# Remaking the meaning of 'disorders': trend of harnessing those with unique skills **URL:** \ **Category:** Lounge\ **Created:** [February 6, 2011, 11:27am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361 "2011-02-06T11:27:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:27am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/1 "2011-02-06T11:27:17Z")
This article appeared in American Airline’s _American Way_ magazine in July 2008. (source: [http://dyslexia.yale.edu/DYS\_secretsuccess.html](http://dyslexia.yale.edu/DYS_secretsuccess.html)) > [@](#): > > What’s particularly interesting about the findings [of Julie Logan, a professor of entrepreneurship at the Cass Business School in London, who released a study in 2007] is that dyslexics, because they face difficulty navigating their way through school, often develop just the kind of skills they’ll eventually need to launch and grow their own businesses. Logan calls these soft skills, and they include the ability to delegate, excellent oral communication, problem-solving skills, and perseverance. “The ability to attack problems and solve them is essential when one is creating a new venture, so the dyslexic who has had to overcome problems to survive at school has much experience in this area,” says Logan. “[People who are dyslexic] are also already used to persevering in the face of difficulty.” In addition, Logan points out that some dyslexics in her study indicated that having had trouble in school was one of the things that motivated them to succeed later in life. One question I might ask is whether: - Dyslexics, by virtue of having some kind of ‘disability’, are able to learn to succeed (say in the business world) from the experience of having to overcome their ‘disability’ at school; - whether Dyslexia, while obviously leading to certain deficiencies in mental processing, also offers some specific advantages to mental functioning - even in the complete absence of any hardships in school. ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/2 "2011-02-06T12:15:27Z")
Another issue is: - if a disorder can be viewed in some circumstances as an advantage, then should it be treated at all? I think the best answer may be to do with the following: - using treatment(s) to be able to function effectively while playing to your strengths while minimising harm to society, rather than using the treatment(s) to try and remake you into a ‘normal’ (normal as in ‘non-disordered’!) person/state. chain (July 19, 2005) at [The Impact of ADHD in America - ADD Forums - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Support and Information Resources Community](http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=198343&#post198343) > [@](#): > > LOL!.. The impact of ADHD in America is that we are the entrepreneurs inventors and artists that kick this place into high gear…All of the negatives will be erased once we find “functional situations” to be in…An ADDer belongs in a repetitive job about as much as a blind person belongs driving trucks… > > When I was in one…I lost my job..I could not stand to show up. We are very different…we are not lazy, stupid or irresponsible (OR…any more impulsive than any other human)…just VERY different. > > Aint no fixing us…'cause we aint broke. chain (March 11, 2005) at [http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=154127&#post154127](http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=154127&#post154127) > [@](#): > > I personally sense that medication is bad for ADD children. For adults it is ok and can actually help us focus on work that needs to be done internally as well as at the job. The meds will not make a child or an adult linear. They may make it difficult for the child to build strong coping mechanisms in their natural “ADD” state. > > I personally would like to kick Adderall at some point by being in a position or job where it is not needed as much. I like my scattered self and I think that it is bad for the body in the long run… That is just my opinion. Now Chain mentioned driving. Well that might be a classic example of the approach I mentioned above. 1. people with untreated ADHD, being more distractible and/or daydreamy, are much more likely to be involved in car accidents and therefore be a danger on the roads for themselves and others; 2. treating people’s ADHD, say with the frontline neurostimulant treatments, improves their driving performance: “[Mixed Amphetamine Salts Extended Release] in young adults with ADHD yields significant improvements in simulated driving performance and ADHD symptoms.” [PMID: 18815438] 3. a wandering mind and daydreaming, which are hallmarks of ADHD, are actually benefial for problem solving. For example, a 2009 University of British Columbia study found that brain areas associated with complex problem-solving – previously thought to go dormant when we daydream – are in fact highly active during these episodes. (source: [Brain’s Problem-solving Function At Work When We Daydream](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511180702.htm)) 4. so the correct solution might well be: a) to treat people’s ADHD effectively, whether it be via neurostimulants or some other recognised treatment like working memory training or neurofeedback; after all, among other things, people need to be protected on the roads (including the ADHD drivers themselves)! b) at the same time do not try to ‘remake’ ADHDers into ‘normal people’. Even with the treatment, they will not exactly be ‘round pegs in round wholes’. Indeed they have an important function to play in society - we need plenty of problem solvers in the world! So you also need to try to preserve and harness what they have. ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/3 "2011-02-08T02:36:47Z")
