Book Recommendation: The Power of Neurodiversity
Key Highlights:
The Power of Neurodiversity by Thomas Armstrong, PhD is about viewing all of us existing on a continuum (versus “normal”/ “not normal”)
The key to our individual happiness is about honoring our place on that continuum and creating a community for ourself that supports us.
“Success in life…depends on modifying your surrounding environment to fit the needs of your unique brain.” - Thomas Armstrong, PhD, The Power of Neurodiversity
I recently started reading The Power of Neurodiversity by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. I predict a lot of future articles will focus on the ideas in this book. To introduce some of Armstrong's ideas I thought it might be interesting to share his “Eight Principles of Neurodiversity”. (See Below)
What I find so compelling is that Armstrong expresses Neurodiversity as part of a continuum we all exist on, including “Neurotypicals.”
I find this perspective much more compassionate, empathetic, and useful. It takes our standards outside of “normal”/”not normal” and instead looks at all of us as variations, connected as humans but varying in our needs based on where we are on the continuum.
As a coach for Adults with ADHD, I spend a lot of time challenging this idea of “Normal” a lot of my clients pine for.
Instead, I try to help them start focusing on what they need and want.
I don’t care how they get there—like everyone else or by the beat of their own drum. I hear that similar sentiment in Armstrong’s book and I am looking forward to diving deeper into the details with him and sharing it with you.
For now though, feast on this appetizer of the “Eight Principles of Neurodiversity.”
The Human Brain Works More Like an Ecosystem than a Machine
Human Beings and Human Brains Exist Along Continuums of Competence
Human Competence is Defined by the Values of the Culture to Which You Belong
Whether You Are Regarded As Disabled or Gifted Depends Largely on When and Where You Were Born
Success in Life Is Based on Adapting One’s Brain to the Needs of the Surrounding Environment
Success in Life Also Depends on Modifying Your Surrounding Environment to Fit the Needs of Your Unique Brain (Niche Construction)
Niche Construction Includes Career and Lifestyle Choices, Assistive Technologies, Human Resources, and Other Life-Enhancing Strategies Tailored to the Specific Needs of a Neurodiverse Individual
Positive Niche Construction Directly Modifies the Brain, Which in Turn Enhances Its Ability to Adapt to the Environment
There’s much food for thought in Armstrong’s Eight Principles.
If this has whet your appetite, I strongly recommend his book. Armstrong lays out his ideas and philosophies of neurodiversity in the first and final two chapters of the book.
In the remaining chapters, he dedicates a chapter each to individuals with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Depression, Anxiety, Intellectual or Cognitive Disabilities, and Schizophrenia. Armstrong is passionate and compelling in his mission with this book.
To quote him directly, “I wrote this book because I wanted to start a serious campaign to begin researching the positives among people who are defined in terms of their negatives.” As I said, I have just started this book, but I already feel Armstrong has succeeded.
If you’d like to dive even further into your ADHD together, schedule your FREE introductory session with me below.