time to natter about some frustrations with how people sometimes talk about sensory needs and concept of neurotypical , and hope this all make sense .
just get done with
new try every day video where ash introduce zach and keith to various sensory tools and toys - not bad video , but feel like place this divide . ash is diagnosed with autism , zach is undiagnosed but talk about suspicions , and keith is referred as neurotypical .
ash seem to consider keith's engagement incorrect , and zach's as more correct . keith did not want to spin fully around on spinny chair , more content to sway side to side - but keith is also very tall , and this chair is built very small and low to ground . keith did not initially get into sensory sack correctly , and seem actually pretty happy with that ! then with weighted plushies , keith say that always like to puppeteer things , no matter what intent of design is , and then go on to puppeteer as stated .
and for all of this , keith is deemed neurotypical - this is not " right " way to seek sensory input , not " right " way to explore and engage with these toys . of course , in this very same video , ash talk about rigidity of rules as important factor in personal diagnosis . do not entirely fault ash for feel that there is correct method of engagement based on intended design , but do wish this was not just pin on idea of neurotypical .
because , even without make comment on whether keith in specific should or should not be seen as neurotypical , kossai find some reflection in keith's methods of engagement . to be clear , kossai have sometimes extreme sensory needs and challenges both - literally have graveyard of overused , broken down sensory toys , and can black out almost entire sections in checklists - and still relate to some of these supposedly " neurotypical " styles of engagement .
to say that there is some significant difference to neurotypical and neurodivergent forms of sensory engagement is ... wrong ? obviously live in society that discourage " childish " forms of engagement , which happen to be most that actually explicitly label as such - stim , fidget , etc . people who fall under this mythical idea of neurotypical still engage senses everyday , but might never think to refer that way because of discouragement .
like - everyone have different thresholds to meet satisfaction , and some people can meet without additional tools or activities , which is fine ! to cook and clean can bring enough smells , to crochet can engage hands with enough textures , and so on , but that single out tool usage as something " other " , because there is expected population who engage with these due to
special needs , rather than expectation that anyone might be able to incorporate and find satisfaction .
look this way , right . some people never explore gender beyond expectations of cis identity . but some of those people might actually quite enjoy exploration if try , even if still reach cis conclusion at end - society just discourage enough to say this is not option , especially if not suffer and agonise like " real trans people " apparently should . and think that too is true of topics like this .
do not really feel like useful anymore to divide these sensory thresholds as definitively neurotypical or neurodivergent . sometimes see line drawn in settings of school or work that there is difference between sensory play that ground focus , and non-sensory play that distract focus . but if distraction is so frequent and so genuinely disruptive to knowledge and/or action , then surely first and foremost that is problem of structure over any individual - not to mention that some establishments refuse to draw this line anyway , and just blanket ban .
play is so immensely useful to process of learn , analyse , and form knowledge . there is more study with this in kids of course , but realistically why would that stop with adulthood ? adult play often look different , sure , but even that can be because of unnecessary divide in expectations of what is adult-appropriate and what is too childish .
just feel that if someone can not help but seek out play - whether deem as sensory or non-sensory - there is reason that deserve respect . that is true whether child or adult , whether label neurotypical or neurodivergent , and that lines of division in these categories do not hold up . do not like phrases like " everyone is little bit autistic " because even when meant well , often undermine struggles of diagnosis and associated traits in current society , but do often question necessity and legitimacy of neurotypical as division .
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kossai
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