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battle of the labels: gifted and AS/HFA/ADHD/NVLD/etc.

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Zonder
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10 May 2010, 7:55 am

Mosaicofminds wrote:
Just read your article, and...wow. So much insight there, not sure where to even start commenting.


Thanks Mosaicofminds . . . when I started researching the subject six years ago I wasn't sure that anyone would find it interesting. So happy that you relate!

"In practical terms, a deficit is still a deficit and whether based in neurological/sensory differences or from too much smarts and not being able to relate, sometimes both can benefit from similar assistance or intervention."
Mosaicofminds wrote:
Surely the type of deficit would affect the remedy required? If your sensory differences literally make most social cues invisible to you, I'm not sure how beneficial typical social skills training would be; Irlen lenses or something might be more helpful. If you're alexithymic, training in the physical signs and vocabulary of emotions (lessons in "emotional intelligence") would seem to make sense. If you're too smart to relate, it might be helpful to be argued into the understanding that yes, you can't be yourself around most people, no, life ain't fair, now are you going to angst about it or are you going to learn how to make small talk?

Or is there some sort of all-purpose social skills training I just don't know about? If so, please enlighten me!


I can't comment on specific programs, but said another way, training programs, such as in social skills, developed for those on the autism spectrum, might benefit those who are gifted and have social difficulties. Unfortunately, some see the term "autism" in such a negative way, that they wouldn't consider using anything developed for those on the spectrum. It seems to come down to avoiding what is seen as a negative label rather than using what could be helpful. It's what Dutch researcher Agnes Burger-Veltmeijer discusses in her investigation of the discrepancy between cognitive and emotional development in some who are gifted.

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10 May 2010, 8:40 am

Mosaicofminds wrote:
A quote that particularly stuck out to me was:
"Compensation breaks down when you’re stressed, tired, ill, injured, anxious, or encountering new situations. When compensation works, you feel like an imposter, and when it fails, you feel incompetent. Am I smart or am I stupid? Not a great basis for building self-esteem or setting high aspirations (Silverman, 2002, pp. 169-170).

'Am I smart or am I stupid?' Until recently that question was always there, a varyingly conscious thought in my mind and no doubt in the minds of many who are gifted and have developmental, learning, or autism spectrum differences."
::jaw drops:: You just described a huge piece of my emotional life.


A huge piece of mine as well. When I finally began to understand that intelligence and "mechanical problems in the functioning of my brain" are two different things, I could begin to accept both my intelligence and learning difficulties, and come to terms with them. I have to say that now I'm much more comfortable with myself.

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10 May 2010, 3:46 pm

Mosaicofminds wrote:
Was there any pattern to the results? For me, the closer the task was to pure perceptual, the worse I was. The more I could think it through, the better I did (so, the subtest with the weights and measures was a LOT easier than the block design one). That, and the fact that I improved significantly when given extra time, were probably the most meaningful things I learned from the IQ test. Too bad the real world doesn't give you extra time.


yes there was. my highest score was on a test where you have to find patterns between numbers and shapes. my lowest score was on picture arrangement.

Mosaicofminds wrote:
How do you feel other people see you? Do they judge you more on the gifted or more on the disability, or do they know about neither and get confused and angry at your uneven behavior?


good question. most people have seen me as neither gifted nor disabled. most people used to simply judge me as being difficult, rude, poorly raised, immature, manipulative, thick headed, you name it. most people would judge me as being inconsistent now, yet before, most adults, with the exception of my mom, had consistently negative opinions of me, which is essentially how i came to distrust people. i even remember how i always made the honor roll in elementary school, yet my name was never posted along with the other honor students because the principle, who was a prick, never beleived that an autistic student could succeed. if it were not for my parents, the discrimination that went on in that school would have been worse and would have had real effects.