The Adolescent and Adult Neuro-diversity Handbook

January 18, 2010
Diagnosed at the age of 33 with a spectrum of neurological disorders (ADHD, dyslexia, etc.), author Hendrickx (Love, Sex, and Long Term Relationships: What People with Asperger Syndrome Really Want) began a consultancy and training firm based in the conviction that, as stated by Harvey Blume in the NY Times, "neuro-diversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general." Coined by Blume, "neuro-diversity" describes a range of overlapping atypical neurological conditions that render cognitive and sensory experience in "different" ways. Chapters are each devoted to a single disorder-attention deficit and hyperactivity, autism, dyslexia, anxiety, obsessive compulsive, and others-including symptoms, history, modern thinking, guidelines for self-help and support, and testimony from "those affected." Hendrickx catalogs compensating strengths as well as areas of difficulty, and identifies many gradations in the neuro-diverse spectrum that aren't typically recognized (in general, only extreme cases are considered worthy of diagnosis). Hendrickx addresses a lack of resources for the increasing numbers of adults being diagnosed in their 20s, 30s, and beyond, and provides a helpful overview for medical and teaching professionals, families and friends of the affected, and those unsure about the severity of their cognitive issues.