[Specialisterne](http://specialisterne.com/) (The Specialists) is a Danish company using the characteristics of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder as competitive advantages in the business market. Formed in 2004 by Thorkil Sonne, who himself has a son with Autism and who saw the potential that such people could bring to the workplace. The company’s focus is on Software Testing and it utilises Autistic traits like extreme attention to detail, long term memory recall and being methodical. At the same time, it seeks to minimise their exposure to factors in the workplace which can often be barriers in the careers of those with Autism. The company has recently expanded to Scotland, with plans afoot to open offices in Iceland and other European countries. Already the Specialisterne example has been followed in a number of other countries. In the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, England, Israel, and Japan, companies have sprang up with similar ideas - to harness Autistic strengths for careers in Software Testing (and related fields). While Thorkil Sonne wants Specialisterne to remain a for profit company (partly to guard against any ‘jobs for charities’ type labels), a US non-profit equivalent has recently opened up in suburban Chicago - [Aspiritech](http://www.aspiritech.org/). ---
**Author:** ![PheroNoob123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/pheronoob123/32/2103_2.png) [@PheroNoob123](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/PheroNoob123)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 8:42am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/4 "2011-02-08T08:42:53Z")
Just wanted to throw in my two cents. I take Ritalin for ADHD. I was diagnosed rather late (Grade 13), as apparently I can make up for some of the deficiencies naturally. It works well, I only need to take it when I need it. No need on the weekends if i’m just relaxing. I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t be able to do Engineering without some sort of med. It’s just too hard for me to focus on one thing for an extended period of time (studying all day for example) without medication. Outside of school, I won’t ride my motorcycle (sportbike) without it. It requires too much concentration (both on the road and the race track). There’s so many variables and things happen so fast, that I need the ability to focus. Whether it be a car pulling out in front of me on the street, or the braking point before a sharp corner on the track, there is a definite advantage for me. I don’t feel like taking medication is a bad thing (the general sense I got from skimming the quotes in the first post). It helps me do the things I enjoy, to the best of my ability. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 11:16am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/5 "2011-02-08T11:16:50Z")
Thanks for the post PheroNoob.😉 If you have ADHD, then taking the medication (the frontline treatment, Ritalin) is probably the right thing to do. I mean it reduces your chances of: - automobile accidents like you mentioned; - recreational drug use (which are likely to be much more dangerous than therapeutic doses of Ritalin!); - impulsive/risky behaviours like unprotected sex with casual partners, etc. I will dig studies up and edit this post when I have more time but various studies repeatedly demonstrating these facts can be found through pubmed. In an ideal world, I think high quality non-drug treatments like Working Memory Training, HEG Neurofeedback or QEEG guided Neurofeedback could be encouraged by governments and corporations for such issues. But these treatments take a lot of time and effort whereas taking a pill doesn’t! There are ways to get these treatments done quiet cheaply though without too many expensive medical personnel appointments. For example through [Brain Workshop](http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/) or [Pocket Neurobics](http://www.pocket-neurobics.com/). It would be nice though if: - a job had (confidentially based) allowances where say 30-45 minutes a day of such treatments could be incorporated as time taken away from the work day; - regular financial rewards could be paid for reaching above certain quantitative benchmarks for treatments like Working Memory Training and/or QEEG guided Neurofeedback; - conversely, financial punishments would be imposed if benchmarks weren’t reached in these treatments (or weren’t maintained); - such deals could be organised by externally licensing bodies independent of the workplace (and indeed a person’s confidentiality of diagnosis within the workplace would be assured). That would be some kind of corporate social responsibility too I guess? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 11:31am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/6 "2011-02-08T11:31:37Z")
