By Jillian Enright: For Complete Post, Click Here…
Some accommodations are normalized while others are pathologized.
Everyone needs accommodations to thrive
I just read an article arguing that highly sensitive people (HSP) and autistic people are not the same. The article then went on to describe all the ways in which they are, in fact, The. Same. Thing.
The screen shot below was from the section detailing all of the “differences”, under the subheading impact of environment:
If I’m reading this correctly, HSPs require environmental accommodations in order to flourish, whereas autistic people require accommodations to thrive…
Can somebody please explain to me where the difference is?
For example, the article states:
“Research has shown that highly sensitive individuals have poorer developmental outcomes and an increased likelihood of behavioural and psychological difficulties in stressful and unsupportive early environments.”
Research has shown the exact same thing for autistics.
One study showed that the two greatest predictors of poor physical health in autistics were anxiety and sensation sensitivity behaviours — in other words, sensory processing differences, also known as being “highly sensitive”.
Another study listed the three most important predictors of quality of life for autistic adults, which were: employment, relationships, and social supports. In other words, a supportive employer, supportive partner, and a supportive environment.
I’m still not clear on where the differences are.
