Understanding Diverse Minds

There are natural variations in how the brain is wired to learn, process information

- Joyce Teo

A 48-year-educator, who asked to be called Adrian, has felt out of place throughout his life.

He lives with three neurodivergent conditions—autism, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia—that were diagnosed only when he was around 18.

Autism means that Adrian finds it hard to understand social cues, and would offend people without knowing it. As dyspraxia causes difficulties in motor skills and coordination, he would appear clumsy. Dyscalculia affects Adrian's ability to understand and work with numbers.

Adrian finds it hard to make friends and fit in, and he was often mocked by his peers at school and when he was doing his national service.

"If you bully a person in a wheelchair, it's very obvious. But if a person has some strange quirks, and it stems from invisible conditions, people are less understanding and tend to ostracise and judge you prematurely without first taking into account your effort and sincerity of heart," he said.

Things came to a head in 2023 at work, where he was the last to pick up on the fact that two department heads were at loggerheads with each other.

He ended up being caught in the middle, and he eventually quit because the work environment got too toxic for him. That pushed him into depression, for which he is still taking medication.

"It's just an escalating baggage to carry, where you know that you can never truly belong anywhere," said Adrian, who is married without children.

Adrian is part of a group of neurodivergent individuals who also live with mental health conditions.

NEURODIVERGENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH - WHAT'S THE LINK?

Neurodivergence and mental health disorders are two separate afflictions.

Dr Celine Wong, senior consultant at National University Hospital's department of psychological medicine, said neurodivergence refers to natural variations in how the brain is wired to learn and process information.