Open Society

The ADHD neurotype is: neural hyperconnectivity, monotropism, holotropic sensory gating, a neuroceptive need for novelty and variety, an interest-driven dopamine system, and varying processing styles (both bottom-up and top-down processing). (These innate traits of ADHD are still being compiled from the ADHD community, so there may be a few more traits that need to be added to the list in the future, but this list is a good start at describing what the ADHD neurotype is before or without trauma, or what the ADHD genes code for as a heritable phenotype.)ADHD involves an abundance of attention, not a deficit of attention. It is extremely hard to direct the attention of an ADHDer based on external expectations, but we easily hyperfocus on our own interests or more voluntary activities. This is because our dopamine systems are interest-driven: our brains release dopamine only for things we are genuinely interested in, not for required school or work activities. For externally required things, we tend to run on adrenaline instead. (Remind me to write about why "low dopamine" is caused by trauma and/or social environment, not an innate trait of ADHD.)The ADHD neurotype is genetic and involves differences in brain structure. If the environment was absolutely perfect, with no trauma or overwhelm, an ADHD person would still be born with the ADHD neurotype. People with this neurotype have existed throughout history, and can usually be traced through family lines, though it can sometimes/rarely skip a generation. ADHD people need supportive environments that consider the needs of their neurotype (such as more movement and more stimulation) and that provide opportunities for ADHD brains to operate from their strengths without shame and invalidation for not meeting cultural expectations. These supports can include ADHD medication and a variety of other tools that may help an ADHDer to navigate society. ADHD is a disability, not because ADHD is an impairment, but because ADHD neurotypes are not supported in our culture. People with ADHD neurotypes need extensive help navigating a world constructed by neurotypical culture. Being ADHD in a world designed for neurotypicals is extremely challenging and sometimes causes a lot of suffering. Blaming our own brains amplifies this suffering. Naming the source of our suffering shows us a path to relief: we need neurodivergent communities, we need neurotype friendly environments, we need liberation from systemic ableism. Working towards these collective solutions is what the neurodiversity movement is all about.

Asynchronous, continuous online communities like ours provide something that most conference do not — time for reflection and deep conversations.

as online activity grows, we all need safe places to learn and reflect. Yes, we can be engaged on public platforms, but we need to find safe places to have deeper conversations. Communities can offer a diversity of opinions and experiences. It is essential for every citizen today to develop and engage with a diverse network of knowledgeable people in order to make sense of the world. Citizens also need somewhere to integrate their learning and get trusted advice.

There was almost universal agreement that people prefer to engage in communities, both online and in-person, rather than a conference, particularly ones that have a lot of vendors.

This fear of overinterpretation of neurobiological data is real. The idea that neurobiological factors are mostly genetically determined, static, and insensitive to treatment is still lingering, despite overwhelming evidence for the plasticity of the brain, specifically during childhood and adolescence (Blakemore, 2023; Crone & Dahl, 2012; Kolb & Gibb, 2011). Both the study by Bellato et al. (2024) and Cortese et al. (2023) confirm that single biomarkers are not to be used as a stand-alone for making diagnoses in neurodevelopmental disorders. It seems justified to say that there is not, and never will be, a single biomarker or simple neurobiological test for any neurodevelopmental disorder that can be used as a “shortcut” for more extensive diagnostic assessments. This does not imply that neurobiological assessments are not useful, but that they should be used in combination with other measures to assist in the diagnosis, prediction, prognosis, and treatment of mental health conditions.

As becomes clear from these studies, neurodevelopmental problems should always be seen in the context of the environment, whether this is the family, peers or society at large. Taken together, there is a need for more integration of neurobiological and environmental information in clinical.

what is becoming

As organizations with resources to shift how AI can be operationalized in this world, I want you to be better listeners first — to the community’s ‘why’ and needs — before they become part of your sales funnels.

In the context of hyperlexia, gestalt processing (sometimes referred to as gestalt philosophy or gestalt psychology) simply refers to learning in chunks. It is “top-down” processing often referred to with the adage, “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Research on gestalt processing is ongoing to determine its importance in learning and processing in all individuals. As of now, gestalt processing is thought to be an early stage of the learning process that all learners experience.

When it comes to gestalt learning, the whole is greater than all of its parts. So gestalt thinkers see the whole picture as more important than the individual pieces or components. Instead of learning one part at a time, they learn in chunks called gestalts.

I firmly believe that as neurodiversity affirming eating disorder providers, we need to apply the neurodiversity paradigm to ARFID. The ways people move through and perceive the world involves eating; neurodiversity therefore means that there is no one right or wrong way to eat. Treating ARFID as a disorder inherently in need of treatment implies that it is abnormal and incorrect. Since the way we eat shapes so many aspects of our lives, adopting a pathological view of ARFID may also have the effect of implying that someone’s way of living and being more generally is wrong.