Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but isn’t that why neurodivergences are generally considered along a spectrum? As in, it’s possible to be mildly autistic or mildly ADHD, and therefore still pretty functional - or it’s possible to be profoundly autistic or profoundly ADHD, and therefore probably low-functioning - or anywhere in between?
It definitely is, and people are varying degrees of intensity. But to be diagnosed means there are consistent patterns that affect everyday life. And not just in a superficial sense. And it’s not just one thing.
Like, being awkward or shy doesn’t now mean you’re on the spectrum. You might just be awkward, and shy. And that’s okay. You can try some personal growth classes, do some exercises, build confidence. Cool.
Maybe you didn’t learn how to clean and now you have terrible habits as an adult. That sucks, doesn’t mean you’re ADHD. You might just need to learn some life skills, get organized, reshape some habits.
But if you’re literally struggling to keep to a routine because you fail to complete tasks, get overwhelmed, struggle to be consistent, cannot build new habits even when you know you need to… you might want to get checked out. That is not the same thing.
One is a pattern of problems that affects all aspects of life. The severity/degree of which may vary person to person, but it’s the wide ranging pattern, NOT the superficial “lol, I lose my keys sometimes, I’m so ADHD”.
Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but isn’t that why neurodivergences are generally considered along a spectrum? As in, it’s possible to be mildly autistic or mildly ADHD, and therefore still pretty functional - or it’s possible to be profoundly autistic or profoundly ADHD, and therefore probably low-functioning - or anywhere in between?
It definitely is, and people are varying degrees of intensity. But to be diagnosed means there are consistent patterns that affect everyday life. And not just in a superficial sense. And it’s not just one thing.
Like, being awkward or shy doesn’t now mean you’re on the spectrum. You might just be awkward, and shy. And that’s okay. You can try some personal growth classes, do some exercises, build confidence. Cool.
Maybe you didn’t learn how to clean and now you have terrible habits as an adult. That sucks, doesn’t mean you’re ADHD. You might just need to learn some life skills, get organized, reshape some habits.
But if you’re literally struggling to keep to a routine because you fail to complete tasks, get overwhelmed, struggle to be consistent, cannot build new habits even when you know you need to… you might want to get checked out. That is not the same thing.
One is a pattern of problems that affects all aspects of life. The severity/degree of which may vary person to person, but it’s the wide ranging pattern, NOT the superficial “lol, I lose my keys sometimes, I’m so ADHD”.