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Should we treat neurodivergent patients differently? · MSKMag OutLoud

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  SPEAKER_00: Should we treat neurodivergent patients differently?
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  SPEAKER_00: Written by Sue Julians.
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  SPEAKER_00: Neurodiversity is estimated to affect 15% of the population.
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  SPEAKER_00: And despite a similar cause and a great deal of crossover,
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  SPEAKER_00: there are a variety of different diagnoses and expression of traits.
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  SPEAKER_00: Although many neurodiverse profiles are spiky by neurotypical standards,
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  SPEAKER_00: stigmatizing terms implying severe disabilities,
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  SPEAKER_00: such as idiot savant,
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  SPEAKER_00: have thankfully fallen out of use.
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  SPEAKER_00: A spiky profile means there are areas where ability is very high,
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  SPEAKER_00: but others where natural ability is very low,
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  SPEAKER_00: when compared to a neurotypical normal range.
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  SPEAKER_00: An important caveat.
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  Many neurodiverse individuals struggle with similar aspects of
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  life because they
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  SPEAKER_00: are expected to conform to societal expectations and etiquette based on
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  SPEAKER_00: neurotypical norms,
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  SPEAKER_00: not neurodiverse ones.
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  And the struggle to fit in whilst hiding your authentic self is
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  exhausting and can
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  SPEAKER_00: lead to overwhelm and dysregulated behaviour.
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  With neurodiversity deriving from a difference in the detection
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  and transmission of
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  SPEAKER_00: sensory input,
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  SPEAKER_00: it's no surprise that there's a large crossover with hypermobility.
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  Less ascending information due to less resistant tissues means
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  the gain is turned
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  SPEAKER_00: up to get enough information to coordinate and perform physical function.
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  SPEAKER_00: The brain will listen harder,
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  gaining more information at greater volume but with less
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  specificity than in
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  SPEAKER_00: neurotypicals.
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  SPEAKER_00: Other senses can be used to compensate.
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  but these make the performance of function much more
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  concentrated and effortful.
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  SPEAKER_00: The hypermobile patient always walks on sand, never pavement.
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  SPEAKER_00: Also,
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  the necessity of having much more input across the board to get
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  information you
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  need means processing and reaction times can be slower as the
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  system takes longer
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  SPEAKER_00: to filter out the relevant from the irrelevant.
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  SPEAKER_00: And with this increase in volume across the board,
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  SPEAKER_00: it's no wonder the rates of chronic pain are so much higher.
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  If we expand this model of hypermobility to all mental and
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  physical functions
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  SPEAKER_00: relying on sensory input and feedback,
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  you start to get some idea of the day-to-day struggles
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  neurodivergent people face.
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  SPEAKER_00: On the plus side,
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  the sacrifice of speed for detail means neurodiverse
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  individuals will often see the
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  SPEAKER_00: world differently and more completely,
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  so it should be no surprise that a higher percentage of workers
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  in innovation and
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  SPEAKER_00: the creative industries identify as