Back to Specialisterne. Interestingly, having an employee with High Functioning Autism / Asperger’s Syndrome on board, may ‘soften the workplace atmosphere’… Source: [Better, faster… and no office politics: the company with the autistic specialists](http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/better-faster-and-no-office-politics-the-company-with-the-autistic-specialists-1693057.html) > [@](#): > > …Leading UK software-testing consultant Stephen Allott of ElectroMind has been acting as an unpaid adviser to Specialisterne as the company prepares to enter the UK market where, currently, only about six per cent of people with autism are in full-time employment. …"The only thing we need to be careful about is their working environment. I know lots of companies with noisy, chaotic, open-plan offices, where the work is like fire-fighting most of the time, and people from Specialisterne wouldn’t be able to work there. **That said, the environment they need is the kind of environment we should all be working in anyway.** ” > > Remarkably, about 70 per cent of Specialisterne’s employees are stationed in client premises. I asked Sonne how easy it is for them to fit in with other working environments. “We create virtual Specialisterne environments in our clients’ offices. Everyone who will be in contact with our consultants is briefed about the conditions they require. They have to be nice to our people, avoid stressing them. In Denmark, we use a lot of irony and sarcasm, but people with autism can’t decode that. We make sure that the clients know how important it is to be direct, to outline tasks precisely and to stick to routines, particularly if any queries arise.” > “That’s how you avoid an ‘I only fly with Qantas’ freak-out?” I blurt. “Yes,” says Sonne. “We’ve never had a ‘freak-out’. **In fact, saying what you mean, meaning what you say, being nice, avoiding stress are all good things in general for companies to take on board. Many have said to us that having one of our consultants has softened the atmosphere.** > > …This doesn’t mean there aren’t misunderstandings from time to time. “One of our consultants was working in an office where they introduced a free fruit basket. He went straight up and took a whole bunch of bananas back to his desk. Someone had to explain that it was expected to take perhaps one or two pieces of fruit a day, and then he got it.”… ---
**Author:** ![SteveO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@SteveO](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/SteveO)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/7 "2011-02-08T18:15:28Z")
It’s so nice to have you back around sir. I’m always amazed by the complexity of your posts, but put in such a way that even a simpler person could comprehend. Thanks for that. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia as a child and the school wanted me to go to a “special” education class and ride the short-bus. My mother would have none of that. Thankfully she also was well aware of the advantages I would have later in life by overcoming my dyslexia. She was, apparently, many years beyond the scope of normal thinking. It was a difficult challenge for me to overcome and I struggled throughout school including HS. It’s probably why when I got out of HS I never wanted to go further. I was always stressed and just hated school for many years. Although the parties and chicks were cool 🙂. I remember in my first couple of months of junior year and I was just disgusted in the whole process. Everyone was learning slow, a chapter a week and it was I who had the learning disability. I was considered a troubled kid back then and again mom refused any drugs to “alter” my personality. I made a deal with the school board. If I pass all my state administered required tests, I get my diploma, just like anyone else, but if I don’t pass, I go to alternative school. There was no way I could pass. I was absent all the time, never paid attention to anything, never did homework, troubled, learning disabled, said to have ADHD, OCD and a slew of other ailments. They said I had a week to study, I told them I was ready right then and there. I aced those tests and graduated with my class a year and a half later when they were finally done. In the meantime I joined the Army worked in a machine shop and did some really cool stuff. Moral of the story is labels are there to make other people feel better about themselves. Be the best you can be and use everything to your advantage. Life comes at you fast and many people would rather drug or re-educate that which is different from them. Society has taken the easy way out. To think they call this the civilized society when we are so quick to drug our children. I’d rather watch a child run and play all day and be a little hyper than in a drug induced stupor. Very interesting read, thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![SteveO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@SteveO](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/SteveO)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/8 "2011-02-08T18:17:38Z")
