by Jule Selbo

So embarrassed I am.

So abashed I feel

So distraught I missed it…

Early morning, a few days ago. I was listening to Jesse Thorn’s BullsEye show on NPR; it’s one of my favorite interview shows because Thorn is a definite fan-boy and often has interesting on-air talks with people that I also admire.

A term I had never heard came up in the interview and it delighted (and saddened) me.

Neurodivergent.

I am now in apology. Because I had to look up the word. And, since blogs can be “whatever you are thinking about at that time of writing the post” I decided to do some thinking on it. So I started a crappy version of self-educating. You can stop reading now if you know all you need to know on the subject. But there are a few thoughts about character creation coming up, in case that’s interesting.

As soon as I saw the word – neurodivergent – spelled with no ‘dash’ between neuro and divergent as I was assuming it would be, I knew for sure I was a latecomer to the term. I figure when words have been around long enough to dismiss the ‘dash’ that sometimes makes a concept easier to ‘get’, they’ve been around awhile.

But – I learned it was never hyphenated. It was born with 14 letters, no dash.

In fact, an Australian sociologist Judy Singer (she’s on the autistic spectrum) coined the word as an alternative to deficit-based language – terms like disorder, affliction, malady, and disease.  The term was intended to be used mainly (and has been mostly) to refer to those on the autism spectrum. Singer’s mother was autistic, her daughter has Aspergers Syndrome and she wanted to highlight strengths in the “disorder” population – things like the ability to hyperfocus, to recognize patterns, and remember facts, numbers and random information (to name a few).

NPR’s Jesse Thorn was interviewing David Bryne – the mastermind/leader of the now-defunct musical group, Talking Heads. Thorn was asking Bryne what it was like to be neurodivergent. Of course, the question tumbled into the observations and questions: aren’t we all neurodivergent because we are all different from one another? After all, we are all individuals.

That discussion is, of course, fruitless and could be endless. As often happens, well-thought-out research that, initially, has perimeters is co-opted. My research took me to Google (not the best medical research obviously but I didn’t take the time to go down to Johns Hopkins) and see what others were referring to when using the term. According to a ChatBot kind of research (I say that in a derogatory tone even though AI can be extraordinary), neurodivergence can cover a huge area: autism, ADHD, tourettes, ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, bipolarism, OCD, dyscalculia, and other “learning disabilities.” My (quick and scattershot) reading suggested the term could also include homophobia, racism, depression, anxiety, narcissism, god-complex, sadism, masochism, misogyny, megalomania, uncontrollable greed, and sex-addiction – the list can go on.

Which brings up the question of nature vs nurture. What are we born with and what do we learn.

What is “in our brains” (actual physical and chemical) and what do we learn/become by living in this world? Do we have to wait until our brains are studied in the MRI machine or dissected (post death in most cases) to see how “normal” our brains are? Scientists say all brains are shaped a bit differently, but with technology, signs of certain recurring physicalities that point to neurodivergences can be detected.

Of course, I asked myself if I was more neurodivergent or neurotypical?

That’s another rabbit hole that could lead to millions of never-ending tunnels.

I remember thinking during my insipid research that I wanted to be more productive, so I moved my thinking to: What about the main characters in my Dee Rommel Mystery series? Does Dee have neurodivergent tendencies – like ones in recent classics like Temperance Brennan in Bones, Adrian Monk in Monk and Abby – the forensic scientist on NCIS?

Dee, my protagonist, has made “justice” a primary thing in her life. Once on a case, she’s compelled (would I ever call it OCD?) to bring the problem/crime to a “just” end. She’s very observant (would I ever call it hypervigilance or simultagnosia?) or do I simply perceive her ability as being a better observer than most in the “normal” population?

In Dee’s romantic relationships she’s a deflector, she’s unable to let someone get close (would I call it philophobia or attachment disorder?) or is it a normal reaction to not being comfortable with her “new” body (does she have a dysmorphic disorder?)

**I hope you can read the “fun” I am having with all these ‘xias’ and ‘isms’ and ‘xxobias’ and syndromes. Bordering on being silly. Sorry.

Another question: IF Dee is hyper-anything, have I unconsciously surrounded her with neurotypicals?

In Neu West Writer’s magazine, I found an article by neurologist Jordan Sorokin. He wrote about BBC ‘s Sherlock Holmes (2012-2017) and the neurodiversity displayed in the main characters.

Sorokin enjoyed how the writers embraced Holmes’ Aspberger-ness as well as his Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) – the latter characterized by a disregard for social norms, frequent lies, impulsive behavior, aggressiveness and hostility, irresponsibility and risk taking, and a remorseless indifference to the feelings and rights of others. Sorokin also found neurodiversity in Watson – stating that where Sherlock obsesses over his work for the sake of solving each mystery, Watson focuses on solving each case to benefit those involved (a version of allodoxaphobia). Sorokin also points out that Watson (in this tv series) claims his limp is a consequence of a war injury, until Holmes proves to him that the limp is simply a psychosomatic manifestation connected to PTSD.

Now I’ll leave this kind of breaking down of character because there’s no medical degree in my past. I’m a plain old ‘creative’ but this – for some reason – it has caught my imagination in regards to building characters.

Kristin Lamb (author of crime/mystery The Devil’s Dance and a few how-can-writers-use-social-media and also a book how AI and authors can co-exist) wrote in her blog (it’s on her author website and I just stumbled on it) about how neurodivergent characters have always been around: the nerd, the brain, the geek, the computer whiz, the conspiracy theorist, and the outcast. Now I can think of these characters (which in some instances have become cliché) as neurodivergent and can consider exploring them in new ways.

But back to David Byrne (I have been a fan for decades). He (and a partner) created a 60-minute show (parts were designed to be viewed with VR goggles in a lab in Silicon Valley) that uses theater and art to inform viewers how brains work. It’s called “Neurosociety”. Byrne makes it clear he is an ‘amateur’ and that the show is entertainment – but 35 neuroscientists (from around the world, top researchers from top universities and labs) worked on it with him. They designed experiments that are real-life scenarios such as playing with dolls, classrooms, game shows to see how individuals make choices and ‘move through the world’. Maybe you’ve seen the YouTube video on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJMBQgY_eS0 or read about it at http://davidbyrne.com/explore/the-institute-presents-neurosociety

Bryne’s got his neurodivergent journey going on and I am happy in my (neurotypical) one right now. And I want to thank Bryne for sending me on this latest tear. I ended up going through some lyrics of Bryne’s songs and landed on “Toe Jam”. I think his neurodivergent observations in the world just inspired me for a villain I want to create in 6 DAYS.

I was asked in New York City: Do you like my clothes?
I’m talking to my tape recorder, walking down the road
But on Friday night, I’m, purified that my feet don’t touch the floor
When the rubber meets the road, in between my toes…