Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.

Table of Contents

• Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

  • Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope t …

• Late Diagnosis

  • “Immaturity” and Autism

    • Yeehawesome!

  • Wonderful Wednesday

  • Today’s Beany-full Summary:

Late Diagnosis

At our creative writing group today, a friend there asked if it’s beneficial or not to get a diagnosis of neurodivergence at a later age.

I have thoughts.

You know I do.

But first, here’s Andrew Davies’s experience in Wales of being diagnosed at age 70:

Amen, brother.

Andrew has always experienced hypersensitivities, exhaustion from being around people, intense hyperfocuses, and had autistic burnout multiple times when he thought he was just unwell.

Now he knows differently.

And it’s a big relief.

The same friend in my creative writing group asked how I felt when I heard my diagnoses.

I cried lots of happy tears. Life suddenly made sense, and it was a massive gihugic Sisyphean weight off my wimpy shoulders.

What an auwesome relief it was to find out I am AuDHD (autistic + ADHD).

Yes, it took a long time to get my assessments and diagnoses. 47 is definitely AMA (advanced maternal age) for having a bambino, but my late-in-life little one came in the form of a bouncing baby set of diagnoses that gave me a new outlook and new grace for myself.

Congratulations to moi!

Look what the stork brought: my own new way of knowing myself and finding where I fit—I am me and I am my own special category.

A birth of beauty and weirdness and acceptance.

“Immaturity” and Autism

Guess what?

Nobody grows out of autism.

It’s a lifelong thing, yo.

And there are many misconceptions and labels around autistic children and adults being considered “immature.”

Of course, it’s more complicated than that.

For a full breakdown of this topic, check out this article from NeuroLaunch: Understanding Autism and Immaturity in Adults: Navigating Developmental Differences.

Here’s what I took from it:

1. We autistic people might look “immature” from a neurotypical perspective, but we are dealing with society’s expectations, which might be uninformed and misplaced.

2. We have differences in social cognition.

3. We might be dealing with sensory processing challenges.

4. Emotional regulation can be very difficult for us.

5. Certain hyperfocuses might be labeled as childish, but they are a way we can relate to the world and connect with others.

6. It is possible that we have some developmental delays, but this doesn’t mean that we don’t mature.

7. We might have a lot of “childlike wonder” that is misconstrued as immaturity.

8. Lack of social support and understanding can certainly be a hindrance in development and thriving.

As the article says:

Strength to strength, folks. Make it so. Live long and prosper. Amen.

Yeehawesome!

Yeehawesome! is a happy-brain roundup in each issue of Beany Brain. What’s happening that’s good in brain land? What’s bringing me joy?

1. Gisèle Pelicot was given the highest honor in France, named the knight of the Legion of Honor for waiving her right to anonymity and testifying against her husband and dozens of other men who abused her. Here’s the story. I think she’s absolutely outstandingly courageous and fantastic.

2. Friends having us over for tea here in the UK, including one couple who went out and found pistachio halva for me to eat (perfect for the food allergies I have, and I really love halva anyway), plus in addition to the sweet desserts they have a sweet dog named Mack.

3. Sgt. Flo Linscott is a police officer in Devon and Cornwall in the UK and says that his autism helps him in his job. Speaking of late diagnoses, Sgt. Linscott was just diagnosed 2 years ago at age 48, but he said he knew he was different already. (Sounds familiar.) He works in the neurodiversity support network for his team, and being neurodivergent helps him understand and care for others in the police force who are as well and who might be struggling. Also, Linscott says the uniform, shift work, the code of conduct and following orders all really fit his autistic brain.

Beany Brownie Points and Extra Bonus Funniness

Wonderful Wednesday

Wonderful Wednesday was a day once a year in college when they would suddenly and surprisingly call off all classes and we’d play all day. The cafeteria provided special fun food and we’d do stuff outside like slip ‘n slides and jello wrestling in sumo suits. This segment of Beany Brain is dedicated to that memory of silliness and fun—no words, just a photo from the week that I’ve taken or found that reminds me to let the joy in. Since Beany Brain is published on Wednesday every week (at least, Wednesday in Japan), I hope you enjoy this Wonderful Wednesday.

Today’s Beany-full Summary:

• Even late diagnoses of neurodivergence can bring great relief.

• Autistic adults are sometimes labeled “immature,” but this isn’t the case. There are many factors that might make it look that way, but actually, many of these traits are strengths if society could understand that better.

• Go forth in Beany joy. What will help you feel yeehawesome this week?

Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.

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