Since HS I have enough college coursework completed to have two degrees. Knowledge is what enthralls me, not a piece of paper that says I have that knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![dbot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/dbot/32/1595_2.png) [@dbot](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/dbot)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/9 "2011-02-08T21:06:33Z")
Very interesting thread, Visionary. My wife is dyslexic, and so I’ve had the opportunity to study her functioning over the years. My suspicion is that dyslexia is more a social disorder than a neurological one. It seems to be induced by rigid educational conditioning, which attempts to force processing of information into channels which are not a good fit for every neurological setup. As a result, the affected individual gets a sort of a kink in their information pipeline. They want to put it through in a way that is natural to them, but have encountered so much resistance to allowing that process to develop naturally that they’re essentially trying to do two things at once. ADHD is another disorder I take issue with. The label indicates that it is a _deficit_ of attentional capacity, but that has not been my experience of this disorder at all. The same people who are unable to sit still during tasks they find uninteresting tend to exhibit prolonged maintenance of attention on tasks with they do find interesting. I think it should more properly be called an attention _dysregulation_ disorder. The problem is not a lack of attentional capacity, but rather a lack of _control_ over that attention. Like most psychiatric treatments, I think prolonged stimulant treatment for ADHD is probably ill-advised. In both cases, treatments like neurofeedback and hypnosis can be used to help affected individuals develop more effective strategies for processing information and regulating attentional states. ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/10 "2011-02-10T14:56:31Z")
Big thanks for contributing Steve and dbot. Yea it is definitely a topic that tugs at the heartstrings. Bring your handkerchiefs to this thread.😉 Some more inspiration now from the recent article, _[Recognizing their strengths, employers embrace workers with Asperger’s Syndrome](http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/printstory.jsp?storyId=533322194)_, from Human Resource Magazine Online. It is interesting that there is a focus on a multifaceted approach that involves education managers and co-workers, carving out assignments that play to the individual’s talents, and putting reasonable accommodations in place. Also the HR bodies of the company’s hiring the employees find themselves working closely with organisations that help prepare those with Asperger’s for the workplace as well as providing ongoing support throughout the employment relationship. It sounds like really, truly great work in this area and hats off to all the companies/organisations involved. A lot could be learned from the approaches in that article. I like the systemised approach that Specialisterne uses myself where everything is done by one company and there is one main type of work particularly suited to those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Software Testing). See the following for a more detailed article of what Specialisterne does: [Harnessing the Power of ASD](http://www.aspergermanagement.com/harnessing-power). I like the way it is truely trying to harness some kind of ‘A Team’😉 of Autistic ‘commando’ Software Testers and the way Sonne focuses on competing in terms of value and quality to Specialisterne’s clients rather than any kind of ‘jobs for disabilities’ type deal. Though of course in reality, some companies are likely to take corporate social responsibility into account when deciding on working with them. Adding a compulsory, effective treatment to things, not to cure anyone of their issue, but simply to make them more functional in today’s world, would be the final touch IMHO! ---
**Author:** ![SteveO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@SteveO](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/SteveO)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/11 "2011-02-10T17:51:32Z")
It’s so nice to read stories about people making the right choices to help each other out. There are so many stories in the world of people taking advantage of one another. The tube is proliferated with reality shows. I guess its nice to see people more messed up than yourself and is one of the main reasons I no longer watch TV. I missed you V, and I am very happy you are back 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PheroQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@PheroQuirk](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/PheroQuirk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/12 "2011-02-11T02:10:30Z")
