As anyone who has spent time with me over the past few years knows, I’m constantly talking/thinking/reading about neurodivergence, especially the monotropic types. It has reached the point where I’ve decided to pivot the next chapter of my professional writing to the topic of neuroqueer missiology. I have some bold assertions to make about the neuroqueerness of the sacred Kin-dom, and I’ve found a publishing house that matches my vibe and is excited about the possibility of me turning these ideas into a book.
When will you write it, and when can I get a copy? I don’t know yet. I’m on a healing journey—which I will eventually share more about—, so I want to make sure that going forward my public writing is something that brings more fulfillment (not agonizing stress) to my life. In tandem to writing about the beauty of the neuroqueer community, I plan to speak more about it, and I welcome any opportunities to teach a course on neurodivergent leadership and inclusion.
One thing that occurred to me in this discernment process is that there are gatekeepers who hold bigoted views about autism and do not recognize the validity of self-assessment. They might try to discredit my status in the community by saying that I hadn’t jumped through procedural hoops and shelled out thousands of dollars to get “officially diagnosed.” So, since I have the amazing luck of knowing a competent licensed assessor and have a health insurance plan that will reimburse me for most of the costs, I decided to go ahead and submit myself to the infamous testing process.
While we were at it, I proposed screening for common comorbidities that are included in the DSM-5. I had, for example, always felt a special kinship with ADHD folks, but since I’ve never been someone who has problems with forgetfulness, time-blindness, task initiation, organization, or meeting deadlines, I wasn’t quite sure whether this attraction was simply because of the many similarities between autistic and ADHD brain wiring. I also had become aware that the intrusive thoughts I suffered from growing up and into adulthood met the criteria for OCD, but with all the trauma, guilt, and grief healing work I’ve been doing in recent years, the most distressing and maladaptive thoughts had already dissipated, so I doubted that I still met criteria. (Note that while autism and ADHD are permanent brain wiring differences, OCD is a fancy term for distressing thoughts/anxiety that reach clinical levels, and it can be treated.)
My results are in. Drum roll please……. Click here to continue reading
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