Alright, good morning everybody. Happy Friday, or maybe it’s Saturday, depending on when you’re listening to this. I know it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve done an episode.
I was juggling a lot of things and couldn’t find time to do one, so I decided to do one today. You know what, instead of me just promoting Etsy verbally, I’m gonna go grab a couple of items from the shop so you guys can actually see them. I’ll be right back. So this is an example of one of them.
These are the little toys I’ve been knitting lately. This is another one,e and then this is another one. I know they don’t look perfect, but I don’t think anything really does look perfect in the end, and from me, knitting is a little challenging because of my NVLD and my other learning differences, so I just do the best I can whenever I knit something.
So please look at my Etsy shop if there’s something on there. Feel free to buy it if you like. I also have them at a local shop in Poway called Blissful Seeds, so you can buy them in those two places.
They’re also on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Nextdoor, and on the app to do also. I used to have them on Mecar, but I think I took them off because they didn’t really seem to be selling. If there’s something custom you want me to do, let me know.
It will probably be more expensive because it’s custom, but that depends on the item, like how big it is, how long it takes me to do, and how complicated it is, so just let me know. Another way you can support the podcast, other than through Ets,y is through Patreon. I upload audio without ads like this one, and I upload the transcripts of episodes.
Excuse me. I probably need to do a new one because I don’t think I’ve done one for a while. Okay, so on to today’s topic,c which is on critical thinking.
Don’t take what we say with a grain of salt, neurodivergence, and critical thinking. Let me get some water first. Have you ever received advice that sounded helpful but didn’t actually fit your brain, your life,e or your challenges? For neurodivergent individuals, especially those with invisible learning differences, PTSD, or NVLD, this happens a lot.
Advice like just focus or think positive may be well-intentioned,d but it can actually feel dismissive or frustrating. Today, we’re talking about why it’s okay and necessary to critically evaluate advice even from experts. Your experiences, neurodivergent traits, and personal strategies matter just as much as research or conventional wisdom.
Research and psychology show that neurodivergent adults often develop metacognitive awareness, meaning they’re able to evaluate strategies, recognize what works for them, and discard what doesn’t. This is part of resilience and self-advocacy, and that was from Frontiers in Psychology from 2023. Why advice doesn’t always fit.
Advice often assumes a neurotypical baseline. For example, just organize your desk, and you’ll feel less stressed. Take deep breaths, and you’ll calm down.
For someone with ADHD, NLD, sensory processing differences, or chronic migraines, these suggestions may not be effective or may even increase stress. A 2022 autism research study explains that masking, coping, and neurodivergent adaptations often require individualized strategies, and one-size-fits-all advice can fail to account for lived experiences from autism research 2022. Personally, I’ve had to experiment constantly.
What works for someone else might completely backfire for me. Learning to trust my own inner light and intuition has been essential. In fact, one of the times I did that, that comes to mind would be, um, whenever I feel like something is going wrong, I try to follow my intuition or whenever I feel like, um, something just doesn’t seem right or doesn’t, um, uh, you know, when your gut is kind of twisted in a lot of knots or balls, um, and it’s real tight, it, you got that icky feeling, you gotta listen to that.
Um, and other times when you feel like, oh, this is going right, we’ll listen to that also and be like, then we’re, you’re doing a good thing, or it’s going okay. Critical thinking is a neurodivergent skill. Neurodivergent brains often process the world differently.
This can be an advantage when it comes to evaluating advice. Metacognition, the ability to reflect on your thinking, is something neurodivergent adults often develop out of necessity. A 2023 MDPI social sciences article notes that people with neurodivergent traits frequently create personalized coping strategies and critical evaluation frameworks for themselves.
In my own life, I’ve learned not to automatically accept advice even from professionals. Instead, I ask, does this fit my sensory needs, my cognitive style, my emotional state? This approach has saved me from wasted energy, frustration, and burnout. When advice meets core morbidity, core morbidities like migraines, PTSD, or anxiety add another layer of complexity.
Sorry, got tongue-tied. Advice that works for one condition may worsen another. For example, someone might suggest physical exercise for anxiety, but if you are also managing migraines or sensory overload, certain movements or environments might trigger symptoms instead of relieving them.
Research shows that neurodivergent individuals with core morbid conditions benefit from tailored strategies, combining sensory management, pacing, and emotional regulation (Science Direct 2020). For me, respecting my limits, experimenting, and listening to my body have been more effective than blindly following advice,e even from well-meaning sources. In terms of exercise, I walk my dogs every day except for Sundays.
I usually do that after work. I try to do some weights also and use the elliptical, maybe go on a bike ride, maybe do some exercise with some friends, like use the pool. You know, I try to have fun with it because if it’s not fun, I’m not going to do it.
Then it feels too much like a job. Integrating advice with the inner light and butterfly philosophy. This ties directly into our ever-changing butterfly and inner light concepts.
Your growth and resilience are personal. Advice is like a map, but you’re the one walking the path. Sometimes advice aligns with your needs, sometimes it doesn’t.
Each decision, whether to follow it, modify it, or discard it, is part of building resilience and trusting your inner light. In a sense, every strategy you evaluate, every adaptation you test, is another wing forming from Frontiers 2023. Own your decisions.
As we close, here’s the takeaway. Don’t take what we or anyone says with a grain of salt. Take it with curiosity, critical thinking, and self-awareness.
For neurodivergent individuals, evaluate advice against your experience, sensory needs, and cognitive style. Experiment and adapt strategies to suit your personal context. Celebrate the self-knowledge you gain along the way.
Research supports this approach. Developing self-directed strategies enhances resilience, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. Your inner light and resilience are your compass.
Advice can be a guide, but only you know the path that works for your wings. I’m Jennifer Purcell, and this is Living With Invisible Learning Challenges. Trust your process, trust your light, and keep growing your wings.
Jennifer
I’m a dog mom, sister, podcaster, techy gal, and best friend with a full-time job that keeps me busy (and never bored) thanks to all the different hats I get to wear. I love helping people however I can and creating things along the way. I also run an Etsy shop featuring my knitted creations.
