This was the article that I wish my parents and I could have read 70 years ago. My life would still have gone down some fairly diverse highways, but at least it would have been with a better understanding of what was happening. Growing up in the 50s and 60s was a bit of a challenge. Thanks Paul.
💯 THIS 👏 As a female I recognised in later life I "masked" to Hollywood-award level 🤷 and when I got comfortable with a group of people and took off the mask, the backlash was hurtful 🥹 & reinforced the need to hold back what I REALLY thought & felt, and at times KNEW by seeming osmosis 🤔 Once I realised I was on the Autism Spectrum (it was called Aspergers at that point) I railed against the "lack of empathy" label - I'm so glad there are people such as yourself who get it and are curious enough to explore the world of the neurodivergent in an effort to help 🫂
Thanks, Cindy. I'm an ADHDer myself and diagnosed quite late in life after my children were, which is not uncommon for many parents. I also have a female family member who is autistic and not diagnosed until their late teens. I've come to understand 'masking' from learning about their lived experience. The first psychologist they saw was still using the old 'theory of mind' model and didn't think she was 'autistic enough' because she masked too well. This shocked the second psychologist she saw who thankfully was a specialist in autism in women and girls.
Indeed. It's one of the most highly heritable conditions known. 70-80% of children and adolescents of parents with ADHD will inherit some traits, based on twin and family studies. Environmental expression of the genes is affected by developmental factors.
Of course, given that it's polygenic (i.e. multiple independent genes), you can often get some ADHD-linked genes from your mother and some from your father and your personal combination ends up with an emergent ADHD expression that is different from either of them.
And half of the genes underpinning ADHD also underpin ASD as well.
This was the article that I wish my parents and I could have read 70 years ago. My life would still have gone down some fairly diverse highways, but at least it would have been with a better understanding of what was happening. Growing up in the 50s and 60s was a bit of a challenge. Thanks Paul.
💯 THIS 👏 As a female I recognised in later life I "masked" to Hollywood-award level 🤷 and when I got comfortable with a group of people and took off the mask, the backlash was hurtful 🥹 & reinforced the need to hold back what I REALLY thought & felt, and at times KNEW by seeming osmosis 🤔 Once I realised I was on the Autism Spectrum (it was called Aspergers at that point) I railed against the "lack of empathy" label - I'm so glad there are people such as yourself who get it and are curious enough to explore the world of the neurodivergent in an effort to help 🫂
Thanks, Cindy. I'm an ADHDer myself and diagnosed quite late in life after my children were, which is not uncommon for many parents. I also have a female family member who is autistic and not diagnosed until their late teens. I've come to understand 'masking' from learning about their lived experience. The first psychologist they saw was still using the old 'theory of mind' model and didn't think she was 'autistic enough' because she masked too well. This shocked the second psychologist she saw who thankfully was a specialist in autism in women and girls.
I've never been diagnosed, but I am undoubtedly ADHD. My whole life has been shaped by it. My father possibly handed it down to me.
Indeed. It's one of the most highly heritable conditions known. 70-80% of children and adolescents of parents with ADHD will inherit some traits, based on twin and family studies. Environmental expression of the genes is affected by developmental factors.
Of course, given that it's polygenic (i.e. multiple independent genes), you can often get some ADHD-linked genes from your mother and some from your father and your personal combination ends up with an emergent ADHD expression that is different from either of them.
And half of the genes underpinning ADHD also underpin ASD as well.
Thank you for sharing this. It gave me a new perspective on how I'm showing up for the neurodivergent people in my life