The Sunday Shift #2
The Late Bloomer's Revelation
I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I turned 50.
Fifty years of thinking I was "too much" and "not enough" simultaneously.
The anxiety that kept me awake at 3am? ADHD brain on overdrive.
The depression that hit in my teens? Undiagnosed neurodivergence in a neurotypical world.
The people-pleasing that exhausted me? Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria.
The social awkwardness that made me feel like an alien? Different operating system, same planet.
For decades, I thought these were my defects. My deficiencies. My downfalls.
It turns out they were my strengths in disguise.
That anxiety? It became a radar signal that helps me spot dysregulated kids before anyone else notices.
The people-pleasing? It taught me to read rooms and meet people where they are with compassion.
The social awkwardness? It gave me empathy for every person who feels different.
The introversion? It created space for deep thinking and authentic connection.
Even my "piss-off-ness" became an asset - righteous anger that drives me to challenge systems that harm neurodivergent kids.
The lesson: Your struggles aren't character flaws. They're unrecognized neurodivergence trying to survive in the wrong environment. The same goes for our neurodivergent children and students trying to be who they are in a world that isn’t made for their exceptional wiring.
So what can we as adults do for ourselves and these children?
1. THE STRENGTH INVENTORY (For You) Write down 3 things you've been told are "wrong" with you. You know, those things your partner gets frustrated over or you co-workers roll their eyes at. Next to each, write how that trait has actually helped you or others. Your sensitivity = your superpower to connect with struggling kids.
2. THE VALIDATION SCRIPT (For Kids) Stop saying "You're fine" or "Calm down." Start saying: "Your brain works differently, and that's amazing. Let's figure out what helps YOUR brain feel strong."
3. THE ENVIRONMENT AUDIT (For Both) Look around your space right now. What's overstimulating? Dim the lights, reduce noise, create a regulation corner. Your nervous system needs the same care you give the kids.
Start with #3 today. Change your environment, change your regulation.
Question for you: What "flaw" in yourself might actually be a hidden strength?
Click the “Comment” buttons and share with our community!