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Neurodiverse Mumsnetters

Use this forum to discuss neurodiverse parenting.

What would a ND only world look like?

76 replies

ofwarren · 29/01/2022 21:21

I sometimes wonder what the world would be like if ND people were the majority. Do you think there would be more or less conflict? More or less poverty and injustice?

I think the way the world works would be vastly different in every possible way.

What do you think?

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LilyRed · 31/01/2022 01:28

Can we take a trip to Sweden? Grin Mesost is one of the world's oldest known cheeses and although I know it better as Brunost and Gjetost I would definitely choose that. (not on phone so I cannot find a me drooling emoji!)

@BlackeyedSusan scraping cutlery on plates would not be allowed and it would be ok for me to tuck my napkin into my neck as I am a messy eater (I must remember this and the constant mystery bruises where I walk into things.) I usually keep my cooking apron on when I sit down to eat. My best friend from school had a lovely pair of napkin clips bought for her by her husband as she had the same problem as me

BitcherOfBlakiven · 31/01/2022 01:42

DBro lived in Sweden for 2 years and said it’s a haven for ND people.

ofwarren · 31/01/2022 09:05

Im going to end up going down a Sweden rabbit hole today because of this post. It was neanderthals the other day because of another post on here 🤣
Something piques my interest and I'm lost in the Internet researching for hours and hours!

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knackeredcat · 31/01/2022 11:03

I am loving all these ideas, especially the more cats and fewer meetings - and I can definitely recommend a trip to Sweden Smile

In work - short bullet pointed emails with overview of task, why you need to do it and the absolute deadline. Clear and precise. I've tied myself up in knots trying to work out the above in long email trails which become multi tentacled beasts and which cause huge panic and confusion.

More visual ways of working - ideas boards, virtual sticky notes, Kanban boards, etc. I get good feedback when I throw these into the mix as it encourages collaboration organically - no forcing or putting on the spot.

Bigger picture - we need ND friendly housing. So many of us are living in environments which are not designed for us and we are suffering. I don't even know where to start with this or what the solution is but we need a solution. I won't hold my breath here...

An end to wider society's celebration and championing of loud, blustery overconfident types who talk the good talk, get paid £££££ and rarely deliver in all walks of life.

Snugglepumpkin · 31/01/2022 11:28

It would be a quieter world with better soundproofing.
No screaming adverts.

There would be so much more natural green growing things & far less grey concrete, neon or frantically flashing things.

People would say what they mean & be believed so there would be less misunderstandings.

There would be less scratchy material things so things would feel nicer.

wakamekombu · 31/01/2022 16:15

No LinkedIn/networking crap!
Nice well-ventilated non-stinky places to eat lunch in workplaces/unis etc
No communal seating in restaurants, and widely-spaced seating on public transport
Much less corruption etc
A ban on pretty clothes being made of polyester Grin

Winterweb · 02/02/2022 13:37

Schooling would look VERY different, far more autonomous, child led. Happier more, relaxed children.

In turn, eventually how we work would look different too. More flexible. I don't don't how productive this world would be but perhaps a huge shift to a simpler, less materialistic way of living would be the payoff for people being less productivity work wise?

BlossomingSlowly · 05/02/2022 12:03

Less conflict, more understanding, more freedom to just be yourself, plenty of logical thinking and lots of animals Thanks

BringBackCoffeeCreams · 05/02/2022 12:47

i'm not sure there'd be less conflict. I'm an extremely black and white thinker. I'm right and anything else is wrong and I have zero tolerance of wrong. I'm pretty sure I could start a war all by myself by just being righteously stubborn to the point of stupidity.

felulageller · 05/02/2022 22:39

We'd get 2 seats on a bus so no one would sit next to us.

No handshaking.

No spicy food.

Air fresheners banned.

No group work at school/ uni.

Dishonesty would be criminalised.

ofwarren · 05/02/2022 22:49

@BringBackCoffeeCreams

i'm not sure there'd be less conflict. I'm an extremely black and white thinker. I'm right and anything else is wrong and I have zero tolerance of wrong. I'm pretty sure I could start a war all by myself by just being righteously stubborn to the point of stupidity.
That's a good point actually 🤣 I don't think I'd start a war though, it's just mutter under my breath and then never speak to that person ever again. They would be dead to me in my mind 😁
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crackofdoom · 06/02/2022 23:15

Wow, imagine a world where what you said was more important than how you said it (weeps with relief).

I imagine it would be less pressured, especially in the sphere of work, because a) many ND people, myself included, don't handle stress and overwork well, and b) I really think that the working hard to achieve some kind of status just so you can impress people and fill your howling internal void with a sense of purpose is mostly a NT trait. Although obviously some ND people do work really really hard, but that's because they're genuinely into whatever they're doing.

