Humans, and their brains, are similar to plants in a lot of ways. Let me explain…………..
There are different species of plant that all need different conditions to thrive. Some need lots of water, some less, some need sunlight, some need darkness.
In a meadow, you can see lots of beautiful wildflowers like poppies and cornflowers.
In a rainforest, you can see the lush colours of bromeliads and orchids.
To experience the true beauty and diversity of plants, it is possible to create a garden with lots of different environments so all plant types can thrive!
Even if plants are the same species. They all grow and look different. Some of this is because of their DNA, some of this is because of the environment, for example roses can come in many different colours
If the environment is not right, a flower will not reach its full potential. A water lily would struggle to grow in a desert, but would thrive in a rainforest pond.
These natural differences in types of plants is part of something called biodiversity. The word diversity just means ‘variety’ and it is an important part of life. In the same way that there is biodiversity, there are also natural differences in types of brains and how they work, and this is called neurodiversity.
Just like the plants need different things in order to thrive, so too do different brains and therefore people!
But sometimes, your strengths and weaknesses are very different to most people. You can have incredible strengths that most people do not have, but difficulties in areas people find easy too. One example of this is being autistic.
A Video Message from Vex about Strengths and Weaknesses
Being different from most people is a beautiful way to be. If you get support for your weaknesses, then your strengths and unique thinking are a true credit to the world.
Even if most people around you aren’t autistic, you definitely aren’t alone! There are at least 700,000 of us in the UK (this is using old data, it is likely there are many more!).
In the same way that autistic people are a minority, there are other groups of people who also have their own unique strengths and differences. This includes people who are dyslexic, who have ADHD and more!
One difficulty you may have is that people might not always understand your differences.
The world is set up for people who have the majority brain type, who are not autistic, and this can cause a lot of unnecessary stress/ problems.
When non-autistic people do not understand your differences, it can make you feel like you aren’t good enough, and this can have a really negative impact on your wellbeing.
A lot of autistic adults have eventually learned that they aren’t broken, just different. The most important thing is to learn to live life in a way that works for you.
One of the reasons we have created this website is so that you have a better understanding of what might work for you as an autistic person. We want to help you to work out your strengths, and guide you in putting support in place for your difficulties so they do not become a barrier.
