Neurodiverse or Neurotypical? - It’s A Spectrum Issue

The old adage goes “use it or lose it”. As we learn more and more about the human brain, the 21st Century version has become "neurons that fire together, wire together - neurons that fire apart, wire apart".

However you describe yourself (and it's not likely to be either of these, of course, because we don't tend to describe ourselves - or each other - in these terms) you may find that your life choices are significantly limited because of how the neurons in your brain connect with each other, making you one or the other; neurotypical - like the vast majority of the population or neurodiverse - currently thought to be about one in a hundred people though potentially much higher due to under-diagnosis or even lack of diagnosis. 

I'm no scientist, just a former tutor in a college for young adults with Special Educational Needs and behavioural issues - and therefore have a keen interest in highlighting issues that could change the lives of the disadvantaged, but there's plenty of research that shows most people have some degree of 'limitation' in their cognitive processing capability due to a range of issues, from genetics to environmental conditions (and their own self-limiting beliefs - a different topic for an article).

For the most part, we 'learn' to adapt and function. We learn in a very unconscious way because the parts of the brain that do this learning often have little to do with any awareness on our behalf of the changes going on in our heads. It all goes on at a deep level where our neurological processing takes place out of 'sight' (and out of mind) of our consciousness. But it can be influenced, it can be changed because the brain is 'plastic', that is, it is infinitely adaptable, especially in our early lives which is where the foundational 'learning' goes on and neuro-connections are established - or not. But how can we 'teach' the brain to change and why would we?

For many people, those who live their neurodiverse lives on the Autistic spectrum (whether diagnosed or not - and there are still many people coping with undiagnosed conditions), the challenge of these limitations are shared on a daily basis with their families and carers - which are usually the same people of course, putting stress on the family unit. Autism is recognised as a lifelong condition and there is good evidence to suggest that it is one in which the individual - some of whom function at a much higher level than 'neurotypical' people - will develop strategies to enable them to find their way through life in as 'comfortable' a way as possible, but for many this can take a long time and can detrimentally affect every member of their family. It is important to recognise that there are many upsides to sharing one's life with someone on the spectrum. It doesn't have to be a constant struggle. 

Like Autism itself, neurology is one of those 'invisible' aspects of the human condition and, whilst many people actively support those with diverse neurological problems, both on a personal and professional basis, relatively little attention has been given to non-invasive, pharmaceutically-avoidant approaches to addressing the problems associated with the condition. In my experience as a tutor, most young people - I worked with 16 to 23 year olds - were on some form of medication to help them maintain equilibrium in order to participate in their own education and development and of course this works to varying degrees and suits many people, but there are alternative approaches from cognitive behavioural therapy and speech development programmes to much more physical interventions. Most of these will provide some form of support for the people affected but, as scientific research advances, other ‘treatments’ are coming to light. Discovering these tends to be through personal exploration rather than via specialists in the field of Autism, often because the treatment has been developed for some other reason and not specifically for Autistic people. For many the discovery of something that ‘works for them’ can be life-changing for all the family and offers hope where there may have been hopeless acceptance of their situation. 

My Neurological Story Is A Short One!

I was diagnosed with a neurological problem by a specialist consultant following tests and scans that produced no definitive results regarding what I had always felt was a physical problem (with my lower left leg and ankle). As a result of being informed there was precious little that could be done to address the problem, which caused me to limp increasingly and have a developing back pain issue due to physical compensatory motion, I began looking for some way of addressing the problem which would probably worsen as I grew older - I didn’t want to face my old age with a walking stick - or worse! 

Last November, I was at a business network meeting and saw a fellow attendee carrying something that piqued my curiosity. I asked him what it was all about and, after the usual introductions, he began to tell me his story about the pain of Plantar fasciitis (excruciating pain in the heel, which many people suffer from) and how he had himself discovered a solution that alleviated his pain in what he felt was a remarkable way. Long story, short, he demonstrated the ‘treatment’ to me, I experienced a sensation of instant re-balancing in the moment and a ‘draining away’ of the pain in my back (which, whilst not debilitating, was beginning to affect my mood - according to my wife!). 

The ‘treatment’ began by simply stepping onto his pair of insoles, which sounds improbable until you learn that these are not what you might expect - there are plenty of orthotic inserts used by people with foot and leg problems to help them walk more ‘correctly’ - I’ve used specially made inserts myself for almost twenty years just to keep me upright! - and there are many products on the market which claim to use tactile moulded surfaces to stimulate nerve receptors in the feet, much like in reflexology and acupuncture. These tend to focus their effects on the local issue (in the feet themselves). 

Following my ‘miracle’ experience, because that’s how it felt, I naturally looked into it in much more detail and discovered that the product is a neurological technology which takes a very different approach to relieving pain in the body (for which it is very effective) and has a range of other benefits too, from helping improve balance, stability and mobility, boosting energy and reducing recovery time (for sports people), helping calm the mind, reducing anxiety and most interestingly, helping neurodiverse people take a much more active part in their education or work by 'resetting' their brains - yes, you read that correctly; resetting the brain is HOW this technology works. Taking the premise that the brain is ‘plastic’ and can be adapted, the technology sends signals to the brainstem and (as my daughter described it) effectively presses the Start, Alt, Delete keys to your life-management system, rebooting it so it can perform more effectively, enabling new neurological connections to be formed which then address the issues in your body and brain which need attention - you don’t even realise this is happening. Almost everyone who experiences it derives some benefit from using it and because the inventor is so confident of it’s efficacy there is a 30 day money back guarantee which gives every reason to give it a try for your particular issues. He invented this technology to help his mother who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when he was in his teens and is adamant that it has to be affordable to most people, is effective for a long period of time and doesn't require regular purchases, as is the case with many 'treatments'. He is also keen to insist those who use it understand it does not cure all ills but offers a degree of relief from their conditions. It simply gives the brain the chance to focus its attention on the particular issues of the user, whether that is pain relief or providing better mobility for severe neurological conditions.

For the Autistic community this promises to offer some people a way of dealing with a range of issues that might otherwise continue to prove problematic. There are testimonials from users on the internet demonstrating how their lives have been positively affected by the technology. Links to relevant information are provided below and, as with anything of this nature, it is important that you do your own research and all I would advise is that you approach this with an open mind, because the technology doesn’t work on a closed mind.

There are many other aspects of this technology which can help people suffering from a wide range of conditions and also help those looking to perform to a better standard in sports, physical fitness and other human endeavours. This technology is already changing the way many millions of people address their life-limiting conditions and at the time of writing that figure is up to 6 million users, with a mission statement to 'improve the lives of a billion people'.

Neurology may be a relatively new area of focus for health and wellbeing, with more and more scientific research revealing more and more about the workings of our brains, but this technology IS already proving its value simply by virtue of improving the lives of people with a wide range of issues.

Please do your own research and let me know if you'd like to know more.

"When you change the way you look at things. The things you look at change."

Chris G Day 

Voxx Life UK Founding Associate

07771 914216

Links:

Science and background https://chrisday.voxxlife.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Voxx+Life+Testimonials Search: Neurological technology, Brain scanning, Voxx Life Testimonials