RainbowZebraWarrior · 07/02/2022 13:33

'To fill your howling internal void with a sense of purpose' is a great descriptor. I was having a conversation with my Mum last night about my uncle. It describes how and who he is, and why he behaves the way he does.

I've also just realised how much Echolalia affects me. I literally go round repeating the last couple of words of a sentence that someone has spoken. I am like an echo. It's been pointed out so much to me. Or in this case, I picked up this sentence because I like how it feels, sounds, links together and perfectly describes something I understand to be true. It's like it makes my brain happy to confirm these things. To repeat them.

AppleButter · 12/02/2022 20:06

So many of these are so spot-on and yet new explanations of “me”: loving colour over monochrome, not liking saucey food touching dry food, scrapey plates, I just thought these were weird quirks, didn’t think to attach them to being ND. Fascinating how puzzle pieces are fitting together.

I don’t have much else to add yet, just a recognition that I don’t like brisk, rough social interactions, that have me feeling insulted for days.
I would have no smoking at busstops , especially in the rain, (people do it anyway) and public places where you can’t get away from horrid smoke clouds in your face.

ofwarren · 13/02/2022 08:35

@AppleButter

So many of these are so spot-on and yet new explanations of “me”: loving colour over monochrome, not liking saucey food touching dry food, scrapey plates, I just thought these were weird quirks, didn’t think to attach them to being ND. Fascinating how puzzle pieces are fitting together.

I don’t have much else to add yet, just a recognition that I don’t like brisk, rough social interactions, that have me feeling insulted for days.
I would have no smoking at busstops , especially in the rain, (people do it anyway) and public places where you can’t get away from horrid smoke clouds in your face.

I wonder what the numbers are like for smoking? ND vs NT? I know people with ADHD are more likely to smoke but I'm not sure about ASD.

There would be no smoking at all in my personal autistic world.

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BringBackCoffeeCreams · 13/02/2022 16:56

I started smoking in my younger years in a desperate attempt to fit in. I thankfully saw sense and quit a few years later. I'm happy for it to completely banned. My autistic 8 year old seems to believe he'll die if he even sees a cigarette. Won't get out of the car if there's a butt on the road and freaks out completely when people are smoking near the doors to places we need to go in.

I wouldn't want to live in a world with no spicey food though. I love spicey food. But smoothies and yogurts and other weird gloopy consistency stuff can go.

JohnMcCainsDeathStare · 14/02/2022 20:47

No silly dresscodes unless it is strictly functional. I am embracing the fact that my usual mode of dress is a cross between perky goth c. 2005 and a 14 year old e-boy despite my senior (!) professional position.

ofwarren · 14/02/2022 22:24

There would be lots more cat cafes and maybe even cafes with different animals. Bunny cafes anyone?

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JohnMcCainsDeathStare · 14/02/2022 23:02

I'd like a rat cafe. Or a mouse cafe with a big mouse run with tunnels and burrows and the opportunity of mouse handling if requested. That is the rat/mouse run is sealed and we can see the mice/rats playing around us.

ofwarren · 14/02/2022 23:02

@JohnMcCainsDeathStare

I'd like a rat cafe. Or a mouse cafe with a big mouse run with tunnels and burrows and the opportunity of mouse handling if requested. That is the rat/mouse run is sealed and we can see the mice/rats playing around us.
Yes! I would love that too 😍
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knackeredcat · 15/02/2022 08:44

As much as I love cat cafes, YY to other animal cafes - I'd love a goat one, thanks Grin

ofwarren · 15/02/2022 09:27

@knackeredcat

As much as I love cat cafes, YY to other animal cafes - I'd love a goat one, thanks Grin
That would also be great Grin Definitely need to have those bags of food they give you at the petting zoo so you can feed them. They are little hoovers.
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JohnMcCainsDeathStare · 21/02/2022 11:39

There'd be less big business and a less obvious corporate culture - large businesses would be more of a looser conglomerate rather than monolithic organizations.
Things might take longer but I suspect would be more reliable.
Not sure about how politics would work - possibly more, smaller parties and larger, multipartisan organiszations - more of an anarchic aspect but with more of a focus on maintaining essentials (food, water, infrastucture etc).

BachAndByte · 21/02/2022 17:22

Separate zones for people with different needs. Including proper quiet zones everywhere.

No mandatory communal tables and no expectation to share.

All restaurant and cafe orders to be done with no human interaction.

(Those last 2 things were some of the few good things during Covid lockdowns!)

PangoPurrl · 22/02/2022 20:35

You wouldn't be told at school that you're bad at subject just because one aspect of it wasn't working for you. (My life would've been so different if I hadn't 'failed' art.)

People would actually believe you when you tell them that certain noises cause you actual pain and/or distress even though they barely register them.

There would be a way found somehow for all of us that want to to be able to live on an otherwise uninhabited (by other humans) island.