Very interesting! I came across this concept years ago and had more or less forgotten about it, but I am now wondering if many of the young people who self-diagnose themselves as being autistic are, in fact, intense abstract persons. (The relevant difference is, I suppose, the lack of pathology associated with the latter term.) In this case, what this theory refers to as overexcitabilities is probably what would be referred to in autistic circle as special interests.
It seems there are so many groups with unique vocabularies for experiences that are more common in humans than they realize. Maybe "trans" itself is another one, actually, in many cases, meaning "I feel different; nobody understands me and I crave belonging". It seems to be that we so much need a common language.
Yes, yes! I agree with you. I often refer to the "overlapping frameworks" we use to describe the human experience; overexcitabilities clearly overlap with the neurodivergence frameworks. And this: "The relevant difference is, I suppose, the lack of pathology associated with the latter term." is why I love TPD so much--it's a developmental theory rather than pathological. We seem to be reducing the range of normal, creating more "exceptionality" that seems to require treatment, rather than supporting people to be able to tolerate the normal (and sometimes extreme) ups and downs of the human experience. I'd love to see us return to the language of resilience and to adopt a needs-focused approach to support. If we could all learn to (accurately) identify and articulate our needs, I think we'd see far less "pathology."
You may also like my piece titled, "Bad News." Jessie's magazine, Third Factor, is also an excellent resource for those inclined toward "abstract intensity."
2e is another term from the "giftedness" paradigm; along with the high iq, these kiddos usually came with other sensitivities (usually diagnosed learning disabilities) that made being in a typical classroom exceptionally hard.
Very interesting! I came across this concept years ago and had more or less forgotten about it, but I am now wondering if many of the young people who self-diagnose themselves as being autistic are, in fact, intense abstract persons. (The relevant difference is, I suppose, the lack of pathology associated with the latter term.) In this case, what this theory refers to as overexcitabilities is probably what would be referred to in autistic circle as special interests.
It seems there are so many groups with unique vocabularies for experiences that are more common in humans than they realize. Maybe "trans" itself is another one, actually, in many cases, meaning "I feel different; nobody understands me and I crave belonging". It seems to be that we so much need a common language.
Yes, yes! I agree with you. I often refer to the "overlapping frameworks" we use to describe the human experience; overexcitabilities clearly overlap with the neurodivergence frameworks. And this: "The relevant difference is, I suppose, the lack of pathology associated with the latter term." is why I love TPD so much--it's a developmental theory rather than pathological. We seem to be reducing the range of normal, creating more "exceptionality" that seems to require treatment, rather than supporting people to be able to tolerate the normal (and sometimes extreme) ups and downs of the human experience. I'd love to see us return to the language of resilience and to adopt a needs-focused approach to support. If we could all learn to (accurately) identify and articulate our needs, I think we'd see far less "pathology."
You may also like my piece titled, "Bad News." Jessie's magazine, Third Factor, is also an excellent resource for those inclined toward "abstract intensity."
You're right, this was a fun one! I'm hanging onto some new concepts that are blowing my mind: "twice exceptionality" and "positive maladjustment."
2e is another term from the "giftedness" paradigm; along with the high iq, these kiddos usually came with other sensitivities (usually diagnosed learning disabilities) that made being in a typical classroom exceptionally hard.
Positive maladjustment is a good one, huh?! ;)
Wonderful talk, as always.
Yep--I’m an ally, for sure. 💚
Thank you for being an ally!