evolutionary causes of autism and other conditions relating to maturational delay [Overview | Origins of Autism](http://www.originsofautism.com/category/overview/) > [@](#): > > Many forms of autism occur when a specific human physiological/neurological profile which we will refer to here as left spectrum is not provided the specific kind of sensory stimuli craved by individuals with the related tendencies. The profile evolutionarily precedes the present day physiological/ neurological profile by at least 30,000 years, likely as much 100,000 years. It is our conclusion that autism is not a ‘regression’, but an expression of a common though minority contemporary physiological/neurological profile now becoming more prevelant because of specific kinds of influences, largely environmental. This physiological/neurological cluster was the more common type for tens of thousands of years before the rise of patriarchal social structures and the physiological/neurological profile associated with these new cultures. > > The majority of individuals in contemporary societies are living within patriarchal or patrifocal social structures and are highly lateralized, narratively focussed, right handed, hierarchically inclined humans which is a deviation from the traditional matrifocal physiological/neurological type characteristics of which are often found in individuals diagnosed as autistic. The traditional matrifocal type features brains that are less lateralized with the two hemispheres often being of similar size, males that are associative thinkers not narratively organized, individuals who are frequently left handed or ambidextrous, and non-hierarchically organized men who are maturationally delayed compared to their patriarchal social structure relations. The human species is spread along a left-right spectrum or arc reaching from the matrifocal, ambidextrous, left-handed, old genetics on the left to the patrifocal, right-handed, newer genetics on the right with most people falling in the center showing features that are a combination of the two. Individuals with a familial history which places them at the left end of this continuum are particularly vulnerable to disorders characterized by maturational delay. ---
**Author:** ![dbot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/dbot/32/1595_2.png) [@dbot](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/dbot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/13 "2011-02-11T02:31:01Z")
PQ- That’s a very interesting theory of autism, although the description of the “left spectrum” sounds more schizoidal in nature than autistic to me. Here’s one of my favorite theories of autism: [Autism and Vitamin D](http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/autism/) > [@](#): > > In addition to the current epidemic of vitamin D deficiency, say another epidemic—an epidemic of autism—was upon our children? What if the autism epidemic began at the same time the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency began? What if both epidemics had worsened in unison? What if one theory explained all the unexplained facts about autism? What if both epidemics had the same root cause: sun avoidance? What if both were iatrogenic, that is, medical advice to avoid the sun had caused both epidemics? ---
**Author:** ![PheroQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@PheroQuirk](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/PheroQuirk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/14 "2011-02-11T03:07:00Z")
v interesting - tku Dbot. I think he believes left spectrum to include many personal variations, not just autism see here for more [Autistic Grit | Neurodiversity](http://www.shiftjournal.com/2010/07/16/autistic-grit/) ---
**Author:** ![dbot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/dbot/32/1595_2.png) [@dbot](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/dbot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/15 "2011-02-11T03:26:41Z")
A fascinating and poetic ode to grit, but one which seems to be using a pretty narrow and non-standard set of criteria for diagnosing autism. Here’s the DSM criteria: > [@](#): > > A. A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3) > > (1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following: > > (a) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction > (b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level > (c) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest) > (d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity > > (2) qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following: > > (a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime) > (b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others > (c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language > (d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level > > (3) restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following: > > (a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus > (b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals > (c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements) > (d) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects > > B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play > > C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett’s Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Like any psychological disorder, autism is the twisted end of a continuum that we all have running through