Living a Neuro-Inclusive Lifestyle

Growing up I never understood why I was different.?And that is the loneliest feeling in the world because I never quite knew how to fit in. So, let’s fast forward to 2018 when I was told I had mild autism.?I was confused as my therapist continued to explain my diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism spectrum disorder.?My guess is that he didn’t want me to overreact or burst out crying uncontrollably.?It’s funny because my sister would describe me as a “Drama Queen” whenever I would get emotional.?But I didn’t.?I just sat there and said in a matter of fact way “OKAY, I think I need to go home and think about what you just said.”?And that was when my brain went into research mode.

What it means to be Neurodivergent

After years of secretly becoming obsessed with educating myself and failed attempts trying to educate others, something happened.?I had to take time out to self-reflect and accept the fact that I’m different.?And it’s okay to be different.

Once you understand these terms; Neurodiversity, Neurodivergence, or Neurodivergent you will find yourself wondering if your family member, co-worker, best friend, or your eccentric neighbor who is different could possibly have one of these conditions: autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or dyspraxia all of which falls on the neurodiversity spectrum.??

For me, it’s autism. And I’ve learned to keep it simple in my conversation by telling others “My brain operates differently.”?And one of the most valuable take-aways for me was when my therapist told me it’s okay to stop explaining when I do something that seems different because those who know about autism will know I’m autistic. That gave me a sense of relief knowing that some people will not judge me and over time I will discover a whole new community and begin to connect with other autistic people who will embrace me and accept me for who I am.??

Advocating for Myself and Others

I did it! I decided to embrace my neurodiversity after fully understanding the concept and all the complexities inside my beautiful brain.?Look at it this way, all neurodivergent brains are different and all neurodivergent brains are valid.?And once our workplace colleagues begin to acknowledge this, there will be a celebration of our differences instead of trying to change us.?Don’t get me wrong, as a neurodivergent, I understand we have a lot of work to do on our part that sets the stage for self-advocacy that can positively impact our lives.?For me, this means becoming more involved in the neurodivergent community.

It also means educating myself and others on neuro-inclusivity, speaking out about the challenges that autistic people face, and starting a call of action for change. I want to live in and work in a community ?where autistic people are accepted and celebrated. I want to create a safe space where autistic people can be their authentic self without being judged or stigmatized.?Whenever I’m in public and I exhibit behaviors resulting from sensory overload, my brain goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode and that is when I get “that” look or someone will ask “Are you okay?”

I survived nearly 40 years of my career working in some capacity of human resources and it was exhausting masking, camouflaging, emulating, mimicking, and mirroring co-workers 8 hours a day that left me with no choice of having an autistic meltdown or shutdown.?And what’s even worse is that I didn’t realize what was happening until my diagnosis came late in my career.

Embracing and Accepting Neuro-Inclusion

Embracing my neuro-inclusive lifestye has allowed so many benefits in my daily living:

• My neuro-inclusive lifestye allows me to become more compassionate and understanding of everyone regardless of where they are on the neurodiverse spectrum.?Also, this lifestyle helps me to experience life from a different perspective, and I'm more aware of everyday challenges that others may experience.?
• My neuro-inclusive lifestyle allows me to accept myself and not have to apologize for who I am when I do what comes naturally to me. And I can freely connect with other autistic people and build supportive relationships because we have an abundance of exceptional skills to offer in the community where we work and live.
• Living a neuro-inclusive lifestyle allows me to use my knowledge, lived experience, skills, abilities, and attributes to educate and advocate for change in our communities, schools, and workplaces.

And finally living a neuro-inclusive lifestyle reminds me everyday that my autism is one of the greatest gifts God has given me and I will use this gift to help create a more inclusive work culture.