It might be the case with all disabilities except for those that result from a genuinely damaged brain. Many people assume that a disabled person is stupid - no matter what the disability is, it might be hearing loss, vision impairment, it might be mobility issues, mental health (think someone who has trouble taking care of themself). It's not a true assumption.
Agree. If you are assessing intelligence of a blind person based upon their ability to read, for example. Stephan Hawking, during his end-stages of ALS, would not have been able to perform the most basic of childhood intelligence tests.
Is it not? It's diagnosed based on deficits and difficulties. Not talents. Personally, I would rather not have the difficulties and I consider them objective, not social. I have all the sensory issues, I'm easily very oberwhelmed and tired to the point that it prevents me from having an "optimal" lifestyle. I feel overwhelmed talking to people even 1 on 1 too much - it's not exactly the best for mental health to be that much of a loner. Sensory issues cost me a lot of work to work around them. Food is one of the worst ones. I have focal seizures. Frequent overwhelm and the extreme fatigue are also bad for mental health. Dyspraxia is quite difficult too (I can do everything that is needed but heck, it is so tiring to try to feel pressure and depth with my hands very often, playing a computer game is so much easier than using real hands for everyday tasks, there is a good feedback loop in a game - not busted). Everyone has their their advantages and disadvantages, so I accept it, but it's a drawback.
In my opinion, it could be beneficial if people had the good aspects of autism such as attention to detail, talents, great memory, ability to focus for a long period of time, but wouldn't have all the sensory problems "in the package".
It's all within this idea of "perspective" and "evolutionary trade-offs". If you are assessing the ability of a fish to climb a tree, then claiming the fish has "deficits" and "difficulties"...not talents. That's not a proper perspective. Neurotypicals have made their world... for them... not us. For every presumed deficit and difficulty we have trying to navigate the neurotypical world... I think we can all come up with a list of things that if it was OUR world, built for US,
they would be the ones with the deficits and difficulties.
The sensory issues are a manifestation of the fact that many of us are able to access a broader range of frequencies and amplitudes across the energy spectrum... light, sound, touch, etc. Yes...it can be quite uncomfortable for us... and overwhelming, especially if it is coming in from multiple sources. The mental exhaustion is very real because our brains are operating at a significantly higher metabolic rate... there are often deficits in mitochondrial and energy metabolism, as well as neurotransmitter imbalances. I don't know about you, but seriously, I have about 4-6 hours out of the day to get all my tasks completed... I don't have all day... I can't procrastinate... get it done early in the day or it doesn't get done. I get it. Afternoons and evenings are just a drag for me.
All that said, in my 40 years experience dealing with people professionally and personally within the neurotypical world, I am well aware of my deficits and difficulties... I am quite self-aware... I play to my strengths, and when I do, I perform at a significantly higher level than most people. I know the rules of the game and in some cases, when I realize I am unable to play by those rules, if I can, I will make my own rules and keep playing the game. Adapt and overcome when I can. I have learned to delegate to others when I can. All said though, I am still a resource person and mentor to many of my co-workers because I have the intelligence, intellectual curiousity, and working knowledge of a lot more than they do... not arrogance... just something, they themselves have admitted and observed, even rewarded me financially and professionally.
Yes, it would be nice to have the whole package of increased abilities without all the "deficits and disabilities" and be able to cohabitate well within the neurotypical world. The reality, is that everything appears to have a cost. I don't know why that is, but it certainly appears that way. Our brothers and sisters with non-verbal, apraxic, autism... are able to decouple their consciousness, share it with others, be able to travel to other dimensions of communication and learning via "the Hill". They operate without an ego and are selflessly teaching us about love and unity. Holy crap! What an incredible, beautiful gift! All of that... but in order to have those gifts, you will be tortured within your own body, only have partial control of your body, and will lack the fine motor skills that allow you to verbally communicate. The costs can be steep.
If you mire yourself in all these deficits and disabilities, it is difficult to avoid depression. I am really making an effort to see myself as "something other"... that I am not "them"... I am my own person. My mental health is not dependent upon my abilities to perform at their level... I've moved past that.
As for the metaphysics... well, that's not my piece of cake. We know what we know and don't know what we don't know. I personally don't need to believe in anything about what we don't know - I accept that we don't know.
You and a lot of other people. I have been mired in the Western materialistic paradigm of science, my 5 senses, and the physical world... like so many others. Like I mentioned above, there's something else out there... something "additional" that I am opening my mind up to, mainly from learning from our non-verbal, apraxic, autistic brothers and sisters. I am highly attracted to this concept of a loss of ego, the entire message of love and unity... that our consciousness can be coupled and decoupled from our physical body... that there might be something beautiful beyond this physical world... especially given all the divisiveness, anger, and violence that has permeated our world today. I need to find some belief in a "sanctuary" away from all of this evil... and it starts with my attitude and perception.
But I'm from a cold country. And to be honest, I haven't noticed that with sandals, when the feet get a lot of air circulation. It would also seem unconfortable to me to walk without shoes, I haven't ever been tempted to walk barfoot even in the middle of the summer.
