representing about 0.74% of the articles screened. The screening criteria terms
used most frequently in the articles were “autism spectrum disorder”, “ASD”, “attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder”, “ADHD”, “autism”, “learning disabilities”, “developmental
disabilities”, “intellectual disability”, and “developmental disorder.”
Nine of the articles used terms that indicated a neurodiversity
paradigm, treating neurodivergence as a non-pathological aspect of diversity.
The terms the researchers chose to represent a neurodiversity paradigm were: “neurotypical”,
“twice exceptional”, “masking”, “neurological difference”, and “neurologically
diverse.” About 58% of the articles focused on children and youth, 12% on
college students, and 24% on adults or young adults. About half of those
articles focused on developing theories and half focused on gathering and
analyzing data. Of the empirical articles, only two used any of the neurodiversity
paradigm terms: one used “neurologically diverse,” and one used “neurotypical.”
The researchers note that although only 0.74% of the
articles related to neurodivergence, a much higher proportion of counseling
clients (15% to 20% of the global population) are likely to be neurodivergent.
They also point out that, with only about half of that 0.74% being evidence-based
research, more study is needed to determine the type of counseling techniques
that are most beneficial to neurodivergent clients. Finally, they suggest that
counselors need to learn about the neurodiversity paradigm and develop greater
understanding of neurodivergent life experience.
Further Exploration
I started exploring neurodiversity a year or two ago when I took
a course on psychological theories. My interest in B.F. Skinner led me to an
article about Applied Behavior Analysis, a controversial intervention for
childhood autism that is widely considered by autistic adults to do much more
harm than good (see https://neuroclastic.com/why-autism-aba-goes-against-everything-b-f-skinner-believed-in/.)
I explored a lot more on the
Neuroclastic site and other sources and found the autistic experiences highly
relatable.
It’s hard to say for sure whether I’m clinically autistic. Diagnosis
is particularly difficult for adult women with high IQ, partly because autism
presents differently in women, partly because women camouflage more due to gendered
socialization, and partly because high IQ can help neurodivergent people camouflage
(see https://autismspectrumnews.org/what-happened-to-all-the-females-with-autism-spectrum-disorders/
and https://goldencaretherapy.com/symptoms-of-high-functioning-autism-in-female-adults/.)
A diagnosed autistic friend thinks I’m likely autistic as well, but this is the
only mind I’ve ever had, so it’s hard to be sure. I do find that almost all my
friends are neurodivergent, and internet stories suggest that neurodivergent
people are disproportionately likely to befriend each other.
Regardless of whether
I’m diagnosable, I’m happier and manage my life more easily if I work from the perspective
that I’m neurodivergent. Some of the
ways it seems to manifest are: not easily knowing how I feel, especially when
with others; needing a lot of time to process my experience; and feeling like
my mind alternates between overdrive and exhaustion. There also seems to be a
deep tension between people pleasing and demand avoidance, but that’s a rabbit
hole for another day!
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neurodiversity_Crowd_1.png
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