our minds and behaviors. I think it’s valuable to recognize the strengths represented within the autistic character, but I’m not really sure I agree that obsessive interestedness and intellectual endurance are “autistic” in and of themselves. It is an interesting idea, though. Reminds me of some of the farther-out treatment models for eating disorders. Do you know what kind of dissociative might somebody has to wield in order to disregard severe hunger pangs? It’s kind of awesome, when you think about it, and when you work with these patients from a strengths-oriented perspective you find that you can apply that same power to all kinds of other things that can actually be beneficial to the patient. You can help them learn to own and harness their unique gift. But I wouldn’t want to reverse the nomenclature and call that type of ascetic stamina an “anorexic trait.” ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/16 "2011-02-13T03:41:28Z")
Tks for the comments - I’ll come back to this thread later. But I think there is a place for everyone in the world and in the workforce (as long as noone is being hurt). I believe that those with Autism and ADHD could be harnessed better perhaps. But we can also learn from many other people too perhaps who haven’t been harnessed optimally. An inclusive approach would work best. Treatment every day requires that these issues be recognised in some way every day (confidentially of course) so that they are being worked on. Labelling definitely has its negatives, but there are many positives too in terms of identifying a widespread problem (coming under a ‘label’ like a specific disorder) and using the best of modern knowledge and technology to find a replicable solution. The ‘harnessing disorders’ trend could be viewed as ‘thrivability’ as opposed to ‘sustainability’ - (source: [Worldchanging: Bright Green: Worldchanging Interview: Jean Russell on Thrivability](http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010455.html)): > [@](#): > > …An example can help. If we ask, when building a home, “what isn’t sustainable here?” then we get a list of what we could do to make the house sustainable: maybe it says something about the materials we use and how the energy flows. If we are innovative, it also includes water flows and a green roof. If we ask instead, “what would make this home thrivable?” I want thrivable materials and thrivable energy. But I also want thrivable design – how do the living creatures of the home move through it? And while putting in a green roof, did we make it something that can be a garden? Did we consider the interior lighting of the house – not only for heating and cooling, but also for [seasonal affective disorder](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder)? How does the house play together in the ecology of the neighborhood? Who works to build it? Are their lives more thrivable for having created the house? What else is an input/output or otherwise impacted by this house – and how can that be thrivable? Do you see how the shift from problem-focus to solution-focus includes the strategies employed in addressing the problem but also goes further?.. Also this idea seems to follow the path of ‘positive psychology’, attempting to focus on factors that lead to maximal success for the ‘disordered’ and minimum burdens on society (source: [Teaching Psychology for Sustainability: A Manual of Resources](http://www.teachgreenpsych.com/tg_disorderstherapy.html)): > [@](#): > > … **POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY** > In recent years, Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (e.g., 2000) have been the leaders of a “positive psychology” movement that redirects the focus away from what factors cause distress and disorders and toward factors that lead to life satisfaction, happiness, and well-being. As Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi describe, > If psychologists wish to improve the human condition, it is not enough to help those who suffer. The majority of “normal” people also need examples and advice to reach a richer and more fulfilling existence. This is why early investigators [including William James, Carl Jung, Gordon Allport, and Abraham Maslow] were interested in exploring spiritual ecstasy, play, creativity, and peak experiences… ---
**Author:** ![PheroQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@PheroQuirk](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/PheroQuirk)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/17 "2011-02-13T17:59:17Z")
> [@dbot](#): > > A fascinating and poetic ode to grit, but one which seems to be using a pretty narrow and non-standard set of criteria for diagnosing autism. Do you think so? I didn’t see the author diagnosing autism or Aspergers in anyone, although he does refer to a specific instance: Michael Burry - the hedge funder who played the crackup of the credit bubble to perfection - who has been diagnosed as autistic, as has his son. Rather, he seemed to me to be exploring whether traits and behavioural patterns that are manifested in a raw and extreme form in the clinically-diagnosed autistic person might not be at work in a more subtle and refined matter in people who nobody would think of as having any kind of disorder whatsoever. Perhaps there is a problem with the medicalisation of deviation from the norm in today’s world. Would Newton, Einstein, Macaulay Sr + Jr, Samuel Johnson (the quirky English writer), Michael Burry, and huge numbers of engineering + creative types throughout history have net benefited from being diagnosed with a ‘disorder’ and treated according to the present-day ‘gold standard’? Or is it possible that in some ways - despite the lack of medical knowledge of previous ages - English culture and society at its best previously sometimes did a better job than we often manage today of integrating those with differences. ---
