@josephw5041y5naas
Joined 11 days agoTrauma informed, neurodivergence informed, therapist and supervisor. MSc Public Health (psychology of behaviour change). Looking for a PhD. Love my dogs. Passion for learning. Self-assessed adhd, mixed and autism in my 30s.
A friend asked me last week if I 'had aphantasia', she had seen a youtube and remembered we'd had a 'weird' discussion ages and ages ago. She I think is hyperphantasic, she is very crafty and can visualise objects and in 3D in her mind. The 'weird' discussion was that she wanted to teach me how to sew and I recounted being asked to leave at 12years of age the sewing class at school. We had to make a 2-tone stuffed dolphin out of silk like material. I am now 56 and still remember the anger and humiliation I felt when the teacher screamed abuse at me, telling the class I was a menace and 'doing it on purpose'. My nearly completed dolphin could not be stuffed, had one eye, was badly misshapen (she said I had 'done that on purpose, it looks mauled). Yeahhhh. I was then put in woodwork, chucked out of that, then metalwork, then cookery - chucked out of all for not paying attention, not being able to follow instructions or work out how to 'design' in my head and use my hands. Then I was tested at 12.5years as not 'psychologically slow and learning disabled' to being in top 1% of IQ. I was tested during a national testing thingy. At school people didn't bully me - except teachers and headmasters - I had been in 'special ed for the disturbed children' a while and the guys there (I am female) knew I was different but didn't care and just accepted me 100%. Schooling left me cynical and anti-authoritarian, but I suppose ADHD, ASD and now Aphantasia could have played a part. I 'play' nicely now, won a coverted PhD stipend a year ago, but was bullied out after 3 months as I had 'lied about being disabled - I did not put ADHD on my application, and I had NOT asked for ANY accommodations, but you will not be able to complete successfully with THAT disability'. I do not see adhd or asd as a disability to me, it's just me, I accept me and don't care anymore if others do not. Have these issues affected my life, yes and until 10years ago, negatively and still a little today. I work as a professional in healthcare field - but I refused to be bullied by a PhD supervisor (who had NEVER had a job outside of academia vs my 30 years experience in the field of study) and I voluntarily withdrew. It has taken 6 months of overwhelm, as I went straight back to being 12.5years old and being forced away from 'special ed' or remedial class as it was called in UK in 1980s, but I am doing much better today. Re. aphantasia I do not miss what I never was even aware of, but it is very interesting and I have signed up to learn more. I do think neurodivergence knowledge, skills, awareness is badly needed in UK teacher training. My sons experiences were wild too. He is a young adult now and has 2 specific learning difficulties which are a bonus to his being a fab son, worker and friend - and he's gorgeous, respectful and kind lol. His teachers and Headmaster 'just' wanted to write him off - I would not allow it and challenged them with passion.