How AI Can Support Autistic, ADHDer & Gifted Individuals: Bridging the Cognitive Gap
And Navigating Life's Complexities Through Mirroring, Linearization & Shame Reduction
One common challenge that many of my Neurocomplex (gifted, Autistic, and/or ADHDer) clients have identified over the years is bridging the cognitive gaps between their multidimensional micro and macro ability to 1) have a clear and accurate subjective understanding of a complex personal situation, issue, or goal and 2) to conceptualize or “see” the ideal possible subjective outcomes and/or solutions to these situations, issues or goals. In other words, they understand complex issues and can conceive of complex solutions yet struggle to navigate the connective tissue1 between these two vertices. Relate?
A contextual example of this conundrum:
You can conceptualize (A) your current job/career positioning from multiple angles: how it currently meets your financial needs/goals, how it currently aligns with your value structures, how it serves your ego vs. Self, how it meets your social/intellectual/sensory/existential needs/desires, and so on.
You can also complexly conceptualize (Z) your career in a more aligned state: adapted or vastly different roles from your current career/job positioning that may better suit your subjective needs and desires in financial, values related, social, intellectual, sensory, and existential areas of your Self.
Your challenge: determining your next moves to connect the vertices of A to Z (above). How do you get from current concept A to future more aligned concept Z? What are the actual steps you would need to take to increase fulfillment from your career? How do you communicate what you DO know you know (not easy for the Neurocomplex!) with others? And so on. If you’re feeling anxious reading this…you’re in the right soup.
[Obviously, these situations span all areas of life and are not pigeon holed to career goals, but wanted to use this as a tangible example to work with here.]
While uncovering the answers to these questions is always an individualized process, as the complexities bar any true linear template, it generally comes down to finding ways to linearize inner abstract concepts/sensations/truths to bring them to life outside of the body-mind. In other words, to translate these multifactorial complex ideas (ie: how to have a more fulfilling career) into more linear “terms” in order to be able to plug them into existing simpler algorithms (ie compressing into language/communication, workplace and educational systems, etc.). This linearization can reduce anxiety around someone asking a Neurocomplex being big questions like, “What experience do you bring to the table?” or “What do you want to do with your career/life?”
How we connect the vertices in a somewhat linear fashion can, and should, vary but one general meta challenge for Neurocomplex individuals is finding accurate mirroring of themselves, what they do/feel/think, as a reflective strategy for translation and mapping. With very few tools or people who we feel can represent our inner webs, it can be incredibly challenging for us to “see” the next step and feel anything other than like we are walking around in the dark in search of our next step. Remember, the connective tissue is a dark spot for most of us.
HAAAAALP! Cue, AI.
Please note that I’m not insinuating that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will solve every problem or should take the place of self-exploration or co-creation with other warm bodied beings. However, I have found that some AI tools that have recently been brought into my awareness are turning out to be pretty helpful aids for my neurocomplex clients and myself to linearize at 1) a pace that feels somewhat satisfying and 2) a level of mirroring that feels uncanny (in the best way).