**Author:** ![PheroQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@PheroQuirk](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/PheroQuirk)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/18 "2011-02-13T18:01:59Z")
> **[Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us:...](https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Syndromes-Mental-Disorders-Sabotage/dp/0553379593)** > > Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us \[Ratey, John J.\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us > [@](#): > > 57 of 61 people found the following review helpful: > 4.0 out of 5 stars Ignore the skeptics…read this book, May 7, 2002 > By A Customer > This review is from: Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us (Paperback) > What some cynics will have you believe is that everyone is a little quirky, and that you should just accept that. Personally, I think that’s a laugh. It’s true ignorance shining through. The unwillingness to have an open mind and truly accept that there just might be biological reasons for behavior. > I began reading about anxiety disorders years ago, because my wife was having true panic attacks. When my son was born 7 years ago, we knew we would have to keep an eye on him. Now, as a first grader, we’re seeing signs of behavior that don’t make sense. They aren’t just as simple to brush off as saying “he’s just being a boy”. So I’ve been reading more about bipolar, ADHD, ADD, and other conditions. > > In reading about some of the mental disorders, I was intrigued by the recent acknowledgement of adult ADD. I read the symptoms, and had to face the cold reality that they really fit me. I’m 41 years old with a BA, MS and I’m halfway through my MBA. I’ve done well in my career and I’ve been married for 13 years to the same person. By all rights, I’m pretty normal. But I have always been a terrible procrastinator. I’ve read books on the subject and tried…REALLY tried…to help myself get organized and on track. Nothing I’ve ever done has helped. As an example, I had a report to write for work last fall. The CEO wanted me to do this. I knew what needed to be done. I knew how to get the research. I knew what the final presentation should look like. I had 5 weeks to prepare. I would sit at my desk, tell myself I wasn’t going to get up until I had a good chunk of it done…and then surf the internet. Or work on another project. Or enter addresses in my Palm Pilot. I was distracted by every noise, every conversation in the hallway…even though I had a financial stake in the outcome (my job!). > > These things happen all the time, and they have for over 25 years. I’ve always said they’re just part of my personality. A reviewer below wants you to believe that this book is worthless. I can tell you from first hand experience, this book has helped me understand that there may be a biological answer to what I thought was “just my personality”. I believe, as one of the authors states, that it is my duty as a husband and father to explore the possibility that I have ADD in a mild form, and seek treatment. If that means I take a pill, so be it. I take a pill for my cholesterol, wear contacts for my eyes, so why wouldn’t I treat this as I treat those other bio-conditions? > > If you think, just maybe, that you have a hint of one of these conditions, spend the bucks and the hours and read this book. Those of us with “shadow symptoms” are less likely to get diagnosed, because we’re not as obvious. We need to help ourselves a little. Ignore the skeptics and cynics…make the decision yourself. ---
**Author:** ![dbot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/dbot/32/1595_2.png) [@dbot](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/dbot)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/19 "2011-02-13T19:06:39Z")
> [@PheroQuirk](#): > > Do you think so? > > I didn’t see the author diagnosing autism or Aspergers in anyone, although he does refer to a specific instance: Michael Burry - the hedge funder who played the crackup of the credit bubble to perfection - who has been diagnosed as autistic, as has his son. > > Rather, he seemed to me to be exploring whether traits and behavioural patterns that are manifested in a raw and extreme form in the clinically-diagnosed autistic person might not be at work in a more subtle and refined matter in people who nobody would think of as having any kind of disorder whatsoever. > > Perhaps there is a problem with the medicalisation of deviation from the norm in today’s world. Would Newton, Einstein, Macaulay