It may be that your company merger analogy is totally apt (my own feeling is that there should be at least one established, well-defined organization first, but I am nowhere near certain of that). Or it may be that we need to unite earlier to accomplish certain things we aren't good at alone. Like I mentioned, I just want to explore the possibility before dismissing it.
I question whether "neuroatypical" ever means something other than hard wiring. I just don't see it. Exaggerating to make a point, physics and chemistry are not the same science. I can medicate improvement for ADHD and depression. I can't medicate Asperger's, and while I can function, although in a constant state of crisis, with ADHD and depression, there is nothing that changes about my core Aspergianity.
I'm unquestionably aspie to a professional with appropriate background, and I don't want to hand over advocacy to people who do have legitimate problems but who aren't neurodiverse.
While I totally agree with you that NTs shouldn't be leading any organization we create, you seem to be saying that ADHD is not a neurological condition? That is not the case. Not only is it classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder in the DSM (see the full list at the bottom of this post), but there are biological differences, although not well-understood enough to use as an aid in diagnosis yet (but to be fair, neither are autistic brain differences). This is from
the article I linked to upthread:
However, overall, the research suggests that people with ADHD, compared to other people, may have (a) slightly reduced neural mass in the prefrontal cortex, (b) reduced activity in some parts of the prefrontal cortex while performing certain tests of executive function; and (c) fewer dopamine receptors in certain parts of the brain that receive input from the prefrontal cortex. All of these differences are highly variable from individual to individual and observable only as a result of statistical averaging. So far no biological marker of ADHD has been found that is sufficiently reliable to be used as an aid in diagnosis.[3]
The studies of brain differences are interesting, but they have no bearing at all on the question of whether ADHD is a disorder or a normal personality variation. All personality variations have a basis in the brain. Of course they do. The brain controls all of behavior, so any difference that is reflected in behavior must exist in the brain. The only means by which natural selection can produce personality variation is through altering genes that affect the brain. If people diagnosed with ADHD differ behaviorally in any consistent way from other people, then their brains must in some way be different.
Unlike depression, which although it does affect the brain, is a condition that is not inborn or lifelong, people with ADHD are generally recognized to have this trait throughout childhood into adulthood. However, clinicians are also not good at drawing a line between 'true ADHD' and 'childhood rambunctiousness' as of yet.
ADHD has its own comorbids, which are quite similar to the ones often found with ASD.
The overlap between ADHD and ASD is a complicated one. Basically, we share executive functioning deficits, which are based in the frontal cortex. A kid with a severe case of ADHD will actually look a lot like an aspie or HFA kid with their problems organizing, controlling inappropriate outburts, motor skills like handwriting, avoiding distraction, etc. (I say this as a teacher). The distinguishing factors, when there are any, are in that the aspie has special interests and a single-minded focus, whereas the ADHD kid prefers or even excels at multi-tasking. The aspie also has sensory sensitivities. As for social deficits, although there is a different basis for some of them, they can be confused, as ADHD kids also have trouble taking turns, interrupt or blurt things out, and talk 'too much' (can be confused with aspie monologuing). So the clearest distinguishing factors are often special interests and sensory sensitivities rather than social impairments.
Of course, some are diagnosed with both, and not without reason, but to me it seems like variation among aspies in terms of which executive functioning issues affect us most and how much they impair us. Clinicians also have to be careful not to mistake stimming for ADHD fidgeting or the anxiety common to ASD for hyperactivity, etc.
Of course, there will be differences among those with different neurological 'disorders', but there are also issues that uniquely affect gay men, lesbians, and especially trans people...and we certainly wouldn't want to do the equivalent of slighting bisexuals by saying they are either 'really' homosexual and in denial or 'really' straight and 'just experimenting'.
Another interesting overlap is with schizophrenics. The neuropsychologist Michael Slate believes that the genetics behind schizophrenia and autism are very similar, although the behaviors are different. I originally saw him mentioned in
The Autistic Brain, but
this article explains a bit more:
Both papers noted overlap in the list of ASD-linked genes conferring risk, with risk genes identified in studies of other psychiatric illnesses. In the words of the authors of one of the papers: “De novo mutations in ASD, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia cluster to synaptic genes, and synaptic defects have been reported in models of these disorders.” In this way and perhaps others, the new research supports the notion of overlap among genetic factors that cause or confer risk for a number of serious brain disorders.
Perhaps schizophrenia is due for reclassification with along with ASD, ADHD, and intellectual disability. But anyway, aside from growing evidence for a scientific basis, people with all of these conditions have objected to being pathologized.
Those with ADD/ADHD are beginning to advocate and address the issue of adults diagnosed with the condition. See
here for 7 different organizations or
here for another one. Some are more set up by outsiders trying to provide 'help' and resources, while others are more oriented toward education and advocacy. Some interesting stuff there.
Schizophrenics are also organizing. There's now the Hearing Voices Movement (catchy name--a couple sites
here and
here), and they have the psychologist Eleanor Longden (with
her excellent TED talk--which someone here at AC recommended to me..was it Epath?)
among them doing research and self-advocating.
There's also advocacy for intellectual disabilities. I mentioned one upthread: Down's Syndrome. It is certainly genetic, uncurable, and part of their identity, not to mention the target of hate crimes and widespread discrimination.
Of these, however, besides the ones commonly confused with ASD or misdiagnosed, ADHD seems the easiest to ally with.
Being aspergian is not going to kill me, but chronic major depression untreated can. I'm saying there are important differences and I'm not perceiving the organizing principle that puts them all under one umbrella and saying "we're NoT." (Couldn't resist a bad pun.)
I hope from the above you can see that I am limiting it to conditions that are truly developmental and have a significant group hoping for better understanding and to be de-pathologized. I think in defining that group, we should probably take the lead from research, although of course we should also hope to have more autistic researchers and speak out about flawed and myopic research. The
DSM's list, flawed as it may be, of neurodevelopmental conditions is:
Intellectual Disabilities
- Intellectual Disability (Intellectual Developmental Disorder)
- Global Developmental Delay
- Unspecified Intellectual Disability (Intellectual Developmental Disorder)
Communication Disorders
- Language Disorder
- Speech Sound Disorder
- Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder (Stuttering)
- Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
- Unspecified Communication Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Other Specified Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Unspecified Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder
Specific Learning Disorder
- Specific Learning Disorder
Motor Disorders
- Developmental Coordination Disorder
- Stereotypic Movement Disorder
Tic Disorders
- Other Specified Tic Disorder
- Unspecified Tic Disorder
Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Other Specified Neurodevelopmental Disorder
- Unspecified Neurodevelopmental Disorder
I like your pun.