Sr + Jr, Samuel Johnson (the quirky English writer), Michael Burry, and huge numbers of engineering + creative types throughout history have net benefited from being diagnosed with a ‘disorder’ and treated according to the present-day ‘gold standard’? Or is it possible that in some ways - despite the lack of medical knowledge of previous ages - English culture and society at its best previously sometimes did a better job than we often manage today of integrating those with differences. It’s funny, the whole time I was reading the article I was thinking “Are you calling me autistic??” Because, like the protagonist, I hop from obsession to obsession, painstakingly absorbing and cataloging information until some internal signal tells me my task is complete. My wife marvels at the strange hobbies which allow me to somehow unplug from the stresses in real life only to plug into the types of things that other people go to school for. As the years go by I become encyclopedic. But I’ve never heard this trait referred to as ‘autistic’ before. I’m able to function in social and professional settings, and although I have my introverted periods I generally desire and seek company with other people. When I think about it this way, I suppose it does make some sense to assume that these are traits which an autist might be engaging in to the extreme. But I think I’m of the opinion that autism is more a _lack_ of the ingredients which keep me connected to other people rather than an _overabundance_ of the ingredients which cause me to immerse myself in various topic areas. There are some savants, but they’re rare. Most people with autism are just stuck in themselves. I think you’re right about overmedicalization. Everyone has to be organized some way, has to use some set of characteristic defenses to balance internal and external demands and so preserve their sense of self. It’s ironic, because the psychoanalytic community finally grasped this truth, probably largely as a byproduct of being thrown out of academia. You look at something like the Psychoanalytic Diagnostic Manual and find a framework that understands people at every level of functioning as operating on the same small set of basic organizational principles. The only distinction between healthy and sick is that healthy people are flexible enough to switch from one operational mode to another as needed. And there is magic out at the extremes. But there’s a fine line between genius and madness because it’s a rare individual who can go out much farther than the normal range and still be able to freely return. Joseph Campbell said that the schizophrenic is drowning in the same water where the mystics swim. The farther reaches of human experience have always been threatening to civilization, because they suggest alternate realities and alternative ways of existing. Medicalizing functional traits like hyperactivity is just the latest way of saying we don’t like them. But autism, I don’t know. Would an autist survive in the wild? ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361/20 "2011-02-14T16:45:33Z")
[Dr. Thomas Armstrong](http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/bio.php), author of _Neurodiversity: Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Brain Differences_, is a big proponent of ‘niche construction’. His eight principles of neurodiversity are (source: see [The New Field of Neurodiversity: Why ‘Disabilities’ Are Essential to the Human Ecosystem | | AlterNet](http://www.alternet.org/story/147107/the_new_field_of_neurodiversity%3A_why_'disabilities'_are_essential_to_the_human_ecosystem/?page=entire) for more detail on each of these points): > [@](#): > > 1. The human brain works more like an ecosystem than a machine > 2. Human beings and human brains exist along continuums of competence > 3. Human competence is defined by the values of the culture to which you belong > 4. Whether you are regarded as disabled or gifted depends largely upon when and where you live > 5. Success in life is based upon adapting one’s brain to the needs of the surrounding environment > 6. Success in life depends upon modifying your surrounding environment to fit the needs of your unique brain > 7. Niche construction includes career and lifestyle choices and assistive technologies tailored to the needs of a neurodiverse individual > 8. Positive niche construction directly modifies the brain, which in turn enhances its ability to adapt to the environment Niche construction is about devising ways of helping an individual change their surrounding environment to fit the needs of their unique brain. There are many tools, resources, and strategies for altering the environment so that it it meshes with the needs of a neurodiverse brain. Armstrong has provided plenty of scientific evidence to support the view that positive niche construction can literally change the developing brain. The brains of young children are especially “plastic” or susceptible to stimulation (both positive and negative) from the environment during the first few years of life. [Next page](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/remaking-the-meaning-of-disorders-trend-of-harnessing-those-with-unique-skills/47361.md?page=2)